Two Bluebell Walks Around Whitford 17th April 2019

Walk 1: 

Whitford, Coed Ffriddoedd, Coed y Garreg, Glol, Llyn Helyg Wood, Crown Bach wood and Coed Pen-y-Gelli.

Lambs taking the shade.

Lapwing South east of Plas-uchaf, Whitford.

Teal South east of Plas-uchaf, Whitford.

Bluebells in Coed Ffriddoedd.

Wood anenome in Coed y Garreg.

Willow warbler singing in Coed y Garreg.

The watch tower in Coed y Garreg..

Hazy views of the Glop.

Views from our lunch spot on the North side of Crown Bach.

Yes that is where the stile should be.

Walk stats: Distance: 7.5 miles. climb: 611'.

time: 4 hours 3 minutes. On the move walking average: 2.2 m.p.h. Overall walk average: 1.8 m.p.h.group: Martyn and Ed.

This was a good day for walking, pleasantly warm and dry, but distant views remained hazy all day.

 This was the first of our Bluebell wood walks in 2019, yes they were there, but not in their full glory. Last year we were a little late, this year we were a little too early.

 Nevertheless Spring flowers were well represented including: Bluebell, Wood anemone, Green alkanet, Periwinkle, Daisy, Dandelion, Self heal, Lesser celandine, cowslip, Hawthorn and Gorse.

 As we contoured around the Glol Nature Reserve, we had our best Bluebells so far, but they would still be a lot better in a couple of weeks time. however the Glol did provide us we our best sightings of butterflies, including: Peacock, Red admiral and Painted lady.

  We decided to miss out the circuit of Llyn Helyg, but even finding the right path South east towards Crown Bach didn't prove easy.

 Lunch was taken on the East side of Crown Bach, where a fallen tree provided good seating. We enjoyed lunch, at the same time considering how e would get round the fact that the tree trunk in which we were sitting had also fallen across the stile that we wanted to cross.

 Fortunately there was another stile a little further along the fence to the East.

 Coed Pen  y-Gelli did have a few Bluebells in bloom, but hopefully they will be better next week when we return.

Birds seen or heard: Common blackbird, Chiffchaff, Willow warbler, Rook, Jackdaw, Blue tit, Great tit, Blackcap, Winter wren, Woodpigeon, Eurasian jay, Carrion crow, European robin, Common buzzard, Mallard, Shelduck and Grey heron and Common chaffinch.

We arrived back at the car quite early, so we decided on and extension that explored the are North east of Whitford.

Walk 2: 

Whitford, Rhewl Mostyn and Whitford Wood.

The bridleway leading North east to the Rhewl Mostyn road.

Speckled wood on the bridleway.

Drybridge Lodge.

Bluebells in Whitford Wood.

Hungry lambs in a field South of Whitford Wood.

Walk stats: Distance: 2.7 miles. Climb: 130'.

Time: 1 hour 13 minutes. On the move walking average: 2.6 m.p.h. Overall walk average: 2.2 m.p.h.

 This pleasant stroll in fact provide our best Bluebell sightings in Whitford Wood, as well as contributing to the need to clean our boots when we got home.

 The unusual feature of the day was the Drybridge Lodge, that has the unusual feature of a road beneath it and a carriageway through it that went from Mostyn Hall to Whitford.

 addition butterflies seen included: Speckled wood and Small white.

 Birds seen on this section included: Common blackbird, Common chaffinch, House sparrow, Winter wren, European robin, Greenfinch and Common buzzard.

 Overall a good day walking in warm temperatures that must have reached the high teens.