Yesterday morning got up to see it was raining once more and my planned trip to the top of the Dare Country Park was in doubt so I thought I would go and look for the Golden Eyed Lichen once more. I got to the area and started my search but still could not find it. I checked loads of the Hawthorns on site, it was great to see the colour of the lichens and some of the trees were plastered in it. I also found Black Bulgar Fungus on a Oak and had a small flock of Bullfinches feeding in the Heather. I kept heading up and before I knew it I was almost on top of the Mountain and looking over the valley towards Cwmdare. I could see the fog starting too roll in and I thought what next, it was coming in very quickly and then if by magic stopped at the edge of Tarren y Bwllfa. I also noticed that the fence was covered in Purple Moor grass, it looked real good, a first for me and you could see how windy it must get on top.
As I dropped over to the river which runs down from Lluest Wen Reservoir it started snowing a fair bit which was a nice change from rain. I found two Dippers on the river and was surprised how many Meadow Pipits were still on top and around the Reservoir. I got my only year tick of the day when I had four Reed Buntings. As I walked up too the Shrike site at Bwlch y Lladron I took Shelter in a pipe by the side of the road, it was very comfortable in there and dry and would have made a great shelter on our trip too Canada. The roads have changed and I walked along a road to the wind turbines for a bit before I took a short cut and flushed a Common Snipe, it almost give me a heart attack as it took off. It was great to see a light dusting of snow everywhere, I found lots of moss flowering through the snow and a couple of small clumps of Match Stick Lichen. When I finally got too the Shrike site I started scanning trees but found no sign, in fact very little in the area at all. I jumped the fence and started too make my way down off the mountain when the fog came back in. I stopped to put my gloves on and I thought I know I will have a Cherry Bakewell and remembered that Mr Hill had ate the lot the day before and had left me the empty box and all the rubbish too. But by chance a friend had given me some chocolate and I forgot about it and it went down a treat. I thought how easy it would be for birds to fly into the turbines in the fog and they would have no change of surviving it. As I got back down near Tarren y Bwllfa I found a Drinker Moth Caterpillar which shows how much food is still about for the upland birds like Meadow Pipits. I then flushed a Short Eared owl out of the Purple Moor Grass, not far from where I flushed one two years ago.
Cough, splutter!!!. Ate all the bakewells, we had two each and you kept the last two on your lap for the whole drive home. And all the time you had chocolate on you as well. Friends who needs enemies. I will have to reconsider the scotch eggs ration. Well done on the Short Eared owl.
Cracking photo-diary Martin especially the purple moor grassed fence and the 3VB new summer chalet. There seems to be quite a few, though thinly scattered records of short eared owl from the uplands at the moment,I wonder how many are out there. As for Hill and food, I haven't mentioned it before but when I shared a room with him in Spain, when I woke up in the morning he had eaten my pillow.
Great journal, Martin. I recall several occasions, back in the eighties, when we had gale force westerlies, it 'snowed' purple moor grass in the valley; even in the middle of Aberdare. I haven't seen that since, but in those days I was working in Aberdare college, which is where I saw most incidents of it. It was really bizarre to be walking through town and see grass leaves floating down from the sky. By the way, there are hopes of getting some work done, to protect the pyramidal orchids, including cutting back the encroaching bramble.
That brilliant news mark and best news this year so far and so have you seen it on the fence too and i seen it falling from the sky in summer and when there been a mountain fire.
Yes I've seen it stuck on fences like that loads of times, particularly when we used to travel over to Maerdy, to visit my grandparents every week. Richard Wistow and I have been given a new contact in the Llandovery office of the forestry and he is happy to do some clearance work up there, as soon as possible. Richard and I need to have a site visit with him as a matter of urgency, so that work can be planned and carried out.
Cough, splutter!!!. Ate all the bakewells, we had two each and you kept the last two on your lap for the whole drive home. And all the time you had chocolate on you as well. Friends who needs enemies. I will have to reconsider the scotch eggs ration.
ReplyDeleteWell done on the Short Eared owl.
Cracking photo-diary Martin especially the purple moor grassed fence and the 3VB new summer chalet. There seems to be quite a few, though thinly scattered records of short eared owl from the uplands at the moment,I wonder how many are out there. As for Hill and food, I haven't mentioned it before but when I shared a room with him in Spain, when I woke up in the morning he had eaten my pillow.
ReplyDeleteI thought he was snoring so bad you was trying too smother him Mike .
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ReplyDeleteGreat journal, Martin. I recall several occasions, back in the eighties, when we had gale force westerlies, it 'snowed' purple moor grass in the valley; even in the middle of Aberdare. I haven't seen that since, but in those days I was working in Aberdare college, which is where I saw most incidents of it. It was really bizarre to be walking through town and see grass leaves floating down from the sky.
ReplyDeleteBy the way, there are hopes of getting some work done, to protect the pyramidal orchids, including cutting back the encroaching bramble.
That brilliant news mark and best news this year so far and so have you seen it on the fence too and i seen it falling from the sky in summer and when there been a mountain fire.
ReplyDeleteYes I've seen it stuck on fences like that loads of times, particularly when we used to travel over to Maerdy, to visit my grandparents every week.
ReplyDeleteRichard Wistow and I have been given a new contact in the Llandovery office of the forestry and he is happy to do some clearance work up there, as soon as possible. Richard and I need to have a site visit with him as a matter of urgency, so that work can be planned and carried out.
Ok cheers mark and great the site is looking more rosey and flower same to be doing well and growing in numbers.
ReplyDelete