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.
  

EARLY ARRIVAL

Had a really early arrival at the farm, I first spotted this male Redstart on the 31st March but he wouldn't come down from where he was singing high up in the canopy. My second visit proved more fruitful with this record shot of the bird. This might be my earliest record of Redstart.

We have usually good numbers of Redstarts at the farm so hopefully this will be the first of many.

male redstart

 There's a few pair of Stonechats about with this male flying from post to post  going further away from me as I was trying to get closer to him.

male stonechat

Not very good news on the Tawny owls, although we've had breeding owls up here for the last few years this year seems to have drawn a blank. I've heard both adults calling over the last few weeks but both new boxes we've put up seem to have been rejected by the owls. The box they've bred in over the last few years is falling apart and has got twigs and leaves sticking out of the entrance hole which tells me the squirrels have moved in. I'll check all three boxes near the end of April to see if they have gone late this year but as Tawny's are very early breeders and should be at least on eggs by now I'm not that optimistic.

one of the boxes rejected by the tawny owls

This Nuthatch I think has chosen this box in which to build its nest this year. I watched as it was going in and out of this box and pecking at the entrance hole.

has this nuthatch chosen this box?

The regular breeding birds at the farm are starting to show, this handsome male Linnet came into the feeders a couple of days ago.

male Linnet

The Pied Wagtails have paired up and are coming in regularly.

pied wagtail

 And finally this Carrion Crows nest has been used by our resident covids for the last three years on the bounce, they must like it there. You can just make out the sitting female if you look at the top ridge of the nest. 

carrion crows nest

carrion crow

Spring and the new breeding season is a great time of year. I visited Llandegfedd Reservoir on Easter Sunday so I'll bring you my findings from there next time. Thanks for stopping by and I'll catch you soon.

SPRING HAS SPRUNG

 Looks like Spring has finally sprung with the arrival of some of our summer migrants, spring flowers and baby lambs which makes this a great time of year.

This female Wheatear (above) is the first I've seen at the farm for a few years, although I couldn't locate a male I do hope they stay a breed and are not just passing through. 

Meadow pipits are back on territory and are displaying everywhere.

The early breeders are already on eggs as shown with this Tawny Owl nest box and this Songthrush nest. Thanks to Stephen Carter for the pics.

tawny owl and song thrush nest

The Stonechat's are also early breeders and will also be either nest building or sitting on eggs.

male stonechat

Whilst on my stroll around the farm I picked up this Buzzard soaring above me.

It is nice to see Spring's arrival if nothing else it gives you that feel good factor. Anyway thanks for dropping by and I'll catch you soon.

 

FIRST NEST

My good mate and nest finding Guru Steve Carter has found his first nest of the season, although still not complete this Long Tailed Tits nest is a stunning construction of moss bound together with spiders webs and hair covered on the outside with lichen and lined with feathers. 

long tailed tit nest

Here's a photo taken a while ago of a Long Tailed Tit

I've been trying to get some less commoner species at my feeders so tried this bit of camouflage sheet draped over the window.

my attempt at concealment from the birds that come into my feeders

Although they're still great to see only the usual suspects are showing up thus far. 

Here's a small selection. 

To be fair the Pied Wagtails have only showed up over the last couple of days.

Here's hoping that Steve has a successful nesting season and I get to photograph something out of the ordinary.

Thanks for calling by and I'll catch you soon.

MARCH 1st

 Happy St. David's Day.

On the weekend I embarked on the annual nestbox cleaning and maintenance work. Emptying all the old nesting material out of the boxes and doing some repair work, also replaced a couple of boxes that were beyond saving.

All should be ready for the new nesting season, having said that some birds are already paired up and starting to build their nests even this early in the year.

With a big help from my step son Luke who can climb a tree like a monkey, we or should I say he managed to site our new owl box which I actually built last spring. Might be a bit late for this year but fingers crossed our regular breeding Tawney's will find it in time to breed this year.

our new owl box

The bird numbers are starting to pick up at the feeders with birds like this male Siskin making an appearance.

It's the first day of spring today and after the long dark days of winter combined with the never ending pandemic of  Covid 19 it'll be a welcome relief to have the lighter nights and some fine weather.

SOME LOCKDOWN BIRDS

This lockdown seems to be going on forever, or maybe even longer. Almost as long as this never ending miserable winter. Anyway here's some of my latest and a little video I put together hope you like it.

Catch you soon and thanks for calling in.

A KITE FLEW BY

Had this Red Kite fly by the house today, wish it would have come in a bit closer so I could have got a bit more detail in the shots but it is always a privilege to see these majestic birds. If this would have been 10 years ago this would have been a mega sighting. Goes to show how well the Kites have done over the years to come back from the brink.

                                                         RED KITE 

Nice to see these iconic birds doing so well in the South Wales Valleys