I'm Still Here

Old Dai Davies had a farm, E-I-E-I-O
And on his farm he had a Whinchat, E-I-E-I-O
With a "tic-tic" here and a "tic-tic" there
Here a "tic" there a "tic"
Everywhere a "tic-tic"
Old Dai Davies had a farm, E-I-E-I-O

It must be the sun.

The lull of the moors was strong again this morning, so I succumbed to this urge by paying a visit to the Berwyns.

The going was slow at first – my legs were still suffering from a lactic acid induced torpor resulting from yesterday’s trip to World’s End.

A cracking male Redstart and a new family of Wheatear (clearly Catholic given the number of fledglings) were ample reward for completing the steep climb to the fringe of the moor.

Then it all went ‘Chat’ crazy, with a conservative estimate of seven male Whinchats and three male Stonechats in an area called Gwern Wynodl – a veritable chat bonanza!

Four Ravens, a Tree Pipit and a brace of Buzzards kept the interest going as I completed the final part of my ascent to Bwlch Maen Gwynedd.

For some additional torture, I plumped to head to the highest point at Cadair Berwyn. After about half a kilometer the monotonous song of the Meadow Pipits was broken by an unfamiliar call from a small bird in flight. I quickly locked-on to the bird in the air - a wader, and not one, but two Dunlin! This is the first time I have seen these diminutive waders breeding on the Welsh mountains – now for Golden Plover and the mythical Ring Ouzel!

After resting at the cairn on the summit, I started the return trip to Llandrillo taking in Foel Fawr and Cwn Tywyll. The habitat was mostly grassland, with a sprinkling of heather and bilberry and consequently held legions of Skylarks and Mipits but little else.

More interesting was a brace of Broad-bodied Chasers hawking insects over a stream, and as I passed back into Cefn Pen-llety conifer plantation, I assumed the fun was over.

I was wrong. I picked-up the weak song of a Wood Warbler, although it seemed to be emanating from the middle of a clump of conifers? I moved closer and after some searching located a bird sitting on a branch halfway up the trunk of a larch tree. No mistaking these wonderful birds and it soon burst into another verse of its unique song. Shouldn’t you be in deciduous woodland mister?

Until later.