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The
Birds of the New Quay area.......
In and
around New Quay and Gilfachreda, the birds may seem
similar to those seen in our English gardens.
There are the same Chaffinches, Bullfinches, Blue
Tits, Dunnocks and many other familiar species.
Outside of the immediate area though, in the
fields and wooded valleys of West Wales are birds
we may rarely see in other parts of Britain -
Buzzards, Ravens, Red Kites and many more
The skylark is still
seen here where farms raise mainly
cattle and sheep and where modern arable
farming practices are not in use.
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The
differences are the result of different farming
practices and of different patterns of settlement
over the years. Historically Western Wales has
been a landscape of small villages and hamlets
scattered along the roads in the valleys. Although
the people of these scattered cottages have
carried out many crafts beside farming, most of
them were dependant upon their own produce - at
least up until recent times. Farms have tended to
remain as small family-run businesses, their
comparatively small fields separated in this area
at least by dense hedgerows. Many of these field
boundaries and associated hedgerows have remained
unchanged for several centuries. Unlike the large
arable farms in other parts of Britain, the Farms
of this area have been predominantly concerned
with raising livestock. Harvesting is mainly for
the purpose of producing hay and silage for the
livestock to over winter. Many of the fields are
seldom ploughed and their small animal life is
less disturbed.
The factors
that lead to the local diversity of bird life are
thus as follows:
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The retention of
traditional farming practices and numerous
small farms.
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Small fields and more
nesting sites in hedges, and wooded valleys.
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A lesser use of
pesticides than in areas of arable farming -
more insect food for the birds.
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Abundant animal waste -
more flies for the birds.
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More rodents (mainly
Voles) as food for Owls and Raptors.
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Undisturbed pasture
nesting sites for birds such as Pipits and
Skylarks.
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The Red Kite has made a
welcome return to the New Quay area with
the first nesting here since the early
nineteenth century.
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Our Farm
House at 'Motygido' - just a mile or two from
Gilfachreda, is perched on the hill above Cwm Gido
- the valley running from Gilfachreda towards
Cross Inn, and through which the little river Gido
runs. Fields grazed by cattle and sheep surround
the farm buildings. In the summer evenings we sit
outside and listen to the song of a skylark high
overhead.
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From time
to time - and especially in the late
summer when the young Buzzards are flying
we hear the birds' mewing cry and
often the croak of the Raven as he
passes by. Swallows swoop and dive around
the buildings and small groups of seed
eating birds come and go - Meadow Pipits,
Goldfinches and Linnets.
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Some fourteen years ago, when
we first bought Motygido Farm, there were no hedges or
trees whatsoever. As a result we saw virtually no birds on
the property apart from Meadow Pipits, Jackdaws, Magpies
and Crows. After planting hundreds of trees around the
paddocks and behind the buildings, we are now seeing far
more birds, many of them now resident on the property.
Last year (2004) we had Blackbirds, Dunnocks, Wrens (2 Pairs), Robins, Willow Warblers,
House Sparrows, Pied
Wagtails (2 pairs), Blue Tits, Chaffinches, Goldfinches, Great Tits,
Jackdaws (2 pairs) , Magpies, Wood Pigeons and Swallows (4 pairs) nesting at Motygido.
Pictured on the right is a Ring Ouzel that flew into a
glass door (October 21st, 2002).
Fortunately, the bird
recovered and later flew away.
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We
often see a Red Kite wheeling overhead as
it searches for carrion or prey. In 1998
there has been the first recorded nesting
of Red Kites in this coastal area of
Ceredigion since 1821. In recent years,
sightings of this rare bird in the area
have become more frequent. The visitor to
the area is likely to see Red Kite soaring
above the coast road as it runs over the
hills between Aberarth and Llanon.
They
tend to nest further inland, in the wooded valleys
on the western edge of the Cambrian Mountains. If
you want to be sure to see the Kite, the Tregaron
area is the place to be. A few years ago we
counted seven Kites turning and circling together
over a valley beside the Tregaron Bog (Cors
Caron).
Local people
say that the Kites gather in numbers at the
Tregaron rubbish dump for a feed! It is certainly
well known that Red Kites. consumed much of the
waste left lying in the streets of London in
Medieval times - before the Great Fire, and before
the onset of more hygienic practices.
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A
Rookery has existed for years in the tall
trees behind the cottages.
There are many
members of the Crow family (Corvidae)
in the area. There are Jackdaws, nesting in
chimneys across the road from the cottages. Carrion crows are also
common in the countryside where they are despised
by the sheep farmers for the damage they sometimes do to the
eyes of lambs and sick sheep. Crows are often seen
chasing the Buzzards.
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We see Ravens at Motygido every day and they must nest
locally in Cwm Gido, although we
have not found a nest yet. They are usually seen flying
overhead although they tend to swerve away when they see
people below. They can be distinguished from the Crows
by their enormous beak, wedge shaped tail, larger size and almost
Goose-like croaking call. If a Raven flies close
overhead, there is a distinctive swishing sound
from the flapping of its wings.
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The
rather uncommon Chough - found only in
Ireland and in West Wales in the British
Isles - is found along the
cliffs of the Cardigan Bay coast, and with
luck can be seen from a number of cliff
walks. Walking along the cliff path towards
Cwmtydu from New Quay recently, we saw a
dozen or so Choughs within a mile of New Quay.
The most we have seen at once was a flock of seventeen at Mwnt.
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The large
number of rodents means that there is a very
healthy Owl population in the area. Recently,
a family of baby Swallows suddenly disappeared
from the beams inside our barn. The only clue to
their fate lay with a single owl feather!
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Barn
Owl
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At night,
the woods of Cwm Gido just a few minutes walk from
the cottage echo to the calls of both Tawny and
Barn Owls. Tawny Owls are seldom seen, but Barn
owls frequently roost in our barn and can
sometimes be seen flying through the beam of car
headlights at night.
Owl Pellets - the indigestible and regurgitated
remains of small rodents, have been found
on the path running through Cwm Gido.
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Tawny
Owl
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The
Peregrine Falcon is often seen in Cwm Gido
near Gilfachreda. One bird favours
electricity poles on our farm where it often
sits to eat its prey. One occasionally
sees scattered Wood Pigeon feathers
scattered about - a sure sign of a
Peregrine 'hit'. In the late autumn, Wood
Pigeons eat the berries on the Elder hedge
we have planted below our house. Several of
them are taken every year by
Peregrines.
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The Kestrel, probably the
commonest Hawk in England where it is found over
broad grassy motorway embankments is less common
in this area of West Wales, however, we have
occasionally seen
Sparrow Hawks and other raptors in the area.
The walker will of course encounter many
more birds on the footpaths along the Ceredigion coast and in
the wooded valleys including Pied Flycatcher, Jays,
Stonechats, Whitethroats, Wheatears, Snipe, Heron, Green
Plover and many more.
Cottages I
Activities I
The Area I Wildlife
I Beaches
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