BIKING BIRDER I April 3rd 2010 Newport Wetlands RSPB Reserve and To Cardiff For An Encounter with A Boney?

 

          Ste' Allcott, A Birding Clam, in other words an ex-student of mine from my Secondary teaching days at Coppice High School, Wolverhampton, on the left. A Sunshine RSPB staff member on the right.

          Photo taken at Newport Wetlands RSPB reserve.

3^rd April

 

Newport and Cardiff, an American gull to see, eventually, hopefully.

Another early rise to cycle around the Newport Wetlands reserve. Lots of Cetti's Warblers calling, Blackcap, Willow Warblers and Chiffs as well. Met a local birder, Nathan and two wardens - Chris & Keith. It turns out that the huge reedbeds are not RSPB but there is a cooperative going over the superb visitors’ centre. Was chuffed that an ex pupil, Steve Allcott from my Wolverhampton teaching days, had come down all the way from the same city. Thanks Steve - great to see you. Not many birds but did have a Bearded Tit flying over the reeds.
I was photographed for the local newspaper, the Newport Argus, by Dave from Berkhamstead. Afterwards we chatted with a very enthusiastic young RSPB warden; a would-be twitcher whose name I think was Matthew.
More rain fell as I made my way to Cardiff. I found Cardiff Bay, the area where the Bonaparte's Gull had been reported and what a difference to when I was last here. That was back in the Seventies, many years ago.  Then the area back then was a huge dirty estuary with old industrial fringes and massive, deep, rectangular pits full of seawater and jellyfish. In 1975 I had been hitch-hiking around Britain and had arrived here to visit a friend from college, Susan Potter from Penarth. I wondered if she is still there. Now the estuary was a landscaped lagoon with modern roads and bridges and brand new apartment blocks and shops. I met Phil Bristow, another birder but sadly we had no view of the hoped for Bonaparte’s Gull despite searching until dark.

I found a Bed & Breakfast in a hotel, almost on the opposite side of the river to the immense Millennium Stadium, with an oldie world decor including original Edwardian fittings. In the evening Cardiff City played Swansea in a football local derby and I watch with a gang of Cardiff supporters as .

Afterwards I watched my team, Aston Villa, play Bolton Wanderers and screamed and danced around, like a devilish dervish, when Ashley Young won the game for the mighty Villa.

 

BIKING BIRDER I April 2nd 2010 Tintern Abbey

 

2^nd April 

 

                                   

The weather was awful, pouring rain. I joined a tour of the castle - Youth Hostel and saw the 'Oubliette'; a large hole beneath a dormitory where in medieval times they used to throw down miscreants and 'forget' about them. If they were lucky, they broke a limb and developed gangrene from which they would have died reasonably quickly. If they did not, well it was a long drawn out, starvation death. This is the end, beautiful friend!

If you want to see a ghost then stay here. Over seven different ones have been seen or heard here. Unfortunately, I did not see or hear one. My bedroom, the Guard Room was supposed to have a ghost that strangles pushes you according to how he likes you. I left late in the morning not having been pushed or strangled but having fixed the broken back brakes.

          Cycled down to Bigsweir on the Wye. The last time I had been here was when I was a teenager and a school organised canoe trip down the Wye. How did we get out of our canoes at this place? The river's tidal here and the banks are immense and muddy.
          

          Tintern Abbey next and the rain stopped as I arrived. Paid a smaller fee than usual because of my English Heritage membership. 

          The ruin explored and the many Wall Rue and Maidenhair Ferns seen and photographed, I left to head south.

 A brilliant viewpoint was found after a long climb was the next stop. Views over the River Wye, the town of Chepstow and then on towards both bridges over the River Severn. I just wondered why they do not make the place a little more visitor friendly with a panoramic viewpoint terrace and a cafe. It would be a great place for one.

          More heavy showers but at least these were accompanied by superb rainbows, mostly doubles and one was at my feet whilst I sheltered. Where was a pneumatic drill, for the pot of gold was beneath the tarmac path?
          I got to Newport Wetlands Nature reserve extremely late in the evening, just as it was getting dark and rain was falling. I set up my tent against a bench, underneath a shelter beside the door into the RSPB visitor’s Centre; the guide ropes were tied to the fencing. An ad hoc affair of course but least I was out of the rain.