Paul Grennard
@pembsbikingbirder
Ageing punk, birder, cyclist, vegan and all-around nature obsessive. Birding by bicycle, bus and train.
An afternoon trip to Pantmaenog Forest with my birding buddy Brian Southern was successful for our target dragnfly species of Black Darter and Common Hawker.
I caught the bus to St Davids and had a little cycle around on my folder. The highlights were 2 Common Quail singing, a Green Sandpiper, 2 Clouded Yellow butterflies, a Hummingbird Hawkmoth and 4 Migrant Hawkers.
A two day visit by train and bike to Esher Common, Surrey for Brilliant Emerald was successful with 6 seen. Also 12 Brown Hawkers, 1 Willow Emerald, Ring-necked Parakeets, Black-tailed Skimmers and Emperors.
A little adventure around south Pembrokeshire by bus: 2 Clouded Yellows Penally. Pembroke: Med Gull, 6 Red-veined Darters and a pair of Lesser Emperors ovipositing on Pembroke Millpond.
It has been a great year for the scarce Lesser Emperor and Red-veined Darter. Today was no exception with 12 Lesser Emperors and 6 Red-veined Darters on a bike ride checking the water bodies from Burry Port to Llanelli..
I cycled from Brawdy to St Davids via Middle Mill listening for Quail in the many crop fields without success. My first Red-veined Darter in the St Davids area at the Dowrog Pool was rather nice.
Today i put the folder on the Cardigan bus to Crosswell turn and cycled from there to Pensarn Corner, Brynberian, Pembrokeshire..
Fantastic day at Catcott Lows with at least 30 Scarce Chasers, 1 Lesser Emperor and 2 Norfolk Hawkers. A brief distance view of the possible Savi's Warbler in my binoculars but too brief to confirm its identification 😌
First train out of Haverfordwest for a day on the Somerset Levels..
2 Traws Cymru buses later and i am back home. Not a bus journey i would like to do too often.
I put the folder on the St Davids bus and had a cycle around. The Dowrog Common was the best site i visited with a Quail singing, a Cuckoo and several Common Odonata species.
A record shot of a pair of lesser emperors ovipositing at Ivor's Pond St Davids. I counted 6 in total. The first lesser emperors i have seen in my home county of Pembrokeshire and nice to have found them myself.
I put the folder on the bus and cycled from Letterston to Puncheston Common for Marsh Fritillary. 30+ Marsh Fritillary on Puncheston Common were the most I have ever recorded there. Around 40 Painted Ladies were seen at many sites. A Cuckoo and a Garden Warbler at Puncheston Common.
A great day out around Pembrokeshire with my birding buddy Brian Southern started off at Bosherston with 10 Small Blues, at Castlemartin Corse a Quail was heard and finally at Marloes Mere at least 10 Red-veined Darters.😀 The first time in a car for many months 😳
I took my new ride along the Neath Canal in search Odonata and it didn't disappoint once the cloud broke and the sun appeared. 5 variable damselfly, 2 hairy dragonfly and 10 common blue damselfly.It was nice to hear a singing cuckoo when i first arrived and at least 6 reed warblers as well.
Another visit to Minwear Wood and Canaston Wood Pembrokeshire and again no Wood Warblers for a second year 😌
Put the folder on the train and headed to Pembrey Forest Carmarthenshire again. Despite the weather not being perfect some leps did eventually show themselves once the cloud broke to allow a little sunshine.
Fantastic visit to RSPB Dinas with my birding buddy Brian: 20 pied Flycatcher, 12 Wood warbler, 8 common redstart, 2 marsh tit, dipper, cuckoo & 1 tree pipit.
After catching the bus to Canaston Bridge i cycled around the woodlands of the Blackpool Mill area. Worryingly no sight or sound of wood warbler at any of their regular sites i tried. Tree pipit, dipper and swift were all new for the year. 🚎 🚲