With the black grouse of Coed Llandegla Forest having strut their stuff for another year, Des James, People Engagement Officer, tells us how their mock charging and strange calls went down with the humans who went to see them._tcm9-41192.jpg "Black grouse displaying at a lek in Abernethy Forest")
'The Black Grouse Walks went very well this year. We typically saw eight males on the lek, and were lucky to only have three days of thick mist, when all we could do was hear them.
Over 350 people came on a walk, and feedback from all was very positive. I especially like the following comment left by one of those visitors, as it really sums this experience up for me: 'You can't put a price on experiences like this!'
However, it wasn't all black grouse - we had good views on many of the walks of redpolls and hen harriers. We even saw a cuckoo, which more than made up for not seeing any crossbills this year.
It goes without saying that the black grouse are the stars of the show, but I'd like to end with a big thank you to all the volunteers who helped to make this project a success, and without whom these walks wouldn't be possible.'