The End of the World...and beyond.

Mother Nature is certainly making up for her parsimonious rainfall rations so far this year, with a very damp start to ‘Flaming June.’

Like the legions of In-ger-land fans bracing themselves for the inevitable early elimination from the World Cup, the reservoirs are in need of large levels of refreshment, so a good downpour is not unwelcome.

I always find that damp and overcast weather is good for walking in the uplands. Sun is the mortal enemy at this time of year as the heat haze can make birding very difficult and the hot conditions can make you sweat like a hung-over Paul Gascoigne in a sauna.

So it was off to Ruabon Moor for one of my favourite walks: World’s End to Rock Farm along the top of the ridge and then back to start via the Offa’s Dyke path.

A lively Grey Wagtail was flittering around the stream on the way up to the top where the border between the wood and the heather was home to two singing Tree Pipits and a male Whinchat.

Nine Crossbill over was good and other finches in the area included Siskin, Linnet and at least one Lesser Redpoll.

Numerous Wheatears dotted the route along the permitted path whilst a pair of loud and frequently calling local residents - whom could probably benefit from being a little more discreet – did their utmost to draw attention to themselves.

The habitat up here looks perfect for Ring Ouzel: scree slopes, boulders and close proximity to water make it very suitable indeed, but I guess declining numbers plus disturbance means areas like this are now largely uninhabited - having said that Denzil had bagged a male up here last week.

Distant calls from Curlew and Raven respectively echoed down the ravine towards Rock Farm, but birds close by were few.

And so it was along the Offa’s Dyke path with one notable exception – Redstarts. Four males on territory on the way back to World’s End, including one mint individual that showed to ten yards from the top of a small Mountain Ash.

World’s End 09.06.10

Curlew 1
Tree Pipit 2
Pied Wagtail 2
Grey Wagtail 1
Redstart 4
Wheatear 8+
Whinchat 1
Stonechat 4
Raven 2
Crossbill 9
Plus, three species of raptor.

Until later.