Despite the cold (can’t complain too much after last year!), a great spotted woodpecker drummed briefly this morning (near Llanwrthwl). Yesterday a Mistle Thrush started singing also. A ramble near the Claerwen dam on Friday found a Drinker moth caterpillar in the long grass  – alive just and looking like it regretted emerging in the mild weather last week! The cooler conditions have seen a build up of birds on the feeders this weekend with 50 House sparrows (without checking I think this may be a new garden record). At the back of the house a flock of around 60 siskin have been feeding on Ash keys – in the same tree that attracts Bullfinch. An important winter food source.

The mild weather has brought out many of our usual spring visitors: bats over-wintering on the house are hunting over the ponds, and I have been surprised to see, even as early as 30 December, a good number of frogs and newts being active in the waters.

The pair of merlins continue to fly through twice a day and kites have been displaying for a while now. I saw what looked like a great grey shrike flying across the fields recently, and wonder if it could be the same one (if I am right!) I saw in November that has decided to stay for a while.

Via Ed Coleman – From beginning of December to today 9th Jan we seem to have had a resident flock of up to 100 gulls at St. Harmon, mostly Herring with the odd Lesser Blackbacked.

A series of 3 indoor talks have now been organised – to take place at CARAD in East Street, Rhayader over the next few months. Ray Woods will be talking about Fungi, the new BTO Wales Officer, Kelvin Jones will be discussing birds during March and our first event of 2012 is -
January, Tuesday 24th – ‘Salmon and the River Wye’ – a talk by Dr Stephen Marsh-Smith OBE Executive Director of the Wye and Usk Foundation. At CARAD, East Street, Rhayader at 7.30pm.

All welcome.

After a good lemming year in Scandanavia, good numbers of Short eared owls arrived in the UK to spend the winter. Birds have been recorded in Borth, Tregaron Bog, and near Bwlch locally. Ray Woods found two at Gamrhiw, Llanwrthwl last week and birds have since been found up the Elan Vally (near Pont ar Elan). Over Christmas a bird was picked up injured on the new road near Cwmbach, south of Newbridge. Its well worth checking out our upland grassland areas for these birds. They favour long grass or sedgy boggy areas and often perch on fence posts. They also actively hunt in daylight. Today I watched 2 hunting on the saddle below Y Gamrhiw, Llanwrthwl – in the area near Rhos Saeth Maen. The easiest way to access this is via the minor road from Llanwrthwl that leads towards a dead end below Gamrhiw. Either walk down the stone track that continues from here for 400m and look to the area on the left or if you are really lucky you may get distant views from the car parked at the end of the tarmac. grid ref SN954614. It would be good to find more in our area this winter.

And a successful year wildlife watching in 2012! There are plans for a few late winter events – January through to March and a full programme of events in the summer. Watch this space and wait for the forthcoming newsletter.
The weather hasn’t helped the volume of postings lately, with my birdwatching limited to watching the siskins trying to hold on to the niger feeders as they swing in the gales and two of the fastest moving Goosander I’ve ever seen – drifting in the torrent down the Wye. having said that there are a few signs of spring – Robins in full song, the Goosanders and Mallards are paring up, Dippers and Crossbills are singing and i saw my first flowering snowdrop today!

Managed to avoid a frog hopping across the road on New Year’s eve. We have a daffodil that has flowered in the garden and the crocus are up in the lawn. What a difference from last year.
A Happy New Year to all.

Hope you all have a peaceful christmas and happy wildlife watching in 2012.

30C warmer this morning than this time last year!

This buzzard decided to visit us yesterday.

Two willow/marsh tits frequenting the feeders in the past few days.  Without hearing their call, it’s difficult.  The BTO are recommending that unless there is a pale spot on the top mandible near to the base  it’s a willow tit rather than a marsh tit.  Very difficult however, in dim light when it’s flying about quickly.  Will keep trying.