Gronant, Big Pool NR, Around Talacre Abbey and Coed Nant 16th December 2023

Is it a Lifeboat?

Lifeboat on the move offPresthaven Sands.

Liverpool docks on the skyline from Presthaven Sands.

Looking down on the Point of Ayr Lighthouse.

Just leaving our lunch spot.

I've heard of garden ornaments but this takes the biscuit!

Gently revolving wind turbines off Talacre.

We saw this vessel off Barkby Beach in the middle of the Wind Farm.

Our final view of the Point of Ayr Lighthouse.

Autumnal leaves (mainly Oak) in Coed Bell.

Another path we investigated on our way through Coed Bell.

Walk Stats:
Distance: 7.5 miles. Climb: 1368’ - 2011’ (Wind assisted GPS values), but in reality around 900’.
Time: 4 hours 2 minutes. On the move walking average: 2.1 m.p.h.
Overall walk average: 1.8 m.p.h.
Temperature: 10.5 – 13.7 Celsius, but mainly around 11.5 Celsius.
Beaufort Wind Force: 2 -5. Mainly a Gentle breeze, but did at one point gust to a 20.7 m.p.h. Fresh breeze.
The weather forecast today was supposed to be mainly cloudy and dry, but in reality turned out to be better, mainly blues sky all day.
This is a walk we usually do in May as one of better Bluebell Wood walks, but even at this time of the year it is well worth doing.
Although it was pretty breezy, we never had to directly head into the full force of the wind and as the wind was coming from the south west, it never felt cold. Our main issue today was the Sun, we spent much of the walk with our heads bowed, trying to avoid the Sun getting into our eyes.
Birds seen or heard today included: European robin, Common starling, Jackdaw, Carrion crow. Rook, Goldfinch, Common blackbird, Black headed gull, Herring gull, Grey heron, Redwing, Fieldfare, Common buzzard, Eurasian jay, Moorhen, Woodpigeon and black billed magpie.
Overall an enjoyable walk, ending with boots that weren’t very muddy and only took a few minutes to clean when I got home.

Traeth Lefan and Foothillsfrom Abergwyngregyn 9th October 2021

The path from Abergwyngregyn leading to the foothills of the Carneddau.

The coastal section of our walk seen from the pth leading to the Carnedday Foothills.

"I'm too hot, time to take off a layer".

Easy going on thes North Wales Path.

A few of the forty plus Mute swans on the sea north of The Spinnies N.R..

A Grey heron with Little egret south of Coed Gyfynys.

A male Stonechat, east of Coed Gyfynys.

A lone Mute swan - hopefully soon to link up with the forty plus seen earlier.

Ring plover on the shore, east of Coed Gyfynys.

A female Wheatear, east of Coed Gyfynys.

A few of the hundred or so Mallard on the sea, north of Cwrtiau.

Walk stats:
Distance: 8.5 miles. Climb: 850'.
Time: 4 hours 42 minutes. O the move walking average: 2,3 m.p.h. Overall walk average: 1.8 m.p.h.

Max temperature: 20.2 Celsius. Beaufort Wind Fore: 0 -2 (calm to light breeze).

Group: Martyn, Mike and Roger.

The forecast for today, seemed to be forever changing, but they did get it right in suggesting that it would be larely overcast with the possibilty of rain after lunch.

Distant views were never clear, but a\t least we could still see Anglesy and Puffin Island.

Lunch was taken at the Aber Ogwen coastal car park, where we took advantage of one of the picnic tables.

The initial climb out of Abergwyngregyn was quite tough for some of us, but it wasn't log before we reached the height tha gave us panoramic views of the coast.

It was half way through lunch when we first felt rain drops,that then continued until the end of the walk, never heavy, but you could always feel it in the air.

The tide was pretty  well in as we had lunch, but there we didn't see that many birds on the sea.

Brds seen or hears today included: European robin, Raven, Carrion crow, Jackdaw, Rook, Common snipe, Mistle hrush, Mute swan, Wigeon, Stonechat, Common starling, Grey heron, Little egret, Shelduck, Black headed gull, Herring gull, Great black back gull, Woodpigeon, Great spotted woodpecker, Eurasian jay, Goldfinch, Meadow pipit (even Mike sptted one of these before I pointed it out) Oystercatcher, Wheatear, Mallard, Common redshank and Ring plover.

Overall an enjoyable walk with some good birds spots.

After walk drinks were enjoyed at the Blue Bell in Halkyn, wherethe Lees bitte was excellen. However Roger's orange squash was a little on the weak side!

Lower Gronant, Barkby Beach and Point of Ayr Round 30th June 2021

Pyramida orchids,

The first as yet unidentified remains - suggestions welcome.

Sea holly and orchids.

The bird we were hoping to see.

A Skylark - another good spot.

Distant views of the Little terns.

One of the six delightful juvenile Winter wens that flew across the path withinin a couple of feet of us.

The Common spotted orchid seen today.

Not a good spot - but a very unexpected one to see on the beach.

The Point of Ayr Lighthouse o Talacre Beach.

Distance: 11.6 miles. Climb: 290'.
Time: 5 hours 20 minutes. On the move walking average: 2.7 m.p.h. Overall walk average: 2.2 m.p.h.
Temperature: 19.1 Celsius to 23.8 Celsius.
Beuafort Wind Force: 0 - 3. Calm, light air, mainly light breeze and occasionally gentle breeze.
Group: Martyn, Nigel and Wendy.

This walk when planned had two main objectives, to see the Little terns and to look for orchids, particularly the Pyrimad orchids, but arriving at the start, Nigel added an extra one just for himself, namely t test out his new walking boots.

All three objectives were attained, although it was a little disappointing to find that we were 30 metres or more away from the fenced off Little tern colony. Having said that we did get good views of the terns as one or two flew quite near to us and the noise from the colony could be clearly heard from some distance away.

Perhaps the surprises ound of the day came he pig-like squeals coming from the reeds as we had lunch on Presthaven Beach. This was the first time that some of the group had a Water rail calling from the reeds in this way.

As a walk with bird spotting on the vagenda, this proved to pretty good. The birds seen or heard today included: Little tern, Skylark, Meadow pipit, Linnet, Greenfinch, Carrion crow, Jackdaw, House sparrow, Lesser black back gull, Herring gull, Common blackbird, Sedge warbler, Cetti warbler, Common whitethroat, Common pheasant, woodpigeon, Little egret, Moorhen, Mute swan, Eurasian curlew, Barn swallow Oystercatcher, Winter wren Goldfinch, Common kestrel, and Black billed magpie.

If flowers had been on the agenda, this would have been a good walk as well, with two different orchids being spotted along with at least twenty other flowers seen.

We also came across three corpses - a shrew, hedgehog and the remains of a very unusal looking species ( see photo).

Overall a very enjoyable walk with everyone enjoying refreshments at the Britannia Inn at Halkyn. Lees bitter and G and T were drinks that reached the right spot for us!

It was great to get home to find my boots only had a little sand and shell bits in the tread - a five minute clean was all that was needed.

The Little Orme and Coed Gaer 6th May 2021

Distance: 7.7 miles. Climb: 1535'.

Little Orme Head, our first objective.

At the trig point on Little Orme Head.

The Chester Branch start their descent of the Little Orme Head.

At the top of Creigiau Rhiwledyn.

A male Wheatear in the Creigiau Rhiwledyn Quarry.

One of the Grey seals in Port DynDyniewaid today.

A Fulmar already sitting. 

The high tops of Snowdonia decked in the white stuff - taken from Mynydd Pant.

Early purple orchis seen on the south west of Coed Gaer.

Even a few Bluebells were spotted.

Time: 4 hours 37 minutes. On the move walking average: 2.1 m.p.h. Overall walk average:1.7 m.p.h.
Max temperature: 13.4 Celsius. Beaufort Wind Force: 0 - 3.Calm to gentle breeze.
Group: Martyn, Ed, Sue and Michel, Fran and David S.

This was the first walk that members of the group from both sides of the Wales / England border had been able to walk together.

It proved to be a good day for walking, pleasantly warm in the main, although the cool north westerly breeze meant we didn't linger on the top of Little Orme Head. 

Views from the trig point were superb, with the high tops of Snowdonia highlighted with a covering of the white stuff.

Not quite the best tme of the year for seeing Grey seals, but we did see four, two on the shingle beach at Porth Dyniewaid / Angel Bay and tw swimming in the sea neaby. However we did see a couple of rafts of seabirds quite close, probably Guillemots.

Birds seen or head today included: Jackdaw, House sparrow, Herring gull, Wheatear, Common blackbird, Greenfinch, Goldfinch, Fulmar, Great cormorant, Common whitethroat, Chiffchaff, Raven, Common pheasant, Black billed magpie and Great tit.

Lunch was taken on the north west side of Penrhynside, close to a play area, but with plenty of suitable perching spots for us to enjoy our lunch.

The last six portions of the 14 month fortified matured fruit cake were shared as a celebration of the group walking together for the first time this year. Other highlights of the walk including Spring flowers including: Early purple orhid, Cowslip, Bluebells and Dog violet. Butterflies included: Large white small white and Orange tip.

When given the opportunity to extend the walk slightly by following Bodfadon Road, I had no takers and we all took the short route back to the start. 

All we need to know now, did David S take his planned rout across the field from the Bodfadon Road, a field that had been covered with what we believe was "pig" manure and the unpleasant aroma we experienced at lunch. David messaged me, saying that the field path did no go through the guilty field!

Overall a very enjoyable walk, but not everything is back to normal, I had to enjoy va pint of Lees bitter on my own at the Blue Bell in Halkyn!