Welsh Getaway Part 2

 You will remember from Part 1 we had a successful day on  and around Anglesey, what you mean you ain't read Part 1? Well stop reading Part 2 and read Part 1!!😂 Only joking you don't have to read Part 1 to understand Part 2, it's not Lord of the Rings, although nearly as epic!!😲😁

 Today we would stay in the local area in the hunt for Dippers! First off we head to Tyn Y Groes, I have had success here previously, but no luck today although the area is very picturesque, with large trees all around and a fantastic river, we had a short walk around here lot's of birds high in the trees but all we really got eyes on were Blackbirds and Robins, although I did some communing with nature which is always good!!

The only picture I took

Can't believe we couldn't get a Dipper on here!

Asking the Birding gods for a Dipper

It's good advice, very relaxing. to be honest I did well to get up from here!

The view from the deck, Margie's pictures

Maybe showing the effect of too many Hunny Buns at this point, think the sign was the name of a tree rather than me claiming royal lineage, there is another one called the Champion, were rather large!

Lots of Ferns

Some views through the trees

Least Margie had something to photograph, next spot was the old bridge at Llanelltyd, again have had success on the Dipper front here, it's a very picturesque area and in bright sunshine Cadair Idris was showing well!

 We stood on the bridge for a while, fairly quiet, some Mistle Thrush in a tree and a Pied Wagtail landed on a log.

Pied Wagtail

Mallard

Mistle Thrushes

Margie enjoying the reflections

We walked the river bank down stream, the long grass was full of Craneflys, so many were flying up as we walked had to keep the mouth shut as was in danger of swallowing them, was surprised there wasn't more birds feeding on them than the couple of Robins we saw. At the bend in the river I had a distant and fleeting view of a Kingfisher.

More Margie reflections

 Fungi

More Fungi

Cranefly despite their profusion very difficult to photograph though Margie manage one clear one!

We headed back, suddenly a movement across the river, Dipper hurrah, full Ninja mode engaged and managed to get close enough for a few pics!

Dipper

Showing the white eyelid

At this point I noticed that the river seemed to be flowing both ways at once!😱😲 Despite visiting here many times I never realised it was Tidal, though it is fresh water! Margie's pics below demonstrate this well.

Low Tide

Rising

High Tide

A Grey Wagtail flew out of the bank, but was too quick for me! Suddenly a Kingfisher flew into a tree on the far bank! Things were improving !

Kingfisher, too far for awesome pics but great to see.

The still water had pond skaters running about all over it and the reflections were lovely! A  very Pale Buzzard flew over.

Common Buzzard

Pond Skater by Margie

At this point standing back on the bridge, we heard a call and a Dipper flew over our heads, followed by another one and then another one!! Dippermegeddon!! Unfortunately they zipped about all over the place and didn't settle, disappearing around the bend in the river😢, some sort of territorial dispute perhaps or adults driving off a Juvenile from their territory.  One later reappeared and was swimming about in deep water diving occasionally more like a Grebe than a Dipper! But too far for pics worth posting! We could hear a Woodpecker calling and Margie eventually winkled it out and got a picture!

Great Spotted Woodpecker by Margie

At this point we decided to celebrate so popped into Dolgellau to the Popty'r Dref for a Hunny Bun and a cup of tea!

Hunny Bun

Fortified we decided to head for Cadair Idris, obviously not for an assault on the summit, need more than a single Hunny Bun for that! We walked up to the Waterfall, it was really steep so happy it counts as mountaineering !! Quiet on the bird front and it rained hard a couple of times but an enjoyable stroll. Most of the pics taken on the phone with the trees all around!

Margie assessing the next dogleg up the mountain

Tree Ferns

View down the valley

Video below of the waterfall, not very long! The video that is, the waterfall is reasonably long as waterfalls go!

After a knee breaking descent we decided a nice coastal drive was in order, ending up in Aberdyfi/Aberdovey  famous for Ice Cream!! So we indulged!! Some nice views across the estuary as well!

I went Coffee/Biscoffi(Chocolate Cone) Margie went Ferrero Rocher/Vanilla

On the way back to base, we called into Fairbourne for a look over the estuary, not much about though a Stonechat obliged and the views were excellent!

Barmouth Bridge

Stonechat

Meadow Pipit

No light at the end of the tunnel a metaphor for our times!

Barmouth

Beach and Sky

The end of a very enjoyable day and that Ice Cream was every bit as tasty as it looks🍨!

Our 3rd and final full day and we decided to drive the back road from Dinas Mawddwy to Lake Vyrnwy this is across some high moorland and is single track most of the way, the Rio coped alright and there was little traffic, the moors were short on birds, we stopped at several places along the way, but apart from a couple of Buzzards and a few Mippits was very quiet. Arriving lakeside we stopped at a picnic area, the water in the lake was very low, lowest it's been since 93 according to a local!

Bit windy in the high mountains

But the views were good

Lake Vyrnwy

Think Margie's pics show how low the water is! While she explored the lakeside I was doing a little watch from the picnic area, couple of Ravens went over, a couple of Buzzards one of which was quite low, a Mistle thrush sat in a distant tree and some Siskins also adorned the tree tops, whilst following a Buzzard in my Bins I picked out an Accipiter gliding, it was very high, so high as to be invisible to the naked eye, at the time I thought it might be a Goshawk as looked fairly bulky, but by the poor pics I managed to get, my knowledgeable friends on Facebook have erred on the side of Sparrowhawk and it does appear to have a squareish tail!! 

Poor pics, but quite exciting at the time, to be followed by crushing disappointment!!😢😁

Raven

Raven

Buzzard

Siskin

Mistle Thrush

We drove around to the RSPB hide, this is quite an interesting set-up with feeders right close to the large glass windows, loads of birds, mainly Chaffinch and Siskin but several Nuthatch, a few Coal Tits, along with Blue Tits and Great Tits made it a hive of activity, there was a Peacock and several Pheasants under the feeders as well! Unfortunately the windows are a bit dirty so pics were difficult thought the short video gives some idea of the comings and goings. Siskins take no shit!!

Margie managed a few pics though!

Siskin lovely to get such close views

Chaffinch and Blue Tit

We grabbed a Bacon Sarnie in the café, no cakes what sort of café has no cakes😢 We walked over the Dam and around the Sculpture park before arriving back at the car park, some pics below.

The Dam

View downstream from the Dam, still letting quite a bit of water out despite the low levels

The sculptures were quite cool as nature reclaims them

Pied Wagtails

Red Kite with Raven escort

Robin

We headed back up the other bank stopping at the old village carpark, the water is so low that the village flooded when the reservoir was created has come back into view, quite eerie to walk around the ruins of the houses! The only two water birds I saw on the whole reservoir were here a couple of Goosander, there was also a large party of Swallows and Housemartins feeding over the water, while I stood there watching them a Merlin sped past my shoulder out across the lake causing panic in the Hirundines and me in equal measure, sadly I lost it against the cluttered background before I could get a shot!

Goosander

Margie amongst the ruins

Grass recolonising the Lake Bed

We left the reservoir behind taking the back road to Bala another single track road, bit hairy in places but the Rio coped again, the moors once again lacked birds except a few Mipits and a Buzzard but where the road crossed a small river we had a very nice encounter with 3 Goosanders!

Yes I know it's a lot of Goosander pics, but as they were the only birds that posed in any decent way all day I decided to fill my boots!!😂 As I mainly see Goosanders in the winter I think of them as birds of large lakes but obviously in the summer they breed on fast flowing rivers, so nice to see them in this  habitat!

An uneventful drive to Bala, along the lake and back to base, although as I was unloading the car the local Buzzards and a Sparrowhawk decided to put on an evening display!

Buzzard 

Sparrowhawk

The day finished with a nice meal at the George at Penmaenpool, where the highlight was the Chocolate Fudge Cake! Me Dad tried to pull the old forgotten me Pin trick , but he's taught me well and in anticipation I'd left me wallet at home😀😀😀!! Chip off the old block!

The Tollbridge at Penmaenpool

We left early on the Friday to avoid the incoming storm, which we successfully did, a very smooth journey with several Red Kites seen on the M40! 

An excellent few days, many thanks to me Dad and Glenys for letting us stay and for the meal!!  Thanks as always to Margie for being excellent company and putting up with me!!