Tonyrefail And The Ely Valley

We went exploring today. Well it was exploring for Dawn, more revisiting places I haven't been too in twenty five years for me.

We walked over the top of Tylcha Ganol Farm and on to my parents at the bottom of Tonyrefail. There was two motives for this, one was to try and get some exercise, the other is me and my brother are having a year long bird race this year. It's not the first bird race we have had, we had a garden photography one a couple of years back in which he pipped me at the death by one species.

This years challenge was listing the birds you see within walk-able distance of our houses. He has the whole of the Forest of Dean if he wants it, but I am in easy walking distance of some decent woodland here. So as it was such a lovely day today we went for a stroll to see what we could see.

It wasn't too bad to be honest. There was a Buzzard being mobbed by a flock of Magpies in a field and I picked up Nuthatch and Brambling whilst up at Gwyn's Farm. The Nuthatch was singing, which was a first for me. My local patch species list is twelve after just one walk, so a good start. Next time I go I will take the binoculars.

I took this photo of the Ely Valley looking back towards Penrhiwfer after we had climbed the first hill. It was an excuse to get my puff back!