2007 A New Year

Something small to start off with.

What a year we have in front of us. I'm determined to get to Glas Lleyn this year and see the Ospreys which would be a first for me. Amanda wants to go badger watching and a visit to Skomer is on the cards for the first time in a while so all in all, good wether permitting, plenty to look forward to. But this year we'll start off with something small - taken on our first walk in the Teiffi Marshes at the beginning of April - springs alive an kicking

At the beach

This is a Spiney spider crab. Despite its appearance its not aggresive in any way and I regularly find them under the water on the sides of the cliffs particularly at Mwnt when snorkelling.

Its back is covered in kind of blunt thorns I suppose- but the weight of them out of the water is quite suprizing - I often have cuts and scrapes along my hands where I've picked them up and not accounted for their weight. Alien like in appearance they are quite funny little things and to see banks of them trying to hide amongst the Kelp beds is really something.

This one was found in a rockpool in Llangranog - we left it with another even bigger one once we'd taken a few photos in June 2006.


Fulmars - are not gulls at all but more closely related to Albatross - the nodules on their beak are used to siphen salt from the sea water. They can almost look quite purplish in colour sometimes but are easily recognised by the fixed wing spans and the graceful gliding motions along the cliff faces.

This one was taken gliding along in front of the cliff faces at Ynys Lochtyn in June 2006.

Spring in Mid Wales

As Spring moves towards summer in Mid Wales the wildlife keeps on coming - this is an Atlantic Grey Seal spotted from above on the Cwmtydu walk

On the beach in front of the caravan - this is a Sanderling playing amongst the tidal rack


This- at the far extent of my digital range is a Whitethroat spotted whilst we were on the St Davids coastal path in June 06

This is a fairly rare bird I've never seen at home and inhabits mature oak forests in the spring only in the far West of Wales as far as I know - Pied Flycatcher, here seen in Ynys hir


These are comical birds we seeat Mwnt all the time - a casual glance might suggest acrow but look closer at the red legs and beak which are pretty unmistakeble really - Choughs at Mwnt.

Amanda reckoned she kissed one of these once but was disappointed with the result. Ynyshir June 06







Common Blue Butterfly

One of my favourite birds , seen posing on the tops of gorse on the mountains and clifftops. The first time I ever saw one of these me and Bronwyn were doing a coastal hill walk between Newquay and Aberaeron and just sat in the grass and watched them hopping from bush to bush for well over an hour - Stonechat they really are beautiful little birds.

New Tick from the armchair

Good spot from a friend on my favourite bird watching site. The birds highlighted here aren't curlews at all but Whimbrel.

Slightly smaller and with shorter beaks - spotted on their own their hard to tell apart but put together you can spot the differences straight away.

Many thanks to Brian for noticing and in the process adding a new British Bird to my life list which now moves up to 112.


CURLEW

First Sighting

First Sighting of a Brent Goose this weekend - on the headland between Newquay and Cei Bach. This is a great spot for bird watching and is the place we see new wildlife first on a regular basis .

From the rarely spotted to the common but still one of the most attractive and distinctive birds on the Mid Wales shorelines - not to mention the loudest and beautiful birds - Oyster Catchers

These were taken just outside Aberystwyth in early May 06.

Some of the other beach wildlife we don't particularly want to get up close and personal with this summer - I'm not sure whether these are Moon or Lions Mane Jelly fish

Spring is probably the best time of the year to be walking in Mid Wales or anywhere for that matter. The birds are busy nesting whilst Flowers in the lanes like these Bluebells make walking something to really look forward to.

Spotted Orchid

Spring arrives

Walking in Cardigan and Cors Caron you definitely get the sense spring has arrived. The birds are much noisier now and the blubells which should have been here weeks ago are now starting to show.

Curlews



















These are some of my favourite birds - these were taken in the Teiffi Marshes but I often hear them on the mountain behind us - theres nothing quite like the sound of Curlews calling late in the summer evenings.

Dunlin

In comparison to the Curlew, Dunlin are a much smaller bird but still a very attractive native British wader

Wren







Willow Warbler










Goldfinch
















Black cap











The warmer weather also sees the butterflies emerging - these are taken in Cors Caron in early May

Green Hairstreak


















Peacock

Easter 2006 Part 2

The end of the Easter school holidays and the warm sun lets us get out again - from the harbour in Newquay the kids see a tern diving for fish which is the first one we've sighted in this part of the world- no pictures though unfortunately.

We now have our first Bottle Nosed Dolphins photos - taken from some distance admittedly, but Amanda and I spent a good hour just sitting in the sun watching a small pod of these beautiful animals playing with the fish - it really was amazing to see, no matter how many times we've watched them before.

Woodland Brown

The sun brings the first chance for photographing butterflies this year

Small Tortoiseshell

The gorse which flowers all year round was out in its full glory with its unmistakeable coconut smell strong in the air.

Male and Female Linnets