mike from ebbw
Well-known member
Yes well done Luke,cracking pics mate!
-
BirdForum is the net's largest birding community dedicated to wild birds and birding, and is absolutely FREE!
Register for an account to take part in lively discussions in the forum, post your pictures in the gallery and more.
Gwent birding (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter luke
- Start date
Jos Stratford
Beast from the East
New definition of 'a couple' been invented in the valleys?
Great to hear about the Fruggie Duck on Llandeggfeth, keep up the good work all down there.
mike from ebbw
Well-known member
Hi Jos,New definition of 'a couple' been invented in the valleys?
As you probably know different areas in Wales have different dialects for certain words in Welsh.`Couple` actually means five in the valleys dialect!
Gets a bit confusing though when referring to `a married couple`.
Cudyll Bach
Well-known member
It is very approachable, I got to within 3 metres of it today, mind you I was crawling on all fours!
Attachments
Last edited:
luke
A Welsh birder in Dorset!
Tried a bit of sea watching this morning around high tide as glamorgan birders have been seeing pom and bonxies from as close a rhymney estuary. but unfortunatly the winds had dropped to almost nothing and nothing is just about all i saw. The highlight was a single shelduck! So a quick look at the lagoons (as if i weren't already wet enough) produced a stunning summer plumage grey plover with the lapwing also 50 curlew, 12 dunlin, 800 knot seen over the estuary, and 2 pintail on the lagoon.
Everyone looking forward to the meeting this evening??
Everyone looking forward to the meeting this evening??
oldgiteggy
A Valley Birder
mike from ebbw
Well-known member
mike from ebbw
Well-known member
Had some superb close views of Siskin,Goldfinch and Redpoll feeding all together in the Alders up the Cardi Reservoir this afternoon.Down to within ten feet!
Also saw Magpie,GS Woodpecker,Woodpigeon and a sincle Herring Gull on the res.
Also saw Magpie,GS Woodpecker,Woodpigeon and a sincle Herring Gull on the res.
mike from ebbw
Well-known member
Just two Luke.Wish I had taken my camera up!
The Valley Walker
Well-known member
Been seeing a lot of the siskin up there Mike, always got the dog on the lead with me innit....didn't see any this morning though - very windy when I was walking around over there. Had good views of Green woodpecker, Buzzard and as I was saying a sparrowhawk that flew behind me on the top path.
Talking of the buzzrd I saw him twice....the old gent who walks his dog has taken to feeding him now the the woman isn't about anymore and he comes quite close. I was near to him down the other end a little earlier and one day when I plan to go over without the dog and maybe try and take some pics of him. Did think of putting something down for him on a post or summat - what is best do you think?
mike from ebbw
Well-known member
They will eat any meat or offal Alan.I know John Robinson used to bait his Buzzards with minced beef.That could get expensive though especially with all the crows and Magpies up there!
luke
A Welsh birder in Dorset!
Garnlydan Reservoir this evening produced just 1 ad Yellow legged gull, but gull numbers were greatly reduced by the stupid weather. Alot of birds came in and then carried on west. Also a flock of around 80 fieldfare which was a welcome distraction from the weather.
Also, if anyones got any interesting records from '07, send them into Chris Jones, so that our patch get properly represented in the bird report. The e-mail address is on the GOS site.
Also, if anyones got any interesting records from '07, send them into Chris Jones, so that our patch get properly represented in the bird report. The e-mail address is on the GOS site.
luke
A Welsh birder in Dorset!
Newport wetlands
Had an interesting conversation with the reserve manager from the RSPB (as apposed to CCW) regarding the amount of disturbance on the reedbeds. On my last visit i was standing on one of the new veiwing areas and scanned across the reedbed, but all i saw were people covering the entire reedbed. This must the key problem atm on the reserve. before people started to arrive, i saw bearded tit and a few other things but once the visitors start wandering in, everything goes. This year has a been a record year for Marsh Harrier on the reserve but most sighting have either been at goldcliff or uskmouth early morning. I think if disturbance was vastly decreased these birds could possibly winter or maybe even breed! Same can be said for bittern, which is more likely than the harrier.
I said all this to the RSPB reserve manager and he said that the current plans are to close certain paths through the reedbed to create a larger quieter reedbed. from what i could gather the path between the copse and reedbeds 8 and 9, and the path between those two reedbeds. So the new raised veiwing areas now make sense as these will be the only way to veiw the eastern reedbeds (1,8,7, and half of 7). These changes will coinside with the opening of the visitor centre, therefore increasing the visitor numbers greatly, but all visitors will be restricted to the eastern reedbeds (4,5,6) and around the perimeter. We also talked about hides and he said that once the centre is open, the next magor work to go on will be on hides!! YEH!! :-O
Also, one interesting thing he said was that the reedbed at newport wetlands is larger than the one a titchwell in Norfolk, one of the RSPBs main reserves, and they have breeding bittern and marsh harrier, so there hope!!!
Had an interesting conversation with the reserve manager from the RSPB (as apposed to CCW) regarding the amount of disturbance on the reedbeds. On my last visit i was standing on one of the new veiwing areas and scanned across the reedbed, but all i saw were people covering the entire reedbed. This must the key problem atm on the reserve. before people started to arrive, i saw bearded tit and a few other things but once the visitors start wandering in, everything goes. This year has a been a record year for Marsh Harrier on the reserve but most sighting have either been at goldcliff or uskmouth early morning. I think if disturbance was vastly decreased these birds could possibly winter or maybe even breed! Same can be said for bittern, which is more likely than the harrier.
I said all this to the RSPB reserve manager and he said that the current plans are to close certain paths through the reedbed to create a larger quieter reedbed. from what i could gather the path between the copse and reedbeds 8 and 9, and the path between those two reedbeds. So the new raised veiwing areas now make sense as these will be the only way to veiw the eastern reedbeds (1,8,7, and half of 7). These changes will coinside with the opening of the visitor centre, therefore increasing the visitor numbers greatly, but all visitors will be restricted to the eastern reedbeds (4,5,6) and around the perimeter. We also talked about hides and he said that once the centre is open, the next magor work to go on will be on hides!! YEH!! :-O
Also, one interesting thing he said was that the reedbed at newport wetlands is larger than the one a titchwell in Norfolk, one of the RSPBs main reserves, and they have breeding bittern and marsh harrier, so there hope!!!
luke
A Welsh birder in Dorset!
This could be of interest to a few of you: http://www.welshos.org.uk/Downloads/Rare birds in 2006.pdf
