Better late than never

Saturday night I thought I better go on my yearly search for Ring Ouzel in the Cynon Valley. Sunday morning I got up to find frost and a frozen car, I knew that my Tesco club card would come in handy and I cleared my wind screen fairly quick and headed straight to Dare Valley Country park to start my search. I went up to the lower view point and set up. Little did I know that I had not put my gloves back in my rucksack and boy were my fingers cold. I watched for an hour but it was really quiet which was surprise has there were loads of Hawthorn berries and I must have only had three Blackbirds in that time. I decided to move up to the next view area and have coffee and some cake. This was a better view point and I could see there was some Rowan still with berries at the base of the Craig and a couple of Blackbirds and a single Song Thrush were feeding on the berries. Then has I looked up I had a bird coming in high from the south and it dropped like a stone into the valley, it was just has I was pouring my second cup of coffee so I did not get it in the bins, it looked right for a first year bird but as much has I looked I could not relocate the bird and it did not call so I will never know. I did get a Kestrel and has I watched it, it was was joined by two others and it looked like a pair trying to move on a first year bird. I cannot remember when I last saw three together in the valley, it must be some years ago and maybe it could be a sign they are starting to recover in the valley and lets hope it is. Well it was time to move with no sign of any Ring Ouzels. Has I walked out I was talking to a local Falconer and he told me he had seen two Hen Harriers in the valley over the past week at a different site and maybe one to look out for over the winter.

Next up I had to do one of my Willow Tit surveys on Hirwaun Industrial estate. In just over hour I saw loads of birds and a single dragonfly which I think was Common Darter but it did not land. I walked passed the treatment works, I knew they have been doing work on it and it always been good for birds in the past. I could see what they been doing and the first sewage bed has now been changed into reed beds and it looks like they are going to be filtration beds so should be really good for wildlife in the future. Sadly no sign of any Willow Tit on the estate.

 Last port of call Was Cwm Cadlan Nature reserve and to continue may searching for Ring Ouzel and I saw a comma Butterfly has I walked in could be my last one of the year and I could Hear Rooks over head and I had about dozen flying over and with large numbers of Jackdaws . Bird wise  there was Meadow Pipits everywhere  and in the meadow where the ruin is there was a couple of Stonechats and it was only when I looked closer that I could see there was 7 together and 6 males and single female and I not seen this outcome and she was stuck for choose who the males going to be. I thought This Black Caterpillar was going to be straight forward and on looking afterward I was saw wrong and I thought it was a first instar of Emperor moth and I was told later by a expert George Tordoff that it was to late in the season for that and it could be a white Ermine and has I cannot see any stripe I am undecided on it and I wished I took more Photos .There was also double figure of Fox Moth Caterpillar and they must have had a real good season. Last thing I had a couple of Carline Thistle and I think they must be local in the valley as the only other site I know is Dare Valley Country Park. Has I sat on top I could see a large group of people coming off Cefn Cadlan and the Dotterel site and the last time I saw this was when the Glamrgan Bird Club were up there but on looking closer I could see it was people on horse back and I remembered it was National Ride Out day. There must have been about twenty to thirty of them and I could hear the clash of hoofs has they come down the valley. I thought I would hate to be stuck behind this lot but it's great to see so many people enjoying the countryside and not feel the need to chase a poor fox across it. No Ring Ouzels but still lovely to be out.