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Waunafon Bog (1 Viewer)

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devon.birder

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I will be staying in Monmouth for a few days later this month and Waunafon Bog looks like a good place to spend a few hours. I know that you turn off the B4248 east of Brynmawr but to save me a lot of hassle would someone please be so kind as to get me more information about the access directions. Many thanks. Roger
 
Hi Roger.As you head up the hill from Brynmawr towards Blaenavon you come to a bad bend at the top.There is an LCD sign telling you to slow down just before it.Then there is a pub (either The Racehorse or The Horse and Jockey,cant remember) immediatley on your left.Just after this pub there is a very large layby on your right with an open gate/cattle grid leading onto a mountain road.Just pull up anywhere along this road as the Owls hunt either side of it.I would advise that you stay in the car as you will find that they will come to within a few metres of you.A lot of birders do get out with thier scopes etc but the birds dont come half as close.Enjoy them Roger,fantastic birds.

PS,forgot to add that a nice dry evening preferably after a night of heavy rain is best.Good luck.
 
Once you are on the B4248 out of Brynmawr and heading towards Blaenavon you will pass a pub on your left (Horse & Jockey I think) - slow down now as in front and on the right you will see a lone house and a turn.

This road is where we park up to birdwatch - PLEASE NOTE there are car breaking potholes on this road and you need to drive very carefully.

No need to go far along the road, 100-150 yards will be ample.

Owl appearance times are very much weather dependant - if there is a period of dry days then they will show as light drops (4pm ish) but yesterday they were out at 1.30pm as there had been 2 days of windy & wet weather previously.

Dress warm (really warm) and stay in the car as the birds can and will approach to within 10 metres, sometimes even overflying cars.

Yesterday also saw a female Merlin giving excellent views on a perching post but the Hen Harrier didn't show.

Hope you have a great time.
 
Thanks a lot for both replies and for your excellent directions and advice. I hope to go there on the 21 February on my way back from hopefully seeing the Choughs at Ogmore. All I need to do now is to persuade my wife that she only needs a couple of hours in the Factory Outlet shops just off the M4 at Bridgend!!!. Regards. Roger
 
devon.birder said:
Thanks a lot for both replies and for your excellent directions and advice. I hope to go there on the 21 February on my way back from hopefully seeing the Choughs at Ogmore. All I need to do now is to persuade my wife that she only needs a couple of hours in the Factory Outlet shops just off the M4 at Bridgend!!!. Regards. Roger
Click to expand...

What I would suggest Roger is to drop the wife off at Festival shops in Ebbw Vale and head over to Waunafon bog - it's only 10 mins or so in the car and you could drop her off and get over there and have some extra time for yourself....she will be happy and so will you. Must say Festival shops are a smaller version of the Bridgend place but I am sure there is enough to keep your wife happy for a couple of hours.

http://www.festivalshopping.co.uk/
 
The Valley Walker said:
What I would suggest Roger is to drop the wife off at Festival shops in Ebbw Vale and head over to Waunafon bog - it's only 10 mins or so in the car and you could drop her off and get over there and have some extra time for yourself....she will be happy and so will you. Must say Festival shops are a smaller version of the Bridgend place but I am sure there is enough to keep your wife happy for a couple of hours.

http://www.festivalshopping.co.uk/
Click to expand...

Thanks for that, I have "bookmarked" the site and it certainly looks very promising and worth a visit. I expect she will still want to go to the other place though as you have to drive right past it to get to Ogmore. Regards. Roger
 
luke said:
the choughs at ogmore could take some finding! we were there a few weeks ago and failed to see them, keep an eye on glamorgan bird club site : http://pub43.bravenet.com/guestbook/3627196539/ also the spotted sandpiper is well worth seeing at lisvane res in cardiff.
Click to expand...

Hi Luke. I dipped the Choughs last February but the walk from Southerdown was so wet and muddy that I had to giveup it was so slippery. We went back again in April and saw them easily but the weather was fine then.
I have already downloaded the map for Lisvane so just hope the Spotted Sandpiper stays a bit longer. Regards Roger
 
I would never have found Waunafon Bog without the help given above, thanks again. Unfortunately it was cold and windy on Thursday evening when I arrived at about 4.30pm. I stayed until 6pm and the only birds I saw were Crows. A local Birder in a small white car left early and he said I would be lucky to see anything in view of the weather.
Still the site looks great for future years on my annual trip to the area.
I was luckier on the way home tonight though as I saw Short-eared Owl and a Merlin at Aust Wharf.
Despite the weather on Thursday I very quickly saw 4 Chough on the short grass just before the Ogmore -on-Sea sign and earlier in the day I had seen Spotted Sandpiper and Ringed-billed Gull in Cardiff. Roger
 
Glad you had a good trip! that was probably me in the little white Car, so nice to meet you.
 
luke said:
Glad you had a good trip! that was probably me in the little white Car, so nice to meet you.
Click to expand...

Hi Luke. I wondered whether you were a BF member. You were certainly right about the weather.
We froze until 6pm but thought that we could at least cross the road and have a meal and a warming drink at The Racehorse. It was closed though and the satnav then directed us down a long narrow and winding road just past the pub. We began to wonder where we where going to end up. Still all part of birding. Roger
 
Roger,

Sorry you didn't get to see anything on the Waunafon bog r - it's a bit hit & miss with the weather but over the last few weeks there have been some great sightings...the Male Hen Harrier & a SE Owl gave me and my lad great views last weekend.
 
I might head on up there this weekend, are the Owls still around this time of year...? Sorry for the inexperienced questions.

If, as you say Luke, they come as close as 10m from the car, then there's the chance for some excellent photo opportunities. For an amateur tog, photo opportunities are like rare bird reports... :):) you have to go see!!

Here's the location on GoogleMaps if anyone is interested.
 
Last edited:
no chance of seeing them this time of year. usually they arrive back in december and stay for a few months, but some years they dont appear. Its usually down to the weather and the vole population.
 
OK, many thanks for the feedback Luke, much appreciated. Is it worth a trip then do you feel at this time of year? I was considering driving up there for an early morning lookout - perhaps for 1 or two hours around 08:00 tomorrow.

Should I now not bother...?
 
Well theres always a chance of some other raptor species but its very unlikely that there will be any owls about. its can be very quiet there though, i've visited a few times this summer to see if any non breeding owls stuck around but usually all i see is a crow sometimes two! there are a few wheatears, stonechats and reed buntings about and theres a chance you'll hear a Grasshopper Warbler but they tend to be down the bottome end of the bog.
 
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