Practically Perfect In Every Way

With the prospect of some decent flooding, I headed down to Dolydd Hafren in Powys this morning. By a nose, it just beats the RSPB’s Ynys-Hir as my favourite birding destination.

Whilst you are not going to get rarities galore – although it does produce good birds on a regular basis – its magnificent location overlooking an ancient flood meadow of the river Severn and its superb pair of tower hides make for an excellent site. Link: http://www.montwt.co.uk/hafren.html

It is also an absolute bugger to find as there is no signpost from the lane and despite having visited the reserve on a number of occasions I still struggle to locate the entrance. Perhaps this is a good thing, as you are very unlikely to meet another soul, leaving one to enjoy the peace and tranquillity.

Despite relatively few visits, Dolydd Hafren has produced a number of firsts for me: Goosander, Green Sandpiper, Tree Sparrow and Great White Egret. However, none of these birds will top a certain mammal I watched fishing here in May – my first and only Otter.

Today it was a bit of a struggle to be honest; the flooding had spilled over most of the path and splashing through the wet fields I felt I was getting a unique insight into the everyday life of a wading bird! Having said that, there is probably an iphone ‘app’ for that already – I wonder if there is an ‘app’ for making those bloody irritating adverts vanish too?

From the far hide, I could see the full extent of the flooding – biblical would be my best description as I was greeted with scenes more reminiscent of the Ganges basin than Montgomeryshire!

This had certainly had an affect on bird numbers: there were none, apart from small numbers of Teal and Mallard, plus a score of Curlew cowering on one of the few remaining exposed sections of riverbank.

An hour’s vigil produced very little else apart from a couple of Grey Herons and a Cormorant, so with rising water levels, I decided to call it a day and head for Coed-y-Dinas.

Safe in the hide at this little bijou wildlife sanctuary next to the A483 at Welshpool, I watched the rickety old oaks reluctantly bending in the gale and half expected to see Mary Poppins herself fly past on the high winds. Not many birds today, but for me anyway, Dolydd Hafren is still practically perfect in every way…

Until later.