Bird Life around The Old Rectory on the lake

More and more of our guests are asking us about the bird life here at Talyllyn and to be honest we know very little – but are slowly learning. We are now greatly indebted to guest Mr Tom Canna who is a member of The British Trust for Ornithology. With the help of thousands of dedicated volunteers like Tom their Wetland Bird Survey monitors the UK’s internationally important water birds. “The actual counting process is from five fixed locations on the far shore, and is restricted to wildfowl, waders and gulls. Counts in spring and summer are optional, so there are a couple of monthly gaps. There are probably up to twice the numbers present, but we only count what we actual see at the time,” writes Tom. To find out how to take part or to find more details about the counts do visit www.bto.org/webs .

Here is the list of species guest Tom McCanna has seen around the Talyllyn Lake:

Mute Swan, Whooper Swan, Canada Goose, Teal, Mallard, Pochard, Tufted Duck, Goldeneye, Goosander, Pheasant, Little Grebe, Great Crested Grebe, Cormorant, Grey Heron, Sparrowhawk, Buzzard, Peregrine, Moorhen, Coot, Common Sandpiper, Herring Gull , Great Black-backed Gull ,Woodpigeon, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Swallow, House Martin ,Tree Pipit ,Meadow Pipit, Pied Wagtail ,Dipper, Wren, Dunnock, Robin , Redstart ,Blackbird ,Fieldfare, Song Thrush, Mistle Thrush, Sedge Warbler, Blackcap, Garden Warbler, Chiffchaff ,Willow Warbler, Spotted Flycatcher, Pied Flycatcher, Long-tailed Tit, Coal Tit, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Nuthatch, Jay, Magpie, Carrion Crow Raven, House Sparrow, Chaffinch, Goldfinch, Siskin, Linnet and Reed Bunting.

Other enthusiasts have reported the following species, some of them from the southern slopes of Cadair Idris:

Wigeon, Red Grouse, Kestrel ,Cuckoo, Barn Owl, Tawny Owl, Skylark, Sand Martin, Grey Wagtail, Stonechat, Wheatear, Ring Ouzel, Redwing, Whitethoat, Goldcrest, Treecreeper, Jackdaw, Starling, Greenfinch, Lesser Redpoll and Bullfinch.