Morlais Castle south

Couple of distant record shots of what appears to be a 1st winter male this morning as it passed through the southern end of Morlais Castle, accessed from the Pontsarn Road. The last 2 mornings have held plenty of birds with c70 redwing through yesterday plus a resident foraging mixed tit flock, occasional comma and small copper leps and noon flies all enjoying the sun on the hawthorn, its been a pleasure. 

Rhaslas has been quiet with; gadwall [3] on the 15th, a single pintail on the 1st, tufted [23] highest count but varies, wigeon [6] and the occasional passage wheatear.

Garw Nant; some sensitive coppice work just south of car park, unless they just stopped for dinner, revealed good mixed foraging flock, including good views of willow tit, earlier in the month.

Gethin slopes; usual stuff with my first redwing feeding on hawthorn on the 9th.

Best of the garden; lunar underwing was a garden tick on the 5th, annual visit of merveille du jour on the 11th and at last an Ichneumon fly I could identify to species level, black slip wasp on next doors wall, yes! Also male hen harrier noted on/in what was once a regular winter locality.

Callum's little present

Would Storm Callum have any affect on this months WeBS? The only way to find out was to do the count and see.
The short answer was No. Mallard numbers remained high at 114, plus the 4 Gemima's, slightly down on last months record count of 126. No Teal as yet, will it return for another winter? Little Grebe numbers are starting to build with 14. The Coots looked to have moved on.
There was a big surprise on the return leg as a juvenile Great Crested Grebe appeared - I'm not aware of any previous recorded of this species at this site. So maybe Callum did drop me a present.

Plenty of fungi on show. The pick was three blue mushrooms - they look to be Peppery Roundheads Stropharia pseudocyanea, but need to look more closely under the microscope.

 in situ - not really looking that blue in the photo - looked better in real life.

at home - looking a bit more bluer

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. 

Orkneys Part 2

A return trip to the Orkneys was always on the cards after the fantastic holiday in May. So in early October the long drive north started again, this time staying overnight just north of Loch Ness. The B and B was in a stunning location with lots of wildlife around. Lots of Red Deer were seen, huge flocks of siskins were seen on a regular basis and of course the ubiquitous Hooded Crow. We were informed that badgers come into the garden and wild boar are sometimes seen outside the perimeter fence but we lucked out there.

The next day we drove up to Gill's Bay for the ferry over to St Margaret's Hope on South Ronaldsay. The weather was really bad has we drove but fortunately eased for the crossing. Not much was seen especially as half the crossing was in the dark.

The next day we visited the Ring of Brodgar which we had seen in May but had not actually walked around. It was windy but fine when we started but halfway around the heavens opened with first rain and then hail. We were soaked to the skin by the time we got back to the car, not a great start. This sort of set the tone for the week trying to avoid the frequent showers. The wind was predictably strong especially Tuesday when they reached 60 mph. The only place you could walk was with the wind it was impossible to walk into it, even standing up was difficult.

On the Tuesday we went back to St Margaret's Hope as it is a little sheltered compared to a lot of the islands. In the harbour there I found my first year tick in Red Necked Grebe which was with a Slavonian Grebe.

On the Wednesday we took the short ferry over to Hoy. This was a much more remote and wilder island compared to Mainland, Orkney. The north of the island was very mountainous with lots of steep hills and moorlands, very dramatic and beautiful. It was here I found my second year tick a Merlin sitting on a Passing Place sign, I saw another the day after. Also seen my first Hen Harrier of the trip here, saw five in all. The south of the island was much flatter with miles of shoreline which must have had some great waders over the years.

Other birds seen were Starlings, big flocks everywhere we went but as much as I tried I could not find a Rosy Starling. The most common corvid was again Rook seen in their thousands. Curlews were also everywhere, one flock which must have been approaching a thousand were observed feeding in a field next to the road. A flock of 5 Twite were seen at the Brough of Birsay. Two Artic Skuas were seen on the ferry back, after May it seemed strange not to see any Bonxies. Gannets and Guillemots were the most numerous seabirds and a few Black Guillemots were also seen. The only divers seen were two or three Red Throated. Red Breasted Merganser were also quite common. Most common gull on this trip was actually Common Gull surprisingly.

Seals were also everywhere we went, but unfortunately no cetaceans or otters were found at all.

Another four ferry trips without chumming what is the world coming to.

Owls a plenty...

I've not managed a huge amount of birding lately, but I have been undertaking the BTO Owl survey, covering two tetrads in the "point" survey and just started one sight on the calling survey. I under took surveys on Friday, Saturday and Sunday evenings this weekend - a total of 1hr 20 mins counting. What did I get? two females, both distant yesterday evening.

Whilst the surveys only recorded two Tawny's, I did log a total of 7 Tawny Owls between Friday morning and Sunday evening. Leaving home for work on Friday morning, the local female was calling quite close. This was followed by another female calling close to Abercynon station as I waited for my train. Just as the train pulled in, a male started hooting a bit further away. Friday evening saw the first calling survey in my home pairs territory - not a peep in the 20 minute survey time.
Saturday and up onto the ridge for the point survey overlooking Cwm Cothi. A male hooted from Treharris Park as I walked up, but nothing in the 30 minutes of the survey - the first visit saw a male hooting close behind me and a second down in the valley, along with a responding female. To be fair, it was quite windy on the ridge.
On to Sunday and up to Treharris Park for the final point survey for that tetrad, and i had a female calling in each of the three 10 minute section - both distant. Walking home, a male was hooting virtually above me as I got into Quakers Yard.

So at least 7 Tawny Owls in total over Fri-Sunday, but only two in the surveys.

I need to do some of my own surveys over the next few weeks to try to get a grip on the actual numbers, I think there could be as many as 7+ pairs fairly local to me. 

Psychedelic man

Blog seems to be a bit quiet so here a couple of photos from last weekend and I had to post as there is no Mushroom on my photo card . First up is Sulphur Tuft and it was at Robertstown and on the site opposite where Universal use to be and they seem to be starting to clear the site. There are reptile mats everywhere and they have put that wall up to stop reptiles going through. Another brown field site gone.

Next up, last Saturday I went  over Penmoelallt for a walk and I found Honey fungus everywhere and it seems very over grown with a couple of tree down and as nature reserves go I was not very impressed and bird wise it was dead.

I also found these smart fungus. Still trying to find out what they are and any  help would great.

I also found this Bittersweet and I don't ever remember the leaves going this colour and I don't know if it's a fungus or is normal. Has anybody else noticed this?

Last of all and back to Robertstown and I have been checking fairly regular for Fly Agaric at this site with no joy, but I could not believe my eyes as I found four but the Slugs or Snails had got there first and it's like they go around taking a bite out of each one or licking the spots off and going "yuk" and then go on to the next one. You could all most picture the Snail from The Magic Roundabout sitting there spaced out going "what's occurring mate" and that's my small post over.

Scouting for Elvis

 Last night I decided I could do with a good walk on Sunday morning and I thought I would give Kenfig River mouth a bash as it's been a couple of years since I was there last. Well, I sort of forgot to tell my daughter Kathryn how far it was and she was up for going. We got up nice and early and headed to the coast to Porthcawl. On arriving we went  first to look for Gulls in Salt Lake car park and there seemed to be lots of cars and vans everywhere and people sleeping in them. We found out it was the big Elvis tribute weekend and we were lucky it was still early has some of the roads had been closed and reopened  for a short time, to clean up I think. Back to the birding, and in the car park there was big numbers of Black Headed Gulls, I counted 165 but yet again very few juveniles in the flock, and small numbers of Herring Gull with only one or two Lesser Black Backed Gulls. It was only when I went for my bread that realized that I had left it back at home. I remember the same may have happened once or twice in the past. I felt gutted that I could not feed them. On looking close, there where no sign of any rings in this flock or any on the Gulls on the beach. Nor was there any sign of the local rung Herring Gull with the ring number  S032 about.

Next up we stopped by Victoria Ave and I think because the tide was still coming in, it was a Gull free zone. From there we went straight to Kenfig Pool and the start of our walk. We checked the pool and shore line and we found 3 Wigeon , 14 Tufted Duck, 6 Gadwall, 5 Teal . and big numbers of Mallard and Coot and only waders seen were 3 Common Snipe and a single Lapwing. The only birds over head were Meadow Pipit, Skylark and Reed Bunting. On the way though the dunes I found this scat with some Rock Rose berries in it and I have no idea what made it and, no I did not smell it. Down at the river mouth there was good numbers of Linnet and Goldfinch in a flock and in the pools there was 15 Teal, 2 Gadwall, 1 Shoveler and 1 Little Grebe. I also had a pair of Kestrels and it's been a long time since I saw a pair last. Once on the beach we had a coffee and waited for the tide. It was like old times sitting on a log and watching the birds moving with the tide . In front of us was a pebble bank and a single wader flew in and dropped below the bank. On looking closer there was a big flock of Sanderling, all bunched on the  pebbles and I counted 209 and 4 Dunlin and we also had a flock of 103 Oystercatcher and small numbers of Curlew. I had just finished counting them when a guy with 5 Spaniels put the lot up and most went over the river towards the steelworks. At this point I thought the count was over and I started my bit to save the planet and did some litter picking along the beach. It was mostly plastic and I filled two sacks fairly quick. As luck would have it there had been a beach clean up the beach recently and they left their bags along the coast path so I put my bags with them. Boy was I glad as it would have been hard work carrying them back to the car.
So back to the birding and we found another flock of waders which were mostly Ringed Plover, 35 in total. As we walked down the beach it felt like Sker was miles away. About half way it was time for a coffee break. Two large flocks Oystercatcher flew passed and there was easy 200 birds in total, all headed toward Sker Point.

When we got near Sker I spotted this corpse on the tideline and thought what the hell is this. I was looked at the skull and I could see it was a Harbour Porpoise and the blood looked fresh so I got in touch with the warden Dave Carrington, and he said  it's been there a couple of weeks. There is no way I am I sending this skull though the post. At this point we were both cream crackered and, like Phil, I don't think Kathryn will be in a rush to go to the river mouth again. As we walked passed the Life Guard station I spotted a falcon coming towards us fast, a first year Peregrine Falcon, and it landed on the dunes  near the beach and give brilliant views. Last up at Sker Farm I got a single Little Owl sitting in a hole on the barn and a single Common Darter on the Golf Course and so ends another weekend birding