Monday 15 April 2013

Summers now here

You can tell it's summer time - here the rain's not so cold., while the East of england bakes in 20degrees plus (drought warnings soon!)

On top of that Willow Warbs, Blackcaps, Tree Pipits and Swallows (at least 2 - so summer is definately here!) have joined the other summer migrants to make it this far.

Highlights from a slightly delayed WeBS this am were a pair of Goosander. A wander round Coed Cefn Fforest didn't find much from the winter fare, though the cock Pheasant was back in voice. Three Tree Pipits displaying in the rain was also nice.

Darren Heronry looks like it might recover from the snow in March with at least 8, possibly 12, occupied nests, two of which contained well grown juv's, to allay my fears the snow had wiped out this years young. The other occupied nests all appeared to be brooding eggs as the parents were sitting tight. Further proof of a second breeding attempt was provided by a male who flew in landed on his nest and then got busy with his mate without as much as a "Hello".

Plenty of Siskins are around at the moment - at least 6 singing / displaying males in the forestry at Pen y Graig. Two Crossbills also flew over, prob the pair I heard a few weeks ago. A male Pheasant, this one seen, was also in the neighbourhood.

8 comments:

  1. First Brimstone of the year,no unusual Teals at Upper Boat tho.

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  2. first brimstone for me today as well mountain ash.

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  3. mike . have you been to liwyn on res for common sandpiper.8 last night

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  4. I called in at Llwyn-onn this afternoon after work but no mud, no common sand and the place looked deserted, then it began to rain. 2 white wagtails, 1 sand martin & a swallow at Rhaslas this morning, then it began to rain. Male blackcap in garden for the last 2 days. On saturday I had 11 Herald moths hibernating in a disused cement mixer in Carmarthen. I informed Evans who thought it was a strange record, not so much the late date but, as far as he was aware, most moth recorders never check cement mixers.

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  5. Have you got concrete evidence for the Moths

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  6. There's going to be "mortar" follow,watch this space.

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  7. The Cement Mixer must have been " Pointing " in the right direction. I wonder if Mike mis-identified them, they could have been Wall butterflies.

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  8. Arghhhh! getting worse; it could have been a mix of 2 Portland, 3 Sandy Carpet and 1 Water Carpet.

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