This map shows the the location of the priory. |
![]() |
A Jackdaw sits outside its nest at the old priory. |
![]() |
Llanthony Priory |
![]() |
A pair of white wagtails take a break from their courtship display. The female bird appeared to be larger than its male counterpart. |
![]() |
My destination is on the other side of this hill. Although the village goes by its Welsh name note the bi-lingual signs. |
The village of Capel-y-finn with its four small cottages even had its own red phone box, how quaint is that! Cel coverage is non-existent. The climb onward began to get steeper, the green fields were replaced by bracken ferns and gorse.
As I climbed higher I finally arrived at a spot where I had been told I might find a wheatear or if very lucky even a ring ouzel, both birds would be lifers and target birds for the day. There might even be a chance of a red kite but I didn't want to push my luck. Three lifers from the Welsh hills would really make my day.
![]() |
I was advised to check out the boulders for wheatear. |
I stopped the car, got out, zipped up my anorak, raised my bins and scoured the scree laden hillside. At first I could hear but not see any birds. Finally after trudging up the hill for a closer view I spotted a movement on a rock, a female wheatear, my first lifer since arriving in the UK. I never did get too near to any of the birds even with the Nikon 200mm-500mm. I was happy enough just watch their antics as they hawked insect after insect from the air.
![]() |
Wheatear (male) One of the world's great migrants. The entire population winters in tropical Africa but breeds in Alaska, Greenland, right across Europe and Asia |
About half an hour into my climb to photograph the wheatears I realized my trouser pocket, where I normally keep the car keys was wide open. Normally I make sure it's secured. Next came an awful sinking feeling as I thrust my hand into my pocket, there was nothing. I wondered if I had left them on the dash of the car or worse had they fallen out of my pocket as I clambered over rocks and boulders. Could I jump start an automatic? How would I get home? How far is the nearest farmhouse or was this a dress rehearsal for an another episode of An Idiot Abroad!
I took a deep breath and as any good birder would do continued birding. An hour later I had arrived back at the car and as I opened the door there were the keys, still in the ignition. Phew, another crisis adverted!
![]() |
Not the type of place to loose a set of car keys. |
As I sat in the car I can't tell you how relieved I was, so much so that I almost missed the sudden appearance of a red kite soaring over the bluff. As I grabbed my camera, my cheese sandwich which I had just began to eat fell from my hands between the handbrake and seat. To make things worse the camera strap got wrapped around the gear shifter, despite it all I managed to fire off this distant ID shot. A second lifer for the day and a most welcome sight after the stressful episode with the keys.
Persecuted to near extinction in the 19th century there are now two thousand pair of red kite across the UK.
![]() |
Meadow Pipit I think? |
![]() |
Tree Pipit further along the road. |
![]() |
Ring Ouzel. |
![]() |
Stonechat |
Until the next time
"It's never too late to start birding"
John Gordon
Langley/Cloverdale
BC Canada
Looks like a fantastic place to bird thanks for sharing
ReplyDelete