It was great to see Tarka on the telly last night. Well done Steve and Iolo - your many cold hours on Leri bridge were well rewarded.
On the subject of low/or late spring migrants - it is noticable that there is a major drop in the numbers of Wheatears. Meadow Pippits and Skylarks in the uplands this year - can we hope that they have just not yet arrived or is it a reflection of a real drop in numbers? - Something I have noted over these past couple of years. Just during the history of this blog site there has been an increase in the number of reports of this phenomenon.
This afternoon - in the hills above Penrhyncoch - I only saw three MP's and one Wheatear. On the positive side there were three pairs of Tufted duck on Syfydrin along with 5 Canada Geese plus 4 goslings - Ten years ago these would have been classed as rare! On the way up I checked some of the Red Kite nests I monitor - chicks in each. Here again we are seeing an increase. Is it a consequence of climate change, the decline in the number of sheep on the hill due to the introoduction of new agri-environment schemes or is it just a case of 'swings and roundabouts' ?
On the subject of low/or late spring migrants - it is noticable that there is a major drop in the numbers of Wheatears. Meadow Pippits and Skylarks in the uplands this year - can we hope that they have just not yet arrived or is it a reflection of a real drop in numbers? - Something I have noted over these past couple of years. Just during the history of this blog site there has been an increase in the number of reports of this phenomenon.
This afternoon - in the hills above Penrhyncoch - I only saw three MP's and one Wheatear. On the positive side there were three pairs of Tufted duck on Syfydrin along with 5 Canada Geese plus 4 goslings - Ten years ago these would have been classed as rare! On the way up I checked some of the Red Kite nests I monitor - chicks in each. Here again we are seeing an increase. Is it a consequence of climate change, the decline in the number of sheep on the hill due to the introoduction of new agri-environment schemes or is it just a case of 'swings and roundabouts' ?