As part of the long running Cross and Stratford Welsh Chough project I colour-ringed 43 young Choughs at 13 sites in Ceredigion this year (out of a total of 191 nestlings colour-ringed in Wales as a whole this year). After initial worries that it was too dry for many to survive, the rain came just in time and juvenile survival has been phenomenal. At least 25 of the 43 Ceredigion chicks (56%) are known to have made it to independence at 3+ months old which is very high compared to most years. In North Wales it is not unusual for family parties of Choughs to move from the coast to inland hill pastures to feed on the abundant tipulid larvae (leather-jackets) and chafer grubs found there. Many of the 25 surviving young from this year’s Ceredigion cohort were seen in a communal roost on Cadair Idris which peaked at 64 birds.
In the 1980s there were at least six pairs of Chough nesting inland in Ceredigion, as far inland as Cwmystwyth Mines and Devil’s Bridge, but these are sadly long gone. There were even half a dozen pairs nesting in Montgomeryshire as far inland as Llanbrynmair. This year’s exceptional juvenile survival may see birds prospecting new sites in the years to come and although it is unlikely (some have subsequently been capped, fenced or filled with rubbish) perhaps some of the historic inland sites may be re-occupied. There is currently only one inland breeding site south of Snowdonia (which is in Ceredigion but, unusually, failed to produce chicks this year). If anyone has any sightings of inland Choughs, colour-ringed or not, the Welsh Chough project would be very pleased to hear. Please do not post the location of inland birds in suitable breeding habitat on this or any other blog though - you have no idea who may read them! We have copies of eggers’ diaries from the 80’s proving that many of these sites were persistently plundered!