Notable Recent Sightings

05/03 Firecrest 1, Lake Vyrnwy
05/03 Short-eared Owl 1, Lake Vyrnwy
14/01 Pink-footed Goose 1, Dolydd Hafren
03/01 Waxwing 20, Meifod; also 5 Welshpool by canal on 01/01. Last: 6 Bwlch-y-Garreg 17/03
23/12 Waxwing Newtown College, first arrivals 04/12, 47 on 23/12, 67 on 01/01, 30 on 04/02
09/12 Cattle Egret 1 roosting with 8 Great Egrets and some Little Egrets, Llyn Coed-y-Dinas
02/12 Waxwing 21 Guilsfield, 12 Montgomery, 1 Welshpool, and 1 on 01/12 Llanfyllin
16/11 Dotterel 3, just west of Dyfnant Forest on RSPB land
16/11 Great Grey Shrike 1, on edge of Dyfnant Forest on RSPB land, last reported 19/01
15/11 Waxwing 25 or 30, just west of Lake Vyrnwy along the Dinas Mawddwy road
08/11 Great Northern Diver A juvenile was found near Anchor, rescued and released
30/10 Black Redstart 1 in garden at Hendomen, near Montgomery
06/10 Hawfinch 5 in treetops at Powis Castle, by main car-park
04/10 Cattle Egret Dolydd Hafren, a flock of c.30
29/09 Red-flanked Bluetail Dyfnant Forest: a county first
23/09 Manx Shearwater 1st year bird grounded in Llanfyllin; released at coast
03/09 Cattle Egret 10 at Cors Dyfi, rising to 32 on 05/09
01/06 Turnstone 1 at Caersws with Little Ringed Plovers
03/05 Wood Sandpiper 1 at Dolydd Hafren
18/04 BLACK-WINGED KITE 1 video-ed at Glan Mule, near Kerry: a likely FIRST for UK
07/04 Black Redstart Female on Carno roof
07/04 Little Ringed Plover Llandinam Gravels
25/03 Osprey Female 5F 'Seren' arrived back at Llyn Clywedog
25/03 Pied Flycatcher An early migrant near Llanfechain
22/03 Hen Harrier Female in flight near Berriew
15/03 Sand Martin 5, Dolydd Hafren
15/03 Golden Plover c.50, Heldre Hill, Long Mountain, nr Welshpool
05/03 Whooper Swan 1, between Caerhowel (Montgomery) and The Gaer, with Mute Swans
05/03 Pink-footed Goose 1, Caersws, with Canada Goose flock
05/03 Jack Snipe 2, Caersws
05/03 Hawfinch 24, Powis Castle, feeding behind orchard
28/02 Pink-footed Goose c.25, flying north over Welshpool
26/02 Merlin 1 male, chasing Meadow Pipit, Long Mountain near Welshpool
26/02 Pintail 3, Llyn Coed-y-Dinas, 1 since 14 Feb
14/02 Hawfinch 1, Powis Castle car-park, very vocal
23/01 Jack Snipe 1, Moel-y-Garth near Guilsfield
17/01 Brambling 80, in beeches at Pen-y-Waen near Cefn Coch with Chaffinches
07/01 Hawfinch 2, bathing in puddle, Cwm Lane, Castle Caereinion
   
See Sightings Archive for older records

Thursday, January 19, 2017

House smart wrens

Chris Griffiths reports -

After 14yrs of trying, erecting artificial nest boxes etc, last year we had our first successful House Martins build their own nest and rear a brood of 3. Initially, we had 3 pairs, all trying to build nests, but all would fall away from the wall at various stages of build, I would return home from work to see a pile of mud on the floor. The one nest that did stick seemed OK for a few weeks, but I returned home one day to find the nest coming away from the wall and 3 chicks clinging on for their lives.

At the time I had been sticking some loose paving slabs down with a product made by evo stick called "sticks like sh*t" (other products are available) Given the circumstances, I thought it would be worth a shot on the collapsing nest, a few squirts later, the nest was back on the wall and the chicks quickly settled down !!. A week later they successfully fledged. This product obviously did "what it said on the tin"  Ironic really, me going to these lengths to salvage one nest, while others around the town were deliberately knocking theirs down, because "of the mess" or so they could paint the exterior of their property !!!.

I thought the "real proof of the pudding" would be to see if this nest would last through the winter, we live in a very exposed spot, 1000ft asl. Well, the nest is still in situ and has been used every night as a roost by up to a dozen Wrens. I have attached a photo taken at dawn today, not up to Kev's standard, but I think I have captured the "sh*t" well.

It is strange why House Martins seem reluctant to use artificial nests, mainly preferring to build their own and also that these Wren's could of used the artificial nests or indeed any of the tit boxes I have around the property, but would prefer to use a "real" nest.

1 comment:

  1. Great stuff Mike-love your tale and great to catch them there in your pic .Trust the birds to be so contrary. I stuck an artificial up some years back and it gets used every year ,but when I installed another "double" at a different spot , the new one was ignored-2 years and waiting! Unlike you , we get House Sparrows roosting in it.

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