Lake Vyrnwy

Mustela erminea - stoatally confused

2013-05-20T21:48:19Z

I've seen stoats at Vyrnwy before, and I'm never sure whether to be pleased or not. They are noted as a predator of ground-nesting birds, and the warblers and pipits have had a slow enough spring as it is. But Sunday morning's sighting was a bit special, from any point of view.

Two of us were gossiping by the car park gate when something small, brown and fast-moving, stoatally impossible to mistake for anything else, came out of the grass opposite, near the tulip tree above the generator house. A bloke on a bike nearly ran it over, apparently without seeing it, and it turned right and started running along the narrow pavement beside the dam roadway. We watched it sprinting along, jinking across to the other side a couple of times and almost going under the wheels of a red Transit van. Then it seemed to realise things weren't right, and it turned and set off back towards us. Someone in a car coming over saw it and slowed down, so it made it successfully all the way back and veered over to the lake railings, opposite the loos. It stood for a couple of seconds looking back at us - meaningfully, I thought. Then it went down into the grass by the water. I went over to have a look, and met it coming back. It had turned back towards its original starting point, but run up against the masonry of the dam itself. Giving me another glare, it sprinted under a rhododendron and vanished from view.

That took a bit of matching for a Sunday morning sighting - not quite up to the otter a couple of months ago, but not bad. But the wood warbler down by the metal footbridge was in especially good form, trembling head to foot with the effort of its song, and piu-piu-piu'ing as beautifully as any nightingale.

Recent Sightings: 13th May - 18th May

2013-05-18T09:37:06Z

Some good highlights this week as more birds are passing through or arriving.

Whimbrel: The highlight of the week with 4 birds perched on the dam for a couple of hours on Wednesday evening

Swift: The first birds have arrived and are screaming along the village rooftops

House Martin: Beginning to nest under the village eaves

Hen Harrier: Still present over the moorland. Keep an eye out if you are travelling along the Bala or Dinas roads

Red Kite: One seen over the north end of the reserve on the 16th.

Peregrine: Two birds seen regularly from the Lakeside hide.

Spotted Flycatcher: Not on the reserve strictly speaking but they have been reported north of Bala. Should be arriving here soon if they are not here already.

In addition there are still good numbers of the usual finches and tit species on the feeders outside the shop. A short walk through the village should be rewarded with sightings of Swallows, House Martins and Swifts. Further afield Wood Warblers, Pied Flycatchers and Redstarts may all be seen along the trails and from the Centenary hide.

The World of Bird Surveys

2013-05-16T18:31:27Z

After weeks of Arctic conditions and nervous anticipation, survey season is well underway at Lake Vyrnwy. So far its been enjoyable, variable, and a steep learning curve. There are several key species which are monitored and surveyed individually, in addition to more generalist surveys to assess complete bird diversity. The first real survey work to take place was for Black Grouse, for which unsociable hours are a mandatory requirement! It certainly came as a shock to my body clock hauling myself out of bed at 3am for several days, but being up at dawn allows you to witness the sights and sounds of nature from a new perspective. Starting a route in the dark also means testing your navigation skills, and that is certainly an area I have improved upon, having being hopelessly lost a couple of time early on when the mist descended! The nature of surveys requires them to be a process of elimination, and not seeing or hearing a species provides just as important, if generally less positive, data, both for if species are present at all and to find specific areas of the reserve they use. For Black Grouse surveys, weather is also crucial, and wind speed has to be low to hear the unique sound of lekking males, which are the focus of the count for the survey. The secret weapon employed here is, somewhat bizarrely, a Norwegian weather forecast, deemed to be more accurate than a range of UK alternatives, and this had a mixed record, not getting off to a great start by providing a disastrously inaccurate forecast for the first morning, leading to that area having to be re-surveyed! For me personally, it was great to finally see and hear Black Grouse, they are a spectacular moorland bird fully deserving of the efforts being made to conserve them. Currently, the main focus of our work is to monitor areas for Merlin and Hen Harrier, involving sitting in one place for long periods of time and making meticulous notes on any activity seen, such as the amazing 'skydance' display by the male Hen Harrier, and this type of survey is excellent for learning about bird behaviour. At one point of such a survey, I had Red Kite, Hen Harrier and Buzzard in my view, a real festival of raptors! I'm certainly looking forward to seeing how things develop over the course of the breeding season for these species, hopefully with some even better sightings to come! I have also been on a Curlew survey, watching over a feeding area to see how many individuals use it and also to plot their movements and a pair was identified. With bad weather forecast, I drew the short straw and chose a viewpoint where I had to sit in the Landrover in the dry and warm, completely at odds with survey tradition! Also taking place are the surveys which record all species seen, and the methodology of this type of survey is to walk within a set area at points of equal distance, in short, a lot of walking! It also creates conundrums of whether birds have been counted twice, it can feel as though Meadow Pipits follow you around deliberately. An important lesson has been learnt during the upland surveys, namely 'avoid the fluorescent green moss'! This species of Sphagnum has a habit of plunging the unsuspecting surveyor knee deep into muddy water, a miserable and unforgettable experience. Fortunately the fantastic views of wildlife and the feeling of gathering important data more than compensate. For the foreseeable future its more of the same, with surveys lasting into July, so hopefully in the near future I will be writing about woodland surveys and new experiences, good and bad!

Recent Sightings: 28th April - 5th May

2013-05-05T15:48:47Z

Better weather this week and the numbers of migrants are increasing. Highlights of the week are as follows:

Dipper: Two on the river on the 29^th.

Red Kite: One over the reserve on the 1^st May.

Wood Warbler: One showing well on the Green Trail in the woodland yesterday.

Grey Wagtail: One seen briefly along the river on the Green Trail yesterday.

Pied Flycatcher: Large numbers of these in the woodlands around the site.

Common Sandpiper: Two seen in front of Lakeside hide on the 3^rd May.

Peregrine Falcon: Two seen flying over the Centenary hide yesterday.

A large number of finches are around the feeders at the moment, including siskin and goldfinch.

Walks and other events

2013-04-29T13:32:42Z

Things are livening up now (see Matt's "Recent Sightings"), and the next three months will be the best of the year for birds.

So - why not come on a weekend walk? Unsurprisingly, takers have been few over the last few weeks, but the weather seems to have bucked up and we don't anticipate further visits from the big yellow helicopter. Two guided walks are available every Sunday, though times may vary according to the number of people about. Usually, we go at 11:00 am and 1:30 pm. No need to book, but give us a ring before setting out - it helps us to know you're coming.

At present, the weekend walks are informal and free - though donations are always welcome. The idea is to introduce everybody, RSPB members and non-members, to the reserve and its nature and history, in a friendly, non-challenging way.

Other walk-centred events coming up are Birdlistening (Sunday next) and the Early Morning Walk - Bank Holiday Monday at 6:00 am! There is a charge for these events, and we will only run them if we have advance bookings.

Recent Sightings: 22nd April - 27th April

2013-04-28T09:38:54Z

A mixture of weather this week with both sunshine and rain has not stopped the influx of migrants to the reserve. Notables include:

Red Kite: Two birds circling high up over the blue trail yesterday evening. A surprising rarity at Vyrnwy

Pied Flycatcher: Increasing in numbers with many spotted on the blue and yellow trails in addition to the green trail

Redstart: Slowly increasing. Hotspots being lakeside and centenary hides along with the blue trail walk.

Lesser Redpoll: A small influx before they leave us for the summer. Some males beginning to display their breeding plumage from the Coed Y Capel hide.

Hen Harrier: Over the Moorland.

Grasshopper Warbler: First ones of the year heard (but not seen) along the Bala road.

Blackcap: First female of the year on the 25^th.

There should be some swifts in the next couple of weeks coming in alongside the first spotted flycatchers and wood warblers of the year so keep your eyes and ears peeled.

Recent Sightings: 15th April - 21st April

2013-04-21T13:01:38Z

Spring is finally here; the chiffchaffs have arrived and are singing away and the swallows are swooping around overhead. Furthermore, other spring migrants to arrive include the first Redstarts and Pied Flycatchers of the year. Other highlights of the week are as follows:

Osprey: One west over the reserve on the 15^thand one remarkably flew right over the RSPB shop this morning.

Cuckoo: First bird of the year seen and heard from the red trail on the 19^th and 20^st.

Hen Harrier: Seen over the moorlands.

Whinchat: Seen on the moorland yesterday.

Wheatear: Good numbers on the moorland now.

Common Sandpiper: Seen from the Lakeside hide yesterday.

Goshawk: Seen briefly from the blue trail.

Lesser Redpoll: One on the feeders in front of the Coed y Capel hide yesterday afternoon.

Now is a great time to go looking for migrants and other resident birds. As more birds begin to arrive for the breeding season there is a great window of opportunity to get great views of the birds before the trees begin to grow their leaves again. And who knows you might spot the first Wood Warbler or Spotted Flycatcher of the year here at Lake Vyrnwy.

Sunday 14th April - update on road conditions etc.

2013-04-14T10:23:36Z

The snow has turned to rain and the rivers are up. BUT - while the roads are clear of snow now, it is windy and trees are still falling. On my way over from Bala this morning, I had to stop twice to lift sizeable branches blocking the road. There is also flooding in many places. Lambing on the farm is still cancelled. The road around the lake is generally open on the north side BUT trees are still falling - one came down this morning.

However - we are open!

Arrivals

2013-04-12T09:29:36Z

Not strictly to do with RSPB Lake Vyrnwy - but in Llangollen this morning, where snow still remains heaped at the roadsides and the hills are more white than black, I saw the first swallow of the season.

The first chiffchaff was singing by the bridge several days ago, and this morning another was singing in the churchyard.

So things are on the move...

Peregrine watching

2013-04-10T15:06:07Z

By now, in previous years, we would already have been in the Lakeside hide for two weeks, introducing friends old and new to the nesting peregrines.

This year, for obvious reasons, we have so far been unable to get up there. The road around the lake is still partially closed because of fallen trees, and it has not yet been possible for us to inspect the Lakeside hide, so we cannot recommend anyone to visit it for the time being.

Furthermore, at the moment, it doesn't seem likely that we shall have the necessary resources to staff the Date with Nature site on a daily basis this season.

Watch this space - as the situation changes, we'll let everyone know here and on Facebook.

Recent sightings: 29th March - 7th April

2013-04-07T12:41:58Z

Due to difficulties getting around the reserve this week due to the snow, sightings have been limited. However there were several notable sightings as detailed below:

Osprey: Highlight of the week (although I missed it!) seen on the 29th March. At least one, possibly two individuals.

Kingfisher: Seen briefly along the river below the dam on the 1st April.

Goshawk: Viewed and heard briefly on 4th April.

Raven: Present and displaying above the dam and RSPB shop. Also good views from the lakeside and centenary hides.

Buzzard: Regular sightings throughout the week, including 3 individuals displaying along the blue trail on 5th April.

Dipper: One sighted swimming on the river below the dam on 5th April.

Lesser Redpoll: One seen on the feeders this morning.

Great Spotted Woodpecker: Increasing numbers with several drumming on trees around the shop.

Little Grebe: Great view right in front of the lakeside hide yesterday.

Tree Pipit: Spotted on the blue trail earlier today. The migrants are beginning to arrive!

In addition, there are good numbers of the usual finches and tit species on the feeders outside the shop and the Coed Y Capel hide. On the lake, there are now at least five Great Crested Grebes and two pairs of Goosander. With the weather starting to improve slowly and a forecast of southerly winds over the weekend, hopefully more of the summer migrants are not too far away.

Sunday 7th April - road conditions and lambing

2013-04-07T09:55:22Z

The Road Closed signs are still in place. Please do not try to drive around the lake - there is no assistance if you get stuck. This applies also to the Dinas Mawddwy and Bala roads.

Lambing has been cancelled for this weekend - hopefully, only this weekend.

Winter weather adventures

2013-04-03T15:51:16Z

It's fair to say that the extreme weather conditions here at Lake Vyrnwy over the last week or so have caused absolute chaos, with 36 hours worth of power cuts, road disruption and hard conditions for wildlife. With between 30 – 40 centimetres of snow falling in a 48-hour period, it was also quite rapid! In true fighting spirit however, everyone has battled the snow and ice together to restore communications to the area.

Before communications were restored, I felt as if I had gone back in time, with the log fire and reading being the main forms of entertainment! Food supplies fell low too, leading to some interesting meals, the most bizarre being an ‘Utterly Butterly’ Sandwich made by our housemate Chris! In truth, life was not too exciting until we could return to work. Last week mainly consisted of hacking away like a mad man at the snow and ice on the road, which proved quite therapeutic. A real sense of community was apparent with the village residents, and many thanks to the team at Artisans Cafe who kept us fuelled with refreshments, it was much appreciated!

In terms of bird life, the behaviour of garden bird species has reverted to a frantic search for food sources to survive the arctic conditions. Although this has meant excellent views from the reserve feeding stations, it also means that the breeding season will now occur later on in Spring, and this could be even more evident on the upland areas of the reserve. Unfortunately, not all the birds can survive such harsh conditions, and I have found a Song Thrush and Chaffinch in the last week which have perished, putting into perspective how difficult these conditions are for wildlife. A positive of the last week was a hat trick of Sparrowhawk sightings, culminating in the magnificent sight of a male making a kill outside our accommodation, sadly the open ground meant it took the prey elsewhere to devour so the sighting was all too brief. The adverse conditions have meant a resident Cormorant has understandably abandoned its usual resting place of a buoy on the far side of the lake. My walk on bank holiday Monday produced a distant Goshawk sighting and a first for me at Lake Vyrnwy, a fleeting glimpse of a Kingfisher travelling downstream on the river, where I will definitely be casting more of an eye in the future.

The first working day of this week saw us completing and ultimatelty passing, our 4 x 4 course which was postponed due to the snow. It was a lot of fun, despite getting stuck at the end (not my fault!) and having to be the subject of a rescue mission, I learnt a lot and feel much more confident handling a variety of off-road vehicles.

Hopefully my next blog will be full of stories about warm temperatures, huge numbers of spring migrants and exciting survey work!

Weather for the weekend

2013-03-30T10:34:30Z

Yes, it's Easter Saturday. No, the road around the lake is NOT open - and the trails are mostly inaccessible too.

Don't be misled by roads that have been cleared as far as Llanwddyn - we are still suffering on the reserve from the effects of the hard weather. It is the holiday weekend and we are expecting the first rush of visitors, but conditions do not allow us to run our events programme.

So - if you haven't set out yet but you want to visit Lake Vyrnwy this weekend, please give us a call first.

The Birdsong for Beginners event (which includes a walk) has been cancelled, so has the Easter Egg Hunt (Sunday), and there will be no guided walks this weekend either.

Back to normal soon?

First Blog and Recent Sightings: March 4th - 29th

2013-03-29T09:43:50Z

Hi, my name is Matt Heaver and I am one of the new interns for Wales. I am currently at Lake Vyrnwy and you may have read the blog by my fellow intern James. We have been asked to blog regularly on our experiences during the next year. To avoid covering the same ground I will focus on bird sightings on the reserve and endeavour to post regular weekly updates. In this first post, I will bring you up to date with sightings from the first month of my internship from March 1^st to March 29^th. Highlights so far include:

Goshawk: Seen or heard regularly on the red trail in addition to three displaying individuals at the top end of the lake close to Lakeside hide on March 17^th.

Buzzard: Viewed almost every day virtually all over the reserve.

Peregrine: Sighted regularly from the Lakeside hide and were viewed displaying on March 12^th.

Brambling: Reported on the feeders in front of the Coed-Y-Capel Hide on March 21^st.

Raven: Seen occasionally including regular sightings above the RSPB shop.

Grey Wagtail: The first pair of the year viewed on the dam on March 17^th.

Goosander: One male next to the dam on March 19^th with others reported at the far end of the lake.

Great Crested Grebe: Resident pair commonly sighted in front of Lakeside hide all month giving good views of the courtship display (If you have never observed this behaviour, I urge you to do so. It is spectacular).

Dipper: Seen most days either below the dam or from Centenary Hide.

Many other species are also present in good numbers including: Blue tit, Great Tit, Coal Tit, Long tailed tit, Siskin, Robin, Chaffinch, Blackbird, Song Thrush, Nuthatch, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Jay, Marsh Tit and Willow Tit.

Sightings have been reduced lately due to the snow so much so that us interns were snowed in last weekend with no electricity. Cue us sitting around the log fire trying to keep warm reminiscent of a scene from a bygone era! Here’s hoping for warmer weather soon and the arrival of spring migrants.

Happy Easter