Crossbills and Sat Navs.
23rd January 2025
Yesterday Susan and I were out looking for Crossbills again because this is the best time of year to see them because they are now displaying and singing as a precursor to breeding. We drove onto the lower ‘Beacons’ using the narrow single track road up to the old Neuadd Reservoir. After passing the designated parking areas about two hundred yards further on the road has a barrier across it. We parked on the roadside pull-in before there because there is an isolated stand of conifers and deciduous trees where historically we have seen Crossbills.
Yesterday was no exception because almost immediately we could hear Crossbills calling, that ‘Clipping’ sound they make, there were birds also singing and displaying, a lovely sight. Unfortunately thick grey clouds began to quickly roll over really spoiling the light and making it a great deal colder because it was mid-afternoon by then.
A car then appeared and a young couple about twenty or so stopped to ask me the way to Pen y Fan. This peak attracts people like moths to a candle flame because it is the highest in the Brecon Beacons. I politely told them I thought they were in the wrong place to walk to Pen y Fan and back based on the time of day. I also noticed that they were hopelessly under-clothed and shod for this walk. However, I didn’t mention this because it was none of my business. I only advised them about the walk they were about to undertake at this time of day based on my experience of walking these mountains for forty five years. They thanked me and turned around – I didn’t see them again, presumably they took my advice which was good because they seemed to be a sensible and nice couple.
Ten minutes later here comes another car, same scenario, ‘Which way to Pen y Fan please. I asked them how they got to this point and they replied their Sat Nav had directed them to it, which I suspected is how the first couple had arrived. This couple said they intended to do ‘The Horseshoe’ walk (at this time of day I thought) and they didn’t even know which track to take to approach the peaks. By now I had stopped giving opinions and just pointed the way because they seemed determined to proceed – they would have been coming back in darkness and cold and they too were inadequately attired.
If they had completed the horseshoe walk, which I seriously doubt, they would have had to climb Fan Fawr, Crybin, Pen y fan, Corn Ddu and then along the ridge from Bwlch Duwynt back to the conifer block above the Neuadd reservoir which is full of horrible soft peat in places and then descend a really steep slope back down to the neuadd road to the car park. It’s just really dangerous to attempt this type of walk with this total lack of knowledge or planning.
We had decided to pack up now because the light was poor and the birds had also disappeared but as we were leaving another car appeared, however, I just drove on having had enough of feeling like an extra from the film ‘Groundhog Day’.
I will be returning to this site next week on a hopefully better day because it has some good potential.
Yesterday was no exception because almost immediately we could hear Crossbills calling, that ‘Clipping’ sound they make, there were birds also singing and displaying, a lovely sight. Unfortunately thick grey clouds began to quickly roll over really spoiling the light and making it a great deal colder because it was mid-afternoon by then.
A car then appeared and a young couple about twenty or so stopped to ask me the way to Pen y Fan. This peak attracts people like moths to a candle flame because it is the highest in the Brecon Beacons. I politely told them I thought they were in the wrong place to walk to Pen y Fan and back based on the time of day. I also noticed that they were hopelessly under-clothed and shod for this walk. However, I didn’t mention this because it was none of my business. I only advised them about the walk they were about to undertake at this time of day based on my experience of walking these mountains for forty five years. They thanked me and turned around – I didn’t see them again, presumably they took my advice which was good because they seemed to be a sensible and nice couple.
Ten minutes later here comes another car, same scenario, ‘Which way to Pen y Fan please. I asked them how they got to this point and they replied their Sat Nav had directed them to it, which I suspected is how the first couple had arrived. This couple said they intended to do ‘The Horseshoe’ walk (at this time of day I thought) and they didn’t even know which track to take to approach the peaks. By now I had stopped giving opinions and just pointed the way because they seemed determined to proceed – they would have been coming back in darkness and cold and they too were inadequately attired.
If they had completed the horseshoe walk, which I seriously doubt, they would have had to climb Fan Fawr, Crybin, Pen y fan, Corn Ddu and then along the ridge from Bwlch Duwynt back to the conifer block above the Neuadd reservoir which is full of horrible soft peat in places and then descend a really steep slope back down to the neuadd road to the car park. It’s just really dangerous to attempt this type of walk with this total lack of knowledge or planning.
We had decided to pack up now because the light was poor and the birds had also disappeared but as we were leaving another car appeared, however, I just drove on having had enough of feeling like an extra from the film ‘Groundhog Day’.
I will be returning to this site next week on a hopefully better day because it has some good potential.