Some local people are baying for its demise but the thick bramble scrub that dominates the view from my bay window is a nature magnet and I want it kept!!! Its worth to urban wildlife was once again demonstrated yesterday when having just visited the recycling box, I caught a glimpse of a female sparrowhawk alighting within the thicket. The predator remained long enough for me to return indoors grab a camera and take a number of shots through the infamous bay window hide. The worth of this green space goes unnoticed by those so detached from the nature that their only thrill is to see the patch trashed by a team of 'landscapers' armed with brush cutters.
Later I thought a visit to check out the Brynmawr urban gull metropolis and maybe the tufted x pochard hybrid that was recorded on Dunlop Semtex Pond on Saturday was in order. Disappointingly the weak count of three tufted and a single pochard didn't include any sign of the cross. Otherwise nesting coot, mute swan and great crested grebe provided entertainment.
Regarding gulls the lichen clad asbestos pitched roof of the nearby industrial unit seems to have been vacated by its business tenant. This doesn't appear to be to the detriment of the gulls as 100+ noisy birds were gathered rooftop. Amongst the herring and lesser black backs were a pair of great black backs but only one with a colour ring this unfortunately too distant to read the number - i'll try again.
Elsewhere, Machine pond supported 15 Canada goose, a single cormorant, three tufted duck, a pair of mute swan, and small numbers of coot, moorhen and mallard. A number of reed bunting were also calling.
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