STEVE ASHTON'S WILDLIFE GALLERY

March 2008

A trip to Mid Wales.

A trip to mid Wales was enjoyed by Mike Gould, Allan Ashdown and myself, leaving home at 09.00 am on Wednesday 27th February, and returning home at 5.00 p.m on Friday 29th February. We stayed at a small hotel called the Elan Valley Hotel, very comfortable and not to expensive, and is recommended to any other birders staying in the area. Situated a couple of miles West of Rhayader, close to the Elan Valley dam complex, and the river Wye, we found this an ideal base to explore the birding on offer from this scenic part of Wales.
The hotel grounds had all the usual species that you would expect, with Goldcrest, Nuthatch, Tree Creeper, Dunnock, Chaffinch and Bull finch, with Great, Long-tailed and Blue Tits all never far from view. The local river, a result of the man made reservoirs further up the Elan valley, looked an ideal place for Dippers, but although we looked several times, we could not locate this bird, but 2 Grey Wagtails were seen, a small reward for hours of patient scanning of the rocks and waterfalls.
It was on Thursday morning, just before breakfast, as we made our way back to the hotel from an early morning walk, listening to Tawny Owls and 2 Barn Owls, that a female Goshawk was seen, my first ever sighting of this species, slowly flying over from a field to our left, passing 30 yards in front of us, as it flew overhead, giving great views, before lazily flying off to our right. My first impressions was how large these birds look, and the stout muscular body, with all the chest and tail barring clearly visible. Later on, Common Buzzards and Red Kites were every where, obviously never straying too far from the Gigrin farm feeding station.
We visited this sight on Thursday afternoon, a superb place to photograph Ravens, Red Kites and Buzzards, with a great welcome from the farms owner, and we were made extremely welcome by all the staff at the farm. The weather unfortunately was against us, with a dreary overcast sky, and also whether the earlier sighting of the Goshawk was the reason, but the birds seemed highly agitated and were very reluctant to come in for the food, until late afternoon, which never helped when trying to photograph these splendid birds. The staff at the farm were scanning the surrounding countryside, trying to explain the reason for the birds behaviour. Common Buzzards, Red Kites, Ravens, Carrion Crows and Jackdaws all kept there distance until late afternoon, allowing the resident Starlings to feast unobstructed. The birds eventually came in to feed, and what followed was an impressive sight, with Red Kites Ravens and Buzzards as close as 25 metres away.
We enjoyed the afternoon at Gigrin farm, and will probably make a return visit when the sun is shining, and whether a birder or a photographer, it really is a spectacle worth seeing.
The Friday saw rain, which I think is normal for Wales, it certainly seems to rain when ever I visit, and the morning was spent at a disused railway station, near Newbridge upon Wye, just North of Builth Wells. Restored, and turned into a tourist attraction, it offered a riverside walk, along the Wye, and a cup of tea, something Mike needed every ten minutes. It was along the river, where I had my second new bird, never having seen one before. A Marsh Tit was seen collecting moss from a dead tree, and although I have never seen this species before, I knew it was either a Marsh Tit or a Willow Tit. After a good view of the bird, Willow was discarded, Leaving me with my first ever Marsh Tit. (Mind you Willow would have been a first as well). It allowed a couple of hurried shots through the rain, which was an unexpected bonus. A Cormorant was on the river, and Goldcrest, Dunnock, Chaffinch and Nuthatch was also noted. Sadly no Dippers, but there is always next time.
Many thanks to Mike and Allan, good company on a great trip to a splendid part of the British Isles.