Biking Birder Rides Again 2015

Thursday 2 nd April A day at one of my favourite RSPB reserves (aren't they all?) and one with a lot of memories from 40 years ago. Burton Mere RSPB reserve, a part of the Dee Estuary complex which includes the Inner Marsh farm area was the site for today's itinerary. Goodbye to the wonderful Steve and Margaret and of course Lucas, then a cycle over the Dee estuary bridge and a chance meeting with two lovely cyclists, John and Janice who were waiting for their son, Clinton Butcher who's doing a sponsored cycle ride for a homeless charity in Cambridge. http://www.wintercomfort.org.uk/ If you're in the Cambridge area you may want to take part in their event on Star Wars Day, May the Fourth. Take a look here. Good fun to be had by all. Now where can I get a costume for that day? http://www.wintercomfort.org.uk/news-and-events/ We must have talked about cycling and travel for about an hour! Great couple. Off the main road onto the cycle path, I ...

Monday 30 th March. Up early, tent packed and a couple of hours birding around the RSPB reserve before being found by a couple of local birders. Sand martins, the first of the year, four of them. There'll be more summer migrants soon. Two minutes later a swallow. Did I lie? Around a corner and into the warden, Sarah, She was riding a bike going to open the hides. After an hour or so's more birding she found me and together we went to the cafe where, joy of joys, I was given a bacon sandwich and a hot chocolate. The staff at the cafe were fantastically friendly (Thanks Dave, Margaret and the fishnet lady, Jayne!) A RSPB volunteer, Jo came and sat with me and she nearly jumped out of her skin when I leapt up and shouted sparrowhawk. I was munching my sandwich and saw what I took to be a sparrowhawk on a caged bird feeder out through the window. In the past I have seen sparrowhawks hang on to the squirrel-proofing cage around a peanut feeder and reach inside to grab a b...

Friday 27 th March. Breakfast early with a lady. Angela who was on her way back from Swansea to Liverpool. She talked about a school in The Gambia that she supports with her husband, wullingkamma nursery. https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=o.199029231789&ref=mf After breakfast it was out into the sunshine and a long day spent cycling to the next almost inaccessible RSPB reserve west of Caernarvon, Morfe Dinlle. The road taken went past the entrance to Portmerion. No time to visit this time, the focus on this year's Biking Birder is birds. “This birder gloriously vindicates the rights of the birder to bird and the assembly rises to you, Sir!" to quote The Prisoner . . almost. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zE-EMinj69o Through Porthmadoc and up yet another long, steep section, I eventually found a superb old railway line, now a cycle track. This took me down to where a turn off took me through a few small lanes down to the edge of the reserve. Not m...

Friday 27 th March. Breakfast early with a lady. Angela who was on her way back from Swansea to Liverpool. She talked about a school in The Gambia that she supports with her husband, wullingkamma nursery. https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=o.199029231789&ref=mf After breakfast it was out into the sunshine and a long day spent cycling to the next almost inaccessible RSPB reserve west of Caernarvon, Morfe Dinlle. The road taken went past the entrance to Portmerion. No time to visit this time, the focus on this year's Biking Birder is birds. “This birder gloriously vindicates the rights of the birder to bird and the assembly rises to you, Sir!" To quote The Prisoner . . almost. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tra3Zi5ZWa0 Through Porthmadoc and up yet another long, steep section, I eventually found a superb old railway line, now a cycle track. This took me down to where a turn off took me through a few small lanes down to the edge of the reserve. Not...

Tuesday 24 th March. The journey back to Machynlleth to collect the bike, panniers and carry on towards Lake Vyrnwy was uneventful and surprisingly comfortable on the Virgin train with fewer people on it than the day before. Goodbye to Josh at Wolverhampton and onto Shrewsbury, eventually reaching Machynlleth at 3.00pm. I collected the bike, loaded up and had a pleasant cycle ride towards Lake Vyrnwy. In fact it was lovely despite a quick shower that had me sheltering from the hail in an old sheep barn. Now there were two barn owl boxes inside with a lot of pellets but no way was I going to disturb the occupants despite needing them for the year list. It seemed like the whole route was uphill but with a light breeze behind me I breezed my way up. I was determined to get to Lake Vyrnwy and so as darkness fell I continued onto a B road. It was beautiful with the stars bright and a crescent Moon to the west. Beneath this was a very bright planet which one I don't know. Or...