The preachers pulpit and Whinchats on the Blorenge
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| 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 a rich booming voice with an African accent, and announced to me that he had moved to Wales on a mission, "To bring God back to Wales". He enquired if I was Christian and told me that he was a Preacher in Cardiff.
He looked about himself, smiling widely, and he proclaimed the place was like a Pulpit and God was all around us.
I must admit I tended to agree with him, even if my take on religion differs somewhat. I love the area and have often thought of it as a cathedral to Mother Nature, and I always have the feeling of being connected to something greater when I wander the Blorenge in search of wildlife.
He gave me a flyer with details of his congregation's meetings in Cardiff, shook my hand with a huge smile and headed back to his car. I think it would be an understatement to state he was impressed by our Welsh Landscape.
In search of the Whinchats
I checked the usual spots as I walked the mountain, but found no Whinchats. There were plenty of other species. A pair of Ravens watched nearly every step I made from the sky above - they are really inquisitive and clever birds, and they gave me a close flyby like RAF Typhoon jet interceptors checking out an intruding spyplane. Croaking loudly, they seemed satisfied I was no threat and flew on over the summit of the Blorenge.
There were lots of small birds around. Tree Pipits and Willow Warblers called from the small trees that are dotted on the hillsides. A pair of Stonechats were busy feeding their chicks in a nest hidden in the undergrowth. A Buzzard soared above me, a Wren blasted out a tune or two, but I found no signs of my quarry, the Whinchats.
The weather was improving with nearly every step I took. Getting warmer, and the wind had dropped. I decided to venture along a sheep trail I had not walked along before that led to a different part of the Blorenge.
After walking for about thirty minutes and going farther than I anticipated, I suddenly heard a Whinchats contact call. I scanned the bracken and was overjoyed to see a male perched up on top of a bracken frond in a classic pose.
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| Whinchat(male) |
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| Whinchat ( female) |
He had eyeballs on me, and so did his mate, who appeared similarly on a nearby perch. Both chatted back and forth, flitting from perch to perch, keeping me under close surveillance.
I settled down, kneeling on the sheeptrack and played peek a boo with the pair of birds. Whenever they could not see me, they would venture that little bit closer to get an eyeball on me, calling all the time.
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| A male Whichat calls |
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| The plumage is amazing close up. |
I spent about thirty minutes with these beautiful birds before it was time to leave them in peace, and I was getting hungry and desperate for a coffee.
Made in Wales
After a good walk, I eventually found the mountain track that leads to the Foxhunters Carpark from the summit.
Ahead of me as I walked was a family of Wheatears. The adults flew from perch to perch along the track, just keeping ahead of me and watching me closely. On the track, juvenile Wheatears that looked like they had recently fledged were hunting for insects. I watched one pick a Bumblebee out of the heather, give it a bash a few times on the rocky track and then swallow it in one go,
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| Adult Wheatear(male) |
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| Juvenile Wheatear - fresh out of the box - made in Wales. |
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