My attentions have changed, I now look to the north. The Mignaint sits in the centre of Snowdonia and covers an area of 200 square kilometres and has the largest area of blanket bog in Wales.

Stonecrop by Gethin Elias

As spring has now arrived, I spend my time on the moors. Gazing over miles and miles of empty moorland often with not a man made object in site. Listening to the melodious song of the Sky lark while…

Just as we thought spring had sprung here at Lake Vyrnwy, back came the wintry snowy showers that fell like a blanket all around us. Thankfully, it was quite short-lived and on this occasion looked absolutely beautiful and didn’t interrupt working life too much!

A wintry Lake Vyrnwy

It wasn’t long before the sunshine made an appearance for our annual Easter Sunday scavenger hunt reminding us all that spring…

As everyone will be aware it’s been a slow and cold start to spring, if it has indeed arrived. Typical signs of spring have only really started showing in the last couple of weeks with the first significant sunny and warm days here at Lake Vyrnwy.

One sign of spring that is predictable, or at least more predictable, is the arrival of the first lambs on the farm. There are over 2000 ewes that lamb each year from…

Lake Vyrnwy really does do something to you, visitors, RSPB staff and volunteers all tell of the impact of this magical place on their lives. Recently it may have been the Valentine’s day influence at the heart of things:

Kate joined us last year as Visitor Experience Manager maternity cover. You may have read some of Kate’s blogs on working at Lake Vyrnwy, but now she is moving on, but guess what, Kate is talking…

When visiting Lake Vyrnwy, it is easy to overlook one of the most delightful features, the Coed y Capel hide which translates to the Chapel Wood hide. Nestled in a small car park, with the hustle and bustle of the cars and cafe business outside, it is housed in a modest looking wooden hut. An RSPB notice board and picture of birds outside mark it as something different but on opening the door visitors are taken aback…

In the west lies the Celtic rain forest. Covered in emerald moss interwoven with light blues, different shades of greens and greys a lichen rich garden. Trees that have grown their way, twisted and gnarled, limbs that hang inches above ground and rise again to the heavens. Dappled shade dances in the summer breeze and dazzling blues carpet the woodland floor like a tropical sea.

Photo by Gethin Elias

The air here…

We’ve got lots of events lined up in 2018, beginning this weekend, 27^th January, with the Big Garden Bird Watch (BGBW). There’ll be advice on bird spotting from our Coed y Capel hide and the chance to make some simple and nutritious bird snacks to hang in your garden and attract our feathered friends ready for the big count!

Blue tits and single great tit on feeder

Half term in February is also National…

We have mentioned previously that birds get affected by harsh weather such as cold temperatures which forces birds to find alternative food sources. But wind can also play a significant role in the life of birds which was witnessed on the 6^th and 7^th January when small flocks of pink-footed geese, totalling around 140, were seen flying over Lake Vyrnwy. This is an unusual record for the reserve and county as the majority…

I entitled my last blog “I can see clearly now...” I should have saved that heading. I’ve looked at Lake Vyrnwy from the dam, from the hides and from the trails but just before Christmas I did something different and looked out at the lake from the terrace of the Lake Vyrnwy Hotel - breath taking, stunning, magnificent - add whatever superlatives you want, the sun was shining and the view was wonderful. If you get the…

So as we move into a new year we ask, what’s going to change? Well clearly not the weather as we go from wintry showers to heavy stormy rain showers including Storm Eleanor. There is an element of thinking that Spring is not too far away now and that the bird survey season will soon be upon us, however, it also reminds us that there is a lot of work to be done before then!

Male (back) and female (front) common…

As we near the end of 2017 it's always interesting to look back at what has happened or been seen over the last year. This is a quick look back at some of the blogs and some new images from 2017.

Looking over the dam towards Sculpture Park

We had a week of looking at the Love of Nature and thinking about all the wonderful wildlife, the fantastic scenery and habitats that can be seen across the UK and specifically…

This is on most mornings my route to work, over Bwlch y Groes down through Gadfa into Cwm Eunant and down towards Lake Vyrnwy. While most people are crammed together like sardines on various A roads or motorways, I welcome another person sharing this amazing wilderness like a long lost friend just visiting from another country. It doesn't happen that often.

Photo by Gethin Elias

Waves of driving rain, dancing…

Following on from Gavin’s seasonal blog of last week, I thought I give some hints and tips on feeding the birds in your garden this winter. Putting out food for the birds at this time of year provides a lot of extra help in times of food shortages and in cold weather. Feeding birds – not just in winter but all year round - is also an ideal way to learn more about our feathered friends and to enthuse and teach children…

With the first prolonged spell of cold wintry weather upon us, the birds and mammals start to change their habits to adapt to the conditions. Birds which have been finding food naturally may now start using garden feeders to at least supplement their diet and get a quick easy meal. Our feeding station is no different with many birds looking for that easy meal of seed, peanut or fat to increase their fat reserves.

As a reserve team we are now well into our winter works programme. This includes clearing various invasive non-native plants and trees from the moorland and woodlands around the reserve. Due to breeding birds and the time of year they nest, we have a window of 6 months from the start of September to the end of February where we are able to fell trees without the risk of disturbing the population of birds that breed here…

Well it would be somewhat bold to say '...the rain has gone' from Lake Vyrnwy, but the storms Ophelia and Brian have been and gone leaving quite a mess for the Conservation team to clear up. Several trees down near the Centenary hide so the chain saws were in action. Chain saws are safe if you know how to use them, so most chain saw work on the reserve is carried out by RSPB staff rather than volunteers. But the RSPB…

Through the autumn and winter we shift our attention to habitat management in preparation for the return of birds in the spring. This winter we are looking at doing some moorland management work which first requires us to survey the habitat before management to be able to see how it changes. We have therefore been setting up 2m quadrats and recording the presence and coverage of certain species such as heather, crowberry…

RSPB Lake Vyrnwy is about to embark on our first ‘forest bathing’ (Shinrin-Yoku) event on Saturday 18^th November. Forest bathing (sometimes known as ‘forest therapy’) is the practice of fully immersing yourself in a natural woodland environment. It has become one of the most important forms of health care in Japan.

Most of us will know from experience that a simple walk can leave us feeling…

We have all heard about the decline in insects. But the news that's hitting the headlines at the moment is even bleaker. Here are two headlines I have read from the Guardian this week - " A giant insect ecosystem is collapsing due to humans. It's a catastrophe" and "Warning of 'ecological Armageddon' after dramatic plunge in insect numbers"

I have been lucky enough to travel to some…

As temporary visitor experience manager at RSPB Lake Vyrnwy, I thought this week I’d write about some of the many iconic features of the reserve. Like a lot of people, before coming here I thought it would be just a man-made reservoir and not much else – how wrong I was! Vyrnwy has so much more to offer, and that’s without the variety of habitat, and the abundance of birds and other wildlife to be found here. …

In the birding world autumn is a time of movement and unpredictability. Thousands of birds head south for the winter, some leave the UK, some pass through the UK and others arrive in the UK to spend the winter. The majority of movement is expected and eagerly anticipated, such as the arrival of pink-footed or barnacle geese or the first redwings gorging on berries. There are however always those unexpected surprises from…

Hello, my name is Torrin and I have recently taken up the post of Estate Worker at RSPB Lake Vyrnwy. As this is my first blog since arriving at RSPB Lake Vyrnwy in March as a residential volunteer, I wanted to give you a bit of an insight as to the type of work I got up to as a Volunteer over the spring and summer.

The six month volunteering placement, from March to July, is mainly to help out with monitoring, although…

This is my first blog as the new ‘membership development officer’ at RSPB Lake Vyrnwy, so I thought I’d share a little about my experience of what it is like to work on the reserve.

Right from the start, I knew working here was going to be really quite special. From driving across the dam to get to work and taking in the breathtaking views in both directions, to the warm and friendly welcome I have…

Spring days when you can feel the first warmth of the sun, the buzz of insects and the song of a chaffinch in the hedge and below a scattering of dark blue, blue bells.

Photo by Gethin Elias

Hot summer days with a light breeze and wisps of cloud across a perfect blue sky. Swallows hunting over swathes of colourful meadows, screaming swifts and dancing butterflies.

Photo by Gethin Elias

Early autumn as the mist…