GOYTRE HOUSE WOOD

Took a trip to Goytre House Wood on Sunday 24th April, I've been wanting to see and photograph Pied Flycatchers for years but because of one excuse or another I've never got round to it.

I saw some nice images of Pied Flycatcher on a Facebook site I regularly contribute to called Gwent Birders. I put out the question of where would be the best site to visit to find these birds and after contemplating a number of suggestions I decided to try Goytre House Wood (which funny enough was the nearest to my home). I looked up Goytre House Wood in the Gwent Ornithological Societies (GOS) publication Birdwatching Walks in Gwent, GOS actually own the site and as a member I thought it was about time I actually visited the place. 

Below is a map I used out of the book highlighting the recommended route

map of a planned walk from the gos book

I arrived there about 9am, I parked in the free but small public car park opposite the Goytre Arms Pub. You have to cross the main road right next to the car park to access the site where you walk up a lane towards the entrance. There's some lovely fields and farm buildings either side of the lane where I saw House Sparrows carrying nesting material.

In one of the fields there was a large pond where there were Mallard Ducks and this solitary Grey Heron.

As you walked up the lane there's a small path that takes you up a small banking through a gate where you follow the path for another 30 yards and into the wood. 

The place was alive with singing and calling birds most noticeable Blackcap, Chiffchaff, Willow Warblers, Blue, Great and Coal Tits, Blackbirds, Song thrush, Mistle thrush, Chaffinch's and a host of others. But I had gone there for Pied Flycatcher and I wasn't disappointed, around some trees that surround a small pond just inside the wood there they were, both male and female.

male pied flycatcher

the female

I stood there very quiet for a while as they were busily flying about feeding up I suspect ready for breeding. I took loads of pictures but as the birds kept their distance and were constantly on the move it was difficult to get any detailed pic's but I did manage a couple of usable half decent images.

I left them after a while and walked through the wood and came out at the canal.

canal

It looks rather idyllic on the picture but there were a stream of walker, joggers and mountain bike riders enjoying the canal as well so there wasn't that many birds on show. I walked up there for a bit then cut back into the wood where I grabbed a pic of this Wren.

wren

Also in one of the fields opposite the wood was this feeding Mistle Thrush.

mistle thrush

After being there for a good couple of hours I decided to make my way back, walking around back to the gate this Song thrush and its chick sneaked out of the undergrowth.

 
 I really enjoyed my morning at Goytre House Wood and it was great to finally get Pied Flycatcher under my belt.

Goytre House wood is a place where I hope to be visiting again it's a cracking little site with the potential of attracting some really good birds, so until next time thanks for dropping by and I'll catch you soon.

FIRST SWALLOW

The first Swallow arrived at the farm on Sunday 18th April, just a single male but still a welcome sight. They breed quite successfully up here every year so this year should be no exception.

our first swallow (a male)

Thought I'd show you this Swallow's nest with the young in looking like they're ready to fledge. This was taken taken a few years back.

young swallow's in the nest

 As posted earlier that I had my first Redstart on the 31st March, but now we've got a quite a few pairs around the farm. This image is pretty poor but it's a male that landed in a tree in my garden.

male redstart

 The linnets are coming into the feeders regularly and I've captured some nice images of them. Here's two nice one's of a male and a female.

male

female

Things starting to happen now with springtime moving on so quickly who knows what it will throw up next. 

Thanks for visiting my blog and hopefully I'll catch you soon.                                    

GOLDCLIFF LAGOONS

Decided to go to Goldcliff Lagoons on the 17th April,  I'd never been there before but  having seen so many photographs and accounts of the birds from there it's a place I just had to visit.

I was given a lot of information about the place by fellow birder Blair Jones and his blog/website called the wildlife oculus.

There are three hides and four viewing platforms which are all up a banking that surrounds the lagoons. You have to get to these so you can see the birds as there is no access to watch the birds other than from the hides and platforms. There are steps to them and one has a wheelchair ramp. The Lagoons are surrounded by an electric fence which keep visitors and perhaps some predators at a safe distance. Quite a few birds especially the Geese fly on to the neighbouring farm fields to graze. There's a few trees and bushes about on the fringes of the lagoons where you can find quite a few passerine species.

one of the hides with wheelchair access

looking over the lagoons from one of the hides

As you can see from the pictures above there is quite a distance from the hides to the lagoons so a scope is a must when going there. My 400mm canon lens is very good but I did struggle for reach but still managed to photograph and see quite an array of different species.

                black tailed godwit               

oystercatcher

lapwing

ringed plover and dunlin

little ringed plover

ringed plover

There were some nice duck species there, I managed to get images of this male Tufted duck, Shoveler and Gadwall

tufted duck

shoveler

gadwall

 The Avocets are always a pleasure to watch and photograph.

avocets

These birds here are Bar Tailed Godwits not so common as the Black Tailed and were quite a way off.

bar tailed godwit

This spotted Redshank has been at the lagoons for a good few weeks it should be departing soon to breed in the high artic. As you can see it's moulting into it's breeding plumage.

spotted redshank

As well as the more common Geese species Greylag and Canada Geese the lagoons have got two rarer species there at the moment with a single white fronted goose and Tundra Bean Goose.

greylag

canada

 

white fronted goose

tundra bean goose

both birds together

Didn't see a Grey Heron there which I expected but this Little Egret gave a good showing.

little egret

A first for me was this White Wagtail near the sea wall kindly pointed out to me by one of the birders in the hide.

white wagtail

There were a pair of Starlings nesting in a gap on the corner of the hide.

one of the starlings nesting in the hide by the sea wall

My apologies for the length of this post but it was a great days birding in a great place on a beautiful spring morning and as it was my first visit there I thought I'd milk it a little. I will definitely be back there as the lagoons spring up a few surprises and some rarities you won't get chance to see anywhere else. Thanks to all who dropped in to visit my blog and I'll catch you all soon.

A VISIT TO LLANDEGFEDD RESERVOIR (OR LAKE)?

Easter Sunday I decided to take a trip to Llandegfedd Reservoir or as it is now called Llandegfedd Lake.

I got there about 9am and parked up at the damn end to have a quick scan to see what was about. Sand Martins were flying above me Pied Wagtails just over the damn wall and Meadow Pipits were seen flitting about around the water's edge and landing on fence posts giving their distinct pipit call.

meadow pipit

looking from the damn wall towards the visitors centre

It was a lovely Spring day and I was very hopeful  of seeing some good birds, (an Osprey was seen a couple of days previous so I was full of anticipation). I got back in the car and headed towards the Fisherman's car park at the north end of the reservoir where most of the hides and inlets are.

There were a few people at the car park to my surprise, but not deturbed I set off to see what was about.

I walked up to the Bert Hamar hide and to my disappointment there wasn't a lot of birds about, some Gulls a couple of Cormorants and a few Canada Geese were all that was on offer. Having said that walking through the trees there were quite a few woodland species as well as the newly arrived migrants the Blackcap, Willow Warbler and Chiffchaff.

bert hamar hide

looking back up towards the damn very quiet

canada goose

some more canada geese gathered in a field beside the res

I managed to get a pic of the three warblers I could hear, the Blackcap picture is just a record shot it was the best of a bad bunch that I had rattled off.

chiffchaff

willow warbler

blackcap

I headed back hopefully to get to the other places at the reservoir where there was a good chance of seeing some good birds, but by the time I got back near the car park there were hoards of people, some couples, some families and some families and couples with dogs that were not on leads and were being allowed by their owners to swim in the water. It was like walking down the prom at some seaside resort. I went into the inlet hide to escape the mayhem where I watched this Great Crested Grebe.

great crested grebe

I then decided to go through the crowds to the green pool hide. There wasn't a lot to be seen a Coot, Moorhen and some Mallards. I sat there for quite a while but nothing else turned up which is hardly surprising with the number of people that were now at the res.

the view from green pool hide

male mallard

As you walk around the green pool hide there's a field right next to the golf course which had these holiday pods in, I couldn't believe my eyes.

holiday pods at a SSSI unbelievable 

I decided to pack up and go home, there was obviously no point in hoping that something interesting was going to turn up so I called it a day.

In conclusion - I think visiting Llandegfedd Reservoir or as it's been called now lake on a sunny bank holiday or perhaps any sunny weekend to go birding is a definite no no.

I understand Welsh Water trying to open the place up for tourism but it's supposed to be a SSSI (site of special scientific interest). Why not keep the day trippers up around the visitors centre where there is still plenty of space for them to wonder and leave the fishermen, birds and birders like myself in peace. I remember a time when you had to pay to go birdwatching (unless you were a GOS member) but it was well worth it as you were always likely to see something out of the ordinary and it was beautifully quiet and peaceful. Llandegfedd is still a great site and still will attract some good birds, such as the Osprey that I mentioned earlier that was seen here a few days ago. There has also been some good work done to the hides, but all the boat trips now going on there and the footfall of loads of people trampling all over the site can't be good for the future of this once birding jewel of Gwent.