Thursday 27 September 2012

Winter is upon us....

A walk this afternoon from Pennal village to the Dyfi's northern bank in Gwynedd had two surprises in store for us in the shape of a flushed jack snipe, along with 3 commons, and a brambling at Ynys farm. Both were unexpected as I have never seen either of these species so early in the autumn, and am not used to viewing them without frozen fingers and toes. As today turned out to be warm and sunny, both seemed rather incongruous. Luckily Steffi managed a few quick shots of the brambling as it flittered around the hay barn.


  

Other highlights on the walk included a white wagtail amongst the dozens of pieds, and great views of circling buzzards against a bright blue sky.

The hideous weather of late had curtailed our birding, and on the few decent days available we've been involved in invertebrate sampling in the local rivers as part of Steffi's work - you may think twice about drinking from the streams around here when you see some of the freaky critters up close that inhabit these places! Plenty of views of dippers, grey wagtails and kingfishers in the process.




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