With rain forcast from very early I decided to pass on heading into CCF for the dawn chorus. I was slightly anoyed to wake just before 6 to find it was still dry. So after my porage (Note the correct spelling - don't trust anything that isn't spelt correctly e.g. porridge! gastly misuse of the language, but seems to be prevelant amongst those sasunnach companies) I decided to give CCF a go. On the walk up through Mill road, the sound of a couple of thrushes alarming drew my attention to a Tawny Owl sitting out in the open.
I'd hardly walked into CCF when I heard a Wood Warbler singing., a hunderd meters, or so, further on and another singing Wood Warb. Both these males really going for it. A nother couple of hunder meters and a third Wood Warb found, this time it was quiet, no call, no song. Eventually it gave a brief burst of song, but stopped just as it was getting into the ascending trill. As I watched this bird, a second appeared in the background - it dropped to the wood floor and appeared to be looking for a suitable nest site. It looks like the male didn't need to sing that much with its mate already in tow. Another couple of hundered meters and a 5th Wood Warbler. Again quite quiet with only brief snatches of song, so I presume this male has also gotten himself a mate. 4 territories equals my record count for the site. Lets hope they all succesfully breed.
Whilst the Wood Warblers were the highlight, I was dissappointed not to find any Redstarts, and it looks like no Pied Fly's either, though given the now damp weather, they might just of been keeping their heads down.
Redstarts are regular breeding species here, but Pied Fly's are, at best, occassional. Spot Fly's don't look to have made it here yet.
A walk round Parc Taf Bargoed in the heavy rain found two Smooth Newts, both victims of road kill, one by car the other by bicycle. A Common Sand was a welcome find, before calling it a (wet) day.(And as I type there is blue sky!!!
I'd hardly walked into CCF when I heard a Wood Warbler singing., a hunderd meters, or so, further on and another singing Wood Warb. Both these males really going for it. A nother couple of hunder meters and a third Wood Warb found, this time it was quiet, no call, no song. Eventually it gave a brief burst of song, but stopped just as it was getting into the ascending trill. As I watched this bird, a second appeared in the background - it dropped to the wood floor and appeared to be looking for a suitable nest site. It looks like the male didn't need to sing that much with its mate already in tow. Another couple of hundered meters and a 5th Wood Warbler. Again quite quiet with only brief snatches of song, so I presume this male has also gotten himself a mate. 4 territories equals my record count for the site. Lets hope they all succesfully breed.
Whilst the Wood Warblers were the highlight, I was dissappointed not to find any Redstarts, and it looks like no Pied Fly's either, though given the now damp weather, they might just of been keeping their heads down.
Redstarts are regular breeding species here, but Pied Fly's are, at best, occassional. Spot Fly's don't look to have made it here yet.
A walk round Parc Taf Bargoed in the heavy rain found two Smooth Newts, both victims of road kill, one by car the other by bicycle. A Common Sand was a welcome find, before calling it a (wet) day.(And as I type there is blue sky!!!
Note correct spelling of Thruushes!
ReplyDeletetouche
ReplyDeleteWell done with the WO, by the way. I'll have to see if the Merthyr Tunnel bird is in, though the end of the week would be more usual for that one.
ReplyDeleteA Swift made as far as the Fidlers Elbow this evening before turning round and heading south!
ReplyDeleteI still need swift and no dottrel yesterday up cwm cadlan and lots of wheatear about and still coming in and even some in low fields on the reserve.
ReplyDeleteI checked the Merthyr Tunnel approach and the WO was in and singing well in the Larch forest.
ReplyDeleteAs for Swift; I had to go to Cardiff, last Friday and saw a Swift from the train, at Taffs Well.
Good too hear the wood warbler is there and bloody wo .
ReplyDelete