Some of us were at Ynys-hir today with high hopes of seeing the otter family reported by Moira Convery but alas to no avail. Ah well that's nature observation for you isn't it? Its not like watching it on the telly is it? Such special moments are spontaneous and all the more memorable when they occur. In frustration I took a walk down to the saltings hide. My tally of birds included Treecreeper, Reed Bunting, Teal, Goldeneye and Shoveller. Whilst at Ynys-hir the report came in from Jim Marshall (Ty Bont) about the Bittern flushed from a ditch by railway workmen at Dyfi junction. When disturbed the bird flew in the general direction of the Montgomeryshire Trust reserve at Cors Dyfi so on my way back to Machynlleth I called by the reserve and spoke to the guy who was constructing the impressive elevated hide on the reserve. The hide is coming on well and I'm told should be completed by the end of February. From here there are good views across the reserve and to the Osprey nest platform on the pole situated a few hundred yards away on the adjoining William Condry reserve. I can tell you folks that if these birds return and breed at this location this year or the next then it will prove to be a 'major' tourist attraction to this area with a knock on effect not only for the Montgomery Wildlife Trust but to the nearby RSPB reserve too. It will of course entail serious competition in relation to the RSPB's Glaslyn Osprey Project near Porthmadog.
Cors Dyfi possesses other interesting attractions too such as nightjars during the summer months and the placid water buffalo which draw a great deal of interest.
I took the above photo of the elevated hide under construction earlier today. I'll submit an updated image upon completion. Apparently the site is so boggy that the steel piles supporting the hide go down a depth of 18 metres and the structure still rocks! It 'rocks' in more ways than one as far as I'm concerned!