Cae Garw CottageBirdwatching holidays on the Lleyn, North Wales
Birdwatching on the Lleyn peninsula can be one of the most rewarding hobbies there is. Whether you are a serious twitcher looking for a bird trip holiday, or just want to confine your birdwatching activity to local nature reserves or the garden, we can cater for your needs here on our self catering Cae Garw holiday cottage in North Wales.
Here on the Lleyn peninsula , we have over 200 miles of coastline, from Caernarfon in the North to Porthmadog in the South, with dramatic cliffs which are home to the rare chough, as well as peregrine, raven and colonies of auks.
At Cae Garw cottage,we have installed a live nest-cam, situated in an adjoining farm building, where you can watch birds nestbuilding, incubating, eggs hatching, feeding - as well as the young brood fledging from the nestbox - all within the convenience of your armchair, and without disturbing a single bird !
Bardesy Island , lying at the tip of the Lleyn is of great importance to ornithologist and twitchers alike, being the only accredited bird observatory in Wales. As the island lies in the migration paths of many birds, late spring migration sightings may include warblers such as the Great Reed, Subalpine and Sardinian species, with probable autumn passages being made by the Melodious, Greenish and the Icterine Warblers.Vagrants such as the Grey-cheeked Thrush, American Robin, Rose-coloured Starling, Isabelline Shrike, Ortolan Bunting ,and Dusky Warblers have also been spotted by keen birders.
Bardsey is mostly associated, however, with the Manx shearwater - there is a breeding colony of ten to sixteen thousand birds on the island. Anyone having stayed here will recall their screaming calls as the come in to nest in burrows on the island overnight -with nocturnal ringing expeditions occuring around September. Bardsey Bird Observatory has recently reported the capture of Europe 's oldest manx shearwater at nearly 46 years old, and a Razorbill at 42! Sea birds such as gannets, kittiwakes, choughs and shags colonize the island, and there are recent sightings by twitchers of a few pairs of puffins nesting on the island once again.
Some local beaches and reserves of Lleyn Peninsula have produced an impressive list of rarities over the years. A Glossy Ibis was reported on Hell's Mouth (Porth Neigwl) , Little Eagrets in Pwllheli, Wintering Spoonbill on the Foryd Bay near Caernarfon , a Bluethroat at Conwy RSPB, Lapland buntings migrating over Aberdaron, as well as the more common species like Ringed Plovers on Abersoch beach, and the Glaslyn Ospreys, which have been nesting near Porthmadog for a few years now.
The Glaslyn Osprey project, managed by the RSPB - have established a visitor centre at Pont Croesor near Porthmadog , since the ospreys began breeding here in Wales in 2004.From the comfort of the hide - you can watch them nesting via a live webcam. The RSPB and dedicated volunteers implements a 24/7 watch to protect the birds nesting site, since egg collection and hunting have eliminated breeding ospreys from much of their former UK habitats.
The Porthmadog cob is famous for its birds such as wigeons, curlews, and the rare grebe. Twitchers may catch a glimpse of the merlin hunting here in Winter and a flock of whooper swans overwintering nearby.
Away from the coastline, you can catch a glipse of the glimpses of Greater-spotted and Green Woodpecker, even Jays and Nuthatches. Local rivers are a great place to spot birds such as dippers.
http://www.walkingwomen.com/6SepLlynPen.htm
http://www.birdingconwy.co.uk/birding.htm
