It may be early April but there is still a touch of winter lingering on. April showers consist of hail and snow which isn’t much of a surprise given the temperatures, with the dam in full flow after a night of heavy rain.
Despite the cold, signs of Spring have certainly arrived with frogs spawn, daffodils and the first summer migrants starting to arrive. Swallow was surprisingly the first migrant back seen over the moors which were partly covered in snow on 30 March and was followed by a sand martin and singing chiffchaffs on 31 March. Migrants continued to arrive in the form of at least 6 wheatear along the Dinas Mawddwy road on 2 April and an osprey drifting over the reserve the following day. A singing willow warbler this morning (8 April) around the lake is the latest migrant to arrive with a redstart seen in the Dyfnant Forest just off the reserve yesterday.
Wheatear along Dinas Mawddwy road by Gavin Chambers
Perhaps the most obvious sign of Spring at Lake Vyrnwy at this time of year is the new born lambs bounding across the lakeside fields without a care in the world or sunbathing during a short spell of sunshine. The RSPB run the Ty Llwyd farm, which comprises around 11000 hectares of predominantly moorland habitat, and own around 3000 Welsh Mountain ewes which graze the moorland during the summer. From mid-March the lambing season begins and the farm becomes a hive of activity, new born lambs and their mums being moved out onto the fields and then more ewes being brought in for lambing.
New born lamb by Derek Vaughan, RSPB Volunteer
Here at Lake Vyrnwy we offer the opportunity for the public to experience lambing first hand with events taking place every weekend (Saturday and Sunday) until the 1 May. So if you, whether an adult, kid or family, would like to see live lambing give us a ring or drop us an email and book on to one of these events. For more information check out our website here (Booking is essential!).
Other sightings have included numerous goshawk all around the reserve and a large flock of finches feeding near Rhiwargor House along the Bala road which has comprised around 150+ chaffinch, 36+ brambling and a few goldfinch and lesser redpoll. Feeders around the shop and hide are currently very busy with siskin, chaffinch, goldfinch, blue tit, great tit, and coal tit making for a very colourful array. You may also be lucky to spot our new resident peacock which has been hanging around for a while now or a pair of mandarin moving around the lake.
Mixed brambling and chaffinch flock by Gavin Chambers