Llanfendigaid, September, Day 2

What an excellent day today.  We awoke to a morning of superb weather, cloudless most of the day.  Everybody pottered doing their own thing in the morning and I wandered out and about catching up with the local birds.  Several pied wagtails were disporting themselves on the old rusty roofs of the dutch barn next door and I enjoyed photographing them.  Heather and I then walked up behind the old house to the headland and the 'extinct tree' where, back in the day, we used to take a team photo.  It was glorious up there sitting on the bench in the sun looking out over the glittering waters of Cardigan Bay across to the Llyn Peninsular.

After a social lunch it was time to get on the bikes and, along with The Ladies Pickwell and Rothwell, I pottered down to Twyn and along the sea front.  Leaving Helen and Heather to the joys of the sea and numb feet, I headed back and turned on to my old running route from 30 years ago, stopping above Broad Water for some birding.  I had forgotton how steep the 'big hill' was on this route and I was on my knees by the time I got to the top of it, necessitating another halt for photography.  The remainder of the circuit went more easily and I bowled down the hill to Llanfendigaid and The Cowshed just as Heather, Helen and John, who had ridden down to the estuary, returned.  

It was soon time for some rehydration and then Helen's excellent meat and potato pie before an early night.

An excellent day with the bird list up to 30.

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Llanfendigaid October, Day 1

A good start this morning.  Packed yesterday, up early, bike rack attached and loaded.  Ready for off at 10.30, but with picking up papers, delivering cards and fuelly up it was 11.00 before we actually left the metrop.  Initially the jorney went well and we stopped at Ferrybridge services for lunch.  At this point things went somewhat pearshaped - very heavy traffic queues on the M62 until we turned off onto the M60.  A journey which should have taken 5 hours actually took six and a half.  Once past Chester we were travelling through much more pleasant scenery on country roads across to Bala.  The highlight of this stretch was the good views of red kite near Corwen.  Once through Bala it wasn't long before we had bypassed Dolgellau and were heading down past Tal y Llyn lake under the slopes of Cadair Idris to Bryn Crug.  Driving down to the Cowshed from Rhoslefain with glimpses of the sea was like coming home.  The BOGS and NOGS were already in residence when we turned into the drive.  Unloading was a joint affair and we were soon sitting down with a cup of tea; bliss.

Nev Cole Way, Stage 6

 Yesterday was yet another stage of this Long Distance Footpath that, on the surface, looked as if it would be urban, industrial and uninteresting, but one which turned out to be full of interest and avoided virtually all roads, even through Immingham.  It is amazing that it is possible to cross from one side of immingham to the other along a quiet greenway, which passes within 200 yards of where I used to live. The route took us from the outskirts of East Halton, through North and South Killingholme and Immingham, crossing the sad looking now closed Immingham Golf Club.  The weather again was kind to us being a day of sunny intervals; warm in the sun but with an autumnal chill when the sun disappeared behind cloud.

After an excellent walk we repaired to the excellent Marrowbone and Cleaver in nearby Kirmington.

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A First Visit to a New Reserve.

Leaving Heather and Yvonne to the fleshpots of Louth I drove the short distance to Many Washlands, somewhere I had been intending to visit for some time.  It is a very appealing spot with low grazing land surrounded by trees in the distance and, in front of the hide (locked!) the washes.  Unfortunately the birds were too far away for photography but plenty about nonetheless.  I was delighted to see two Little Stint feeding alongside to ringed plovers to give a size comparison.  There were a few snipe present along with 14 ruff.  As well as large numbers of gulls there was plentiful water fown, mostly still in eclipse plumage.  Although only 13C, it was warm in the sun out of the wind and it was good to see a pristing comma butterfly just as I was leaving.

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Ringed Plover

Comma

The First Skeins of Pink-Feet

 Sitting in the conservatory with coffee after breakfast, the sound was unmistakeable the 'pinking' of a skein of pink-feet flying over.  Jumping up I could see them against the blue sky; first one large skein which morphed into two 'Vs' and then back into 1 single large 'V' of about 100 birds.  These birds return to us from their breeding grounds on the arctic tundra and mountainsides in Greenland, Iceland and Svarlbard at this time of the year.  We are lucky here as they spend the winter with us and we get to see them on their daily migrations from coastal mudflats where they roost to inland fields to feed.  I often thing of their calls as a distant sound of belling hounds as described by Susan Cooper in her wonderful book 'The Dark is Rising' when the wild hunt rides led by mythical Herne the Hunter.

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Dipped out on Wryneck but found a Golden Plover

 As soon as I climbed up onto the reservoir wall at Covenham, the force of the northerly wind hit me.  The temperature had also plummeted and was only 14C.  My heart sank for the prospects of seeing the reported wryneck and my disappointment was confirmed on talking to other birders.  It had been present at 6.00 last night but had gone at 6.30 this morning,  The strong northerly was perfect for its onward migration.  I may have been disappointed but not as much as the chap who had come from Cambridge!!

I persevered along the north wall where it had been seen just in case and found a single confiding golden plover.  There were large numbers of swallows and house martins on the wing, presumably also preparing for migration.  Pied wagtails were plentiful as were great crested grebes and coots were present in large numbers.  Mallard and tufted duck were still in eclipse plumage.

Despite the disappointment it was good to be out.

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Golden Plover

Golden Plover

Golden Plover

Golden Plover

Golden Plover

Great Crested Grebe

Great Crested Grebe

Great Crested Grebe

Pied Wagtail