As January ends
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| Colour ringed Waxwing = Jen Evans |
With the snowy weather more birds were coming to garden feeders. Several people locally are seeing Blackcaps in their gardens and a female was seen on the Teifi Marshes on the 26th by Colin Dalton.
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| Blackcap - Dyfed James |
Our two egret " resident" species are becoming less predictable in their movements after the freeze. Both species are relatively early breeders, and though occasionally both several Little and the 2 Cattle Egrets are in fields near Priory Bridge, they do now go missing for days.
Particularly noticeable on the ponds, Canada Geese are pairing up and Teal and Mallard are displaying.
Winter Gull Survey
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| Teifi Estuary |
On the 19th we took part in the national Winter Gull Survey for the BTO covering roosts on and around the the Teifi.
Low numbers were recorded, and no Gulls coming down the coast to roost. Herring 605, Lesser Black-backed 3, Black-headed 500, Common 50 and 19 Great Black-backed Gulls. Although a low count, birds roosted as expected, large gulls to Cardigan Island, and smaller gulls on the sea off Poppit.
Annual reed cut.
The history, (and it is recent history) of the Teifi Marshes reedbed is for another post.
Alan Jones, a local thatcher and carpenter brings a small team and some specific equipment to come to cut and bundle the reeds for thatch. This is an interesting old video (2012) with Alan talking about harvesting reed. Although filmed on the reed bed at the Nevern Estuary the same techniques are used on the Teifi Marshes.
How to harvest water reed for thatching
As the sign in the photo above discusses, the removal of old reed, and the constant new growth does help the overall vigour of the reedbed.
By mid April this new reed cut should be alive with White Wagtails feeding and the early Sedge and Reed Warblers singing.
(Rich D and Wendy J)