We're teaming up with our friends at the National Trust on Tuesday, 1st October, as part of their Lecture Lunch series of events. This is a new venture for us, so we're hoping to meet lots of new friends and potential members - and familiar faces will be welcome too!

Full details are available at the NT Powis Castle web pages. 

Update 29th September - this event has been cancelled.

We are now able to confirm dates for guided walks up to the end of October, as follows:

Sunday, 25th August, 11:00 am, starting from the Lake Vyrnwy hotel.

Sunday, 15th September, 11:00 am, starting from the RSPB shop.

Sunday, 29th September, 11:00 am, starting from the Lake Vyrnwy hotel.

Sunday, 13th October, 11:00 am, starting from the RSPB shop.

Sunday, 27th October, 11:00 am, starting from the Lake Vyrnwy hotel…

Hobby: On the moorland over the Bala road.

Nightjar: Pair on the Red Trail last Friday and Saturday nights.

Spotted Flycatcher: One next to the white bridge down the river over the last few days

Hen Harrier: Over the moorland but in reduced numbers.

Peregrine: Two seen from the Lakeside hide on the cliff opposite

Pied Flycatcher: Male showing well from Centenary hide

Dipper: Individuals seen on the rive and along…

Sadly, we are discontinuing our free weekend walks. For no obvious reason, support has been very poor this year, and our resources are too stretched to go on offering walks when there are no takers. It's a real shame, because they have always been very well received, and we love doing them.

It's possible, we think, that something offered for no charge is generally perceived to have no value. So, starting in August…

...and fruit flies, they say, like a banana.

Incredibly, it's the longest day at the end of this week. It has already become harder to find the woodland birds for our weekend visitors, as they have begun to lurk in the full-flushed greenery to prepare for the return journey. (The birds, not the visitors.) Yesterday somebody had made a significant journey to come to the lake with the objective of seeing a redstart, and…

Normally I like to report things I've seen myself, but this time it's an account of something at second hand. It raises an interesting question, though, and I'd love to hear from somebody who can illuminate it.

One of our regular visitors and very good friends came into the shop yesterday to say she had seen an otter at the top of the lake. A good close-up view, just where the river enters the lake, next…

As you may have seen yesterday Vyrnwy was featured on springwatch with Iolo Williams introducing the Hen Harriers on the reserve. If you are driving along the Bala or Dinas roads be sure to keep an eye out for them. Other highlights include:

Spotted Flycatcher: Two seen from the centenary hide on the 29th May.

Kingfisher: Seen along the river this evening.

Cuckoo: Heard along many of the trails on the reserve.

Wood…

I've never been barked at by a duck before. Actually, she wasn't barking at me but at the six little goosanders (goosanderlings?) she had with her, getting them all in a pack to paddle away from my threatening presence. Surprisingly gruff.

A promising weekend having turned into a miserable wet week, I was at the top end of the lake trying to assess the peregrine situation, not with much success. A single bird…

I've seen stoats at Vyrnwy before, and I'm never sure whether to be pleased or not. They are noted as a predator of ground-nesting birds, and the warblers and pipits have had a slow enough spring as it is. But Sunday morning's sighting was a bit special, from any point of view.

Two of us were gossiping by the car park gate when something small, brown and fast-moving, stoatally impossible to mistake for anything…

Some good highlights this week as more birds are passing through or arriving.

Whimbrel: The highlight of the week with 4 birds perched on the dam for a couple of hours on Wednesday evening

Swift: The first birds have arrived and are screaming along the village rooftops

House Martin: Beginning to nest under the village eaves

Hen Harrier: Still present over the moorland. Keep an eye out if you are travelling along the…

After weeks of Arctic conditions and nervous anticipation, survey season is well underway at Lake Vyrnwy. So far its been enjoyable, variable, and a steep learning curve. There are several key species which are monitored and surveyed individually, in addition to more generalist surveys to assess complete bird diversity. The first real survey work to take place was for Black Grouse, for which unsociable hours are a mandatory…

Better weather this week and the numbers of migrants are increasing. Highlights of the week are as follows:

Dipper: Two on the river on the 29^th.

Red Kite: One over the reserve on the 1^st May.

Wood Warbler: One showing well on the Green Trail in the woodland yesterday.

Grey Wagtail: One seen briefly along the river on the Green Trail yesterday.

Pied Flycatcher: Large numbers of these in the woodlands around the site…

Things are livening up now (see Matt's "Recent Sightings"), and the next three months will be the best of the year for birds.

So - why not come on a weekend walk? Unsurprisingly, takers have been few over the last few weeks, but the weather seems to have bucked up and we don't anticipate further visits from the big yellow helicopter. Two guided walks are available every Sunday, though times may vary…

A mixture of weather this week with both sunshine and rain has not stopped the influx of migrants to the reserve. Notables include:

Red Kite: Two birds circling high up over the blue trail yesterday evening. A surprising rarity at Vyrnwy

Pied Flycatcher: Increasing in numbers with many spotted on the blue and yellow trails in addition to the green trail

Redstart: Slowly increasing. Hotspots being lakeside and centenary…

Spring is finally here; the chiffchaffs have arrived and are singing away and the swallows are swooping around overhead. Furthermore, other spring migrants to arrive include the first Redstarts and Pied Flycatchers of the year. Other highlights of the week are as follows:

Osprey: One west over the reserve on the 15^th and one remarkably flew right over the RSPB shop this morning. 

Cuckoo: First bird of the year seen and…

The snow has turned to rain and the rivers are up. BUT - while the roads are clear of snow now, it is windy and trees are still falling. On my way over from Bala this morning, I had to stop twice to lift sizeable branches blocking the road. There is also flooding in many places. Lambing on the farm is still cancelled. The road around the lake is generally open on the north side BUT trees are still falling - one came down…

Not strictly to do with RSPB Lake Vyrnwy - but in Llangollen this morning, where snow still remains heaped at the roadsides and the hills are more white than black, I saw the first swallow of the season.

The first chiffchaff was singing by the bridge several days ago, and this morning another was singing in the churchyard.

So things are on the move...

By now, in previous years, we would already have been in the Lakeside hide for two weeks, introducing friends old and new to the nesting peregrines.

This year, for obvious reasons, we have so far been unable to get up there. The road around the lake is still partially closed because of fallen trees, and it has not yet been possible for us to inspect the Lakeside hide, so we cannot recommend anyone to visit it for the…

Due to difficulties getting around the reserve this week due to the snow, sightings have been limited. However there were several notable sightings as detailed below:

Osprey: Highlight of the week (although I missed it!) seen on the 29th March. At least one, possibly two individuals.

Kingfisher: Seen briefly along the river below the dam on the 1st April.

Goshawk: Viewed and heard briefly on 4th April.

Raven: Present…

 The Road Closed signs are still in place. Please do not try to drive around the lake - there is no assistance if you get stuck. This applies also to the Dinas Mawddwy and Bala roads.

Lambing has been cancelled for this weekend - hopefully, only this weekend.

It's fair to say that the extreme weather conditions here at Lake Vyrnwy over the last week or so have caused absolute chaos, with 36 hours worth of power cuts, road disruption and hard conditions for wildlife. With between 30 – 40 centimetres of snow falling in a 48-hour period, it was also quite rapid! In true fighting spirit however, everyone has battled the snow and ice together to restore communications to the area…

Yes, it's Easter Saturday. No, the road around the lake is NOT open - and the trails are mostly inaccessible too.

Don't be misled by roads that have been cleared as far as Llanwddyn - we are still suffering on the reserve from the effects of the hard weather. It is the holiday weekend and we are expecting the first rush of visitors, but conditions do not allow us to run our events programme.

So - if you haven…

Hi, my name is Matt Heaver and I am one of the new interns for Wales. I am currently at Lake Vyrnwy and you may have read the blog by my fellow intern James. We have been asked to blog regularly on our experiences during the next year. To avoid covering the same ground I will focus on bird sightings on the reserve and endeavour to post regular weekly updates. In this first post, I will bring you up to date with sightings…

At the present moment (Thursday, sun shining, blue sky), the intention is to go ahead with the Birdsong for Beginners event on Saturday.

This plan may change, however. If you are thinking of coming, please do phone ahead to check it's still on - 01691 870278.

Drifting on minor roads is still causing problems in the area, and things have been very difficult on the farm, with lambing just getting under way. A testing…

...it snows again, which apparently may happen this week. The ploughs have been through and the roadsides are piled high, so you can get to us for your emergency supplies of feeder seed, suet cake and peanuts.

But never mind all that - I can get out of my house again!