Day in the snow with Iolo Williams
Day in the snow with Iolo Williams
Always great fun to spend a day in the field with our friend Iolo Williams and the team from Aden Productions. The plan was to film Great grey Shrikes in the uplands of Wales. Alan had done sevarl trips to the area to find out where the bird was hunting and all was looking good with a favouable weather forecast.
As Alan headed towards the meeting place the countryside went white! Snow, and a good deal of it, the road became coated in over a inch, slowing the pace. Luckily everyone made it safely to the car park for the meet, but there was no way the two cars would be able to tackle the steep un-ploughed and un-gritted roads that lay betwwen us and the shrike site. So, all the gear, and that is a lot of stuff, film cameras, tripods, sound recording gear, five people and food all somehow crammed into Iolo's Landrover.
The snow got thicker as we climbed higher and even the Landrover was having trouble on the snow covered ice! But with Iolo at the wheel there was only going to be one winner and we made it, just, to the top.
It was bleak, cold, grey and not a bird to be seen, well not quite, just as we arrived we saw a lump on top of a pine tree, looks odd, bins up, a Snipe! Yes, weird, a Common Snipe was sat on top of a pine tree out on an exposed hill top.
We scanned the area, nothing, we scanned again and again, still no shrike and no other bird at all. The weather was spoiling the chances of even seeing the shrike let alonne filming it.
More scanning, no bird.
John decided to lift the spirts and layed out a great picnic in the snow.
But of course just a that moment some birds popped up, sadly no shrike, but a lovely flock of at least 15 Bullfinch, the males looking stunning in the snow.
John calls the troops to lunch but the Bullfinch win over the food!
The picnic is enjoyed as the snow gets heavier and still no shrike, the hot drinks and food were very welcome though! Cheryl, Graham, John and Iolo "enjoy" a meal out doors. We kept at it until late afternoon, when what little light there was faded making any hope of filming, and there was not much in the first place, impossible. Thanks BBC weather forecast, you got it wrong yet again!
This is the little chap that was hiding from the snow, Great grey Shrike.
We are making plans to run some guided birdwatching trips with Iolo later this year so if you would be interested in joining us for some wonderful birdwatching and lots of laughs do drop us a line, places will be limited, as always we only take small groups on our trips.
info@thebiggesttwitch.com
We look forward to sharing great birds with you!