Some nature from Hill's Tramroad

The section of Hill's Tramroad that nestles under the east facing slope of Blorenge mountain, is a delightful walk. It starts at a disused farmstead with its enclosures of drystone walls and weatherbeaten hawthorn, blackthorn and sycamore trees and takes the walker within touching distance of bracken dominated ffridd habitat. The views are also impressive with the Skirrid to the south east, the Sugar Loaf to the east and the Usk Valley and the Brecon Beacons to the north.

This stroll was with my son who is discovering photography with a new micro two thirds camera, so it was less a naturalist walk more a photography session, but this didn't stop me picking up the odd interesting biological record. The first thing that struck me was the sound of singing willow warbler, there were many taking up position in the scrubby interface between now clearfell confier woodland and ffridd. Here too were serveral parachuting tree pipit. A male wheatear alighted on the top of a drystone wall, two red kite passed over and a pair of stonechat stone chatted. This intergrade from woody habitat to open upland was notable for its flowering plants. Wood anemone, wood sorrel and emergeing bluebell were evident as was a patch of moschatel or townhall clock. A bloody nosed beetle lumbered along the track side.

Back at the discused farmstead the sun shone on a copse of brillant white flowering blackthorn complete with bracket fungus. The yellow flowering gorse accommodated a pair of linnet, no doubt with a nest somewhere contained. A springtime swallow rounded off a pleasing afternoon.