Indian Summer

A great walk around Newborough today with a whole host of wildlife enjoying a lovely warm October’s day.

A prowling fox was my first encounter, although on seeing me it soon fled to the sanctuary of the dunes. A cracking pair of Chough greeted my arrival at Abermenai and on the strait a couple of Red-breasted Mergansers showed very well preening close in to the shore.

The shingle bank encircling the point looked prime habitat for an over-wintering Snow Bunting, but an extensive search of the area only revealed an astonishing amount of litter including a huge pile of bin bags. Given that the nearest road is about three miles away this garbage must have been dumped from a boat.

The long walk to the promontory of Ynys Llandywn produced plenty of Oystercatchers and Cormorants roosting along the tide line and several of Ravens were patrolling the skies.

When I reached the island, the sea had calmed revealing large numbers of Great Crested Grebes, Shags and smaller numbers of Guillemots and Red-breasted Mergansers prospecting in the bay.

On the rocks, a small flock of Turnstones fed actively around a trio of Grey Seals enjoying a lunchtime siesta. Above them, a line of Cormorants were drying their wings in the breeze readying themselves for another fishing expedition.

The final part of my walk took me through the soon to be felled section of the forest. It was superb for insects: I counted eleven Red Admirals and five Common Darters, but the star of the day was a cracking Small Copper – only the second one I have seen – bathing in the sunshine.

A host of notices seem have to been put up since my last visit detailing local resistance to the proposed felling of forty percent of the forest. The natives seem a little restless at the prospect of the Countryside Council for Wales’ plan to return the wood to its original dune habitat.

In broad conservation terms the decision seems eminently sensible given that dune systems are more threatened and therefore more important than a plantation of non-native conifers. However, about three Red Squirrels and the fact that Demi Moore once filmed here seems to have blinded the locals to this somewhat.

Until later.

Walkabout/Naturism In The Raw

The recent spell of clement weather has lured me back over Offa’s Dyke and in to enemy territory over the last few days.

On Friday I undertook a near marathon length walk around Llyn Brenig and Alwen Reservoir that was surprisingly quiet on the birding front. A couple of Red Grouse in the reserve area to the north of Brenig was nice to see – both birds made me jump out of my skin, flying up and calling loudly after I had practically trod on them.

The water level of both lakes in fairly low at the moment, and the exposed shoreline was brimming with a swarm of pipits and wagtails feeding on insects. The lake itself was largely devoid of action save a few Cormorants. Great Crested Grebes seem to have disappeared from this site entirely, although they do occupy adjacent smaller water bodies.

Saturday was spent ambling around Newborough Warren on Anglesey, and this location was slow for birds too. Ynys Llandwyn was the most productive area hosting small flocks of Oystercatcher, Ringed Plover, Turnstone and some gloriously plumaged Sanderlings. The rocks around the promontory were busy too with plenty of Cormorants, Shags and Herring Gulls – the snooty Cormorants occupying a single outcrop to themselves.

Out on the glass like sea there was no evidence that any of the winter visitors had taken up residence. I find this area can be excellent for grebes and divers come late autumn, but until the temperature dips, the bays are a playground for boats rather than birds.

The only other sighting was a rather unwelcome one: a pair of least-clothed nudists (starkus bareallicus) lounging on the beach.

Until later.