Where to go tomorrow ??

[Kev Lewis]

Travelling from Gloucester to Anglesey tomorrow either up the M5/M6, Shrewsbury, Chester and along the top of N Wales or across the middle of Wales through Leominister, Craven Arms, Welshpool etc.

Now the question "where to go tomorrow" I've got all day and plan to leave home around 5am and I want to visit a reserve or something that is a bit different. I have in mind either birds, dragonflies or wildlife in general or all three.

Any suggestions??

[Gill Catton]

Go cross country, it's so beautifiul, I used to drive from Glos to Porthmadog quite a bit and always preferred cross county! How about stopping in Snowdonia? Or go check out the Osprey just north of Porthmadog?

[Boddie]

Yep, go cross country

I do the A5 (Shrewsbury, Oswestry, Wrexham etc) to the north coast quite often and it is pretty dull. Far better cross country, which I do occasionally, and it is far better.

[Gill Catton]

radio reception is often lost between the hills and you feel like you've dropped into a lost world of steep slopes, rushing rivers and woodland (or at least I do he he)

[IanS]

You could go up to the Great Orm at Llandudno to see the limestone pavement flowers along with special species of Silver Studded Blue butterflies, (this version only lives on the mountain).
You could also stop off at several reserves on Anglesea holding rare orchids. Im sure others have great ideas for you too. Enjoy your day out.
Ian

[Kev Lewis]

thanks folks, I've travelled both routes hundreds of times during my career and yes the cross country one is much better and certainly more scenic. What I don't know is what reserves are tucked away on the routes that people would recommend. The Anglesey reserves are well trodden :-) My current rented cottage is only a couple of miles from South Stack and the Cors Goch fen is a favorite area of mine.

I used to have a Flat in Porth down Snowdon St. Many a party ended up there after a session in the Aussie or Ship Inn. The Osprey is an option but when I visited last year you needed a scope just to get a glimpse of the them, lucky Leica? were sponsoring the site and had some for visitors Primarily I'm a photographer rather than bird watcher, so going just to 'see' isn't really what I'm after

[Kev Lewis]

Ended up at Porthmaddog checking out the Osprey. Spent 3 hours there photographing Gold Finches near the feeing station the RSPB had set up Spent the afternoon at Valley Wetlands chasing bugs around lol

[eeyore]

Originally Posted by Kev Lewis

Ended up at Porthmaddog checking out the Osprey. Spent 3 hours there photographing Gold Finches near the feeing station the RSPB had set up Spent the afternoon at Valley Wetlands chasing bugs around lol

Did you see it then -ossie I mean, I tried on the 22nd but it decided to fish 400+yds of the cobb and was way small through little bigma - the day before it was fishing 25yds of the cobb apparently .... cest la vie.

[paulthomas]

Originally Posted by eeyore

I tried on the 22nd but it decided to fish 400+yds of the cobb and was way small through little bigma - the day before it was fishing 25yds of the cobb apparently .... cest la vie.

Echoes my experiences of Ospreys at Rutland Water last month although I got photos, lots of photos, of an Osprey even it was somewhat distant. And by distant I mean filling about 55 pixels high on the photo. Just think, if I'd got a Bigma I could push that to just over 100 pixels high I'm beginning to think that all these Ospreys are in a conspiracy against us photographers

[Jonny]

I would recommend doing the snowdon horseshoe, fantastic walk, with a good chance of seeing some flying predators.............Jon

[eeyore]

Originally Posted by paulthomas

Echoes my experiences of Ospreys at Rutland Water last month although I got photos, lots of photos, of an Osprey even it was somewhat distant. And by distant I mean filling about 55 pixels high on the photo. Just think, if I'd got a Bigma I could push that to just over 100 pixels high I'm beginning to think that all these Ospreys are in a conspiracy against us photographers

The place to photograph ospreys is in finland, there is a lake with residential hides (with beds cookers etc) which has ossies fishing right outside within easy reach of a 300mm lens. Mr Rouse goes there in his life in the wild book, he doesnt say where it is but I found out via a finnish birds forum - the only problem is that inc flight a few days photography there will rush you the best part of a grand.