Following on from a number of facebook, twitter and e-mail queries I thought I should write a small up-date on the blog concerning those birds that were on the BBC Springwatch web-cams. There is now little activity at the heronry with only occasional birds coming in to roost with lots of juvenile herons (and presumably the web-cam two) feeding on the pools, ditches and creeks of the reserve. A sneak look from the Domen las hide yesterday afternoon revealed that an oystercatcher was still sitting on eggs on the wall outside the hide. If the eggs do not hatch this week-end then we must assume that the eggs are infertile as they have been incubating for too long already. I will check again after the week-end and will report on any progress. The barn owl chicks are doing well too with 'BOB' having grown to the size of the other chicks so there is no chance of any sibling eating him or her. The weather has been good for barn owls with little rain or wind and there seems to be plenty of voles around so food supply should not be a problem. The buzzards are, unfortunately, too difficult to monitor as there is no way of looking into the nests. However, when they fledge they should be easily trackable with young buzzards very vocal in calling for food from the adults.
The woods are alive with young birds begging and calling for food from the adults and there are still pied flycatchers and redstarts here, though the urge to migrate should mean that they will slowly move off. A few curlew have started to appear on the estuary, presumably failed breeders who leave the hills and moors to find easier food on the mud and sand of the estuary. Numerous sand martins with young are feeding over the pool where the web-cam was situated; the two cygnets are growing fast and coot and moorhen young are starting to appear.
The BBC Springwatch series gave an excellent view of three weeks of the wildlife of the reserve but as the bird and other wildlife changes throughout the year Ynys-hir is an excellent place to visit at any season. My favourite time is winter with flocks of duck and geese reflecting the wildness of the reserve; a smattering of snow revealing otter tracks along ditches and the traces of a brown hare allowing a brief look back in time. Hen harriers glide slowly along rough grassland and, if I am lucky, I may see Bob one late winter afternoon hunting over the peat bog.