Birds
Coming Back
We kick off 2023 with a tick and twitch event at WWT Llanelli before enjoying Grey Plover at Newton Point and Turnstones at Sker.
Birds
An Explosive Trip to Gower
With autumn migration now in full flow we headed to Rhossili yesterday in the hope of hoovering up a rare warbler or two. Spirits were high after some initial success the previous morning where a circuit of Usk Reservoir delivered the expected Redwing hoards plus a trio of Brambling and Read more…
Birds
Wally the Walrus arrives in Wales
Of all the wildlife encounters I’d imagined for this year, a Walrus off the Welsh coast was certainly not one of them. But then again, when has nature ever played by the rules. Our hapless wanderer’s story begins, allegedly, thanks to a poorly chosen spot for a snooze. Drifting off Read more…
Birds
Sanderling Surprise
The concept of being cold feels very far away right now but back in April we spent a week in north Wales which included snow covered beaches and whiteout blizzards. I know, it’s scarcely believable that we ever needed to wear a jumper let alone turn back from a walk Read more…
Birds
Dingy Skipper and Blaenavon Steam
When you think of Blaenavon world heritage site you might be forgiven for conjuring images of heavy industry, coal mining and steam railways. Whilst these are of course all true what might not come to mind quite so readily are the miles of walking trails or wide variety of wildlife Read more…
events
Bioluminescent Plankton, Aberavon
Bioluminescent plankton are second only to the Northern Lights on my list of natural phenomenon that simply defy explanation. I mean yes there is a perfectly logical reasoning behind the appearance of both but taken at face value they create the same sort of awe and wonder as must once Read more…
trains
Broken Rail on the North York Moors Railway
With Red Grouse and Black-necked Grebes already in the bag there was just one more Yorkshire tick that I needed – a steam train ride to Whitby! Rather fortuitously the North York Moors Railway offers just such a route (funny that) and on a gloriously sunny morning we arrived at Read more…
Birds
Black-necked Grebe, St Aidan’s
Described by the RSPB themselves as “Yorkshire’s worst kept secret”, the presence of breeding Black-necked Grebes at the charity’s St Aidan’s reserve has been well known and publicised since 2018. The intervening years have seen some truly stunning images of these rare birds shared across social media bumping them even Read more…
Birds
Skulking Grouse and Aggressive Curlew
Red Grouse, Ilkley Moor and me – surely the title for a future feature film involving one man and his struggles to photograph these daft as a brush gamebirds in an ever changing variety of unsuitable weather/seasonal conditions. At least that’s the way it feels to me having spent the Read more…
Birds
Rhossili Ramble – Birds, Butterflies and Holly
Thursday afternoon at Rhossili was very much a zip up, secure hat state of affairs thanks to a brisk breeze keeping things refreshingly cool. Out in the bay a continuous procession of white horses scampered landwards giving the gathered surfers some welcome action, whilst up on the clifftops things were Read more…