Gilfach (west) - Top Llangynwyd

Another cold day after overnight frost, this time I ventured up Top Llangynwyd to see if I could find a shrike but no luck. Walked from the car park area to the Bodvoc Stone and back via the moorland. The Usual winter birds were present in 2 pairs each of Raven and Jay and 3 pairs of Bullfinch dotted around. The moorland area held the most birds  with a very dark Common Buzzard and Kestrel hunting overhead, 6 Redwing, 25 Starling and Green Woodpecker flicking between the stands of trees. I decided to walk the small stream at the bottom of the moorland until I flushed a Snipe, it actually took me three steps so no more "booters" for me this year then 🙏. Other than these birds the place was a wilderness.

Witches' Broom above is caused by the fungus Taphrina betulina on Silver Birch, not a great example but you can see clearly the bunches of stunted twigs in various places on the branches of the tree. When small galls like these appear they have been described anecdotally as a "flock of roosting hedgehogs" before they become full blown "Witches' Brooms" in the spring when the tree starts to grow again.

A better example of Witches's Broom - Lletty Brongu [09/01/2019].