Nipped into a blustery Cop Hole over lunchtime today. The pool was very, very quiet with only a couple of first winter drake Tufted Duck braving the gusty wind.On initial inspection, the marsh didn’t fare much better, but after parking my arse on the damp embankment for twenty minutes or so a ringtail Hen Harrier appeared from nowhere and was then promptly ushered over to the rifle range by a couple of Carrion Crows.
It looked like a juvenile male to me – yet another addition to the list of young, immature and adult female Hen Harriers that almost seem to occupy the estuary exclusively.
On another note, I have been running the rule over Halkyn Mountain as a possible subject for a year’s intensive patching.
Despite being scarred by a couple of humungous quarries, there appears to be a fair amount of decent habitat to explore, although to be honest initial findings reveal birds to be a little thin on the ground.
It looks ideal for a wintering Great Grey Shrike though and last year I was pretty damn certain I found an Eastern Stonechat, so I will continue to keep tabs on the area over the winter and who knows…
Until later.
Paul
ReplyDeleteI went up to Coed Y Garth today to see if I could see any evidence of the Badger poisoning that you mentioned,but unless I was looking in the wrong place,I couldn't see any problem there myself.
Denzil
HI Denzil it was me who told Paul about it, I was told by my Girlfriends Granparents who live in ffynnongroyw that they are poisoning the badgers in the woods and some local dogs went running off not being on a lead and died due to eating the poison. It's sad when this happens but thats what I was told and they will no longer take there dogs for walks up there now.
ReplyDeleteSorry I told paul but he already knew as locals put a sign up in the woods.
ReplyDelete