When we visit Wales we are very lucky to be able to stay at our neighbours' mobile home which is up in the woodlands on a holiday park in the village of Prenteg.
As you can see from the photo above the caravan is overlooking a small waterfall and stream, apologies for the quality of the photos taken through glass.
We see all kinds of birds when sitting in the window or out on the decking when the weather is warmer. Grey wagtails by the stream and jays up in the trees. We were often visited by a thrush, a blackbird and a robin hopping along the rail of the decking. We've also seen squirrels and rabbits too.
Just down the road in the same village is Glaslyn Wildlife home to the Osprey Project. When we first started to visit the wildlife project it was administered by the RSPB but their stewardship came to an end in 2013. We had thought that the place had closed down completely as when we had visited the caravan over the last couple of years the site was all closed down and inaccessible but this year we spotted that the yellow AA signs were up again and we decided to go and take a look.
The car park is on one side of the Welsh Highland Railway just near the Pont Croesor halt and the hides and centre are on the other. The Welsh mountains in the distance. It is a lovely spot.
It was very cold on the afternoon we visited and weak sunshine rapidly gave way to sleet and hail. The project is now a community company and run with the help of local volunteers as such it is dependent on donations but it is, at the moment, free to visit. Its aim is to contine the work of protecting and recording the local Ospreys whilst also promoting and highlighting the other wildlife in the area of the Glaslyn Valley.
The first thing we noticed was the new visitor centre which was opened in July last year by wildlife presenter Iolo Williams. Inside the centre is full of fascinating facts and information about the history and natural history of the area as well as information about the wildlife including the ospreys. There are films and a live camera trained on the nest. Ospreys have been returning here for quite a few years now. I will put links at the botom of this post to both the website and blog where you can find a lot more information about the birds and watch them on the webcam. I didn't take photos inside as there were a lot of visitors sitting watching the films and drinking coffee, there are refreshments available, and it seemed intrusive.
Above is view from the entrance of the visitor centre down to the hide overlooking the water and mountains beyond. The nest you can see is a replica of what the actual osprey nest looks like. The ospreys first settled to breed here in 2004.
We took our turn looking through the specially provided telescopes which are trained onto the nest. When we arrived the female known as Mrs G was on the nest waiting for her mate Aran to bring her some fish to eat. She was low down in the nest so couldn't be seen through the telescopes. There was sudden excitement in the air as a large bird flew over, cameras were trained upwards - mine too. Was it Aran? I think you can safely say that my photo is 'duck on a millpond!'
No it wasn't Aran but a visiting Red Kite who'd caused all the excitement.
We had to be content with watching the live camera feed and the films from previous days.
There is some wonderful footage to watch on three or four screens.As we left it started to sleet again and then it turned into hail. Time to go back to the warmth of the caravan.
That sounds like a brilliant day (aside from the weather!) and the caravan is in a wonderful location, how lucky you are to be able to stay there!
ReplyDeleteWe are very lucky that our neighbours let us stay there once or twice a year and it is a brand new caravan with double glazing and central heating - very cosy and warm out of season and so comfortbale:)
DeleteWhat magnificent birds. We see them here from time to time.
ReplyDeleteThey are fascinating birds aren't they?:)
DeleteWhat a lovely woodland location for that mobile home in the holiday park and so convenient for you to spend time at the wildlife centre. Following the project with facilities to study the ospreys in the wild, especially now that it's continuing with the help of volunteers, must be very interesting. Thanks for the link which I've looked at. The webcam footage of the two birds' behaviour is very interesting.
ReplyDeleteIt is a lovely holiday park with both mobile homes and lodges and litle pods on site with lts of walks and the stream running though. Ideal in all weathers really. I was glad to see the osprey project was still in operation as we thought that the birds had abandoned the nest but it was closed because of the change of ownership:)
DeleteSuch a beautiful spot with all the mountains in the background. Lucky they've got some footage of the ospreys for those who don't have time to wait. :-)
ReplyDeleteYes, it is good they provide the films both live and taken earlier as there are lots of people wanting to see the birds, not very many telescopes and of course the birds will fly and feed when they want to. I was lucky to see one bird on the nest a few years ago but since then have just watched them on the camera:)
DeleteThe mobile home looks in a wonderful location :) So interesting to read about the Community Project and good to hear that volunteers are keeping an eye on the Ospreys. - a great post.
ReplyDeleteWe saw Ospreys in Scotland and the Lake District (quite a few years ago!) but the best sighting for me was seeing one on passage at Brandon Marsh - they've put up a nest platform there now and it would be wonderful if it was eventually used.
We are very lucky to be able to stay there as it is a lovely well kept site in a lovely area. I wonder if the nest platform at Brandon Marsh will be used? I hope so:)
DeleteIt looks like you had a wonderful break in Wales Rosie. The wildlife outside the mobile home had a captive audience! It must have been such a lovely experience to see the birds and wildlife close up through the window. x
ReplyDeleteThe birds that visit are quite used to being watched, I'm sure they put on a little show for us, just to get seeds and mealworms of course, especially the robins:)
DeleteWhat a wonderful place for a holiday home! It sounds like there is so much to see and do in the neighbourhood. I have never had chance to do Wales justice but looking at your photos it's time I did! B x
ReplyDeleteMy neighbours have had a caravan on that site for ages now, this is the third mobile home they have had on there in the same place, the new one is so cosy with all mod cons, quite different to the first one. Wales is such a beautiful country and the Llyn Peninsula is one of my favourite areas:)
DeleteOn a warmer day that must indeed be a lovely spot.
ReplyDeleteIt is indeed:)
DeleteWhat a wonderful place. We went past it a couple of times when we stayed in the area a few years ago, but we never went in. I wish we had.
ReplyDeleteIt is worth a visit as there are lots of other birds and waterbirds to see too, I expect it would be nice to drop off the train and have a picnic there in good weather:)
DeleteI would love to stay here, what a lovely place. I could sit at the window all day, and to get to see the birds as well...
ReplyDeleteAmanda xx
It is lovely and you can hear the water running down the rocks, so cooling in the summer and sort of reassuring in the dark of night:)
DeleteThe location of the caravan looks wonderful. Like Amanda, I could sit and look out of the window at the waterfall and birds for hours. I would love to watch the Ospreys, too. I haven't seen any for years, although we do have them passing through here on migration in spring and autumn for a day or two. I always seem to miss them, though!
ReplyDeleteIt is a perfect location and I can sit and watch the view for ages. It is lovely in summer to sit on the decking in the evening with a glass of wine or early morning with a mug of coffee and watch the world go by:)
DeleteWhat an interesting place to visit and such beautiful scenery. I hope that you managed to keep warm in that unseasonal weather. Marie x
ReplyDeleteIt was very cold and I had to buy an extra fleece jacket as I'd only taken one with me. The new one was thicker and warmer and I lived in it when out and about:)
DeleteYou do take the most interesting little holidays! I followed the link for the railroad and have saved it. That sort of think is something we always enjoy when we travel - just a little out of the ordinary. Lucky you to have a friend with a holiday place in such an interesting locale.
ReplyDeleteWe are very lucy they let us go to their holiday home as they only let family members go other than us. The steam railways are fascinating, I hope if you visit one day you will ride on them as the scenery inboth directions and on both lines is spectacular:)
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