I ddarllen y blog yma yng Nghymraeg cliciwch yma os gwelwch yn dda.
I was once told that the art of dating comes through practice. It’s a two way street that requires time, patience and determination to make sure you find that perfect match – or at the very least someone you can enjoy a few drinks with!
Andy Hay, rspb-images.com
When I first arrived at RSPB Cymru I was under the impression that our birds took a different approach to finding a mate - in that they’d skip the dating and settle down quite quickly. This was, however, until I discovered a bit more about the handsome yet boisterous black grouse...
Not one to shy away from a crowd of adoring female fans, male black grouse would be first in line to buy you a drink at the bar. With their distinctive red wattle and striking white stripe on their wings, you’d be sure to recognise them instantly. However, rather than stay up late to chat you up, male black grouse prefer to wait until dawn to grab your attention by lekking loudly – or as I’d prefer to call it, using their best chat up line.
Rather than the sound of a sweet romantic melody, the lekking is a haunting, bubbling sound, as the males fan out their feathers calling to compete for the females’ attention. They then run ‘screeching’ towards their rivals to secure their dominance within the pack, as the females watch on in awe before choosing their preferred date.
As one of the only three birds in Britain to lek, male black grouse are at a slight advantage when it comes to flirting as they have one of the best techniques around – a technique which not many people get to see firsthand. But over the next five weeks, RSPB Cymru is going to be joining the black grouse on the stunning moorland backdrop of Coed Llandegla Forest to watch their love story unfold.
Unfortunately the males need to lek as loud as they can at the moment as black grouse are sadly a red listed species. There are large scale declines all across the UK and numbers have been as low as 131 lekking males. However, we’ve been working with land managers in and around Llandegla Forest to ensure black grouse have the best conditions possible to romance their mate. Therefore, as we witness their courtship this spring we’re hoping their numbers will be on the rise – allowing the black grouse to lek to their hearts content until their find their happily ever after.
Chris Gomersall, rspb-images.com
If you’re willing to set your alarm clock slightly earlier than normal – and believe me it will be worth it – you can join us once again over the coming months on a guided walk through the forest before arriving at our purpose-built hide to watch their performance approximately 400m away. Please keep an eye out @RSPBCymru twitter and facebook for more information.