A surprise Snowy Owl appears in the mountains of Gwynedd

Bird Notes columnist Julian Hughes of RSPB Cymru reveals what birds have been spotted in the past week and lists eight upcoming birding events

By

Andrew Forgrave Rural Affairs Editor

23:24, 8 OCT 2018

NEWS

Walkers in the Rhinogydd, the mountains above Llyn Trawsfynydd , photographed a Snowy Owl at the weekend – a remarkable sight!

One was reported from Cwmystradllyn in late July, just eight miles to the northwest, and this huge predator could easily have survived here for several months.

Could it be the same female Snowy Owl that was seen near Amlwch in June , and then reported at RSPB South Stack in early July?

I haven’t spotted any Swallows for a couple of weeks, but a reader reports that a pair are still feeding young at the half-way tram station on the Great Orme .

While House Martins sometimes have broods into October, it’s rare for Swallows, and the chicks will need good fortune to make it to Africa.

Continued  

Birds of prey brought in to tackle Gwynedd town's seagull problem

A hawk and falcon will visit Ysgol Eifion Wyn and Glaslyn leisure centre in Porthmadog

By

Eryl Crump

18:26, 20 FEB 2018

Patrols have been introduced at a Gwynedd school to tackle unwelcome visitors who made pupils’ lives a misery.

Over the next few months, a falcon and a hawk will visit Ysgol Eifion Wyn and the nearby Glaslyn leisure centre in Porthmadog to drive away seagulls, after they caused a nuisance last year .

The gulls were nesting on the leisure centre roof and, as some chicks had fallen onto the school yard, the adult birds were swooping on people and worrying children, staff and parents.

Today, John Evans of Anglesey Hawking was at the school with his birds of prey to keep the seagulls at bay.

Cllr Dafydd Meurig, portfolio holder for the environment, said: “Gulls are an everyday sight around the Gwynedd coast and can cause real concern to residents.

Continued  

Bird 'photobombs' railway webcam at Abergynolwyn

3 February 2016

It was a case of beak-a-boo when a bird "photobombed" a web camera mounted at a railway station in north west Wales.

It looked into the lens at Abergynolwyn Station, in Gwynedd, on the Talyllyn Railway - the world's oldest passenger-carrying narrow-gauge line.

The image shows the feathered friend peering into shot on Wednesday morning.

The phrase "photobomb" - to spoil a picture by unexpectedly appearing in shot - was added to the Collins English dictionary in 2014.

Continued ...

Rare seabird species given extra protection

Rare seabird species including Puffins, Manx shearwaters, Guillemots and Razorbills are being given extra protection after Natural Resources Minister Carl Sargeant agreed to extend the boundaries of three existing Special Protection Areas (SPA)s off the Pembrokeshire and Gwynedd coasts.

The sites where the changes are taking place are Grassholm, Skokholm and Skomer Islands in Pembrokeshire and Bardsey Island and the Aberdaron Coast in Gwynedd.The changes mean that as well as protecting the nesting sites themselves protection is being extended to areas further out to sea where the birds feed, preen and rest before and during the breeding season.

The Minister also announced he would be updating the list of species which qualify for protection at the Skomer & Skokholm and Aberdaron Coast & Bardsey Island sites.

Natural Resources Minister Carl Sargeant said:“Welsh seas support a significant proportion of the UK’s, and in some cases the world’s, breeding populations of a number of seabirds. For example more than 55% of the world's Manx shearwaters come to Skomer and Skokholm Islands in Pembrokeshire to breed.

“There are often threats to the survival of these birds at sea and I know we need to do more to fulfil the needs of seabirds in Welsh waters.

Continued ...