Magical Birding

Given that I am in possession of a pair of hyperactive Springer Spaniels this week whilst my sister and brother-in-law kick it in Mallorca, I decided on a trip up to Penycloddiau on the Clywdians early this morning.

Generally, I am no fan of the ‘Scouse Alps’ – they are everything the Welsh Uplands should not be: largely bereft of wildlife, overrun with people and massively overgrazed.

Nonetheless, with the east flank of Penycloddiau just in Flintshire, I thought they may be the outside chance of Black Grouse – provided the almost mythical tiny remnant population hadn’t been squashed under the wheels of a mountain bike.

It was a glorious crisp autumnal morning when I set out just after eight, with the distant ‘kronking’ of a Raven the only noise interrupting the silence.

Although calling constantly I didn’t get a good view of the big corvid until I had hit the top of the mountain. The bird didn’t take too kindly to the first human intrusion of the day and if drifted off towards the Vale of Clwyd.

There were very few other birds about, with a pair of Stonechat and a lovely charm of a hundred or so Goldfinch seen from the Clwydian Way the only other notable avian activity.

What was notable though was the large numbers of Fly Agaric mushrooms growing in the conifer plantation near the car park.

One of the most familiar mushrooms and illustrated in countless fairytales, these fungi are of course infamous for their hallucinogenic properties…

Perhaps if I had indulged, I may have had a more interesting list of birds to report!

Still, things picked up a little on the way back to Nannerch when I noticed a large group of Ravens and a single Buzzard feeding a sheep carcass.

The lamb must have only cashed in his chips recently as with a favourable wind collection I get a good whiff of the meat. Within seconds I stopped watching the birds gorging themselves and for some strange reason my focus turned towards mint sauce and Sunday dinner...

Until later.