Birding with Pam and Anne: A Busy Few Days

Wednesday June 9

After a busy day in the vegetable garden, we'd promised to help Rai and Barbara do their RSPB garden bird watch. We did the winter one when they were in Thailand when they realised that they wouldn't have recognised a good half of them. We spent an hour camped out in their kitchen, seeing very few species indeed. Regulars such as Chaffinch and Greenfinch were missing as were the Tree Sparrows. At least they know Dunnock now.
Pam noticed a struggle in the netting protecting the fish from the Heron. It was a newly emerged Emperor Dragonfly which I was more anxious to free than to take a photograph. Its wings were in danger of damage. Another, lower down, was partly free from the nymph so I WAS able to photograph it, after disentangling it into a free position.

Thursday June 10
On a very misty morning - could hardly see the bottom of the garden - we set off to meet Bridget and Aileen at Titchwell. Fortunately, whilst still misty, the visibility improved greatly. Starting with a hot drink, we braved the brisk, gusting north easterly wind in our faces as we trudged to the Freshwater marsh. The Red-crested Pochard on the first scrape on the right disappeared fast into the reeds. The viewing highlights were four Little Gulls, 160 Black-tailed Godwits and a single Greenshank.
Fen Hide was a respite from the 9C temperature and further wind chill, a lone male Marsh Harrier idling through.
Time for lunch at Brancaster Staithe on low tide with a distant fishing Little Tern. We've never seen so few birds here.
Little point in going elsewhere so we came clean about our plans to drive to Leigh Delamere Travelodge to-night, ready for an early drive to Blorenge in the morning. This caused much consternation, which is why we'd with-held the news until the last minute - so that it didn't affect the birding date.
We left home at 3.15 and had a comfortable journey, arriving at the Travelodge at eight o'clock. Three Red Kites over the M4.

Friday June 11
Awake at 4.45, driving on our way by 5.30. It was not many miles to Blaenafon but a tortuous route (AA route map)across valleys. It was great to be back in South Wales (my birth place) with its narrow wooded valleys and hills. Shame about the heavy grey overcast!
Blaenafon looked interesting with its C18 iron works and status as a 'Heritage Town'. Not an area I'm familiar with. Lee's instructions said 'unmarked track onto the moor, on the right about a mile after leaving the town'. We found it and drove a mile past some masts before dropping down a further 700 yards to a small parking area. One car already there and the first summer male Marmora's Warbler (sarda species) singing steadily. He's been building a nest in a gorse bush beside the road. We soon located him, having a good view of him low down beside the road, flicking through a dead gorse and some bracken. A British tick, thank goodness it became a long stayer..

Not my photo unfortunately.

We stayed for an hour, me hoping for a photo opportunity which never came - I stayed in the car park area as suggested. At least two Tree Pipits performed their display flight and a handsome male Whinchat made its territory circle.