The Wildlife Oculus

  Whinchat(female) The Preachers Pulpit On Friday morning, I visited the Blorenge to check on one of my patches for Whinchats. Every year, my friend Paul Joy and I search the bracken-covered mountainside for signs of these long-distance spring migrants from Western and Central Africa. It's amazing to think that some of these small birds have taken routes flying across the Mediterranean Sea and the Sahara Desert to their destination on the Blorenge Mountain, close to Blaenafon and overlooking Abergavenny, to breed. Up until this visit, I had been scouring the mountainside quite regularly for them throughout the spring, but had no success, so I hoped on this occasion I would have better luck. When I arrived at a layby close to the Foxhunters car park, there was a car parked there with a tall man standing, taking a selfie. He had a big smile on his face and appeared to be very impressed with the view. I parked my car, and he strode over to me as I got my camera out of the boot. He had...