The day got off to a great start weather wise, and as a treat I decided me and my partner would take a trip to Anglesey. Anyway, a spot of afternoon rain makes perfect chance for a blog entry...
We had an enjoyable morning in the hot sun out on an open 'pick your own' farm picking strawberries for a bargain £3.00 a Kilogram, so we got a few Kilo's worth which we'll consume in various ways over the next day or two, smoothies, with cream, or maybe for a bit of fun we might even try making a conserve. There was other seasonals to pick yourself which included Gooseberries, Rhubarb and Broad Beans, and in just a few weeks or so Raspberrys and Blackcurrants will be on the menu too. I realised not just how lucky I am to live in North Wales in general, but Llandudno too. Being situated half-way between Holyhead and Chester, it's within perfect reach of most attractions and points of interest. In just under 30 minutes we were away from the hustle and bustle, and walking through sweet smelling strawberry fields with wonderful views, you just couldn't beat it on a day like today.
It made me think, wouldn't it be great if Bodafon farm had it's very own pick your own?
Friday, 26 June 2009
Wednesday, 24 June 2009
Monday, 22 June 2009
Royal Tern Turns up for Me!
WELL after hearing the news yesterday I got my wellies on and headed down onto the North Shore beach for an hour or two, but nothing. I returned back to base for an update and heard it had recently been spotted on the West Shore, so I trekked over there, again nothing. A few disheartened twitchers packed up their equipment in disappointment, some travelling from as far a fields as England, they really should have stayed the night. Shame really, as just an hour or so ago I had just left my house to take the usual scenic walk to the office, and low and behold there it was, flying right in front of me as i'd only just stepped foot on the promenade. It was flying around the Craig-y-Don end of the promenade around 12.00 p.m. swooping down intermittently into the depths of high tide then making it's way over to the pier end out of my sight.
Sunday, 21 June 2009
Royal Tern visits Queen of Welsh Resorts
IT SEEMS i've not been the only one doing a spot of ornithology lately. There have been hundreds of twitchers flocking the town after a rare bird has been seen at Llandudno's north & west shores, the 'Royal Tern', only the 5th sighting in Britain in fact.
To follow the latest gossip on this subject, visit our Llandudno Local website > Local Talk section, see 'Royal Tern'
Read below to find out more about this bird, Ref: Wikipedia.
The Royal Tern (Thalasseus maximus, syn. Sterna maxima - see Bridge et al., 2005) is a seabird in the tern family Sternidae. This birdhas two distinctive subspecies.
T. m. maximus breeds on the Atlantic and Pacific coasts of the southern USA and Mexico into the Caribbean. The slightly smaller T. m. albididorsalis breeds in coastal west Africa.
American birds winter south to Peru and Argentina, and African breeders move both north and south from the breeding colonies.
African birds may reach as far north as Spain. This species has also wandered to western Europe as a rare vagrant, these records probably being from the American colonies.
This species breeds in colonies on coasts and islands. It nests in a ground scrape and lays one or two eggs. Like all white terns, it is fiercely defensive of its nest and young.
Royal Tern feeds by plunge-diving for fish, usually from saline environments, like most Sterna terns. It usually dives directly, and not from the "stepped-hover" favoured by Arctic Tern. The offering of fish by the male to the female is part of the courtship display.
This is a large tern, second only to Caspian Tern but is unlikely to be confused with that carrot-billed giant, which has extensive dark underwing patches. Royal Tern has a long yellow bill, pale grey upperparts and white underparts. Its legs are black. In winter, the black cap becomes patchy. Juvenile Royal Terns have a scaly-backed appearance. The call is a characteristic loud grating noise like a Sandwich Tern.
Anyone been lucky enough to spot one yet?
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