March 31, 2005

Carmel Head, Anglesey

28 Kittiwakes north
2 Swallows - Hen Borth, Porth yr Hwch
10 Wheatears - 4 Porth y Dyfn, 5 Porth Newydd, 1 Porth Tywodog
2-3 Willow Warblers - Porth yr Ebol plantation
1 Chiffchaff - Porth yr Ebol plantation
1 Reed Bunting - Porth yr Ebol
1 Merlin [f]
1 Peregrine Falcon

Posted by andyspot at 11:59 PM | Comments (0)

Cemlyn Bay

1 Little Egret on a rock in the south-west corner of Cemlyn Lagoon beside the coast-road
A few Sandwich Terns on the island

Posted by andyspot at 11:59 PM | Comments (0)

March 29, 2005

Knowsley Safari Park

1 Willow Warbler in sallows by 4x4 car-park
3 Chiffchaffs - Trap Wood

Posted by andyspot at 10:44 PM

Prescot Reservoir

1 Wheatear on the causeway
4 Shelducks on PR4

Posted by andyspot at 10:43 PM

March 28, 2005

Carmel Head, Anglesey

51 Wheatears - 7 Hen Borth, 2 Porth Tywodog, 6 Porth Padrig, 8 Porth yr Ebol, 9 Porth y Dyfn, 1 Port Ffau'r-llwynog, 5 Trwyn Cerrigyreryr, 12 Porth yr Hwch, 1 between the dam and the plantation
2 Willow Warblers - Porth yr Ebol plantation
1 Chiffchaff - Porth yr Ebol plantation
1 White Wagtail - Hen Borth
1 Merlin [f] - Merlin cairn
1 Peregrine Falcon - Trwyn Cerrigyreryr
2 Red-breasted Mergansers west past Trwyn y Gader

Posted by andyspot at 10:14 PM | Comments (3)

Porth Wen

1 Red-throated Diver in the tiny harbour. Ridiculously tame and not even deterred when the local chavs arrived and started climbing the nearby rock-arch. Clearly a loon

Posted by andyspot at 10:13 PM | Comments (0)

Llaneugrad Church

Nostalgic visit to an old family favourite from holidays in Marianglas. Couldn't find the bakery though. Probably been converted into a holiday-home

Posted by andyspot at 10:12 PM | Comments (0)

March 27, 2005

Prescot Reservoir

5 Sand Martins east
1 Wheatear on the causeway

Posted by andyspot at 10:13 PM

March 26, 2005

Carmel Head, Anglesey

22 Wheatears - 3 Hen Borth, 1 Porth Tywodog, 6 Trwyn y Gader, 4 Porth y Dyfn, 8 around the plantation
1 Grey Plover - Porth Tywodog
11 Choughs - 2 Porth Padrig, 2 Porth y Dyfn, 7 Trwyn Cerrigyreryr

Posted by andyspot at 11:59 PM | Comments (11)

Porth Wen

1 Willow Warbler
2 Wheatears

Posted by andyspot at 11:58 PM | Comments (7)

March 25, 2005

Carmel Head, Anglesey

1 Black Redstart [f] with a Wheatear on the stone wall at Porth yr Ebol
1 Swallow around the cove at the west end of Porth Tywodog
1 Willow Warbler - Porth yr Ebol plantation
3 Chiffchaffs - 2 Hen Felin, 1 Porth yr Ebol plantation
55 Wheatears - 16 Hen Borth, 13 Porth Tywodog, 4 Porth yr Ebol, 3 Trwyn y Gader, 3 Porth y Dyfn, 7 Trwyn Cerrigyreryr, 7 Porth yr Hwch-fach, 2 Penbrynyreglwys
1 Sandwich Tern - Hen Borth
2 Gannets past Trwyn y Gader
1 Merlin [f] mobbing a Peregrine on the chimney of the old copper-mine at Porth y Dyfn
2 Red-breasted Mergansers [pr] - Hen Borth

Posted by andyspot at 11:59 PM | Comments (5)

Porth Cynfor

7 Wheatears
1 Chiffchaff

Posted by andyspot at 11:57 PM | Comments (4)

Porth Wen

3 Wheatears
1 Chiffchaff

Posted by andyspot at 11:28 PM | Comments (5)

March 24, 2005

Knowsley Safari Park

1 Willow-chiff in sallows by 4x4 car-park. A hybrid producing the songs of both Willow Warbler and Chiffchaff. Presumably the bird heard singing like a Willow Warbler here yesterday
3 Chiffchaffs
15 Snipe - Ranch

Posted by andyspot at 08:53 PM

March 23, 2005

Knowsley Safari Park

1 Willow Warbler singing briefly in sallows by 4x4 car-park
2 Chiffchaffs - Ranch Wood, Trap Wood

Posted by andyspot at 08:14 PM

Prescot Reservoir

2 Chiffchaffs - 1 on south side of PR4, 1 Yates Plantation
1 Curlew west
1 Brimstone butterfly [m] along south side of PR4

Posted by andyspot at 08:12 PM

March 22, 2005

Knowsley Safari Park

2-3 Chiffchaffs - 1 Reservoir Plantation, 1-2 Trap Wood
1 Jack Snipe - Ranch Pond
8 Snipe - Ranch Pond
1 Tawny Owl in clearing between the tip and Trap Wood
1 Red-breasted Goose - Section 1 Pit

Posted by andyspot at 11:59 PM

Prescot Reservoir

2 Chiffchaffs - 1 Yates Plantation, 1 PR2

Posted by andyspot at 11:59 PM

March 21, 2005

Knowsley Safari Park

2 Chiffchaffs - 1 Ranch Wood, 1 Trap Wood
1 Jack Snipe - Ranch Pond
24 Snipe - Ranch

Posted by andyspot at 11:59 PM

Prescot Reservoir

1 Chiffchaff - Yates Plantation

Posted by andyspot at 11:59 PM

March 20, 2005

Carmel Head, Anglesey

3 Black Redstarts [3f] - 1 with Wheatears at the end of the next spur west of Trwyn y Gader headland preferring the lichenous rocks interspersed with the last small patches of grass. 2 more at Porth yr Ebol above the stream outfall. These being the highlights of a fairly spectacular fair-weather fall at Carmel today
55+ Wheatears - Hen Borth [6], Porth Tywodog [4], Porth yr Ebol [7], Trwyn y Gader [15], Porth y Dyfn [7], Port Ffau'r-llwynog [2], Porth yr Hwch-fach [5], Penbrynyreglwys summit rainwater-pond [9+]
1 Chiffchaff singing in scrub beside the coast-road above Hen Borth
1 Treecreeper in gorse on the beach at Hen Borth
3 Goldcrests on the cliffs at Port Ffau'r-llwynog
1 Snipe at the end of Trwyn y Gader headland
2 Merlins [2f] - 1 flew north out to sea, 1 on the Merlin cairns
1 Peregrine Falcon - Porth yr Hwch-fach
37 Razorbills rafting on the sea at Porth yr Hwch-fach

Posted by andyspot at 11:59 PM | Comments (10)

March 19, 2005

Carmel Head, Anglesey

1 Hooded Crow just below summit of Penbrynyreglwys
11 Wheatears - Porth yr Ebol [3], Porth y Dyfn [1], Penbrynyreglwys summit rainwater-pond [4], Porth Padrig [3]
1+ Sand Martin - Porth y Dyfn [heard]
1 Merlin [f] on one of a cluster of cairns favoured by this species just west of Porth y Dyfn
1 Red-throated Diver close inshore at Porth y Dyfn
3 Gannets past Porth y Dyfn
3 Whooper Swans over north-west and out to sea
1 Fieldfare on short grass alongside the pine-belt
1 Red-breasted Merganser [f] - Hen Borth
Celandines flowering profusely beside the coast-road between Hen Felin and Cemlyn Bay and even some on the cliffs

Posted by andyspot at 11:59 PM | Comments (12)

Porth Wen to Llanlleiana

2 Red-throated Divers just off the old quay at magnificent Porth Wen
1 Wheatear along the track to Porth Wen
1 Merlin [m] - Porth Llanlleiana

Posted by andyspot at 11:59 PM | Comments (4)

March 18, 2005

Knowsley Safari Park

1 Water Rail flew across Ranch Pond
2-3 Jack Snipe - Ranch Pond
18 Snipe - Ranch
1 Red-breasted Goose - Section 1 Pit

Posted by andyspot at 03:16 PM

March 17, 2005

Knowsley Safari Park

3 Jack Snipe - Ranch, without really trying
29 Snipe - Ranch Pond
1 Red-breasted Goose - Section 1 Pit
1 Peacock butterfly

Posted by andyspot at 01:29 PM

March 16, 2005

Knowsley Safari Park

3-6 Jack Snipe - Ranch
33 Snipe - Ranch
1 Fieldfare over
1 Peregrine Falcon on pylons


Posted by andyspot at 05:16 PM

March 15, 2005

Knowsley Safari Park

4-7 Jack Snipe - Ranch
65 Snipe - Ranch
1 Dunlin over with Lapwings
1 Stonechat [f] - Ranch
1 Red-breasted Goose with Barnacle Geese at Section 1 Pit

Posted by andyspot at 06:05 PM

March 14, 2005

Knowsley Safari Park

2 Stonechats [2f] - Ranch Pond
90 Snipe - Ranch
1++ Jack Snipe - possibly up to 7 present on Ranch

Posted by andyspot at 11:43 PM

March 12, 2005

Fireside reading 2

The lakes of Eryri [1995] by Geraint Roberts
Enwau Eryri / Place-names in Snowdonia [1998] by Iwan Arfon Jones
The secret life of Snowdonia [1991] by Michael Leach
Snowdonia National Park [Countryside Commision official guide 1987] by Showell Styles
The Snowdonia National Park [Fontana New Naturalist 1971] by William Condry
The 1958 feature-film The Inn of the Sixth Happiness shown on BBC2 this afternoon was set in China but due to the political situation at the time the film was shot in Snowdonia, the cast and crew staying at the Royal Goat Hotel, Beddgelert

Posted by andyspot at 11:59 PM | Comments (5)