Stonechats, Swallows and a Seriously Unreliable Alarm Clock

 

In my completely unbiased opinion, I have one of the best BBS survey routes in Gwent.

The first transect begins near the Shell Grotto at Pontypool Park and finishes around five minutes away from Pontypool Folly. It takes me along the edge of one of the most beautiful parks in the country before climbing the hill towards one of Torfaen’s most familiar and much-loved landmarks.

There are certainly worse places to count birds.

My original plan had been to arrive early enough to photograph the sunrise from the Folly before beginning the survey.

The alarm was set for 4am.

Unfortunately, the alarm clock performed about as reliably as a chocolate tripod.

When I finally woke and realised what time it was, there was no chance of reaching the Folly before sunrise. Rather than admit complete defeat, I grabbed my drone and hurried to a local field close to home.

I managed to get it into the air just in time.

The sunrise over my hometown was fabulous. Warm golden light spread across the landscape, while long shadows stretched across the fields below. It was not the sunrise composition I had originally planned, but photography often rewards improvisation.

Sometimes Plan B turns out rather well.

With the drone safely back on the ground, I packed everything away, jumped into the car and headed towards the Folly.

That was when the morning produced its second surprise.

The lane leading towards the Folly was completely blocked by roadworks.

There was no way through.

Clearly, the universe had decided I needed more exercise.

I turned around, drove to Pontypool Park and began walking towards the Shell Grotto so that I could reach the beginning of my survey route on foot.

Stonechats by the Stone Wall

The first transect follows the boundary of Pontypool Park before gradually climbing towards the Folly.

It is a beautiful route at any time of year, but on a June morning the surrounding countryside feels especially alive. The hedgerows are full of fresh growth, the grassland is dotted with wildflowers and birdsong seems to come from every direction.

The highlight appeared near an old stone wall bordering the park.

A family of Stonechats was moving between the wall, fence posts and nearby vegetation. Several recently fledged youngsters were waiting impatiently as the adult birds searched for food.

The young birds fluttered their wings and begged whenever a parent approached. The adults seemed to be working continuously, delivering insects into several wide-open mouths.

Young Stonechats are beautifully patterned birds. Their mottled plumage provides excellent camouflage amongst the vegetation, although their persistent begging calls make them rather easier to locate.

Watching the adults feeding their newly fledged brood was a wonderful sight.

I have seen Stonechats in many areas around Torfaen, particularly on the open hillsides and areas of gorse, but seeing a successful family so close to Pontypool Park was a first for me.

It was encouraging to know that they had bred successfully within walking distance of the town.

The old stone wall also made a perfect setting for photographs. Stonechats have a habit of selecting prominent perches, and the adults occasionally paused long enough for me to capture a few images before continuing their seemingly endless catering duties.

Anyone who has raised children will probably sympathise with them.

Climbing Towards the Folly

As I continued uphill, the views across Pontypool and the surrounding countryside became increasingly impressive.

The route towards the Folly offers some of the finest views in Torfaen. On a clear morning, the landscape seems to open beneath you, with Pontypool Park, New Inn, Griffithstown and the hills beyond all visible from the slopes.

Birdwise, the climb was relatively quiet.

A few Swifts raced overhead, cutting through the sky on long, swept-back wings. Their screaming calls are one of the defining sounds of summer and always make me look upwards.

An old barn along the route was occupied by several Stock Doves.

This has become a reliable local site for them.

Stock Doves are sometimes overlooked, particularly when seen amongst the more familiar Woodpigeons and Feral Pigeons. They lack the bold white neck patch of a Woodpigeon and have beautiful dark eyes, along with a subtle green sheen on the sides of the neck.

The barn and surrounding farmland clearly suit them, and it is always good to see a healthy number gathered there.

Eventually, I reached the end of the first transect close to the Folly.

It had taken considerably more effort than originally planned, but the views and the Stonechat family had made the extra walking worthwhile.

Through the American Gardens

Between the two transects, I made my way back down through the American Gardens.

Even with increasingly tired legs, it is difficult not to slow down there and look upwards in awe.

The Giant Redwoods rise above the gardens like living monuments. Planted by the Hanbury family many years ago, they now tower over the surrounding landscape, their immense trunks and high canopies giving this part of Pontypool Park an almost timeless atmosphere.

Standing beneath them, it is hard not to feel very small.

Their scale is difficult to appreciate until you are directly below them, craning your neck towards branches that seem impossibly far above. They are among the park’s most impressive features and a remarkable legacy left by the Hanbury family.

After a few moments admiring the trees, I continued down through the gardens and eventually returned to my car in Pontypool Park.

By then, my legs were beginning to question the wisdom of the entire morning.

Unfortunately for them, there was still another transect to complete.

Mud-Gathering House Martins

The second transect begins near a canal bridge close to the Horse and Jockey playing fields and runs alongside the Brecon and Monmouthshire Canal, ending in a field roughly down below the Folly.

By this point, the countryside was fully awake.

Chiffchaffs repeatedly called their names from the trees, while Blackcaps delivered their rich, fluting songs from the thicker vegetation. Robins, Wrens and Song Thrushes all added their voices to the morning chorus.

One of the highlights was watching House Martins collecting mud from a damp patch in a nearby field.

The birds repeatedly landed, gathered small beakfuls of wet earth and flew away towards their nest sites.

House Martins construct their nests from hundreds of individual pellets of mud, carefully building the familiar cup-shaped structures beneath the eaves of houses and other buildings.

It is extraordinary to think that such a solid nest can be created from so many tiny beakfuls.

The birds were completely focused on the task. They would land together, shuffle around on their short feathered legs, collect their building material and then lift almost vertically back into the air.

Their glossy blue-black upperparts flashed in the sunlight, contrasting beautifully with their white rumps and underparts.

They are remarkable aerial birds, but seeing them standing on the ground always makes them appear strangely out of place.

Dinner on the Wires

Further along the route, a recently fledged Swallow was perched on the telegraph wires.

It sat waiting while the adult birds swept low across the surrounding fields hunting for insects.

Every so often, one of the parents returned and passed food directly into the youngster’s mouth without properly landing. The entire exchange happened in a fraction of a second.

The young Swallow remained on the wire, looking perfectly content with this arrangement.

Why waste energy catching your own breakfast when room service is available?

Watching fledglings being fed is one of the great pleasures of completing breeding bird surveys at this time of year. The singing birds recorded during the early survey give an indication of breeding territories, but the later visit can provide visible evidence that nesting attempts have been successful.

The Stonechats beside the park and the Swallow on the wire were both wonderful examples.

More Than Counting Birds

The BTO Breeding Bird Survey is, of course, about collecting valuable information.

Following the same route and recording birds in a consistent way allows population changes to be monitored over many years. Each individual survey might represent only a small part of the overall project, but together the results from volunteers across the country create an incredibly important picture of how our breeding birds are faring.

However, completing a BBS survey is about more than numbers on a recording form.

It encourages you to slow down and properly observe the countryside.

You notice the recently fledged Stonechats beside an old wall, the Stock Doves around a weathered barn, House Martins gathering mud and young Swallows waiting patiently on telegraph wires.

You look upwards beneath the Giant Redwoods of the American Gardens and wonder how many generations have walked beneath them since they were planted by the Hanbury family.

You hear the layered voices of Chiffchaffs, Blackcaps, Robins, Wrens and Song Thrushes travelling through the landscape.

You also discover that a blocked road can add considerably more climbing to your morning.

Despite the failed alarm clock, unexpected roadworks and increasingly tired legs, it turned into a memorable survey.

I photographed a beautiful sunrise over my hometown, watched a successful family of Stonechats close to Pontypool Park, admired some of the park’s most magnificent trees and enjoyed the wonderful sight of House Martins and Swallows busily raising the next generation.

It may not have been the morning I planned.

Nature rarely reads the itinerary.

Perhaps that is part of what makes these early summer surveys so enjoyable.