On 6th May 2025, I visited the following sites:
World's End and the Ruabon Moors, Denbighshire
Coedydd Aber National Nature Reserve, Gwynedd
Port of Holyhead, Anglesey
RSPB South Stack, Anglesey
After my overnight stay
at Travelodge Shrewsbury Bayston Hill, I drove to World's End in north east
Wales.
World's End is a narrow valley located between Wrexham and Llangollen. It lies at the head of the Eglwyseg Valley enclosed by the cliffs of Craig y Forwyn, Craig y Cythraul and Craig yr Adar. A remote 11 mile single track road with panoramic views between the small village of Minera and Llangollen crosses Esclusham Mountain and the Ruabon Moors to a public car park at the top of the Eglwyseg valley.
I have visited World's End many times and it is an exceptionally good site for upland birds including a well-known Black Grouse lek.
As always, I arrived at the Black Grouse lek early at around 5:40 a.m. and noisy displaying male birds were already evident.
Highlights from the road between Minera and Llangollen included the following (heard only records in italics): Black Grouse (8 males at the lek, a lower number than on previous visits), Red Grouse (8 calling males, 4 seen), Curlew (1), Cuckoo (3 calling males), Whinchat (9), Wheatear (6), Common Whitethroat (2 singing males), Willow Warbler (3 singing males, 1 seen), Chiffchaff (5 singing males, none seen), Blackcap (1 singing male unseen), House Martin (c.10), Stonechat (2 pairs plus 1 other male), Skylark (3 singing males, 2 seen), Meadow Pipit (c.20), Goldcrest (1 singing male), Mallard (male and female)
Additions to my 2025 UK year list: Black Grouse, Red Grouse, Whinchat, Wheatear
In addition, I saw a single Brown Hare.
Here are some photos from my visit ....
Photo: Black Grouse
Photo: Black Grouse
After my visit to World's End and descent to Llangollen, I drove 55 miles north west and along the coast to join the narrow road up to the parking area for Coedydd Aber National Nature Reserve and the walk to Aber Falls.
Coedydd Aber National Nature Reserve is located in a steep valley on the northern flanks of the Carneddau mountain range roughly midway between Bangor and Llanfairfechan.
From the car park about 2 miles south of the village of Abergwyngregyn there is a 2.75 miles return marked trail through oak woodland and meadows to and from Aber Falls.
Aber Falls is formed as the Afon Goch plunges about 120 feet over a sill of igneous rock in the foothills of the Carneddau mountain range.
This was my first visit to Coedydd Aber National Nature Reserve for several years and whilst I enjoyed the walk up to Aber Falls, it was relatively busy with many walkers taking the same walk in the sunny and warm weather.
I think a visit earlier in the morning would have been more productive although highlights from my visit included the following (heard only records in italics): Common Redstart (2 singing males), Wheatear (2), Garden Warbler (4 singing males, 1 seen), Willow Warbler (4 singing males, 1 seen), Chiffchaff (6 singing males, 2 seen), Blackcap (2 singing males, none seen), Cuckoo (3 calling males, none seen), Siskin (calling birds heard), Lesser Redpoll (calling birds heard), Goldcrest (2 singing males heard), Mistle Thrush (1)
Addition to my 2025 UK year list: Common Redstart
Unfortunately, despite much scanning, I failed to see any Ring Ousels on the scree slopes at the head of the valley near Aber Falls.
Here are some
photos from my visit ....
After my visit to Coedydd Aber National Nature Reserve, I carried on along the coast and on to Anglesey to take the road out of Beaumaris to Penmon.
On previous visits, this has provided an opportunity to see passage Whimbrels. I had a very distant hazy telescope view of a possible Whimbrel but I think the bird was more likely a Curlew.
However, it did prove to be a productive drive along the east coast of Anglesey and the highlights from my visit included the following: Eider (3 males and 3 females), Sandwich Tern (c.100), Ringed Plover (c.20), Oystercatcher (c.10), Dunlin (3), Curlew (1), Little Egret (2), Grey Heron (1), Cormorant (c.10)
Additions to my 2025 UK year list: Eider, Sandwich Tern
Here are some
photos from my visit ....
Photo: Sandwich Terns
Photo: Sandwich Terns
Photo: Sandwich Terns
My last 2 brief visits of the day were to Port of Holyhead and RSPB South Stack in the north west of Anglesey.
Port of Holyhead is not the most scenic birding location but it is an almost guaranteed site for Black Guillemot and certainly much nearer to home than the west and north coast of Scotland. I eventually managed to locate this species although I only saw a single bird.
I then briefly visited RSPB South Stack, a stunning sea cliff site that I visit most years for its wonderful scenery, its seabird colony and its most notable species, the Chough. I was successful in seeing 2 Choughs.
Additions to my 2025 UK year list: Black Guillemot, Chough
My overnight stay was at Pengraig campsite near Llanfairynghornwy on Anglesey. This small farm campsite approached by seemingly endless narrow lanes was basic but provided wonderful views of the sea and the distant Isle of Man and a spectacular sunset.
I recorded the
following at or around the campsite (heard only records in italics): Swallow (c.10), Raven (1
calling bird), Common Whitethroat (at least 1
singing male), Dunnock, Wren, Goldfinch, Blackbird, Pied
Wagtail, Magpie, Pheasant, Herring
Gull
Love nature .... act now
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