Purple Heron at Cors Dyfi

 News just in from Alwyn Ifans, MWT Engagement Officer at Cors Dyfi: "A Purple Heron took off from the first pool on my way down earlier. He was within 10 yards of me! Flew into the reed bed on the caravan site next door. A Purple Heron was seen here 10-12 years ago." 

Also, Alwyn reports that a female Hen Harrier mobbed Telyn (the resident female Osprey) on the ground yesterday. 

Redpoll and latest migrant news

Thanks to John Anderton for this portrait of a male Lesser Redpoll at Meifod last week. Lesser Redpoll is the species resident in the UK, while the larger, greyer Mealy Redpoll breeds on the continent but turns up in UK regularly, (but rarely in Wales).

Latest migrant news:

Common Sandpiper - 7 April, Llandinam

Grasshopper Warbler - 13 April, Welshpool 

Whinchat - 15 April, both at Dolfor and Lake Vyrnwy

Wood Warbler - 17 April, Lake Vyrnwy RSPB

Whitethroat - 17 April, Lake Vyrnwy RSPB

Thanks to Paul Irving, Tammy Stretton, Paul Leafe, Sam Sharpe and Gethin Elias for these reports. 

Updated 17 April

 

Pied Fly, Welshpool

Female Pied Flycatcher in Powis Park. Bottom end of carpark today 3pm. I am reasonbly positive i was first attracted to the female by a male but I couldnt lock onto it.

Latest migrant news

Pied Flycatcher - 4 Apr, Llandinam - photo above by Paul Irving

Ring Ouzel - 5 Apr, nr Cefn Coch

House Martin - 5 Apr, Tyr Gwynt Windfarm, near Carno

Yellow Wagtail - 6 Apr, The Gaer, near Caerhowel

Many thanks to Paul Irving (also for the photo), John Formstone and Paul Leafe for these records. 

Today I watched 2 Ospreys soaring in gale force winds above Bwlch-y-Gle at the south end of Llyn Clywedog. John Williams reports unringed male and female on the new nest there on 5 Apr. Thanks John.

Marsh Tit nr castle caerenion

 

Redstarts

 Redstart x2 back at Vaynor Park. 

Two Ospreys, two nests, two weather events!

Telyn, the female from the Dyfi nest, with rainbow, 27 March. (She arrived after dark on 25 March).
 

Seren, the female just arrived on the original Clywedog nest, in snow, 28 March. 

Many thanks to Emyr Evans and John Williams and their teams for the livestreams.

Swallow

 I'm not aware of how widespread they are yet, but one, travelling at speed at 9am today, going NE over Red Bank, Welshpool.

Ringed male Sparrowhawk

Ringed male Sparrowhawk in the garden this pm.

Latest migrant news: Swallow, Osprey and Cuckoo!

 Photo: Sparrowhawk at Mochdre, 15 March by Dave Lister - thanks Dave!

Early migrants:

Chiffchaff - big influxes on 14th and 18th March reported widely

Sand Martin - 3 at Dolydd Hafren on 18 March

Tree Pipit - 1 singing at Welshpool Golf Club on 18 March - this is especially early

Wheatear - 1 at Lake Vyrnwy on 18 March

Swallow - 1 over Llangurig on 19 March at 1600 

Osprey - 1 over Llandinam on 20 March a.m., heading upstream

Blackcap - 1 at Newtown College on 20 March, a.m.

Willow Warbler - 1 above Llanfair Caereinion on 22 Mar

Cuckoo - 1 Dolanog, on 23 Mar a.m.

Late migrants:

Brambling - 2 in a Meifod garden on 14 March

Waxwing - 6 at Bwlch-y-Garreg on 17 March

Many thanks for all these records, especially to Kevin Gallagher, Tammy Stretton, James Tipping, Helen Anderton, Dave Lister, Tony Ware, Matt from Ceredigion, Luke Reynolds, Tony Coatsworth and Colin Griffin.  

Updated 0930, 23 March