#Melody isle-keel

[owlart18]

My 2022 Art Summary!!!

(Commission info in pinned post)

Last 3 years:

[dansnaturepictures]

19/06/21-Arrival in and journey to Anglesey and Red Squirrels and more at Newborough Forest

Today was the day we have been waiting for, the much mentioned by me Anglesey holiday intended for this week last June postponed rightly due to the pandemic was finally able to happen. As we got everything packed up and and ready to go and on the way out to the car this morning at home I took in an assortment of varied and colourful flowers in one pot in the garden and a delicious looking rose bush as well as some Starlings and House Sparrows in the garden getting pictures of the flowers which I tweeted tonight on Dans_Pictures. The wi-fi at the cottage very luckily again seems all right for posting photos and these posts. I can’t guarantee that won’t change but I’m encouraged.

On the long journey it was great to take in some nice sky scenes especially at Keele service station, and the usual when travelling lovely raptors Red Kite and Buzzard beautifully in the air. I also liked seeing oxeye daisies and foxgloves taking over the verges nicely the former continuing that nicely from at home lately. Then we had the exciting moment when I personally crossed the border into Wales for the eighth time and the land then became more and hilly and mountainous and I knew I was back. Crossing the Menai strait over the impressive bridge and seeing a lovely statue into the Isle of Anglesey was just as exciting as crossing the border. I was happy with how much of the sea we could see on the journey in North Wales too with Puffin Island where we hope to go visible from the road so this was nice.

On Anglesey we wound our way through the sleepy red campion and herb-Robert clad lanes. When at our cottage foxgloves and possible kidneywort by a wall added nicely to these two flower species which were here as well. And at the cottage and driving around we were stunned to see the mountains of the beautiful Snowdonia including Snowdon itself so clearly. It looked astonishing and so beautiful. And it was as though we were right next to it rather than over the water what breathtaking view. I had expected this as we went to Snowdonia in 2016 on holiday and had a day trip to Anglesey for RSPB South Stack. But it was just so nice to be in the midst of it again. I very soon saw in lovely bright and sunny conditions that this welcoming and lovely cottage is one of the better ones we’ve stayed in for views around they really are so stunning I took the first picture in this photoset of this view. And it was also one of the better ones for wildlife as I saw Swallow on a wire around, Chaffinch and Buzzard being mobbed by crows really well. I took the second and third pictures in this photoset of daisy and other flowers and herb-Robert in the cottage. A special welcome and I am so excited for the week to come here.

We then found the perfect place for a first evening walk always such a memorable moment in any trip in the gorgeous and rich woodland of Newborough Forest one of the places on our list to come this holiday to try and see a Red Squirrel one of my favourite mammals and one we love seeing. It was so lovely to walk through this forest with the sun lowering in the sky. I took the fourth, fifth and sixth pictures in this photoset of this very beautiful forest tonight. It became a day of favourites for me as we saw Jay and Great Spotted Woodpecker two of my favourite birds well. I liked taking in these quintessential woodland species, and I also enjoyed finding a special Jay feather with its exciting bright blue edges. Also as we arrived and throughout the nice walk alongside beautiful Blackbird we heard a stunning Song Thrush singing it’s heart out one of my favourite bird songs as well as Blackbird so loudly the sound was extremely soothing and melodious. A great sound track to the walk.

Walking on towards a lovely pond here as well as a tiny frog, insects and more great red campion and herb-Robert and ivy and nice yellow flowering some broom in the beautiful tree scenes I was thrilled to see two Red Admirals exceptionally well in the air and still. It was great to see Little Grebe and Coot with adorable chicks among other birds on the lake. And we also noticed a big dragonfly flying delightfully over. Looking in the binoculars I made out the green and blue of a Southern Hawker one of my favourite dragonflies. My first year tick of the trip so soon and a crucial one to see going into the summer months so this did feel good.

The moment of the day came next though as me, my Mum and Missy reunited with my Mum’s partner who indicated he had seen Red Squirrels. We sat quietly with him for a bit and were amazed to notice a Red Squirrel sneak through the trees and come down to two lovely feeding boxes as my Mum had heard happens here. Two came down in the end and we spend a perfect few minutes watching these rare and warm coloured typical woodland mammals making out their charming features with one darker than the other I took the seventh and eighth pictures in this photoset of these. Sat in a nicely lit forest of sweet seasonal aromas with midges on the wing, watching one of the most beautiful and iconic species we have was an exceptional start to the holiday and exactly what we love having time away for. It felt like we had really made excellent use of this nice and dry evening to see one of the species we had so hoped for.

We missed these last year after seeing them three years running with the Highlands of Scotland in January 2018 sightings in the snow sandwiched between years with autumnal Brownsea Island visits. This ensured we have seen Red Squirrels in England, Scotland and Wales which I am very proud of. It makes it my second earliest sight of one ever in a year too. They can largely be a seasonal thing at Brownsea Island or although I’ve never seen them there Isle of Wight our local refuges for this species. Today it was entertaining seeing one Red Squirrel put itself into the box of nuts to feed and stay in there ages and all you could see for a few minutes was it’s bushy red tail! It really was an amazing few minutes enjoying this precious species. What a sensational start to the holiday! It was great to share our sighting of the squirrels with some fellow holidaymakers who had never seen one and they seemed to see them as we left which was great. Chaffinches were around here and nicely on the walk too.

Tonight at the lovely cottage I took the final two pictures in this photoset of a sky scene with the moon and clouds in and a moth in the cottage. I enjoyed some special sky scenes with some mist coming over the mountains too and some Blackbirds in the garden male and female tonight which was great. The day did truly start to belong to mammals though with views of Rabbits there seem to be a lot around here adding nicely to our Hare experience in Hampshire on the Stone Curlew trip on Tuesday. And magically tonight as has happened at a cottage we stayed in on our Northumberland holiday at Seahouses in 2019 we saw some bats I saw one beautifully drift over through the night’s sky tonight. A small one so I believe a pipistrelle. I’ve had a good year for bats. 

Wildlife Sightings Summary for journey, home and arrival: Two of my favourite birds the Red Kite and Buzzard, crow I couldn’t quite tell which, Herring Gull, Grey Heron nicely over a main road, House Sparrow, Blackbird, Starling, one of the regular Feral Pigeons at home, Swift, Swallow, Chaffinch, rabbit, the bat, a butterfly I couldn’t quite tell which and other insects.

Wildlife Sightings Summary for Newborough Forest: My first Southern Hawker and Red Squirrel of the year, two of my favourite birds the Great Spotted Woodpecker and Jay, one of my favourite butterflies the Red Admiral, Chaffinch, Robin well too, Blackbird, Woodpigeon, Mallard, Tufted Duck, Coot, Little Grebe, Common Blue Damselfly, frog, midges, other insects and I heard Song Thrush.