Today's Wildlife Encounter

[wharfeego]

Three singing blackcap on this morning’s local dog walk

Yep, I heard one in Skipton today.

[Derby Tup]

Brilliant. Dipper and kingfisher on the Worth this morning

[molehill]

Spotted a Merlin on the moors above the Goyt Valley on Sunday evening. I only saw it after it took off from a drystone wall about 10yds away as I had approached from downwind. Fortunately it landed on another drystone wall about 50/60yds away across the clough and I was able to get the bino's on it to confirm it was a Merlin.

My best wildlife highlight since I saw a peregrine taking a pigeon mid-flight in the Elan valley last year.

When we lived near Llani for 25 years, there was some years a peregrine nest on the rocks opposite, could see it from my bed....(with binoculars!). Used to go and pick up the leg rings from all the racing pigeons it had killed.

Have seen Merlin in Elan valleys.

[Llani Boy]

When we lived near Llani for 25 years, there was some years a peregrine nest on the rocks opposite, could see it from my bed....(with binoculars!). Used to go and pick up the leg rings from all the racing pigeons it had killed.

Have seen Merlin in Elan valleys.

Where near Llani were you. I'm going there this weekend so could look to see if the nest site is still in use, thats if I'm not waylaid in The Crown and Anchor or Stag or Mount or Angel or Lion or............

[molehill]

We were up in Tylwch and the nest was up the valley on some rocks below Old chapel hill, but it wasn't used the last few years though the birds were still about. I think they must have found a better site nearby further down the valley.

[Llani Boy]

Whilst out on my bike on the High Peak Trail today I found myself chasing a flock of about 100 or 120 birds which were either Fieldfare or Redwing. They were flying from hawthorn to hawthorn ahead of me but there were no berries just new leaves and buds. I tried my best to identify them but the but sun was directly ahead so I was unsure which they were.
I would have thought that both would have been on their way back to Scandinavia by now!

[Llani Boy]

Not rare, but the first time I have seen a Long Tailed Tit in my garden. Only a single bird, which surprised me, as when I have seen them elsewhere they have been in a very noisy gang.

[MattPo]

Just been in Mid Wales for a bit. Highlights included the train Journey from Machynlleth to Harlech, to walk in the Rhinog, then train Journey back. Don't often get good birdwatching from a train, but this was great. Curlew, Oyster catcher, Redshank, Shellduck, Osprey and more with a Kingfisher as we were getting back to Mach.Saw a fox and wheatears in the hills.
Bird spot of the trip was seeing a Great Egret at Ynys Hir RSPB reserve; huge bird like a giant white heron with a very long neck, massive when it flew.
For the Llani lads - we saw the pair of nesting Osprey at Clywedog reservoir.

[Derby Tup]

Swallow over the house today. First I’ve seen up here

[Llani Boy]

Just back from a lovely 15 mile “back to my roots” walk in the Hafren Forest and Plynlimon. Not a great deal of wildlife about, probably due to the very cold wind, but I did see a Meadow Pipit quite high up. The only downside on an otherwise glorious day was the amount of dehydrated frogspawn in the dried out peaty bogs/puddles.I have never known it to be this dry underfoot in April.Must be the wind as Clywedog Dam is full of water.

On my way home I called off to see the Clywedog Ospreys, as mentioned by MattPo, and whilst there saw a Siskin in a conifer behind me, which was nice.

The dog enjoyed the crispy, silvery frogspawn so,no doubt, I’ll be on cleaning up duties later!