A really lovely spot in the depths of the huge Glocaenog Forest, with great views of the surrounding hills, but sadly with relatively few birds! Another birder I met at the top of the hill, who was from Cyffylliog, mentioned some Crossbills he had heard going over the track earlier, which I had been too early for (!), and we didn't see anything from the viewpoint. Later I thought I might have heard, but not seen, Crossbills by the track on the way down. The hill is supposed to be a good site for a Great Grey Shrike (2012?) but there was no sign of it today. Perhaps this bird just didn't make it back this year. Nothing else at all was spotted for the whole of the 30 minutes that I was there - very quiet!
The details and the equipment of the CEH experiment at Craig Bron Bannog looked quite incomprehensible, although its principles were clear - what effect would the warming and drying of climate change have on moorland ecology and on moorland carbon sequestration!
Driving around the whole forest later in the morning, quite a few Blackbirds, and a Robin, as I started the drive from the public house and along the Afon Alwen. As I got into the forest, and then past the West bit of the windfarm, there was one turbine with a broken blade lying on the ground. Later there were dozens of Fieldfares and Starlings on the sheep pastures by the Northerly section of the windfarm, with a flock of Chaffinches in the hedge by the next farm. There were Buzzards along the various roadways all day long. A quite large and strange bird flying straight and high over the forest - mainly white with some black, but definitely NOT a seagull - was seen from the car - a complete mystery! Possibly a domestic pigeon??
The details and the equipment of the CEH experiment at Craig Bron Bannog looked quite incomprehensible, although its principles were clear - what effect would the warming and drying of climate change have on moorland ecology and on moorland carbon sequestration!
Here is some frosty heather - definitely a sharp, but not bitter, morning.
This is the phone mast which occupies "pole position" on the hill, and presumably enables the track for access to the experiment at a reasonable cost! A nice bench looking South makes a really good lookout.
Driving around the whole forest later in the morning, quite a few Blackbirds, and a Robin, as I started the drive from the public house and along the Afon Alwen. As I got into the forest, and then past the West bit of the windfarm, there was one turbine with a broken blade lying on the ground. Later there were dozens of Fieldfares and Starlings on the sheep pastures by the Northerly section of the windfarm, with a flock of Chaffinches in the hedge by the next farm. There were Buzzards along the various roadways all day long. A quite large and strange bird flying straight and high over the forest - mainly white with some black, but definitely NOT a seagull - was seen from the car - a complete mystery! Possibly a domestic pigeon??
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