Today we went to a Welsh wildlife reserve; Gilfach Farm Reserve before travelling on to a legitimate wildlife spectacle at Gigrin Farm. And following that we visited a nice forested area where we got a tip off about a Welsh specialty - Wood Warbler.
The voted bird of the day was Dipper!
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| Dipper at Gilfach Farm |
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| Bucolic scene at Gilfach Farm |
A hill farm of open moorland, flower-rich grasslands and oak woodland, bissected by the River Marteg, an important tributory of the Upper River Wye. Follow the various walks and nature trails to explore its wilder parts and find out more of its historic past from the Bronze Age tumuli to the Medieval long house and the derelict Mid Wales Railway.
The meadows contain a range of ancient grassland species, including, moonwort, adder's-tongue fern, mountain pansy, parsley fern, heath dog-violet, and eyebright. A large number of waxcap fungi (Hygrocybe spp.) are found across the reserve. The Gilfach nature reserve is particularly rich in lower plants, with 425 species of lichen found to date. The species list for birds is currently over 70, over two-thirds of which breed. Breeders include: red kite, dipper, grey wagtail, pied flycatcher, redstart, wood warbler, tree pipit, raven, whinchat, stonechat, linnet, yellowhammer, siskin, redpoll, marsh and willow tit, stock dove, wheatear, bullfinch, buzzard, kestrel, tawney owl, spotted flycatcher, meadow pipit, skylark. Other visitors include: merlin, sparrowhawk, peregrine, goosander, kingfisher, reed bunting, ring ouzel and osprey. Insects abound; along the river Damselflies such as the beautiful and banded demoiselles and common red damselfly can be seen. Common green grasshopper and bloody-nosed beetle are frequently found in the grasslands. Butterflies include ringlet, small copper, small heath, purple and green hairstreak, dark green and small pearl-bordered fritillary. The old railway cuttings are a great place to spot butterflies. In 2009, the rare Welsh clearwing moth was found on the reserve, the first record for Radnorshire. Larger mammals on the reserve include otter, polecat, stoat, weasel, badger, fox, rabbit, brown hare and hedgehog. In 2009 water voles were recorded on the river for the first time, spreading out from a local colony. Bats hibernating in the railway tunnel include daubenton's, natterer's and brown long-eared among the six species recorded on the reserve.
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| birding the forest edges at Gilfach Farm |
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| Great Tit checking out my coat |
The farm house area had a few feeders that attracted a range of common species.
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| Tree Pipit |
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Coal Tit
Gigrin Farm is the place for a spectacular showing of Red Kite.
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| Red Kite |
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| Red Kite |
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| a quick painting I whipped up..... |
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| Common Buzzard also come in for a feed |
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| Wood Warbler |
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| Wood Warbler |
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| Wood Warbler |
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