Gwent birding (1 Viewer)

[mike from ebbw]

Had a great morning on the Blorenge today.Plenty of Birdsong from the Mipits and Skylarks with the Skylarks far outnumbering the Mipits.Highlights though were a female Peregrine hunting the moor and a good count of 16 Red Grouse,9 of which were male.

The only shot I managed before my battery died!

 

[The Valley Walker]

Mon 22 March 2010

Walked the dog over Newtown this morning..very cold and very quiet over there - did see a Song Thrush & the Red Kite hanging about though.

Garden has been quite busy today... including nearly getting a garden 1st!

Magpie & Collared dove were the two not so regular visitors...but great to see a couple of Long Tailed Tits back at my feeders... they didn't stay long just hope they start to come back again regular. At one point I am glad to see there were 12 goldfinch in the garden, 2 males & 2 female bullfinch, M&F Greenfinch in & out most of the morning, tits, dunnocks, robins etc...but mid morning I saw a Reed Bunting on the tree just outside the garden...this is the 2nd time one has been just outside without venturing in....come in you know you want too...lol !! :t:

Oh aye...forgot, Siskins in and out most of the morning too !!

 

[The Valley Walker]

Tues 23rd March 2010

Walked thew dog up garlydan Res this morning...not even a gull on the res but did catch sight of 5 wheatears (my 1st of the year) some mipts and skylarks.

At a loose end so went for a drive and ended up in the rain at Pen Y Fan pond CP...couple of cars parked at the feeders (Islywn Fishing Club I was to find out later) but plenty of birds in n out inc M&F Reed Bunting (got a record shot of the male). M&F Bullies, 3 LTT's, Dunnocks and G&B Tits. Chatted to a guy who has been putting feed up there for 5 years. Didn't get out of the car but seemed plenty of life on the pond.

Back home the garden had all the regular visitors inc a couple of male bullies feeding close to one another. Goldies are averaging abt 5/6 in numbers now.:t:

 

[The Valley Walker]

Weds 24th March 2010 - A Garden 1st !!

Yup, as reported 2 days ago the Reed Bunting has just put in an appearance...just home from fetching Jack from school and as we walked into the kitchen he was sat on the fence....I pointed it out to Jack and then went to get the camera to get a record shot...when I cane back he said there was two in the garden but the one had flown off...the other one fed on the floor for a couple of mins and I was able to get a record shot through a very wet patio window...still a record shot for the garden and it makes me happy! :t:

That apart all the regulars have been in n out most of the morning...Casper's walk over the cardi this morning was a big fat zero for birds.

....Oh aye in my excitement I forgot about 2 collared doves sitting on the fence for a good 5 mins this morning whilst i washed the dishes !!

 

[luke]

wish i could have posted a picture like this whilst living in gwent but never had the chance. only tried to see one hoopoe which was at Newport Wetlands last year but dipped it. This is my second hoopoe this week!!

 

[The Valley Walker]

wish i could have posted a picture like this whilst living in gwent but never had the chance. only tried to see one hoopoe which was at Newport Wetlands last year but dipped it. This is my second hoopoe this week!!

Bloody ell Luke, you lucky so & so !! :eek!:

Great shot.

My fave foreign bird and I had to go all the way to Gran Canaria to see one!!

 

[mike from ebbw]

Cracking shot/Bird there Luke!

Popped up to Silent Valley this evening to check the migrant stuation down there.Up the top of the valley was just one pair of Wheatear and a single House Martin over the tip.
What I did see of interest though was a pair of Dippers on the little weir below the feeders.Bit late I thought for them to be that far upstream whereas a lot of Dipper have been nestbuilding for a few weeks now.

 

[luke]

worth keeping an eye on those dipper Mike. I dont see any reason why they wouldn't nest on the Nature reserve, particularly as the population increases.

 

[The Valley Walker]

Sunday 28th 2010

Walked the dog up Garnlydan Res this morning...fresh air needed to cure my hang over :eek!:

Lots of Wheatears & Mipits about.... 2 mallard on the res.

 

[mike from ebbw]

Had a quick visit to Trefil on the way home from work this afternoon.Not much variety in species (just 4) in a pretty awful snowstorm.Did manage a couple of pics of a female Stonechat,a very sorry looking female Wheatear in the snow,two Carrion Crows and a Skylark.Anyone hoping to get a shot of a Skylark then now is the time.I came across three groups of up to twenty birds each in the stretch between the village and the turn off for the quarry alone.They were feeding along the side of the road and were quite approachable due to the mountainside being covered in snow.

 

[oldgiteggy]

Garden busy because of the inclement weather. 2 wood pigeons, jay, blackbirds, song thrush, magpies, dunnock, robin and increasing numbers of siskins, goldfinches and chaffinches.

 

[The Valley Walker]

Great shot of the Skylark in the snow Mike ! I saw a pair of female stonechats on the dam wall at Garnlydan a few days ago...got quite close to them too but no camera as I was there with the dog.

I have had the collared doves in the garden a few times this week but yesterday was very busy at times...just before lunch I had a little period where were about 15+ goldies in the garden and a little later on I counted 10+ Greenfinch.

Have a nice Easter all...weatherlooks like its gonna be poo :-C

 

[The Valley Walker]

Garden busy because of the inclement weather. 2 wood pigeons, jay, blackbirds, song thrush, magpies, dunnock, robin and increasing numbers of siskins, goldfinches and chaffinches.

Seems the Redpoll have given my garden a miss this year too Steve.

 

[oldgiteggy]

Mine too, Alan. However the problem I have is birds hitting the patio doors after the neighbour's cat has had a go. I've got an ultrasonic scarer, I've put shapes and a taped line on the glass, altered the curtain positions and moved the feeders around, even further away. This bullfinch flew into it, when the cat jumped "through" a laurel bush metres away. After a breather and bit of warmth, she flew into the trees, dazed but preening herself.:t:

 

[The Valley Walker]

Sadly I had a goldie hit the patio doors about a week ago..not sure why as we haven't got a cat? I was in the kitchen and watching the birds and then came upstairs for about 15 mins...when I went back down there a dead one was on the floor just outside the doors...I can't think of anything else it would have done and there didn't seem to be any marks on it and it looked in good condition? We have a some blue tits nesting in a hole just above the doors that used to have a down pipe in it and they go in n out ok.

 

[The Valley Walker]

Monday 19th April 2010

Just back from walking the dog over the Cardi....stopped to look through a finch flock and thought I was watching a couple of plump female siskins until out of the corner of my eye I saw a flash of burnt orange - male crossbill! Watched him feeding the juvs for about 5 mins...big thanks to Casper who sat there quietly sunning himself...he is normall pulling the lead to move on!

WOW |=)|

 

[mike from ebbw]

Just back from walking the dog over the Cardi....stopped to look through a finch flock and thought I was watching a couple of plump female siskins until out of the corner of my eye I saw a flash of burnt orange - male crossbill! Watched him feeding the juvs for about 5 mins...big thanks to Casper who sat there quietly sunning himself...he is normall pulling the lead to move on!

WOW |=)|

Thats a cracking record for up there Al,nice one mate!

 

[The Valley Walker]

Tuesday 20th April 2010

Nothing quite as exciting over the cardi today although I did have 2 good spots... lesser redpoll & goldcrest. That apart I have been watching a pair long tailed tits for about a week doing some nest building.

Garden is very quiet but I did get visits yesterday from Dunnock, Blue Tits (well they are nesting in the house) Goldfinch pair, Greenfinch and a lone male bullfinch....oh and the robins are always about. There is a willow warber just outside the back fence close by but he aint finding his way to the garden sadly.

 

[The Valley Walker]

Wed/Thursday 21/22 April 2010


Weds

Cardi am... Redpoll, Ltt still nest building, willow warbler, gs woodie,

garden am/pm... robin, greenfinch, siskin male, bullies M&F, dunnock, B Tits in n out of hole in house

Garnlydan Res...Mipits, Skylark, Buzzard, Cormorant on res along with a number of gulls.

Thursday

Newtown am...lots of willow warblers over there, song thrush, pair of green woodies, male stonechat

When do the linnets show up?

 

[luke]

just wondering if anyones checking Rhyd-y-blew for grasshopper warblers? They should be there by now.