Brianpen Birds - Harlech, UK Bird List from 20-21 June, 2010

 

During our first couple of days in Harlech I got out birding several times. On the morning of the 20th we all walked out to the beach from our self-catering cottage at the foot of the hill below the castle. We followed a path across the golf course and through the dunes to the beach, then I went birding in the dunes while the rest of the family swam and played in the sand. The dunes are covered with dune grass and various low shrubs with patches of willow in the hollows. Later in the afternoon, I found a trail up the hill through the woods about a quarter mile northeast of our place. Here's my routes the first day . The second day David and I walked over to Llyn Cwm Bychant, about 3 miles in a direct line east of Harlech though our route was considerably longer. We hiked up the road which runs up the hill from the castle then continued east on smaller roads across pastures and down through a nice oak woods to the stream valley, which we followed up to the lake. After lunch at the head of the lake we climbed over the rocky heather-covered ridge north of the lake and continued overland on faint trails through heather, bracken and meadows to a ruined house, then a newer stone house by a stream. From there we worked our way east and southeast back to the road and followed our tracks home. Here's our route to Llyn Cwm Bychant and back.
The list includes all species I saw in and around Harlech during our first couple of days there. Counts are the most I saw at once, or on any one outing. 32 species altogether for the two days.