Reel singing, spring colour and a very unusual sighting
This week has been largely about listening.
I was getting concerned that this would be the year that I could not hear a grasshopper warbler singing as everyone's movements are so limited and they only pass through here in a short window or not at all. This song is far from everybody's favourite but I love it and look forward to the few days each spring when I have a hope of not being taken in by wrens or goldfinches for once.
I decided to move my walk to 6am when a day seemed suitable for migration and hope !
Brilliantly this succeeded and I found two of them on my short circuit and recorded one on my phone. As is usual neither showed themselves at any point despite being less than 10 feet away
I was really pleased to come across a mixed flock of yellow, white and pied wagtails on one cloudy visit to Dowlais. Up till now I had only seen or heard brief flyover yellow wagtails ; so 40 scattered through the marshy area with a couple close enough to be within range of my camera were just great.
On a lunchtime walk with my wife I was surprised to come across a group of 3 Brent Geese as they are the first all winter here and I had given them up until October at least.
Seeing them in the distance caused us to walk the loop path rather than retrace our steps and this proved very fortuitous.
As we crossed the outflow of the blind yeo I noticed a brief dark shape disappear into the water. assuming it was a diving cormorant, out in the estuary I cocentrated on the spot and waited for it to resurface. Instead I was extremely happy to discover two harbour porpoises, only my second ever sighting here (in 22 plus years of at least weekly visits). The video I managed is certainly not high quality but at least it exists !!
With lockdown now confirmed for a minimum of a further 3 weeks garden and Dowlais sightings will continue to dominate my efforts I guess.
I was getting concerned that this would be the year that I could not hear a grasshopper warbler singing as everyone's movements are so limited and they only pass through here in a short window or not at all. This song is far from everybody's favourite but I love it and look forward to the few days each spring when I have a hope of not being taken in by wrens or goldfinches for once.
I decided to move my walk to 6am when a day seemed suitable for migration and hope !
Brilliantly this succeeded and I found two of them on my short circuit and recorded one on my phone. As is usual neither showed themselves at any point despite being less than 10 feet away
I was really pleased to come across a mixed flock of yellow, white and pied wagtails on one cloudy visit to Dowlais. Up till now I had only seen or heard brief flyover yellow wagtails ; so 40 scattered through the marshy area with a couple close enough to be within range of my camera were just great.
On a lunchtime walk with my wife I was surprised to come across a group of 3 Brent Geese as they are the first all winter here and I had given them up until October at least.
Seeing them in the distance caused us to walk the loop path rather than retrace our steps and this proved very fortuitous.
As we crossed the outflow of the blind yeo I noticed a brief dark shape disappear into the water. assuming it was a diving cormorant, out in the estuary I cocentrated on the spot and waited for it to resurface. Instead I was extremely happy to discover two harbour porpoises, only my second ever sighting here (in 22 plus years of at least weekly visits). The video I managed is certainly not high quality but at least it exists !!
With lockdown now confirmed for a minimum of a further 3 weeks garden and Dowlais sightings will continue to dominate my efforts I guess.
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