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A flock of 100+ Goldfinches flying over Cathedine today, finches will now begin to gather in sometimes quite large flocks, nice to see when it happens. Large numbers of Fieldfares and Redwings will soon be arriving, perhaps as soon as next week as cold winds from the North are forecast for the weekend. There will be smaller numbers of Ring Ouzels coming in also. The Elan Valley in mid wales is a great location to view this spectacle but look around any area which has a good crop of Hawthorn berries.

Currently there are large numbers of Wrynecks coming into the UK. The biggest number of birds for many years, they are in almost every county. Unfortunately Powys is the exception. As these birds are difficult to see, let alone photograph, I drove, more in hope than expectation, to Llanrhystud on the west coast of Wales where a Wryneck had been reported over the last few days. I arrived at 07.30, it was very misty at first, but as the sun broke through, the bird appeared. It was initially elusive but then began to show fairly well. This is a difficult bird, it has a very cryptic plummage which allows it to remain unseen, just by keeping still. It is also quite small and a rare visitor to Wales, so I was very happy to get some good shots. Please see Gallery.

There is currently a large, mixed flock of Tits and Finches (approximately 100 birds), flying in the Cathedine area. When this flock visited my garden on Saturday, attached to it were juvenile Redstarts, Willow Warblers, Meadow Pipits and a Yellowhammer and there probably are other species as well.
It looks like this flock has picked up some of the local breeding birds.

It's been almost a year since we dug out a 3 x 2 metre pond at the bottom of some waste ground in our garden. We have let the garden grow naturally and have fed the birds during the winter and spring on a variety of seeds and nuts. Woodpeckers, Nuthatches and Long Tailed Tits like peanuts. Goldfinches and Siskins love niger seed and most birds will eat sunflower seeds. Today, there were Willow Warbler, Yellowhammer (a very uncommon visitor to us), Blackcap, Redstarts, G.S. Woodpecker, Green Woodpecker, Bullfinch, all juveniles. All these birds, as well as the more common garden birds, have bred in, or very near to this wildlife garden. So with a little effort and a small financial outlay we are now starting to reap the rewards. Please see Gallery.

On 16th August 2010 I discovered another juvenile bird, which was obviously (by plummage) much younger that the previous juveniles, which have now partially dispersed. Black Redstarts can have up to three broods in a good year.

After the worst winter for many decades an unexpectedly good breeding season has occurred in and around our garden. Three broods for the House Sparrows, four Wrens fledged from our garden shed on the longest day of the year. The local Great Spotted Woodpeckers have raised two young this year and so have the Green Woodpeckers. Also fledged were Redstarts, Willow Warblers and Siskins, along with all the other common garden birds. It just shows how resilient they are. (Half a ton of nuts and seeds helped a bit!)
Unfortunately the same cannot be said for the local Kingfishers and Dippers who I have been unable to find on their usual patch this spring.

After a county-wide decline for this species, followed by a severe winter it was great to find young Goldcrests had been raised close to the canal near Brecon.

Firm evidence of breeding Black Redstarts in the west of Powys. I have been lucky to photograph both adult and young birds. This is great news for Powys as this is well outside their normal breeding range and these birds, according to official records, have not bred in Wales for over 25 years.

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