Who are the wild ones?

Further to the criticism by some of the behaviour of a birding minority at the Marmora's warbler twitch, evidenced by tape luring nesting willow warbler and trampling upland habitat at a time when breeding birds abound, there's more. The red bricked shelters that fringe Blaenavon's Canada Tips, untouched by human hands since Hilter got his marching orders, have been tagged by The Wild Ones. But who are The Wild Ones? Could they be errant birders, with scope, tape lure and spray can at the ready? No! more likely  Sunday afternoon off road clowns unable to walk too far without getting out of breath but behind the wheel of a Suzuki 4x4 soft top, peat bog, spoil tip, pond  and rocky outcrop pose no problem at all.

At 6.30 this morning a t-shirt alone was not enough to absorb the birdlife wonders of Garn yr erw in comfort, so coat was donned and off I went. Although the dawn chorus has diminshed in the barmy lowlands those avian treats in the uplands are still giving it some. Reed bunting, snipe, skylark, meadow pipit and two grasshopper warbler continued to offer a tune or two, while wheatear and lapwing called less tunefully in defence of their young. A bloody nosed beetle ouzed its red deterrent and a forest of shoreweed could be seen just beneath the surface of Balance Pond, all observed by a fence post heron.