Thursday, 5 October 2017

√Wales

With a very poor weather forecast for Halifax this week, we decided to have a few days in Wales.

Sunday 1st October, 2017

We set off to Tenby and arrived and found a Caravan Park by 5pm (ish).
Just time to park up and walk down through the woods to the town for a meal in a pub.
A bit of a hairy walk home thorough the woods, in pitch black, for a mile or so - guess who forgot the torch?

Monday  2nd October 2017.

Tenby - Saundersfoot - Wiseman's Bridge - Saundersfoot.

We followed the Pembrokeshire Coastal Path to Wiseman's Bridge.

There must have been some heavy rain here, prior to our arrival, as the path was very, very muddy and slippy with the usual BIG UP's and BIG DOWN's that is par for the course along the coast here.

Birds:-

Approaching Saunderfoot a large Pipit was slipping and sliding down the rocks on the beach.
I thought it was too big for a Meadow Pipit.
Rock Pipit came to mind but I didn't think the plumage was dark enough and the legs were the wrong colour.
Looking through my bird books it may have been a Rock Pipit - Scandinavia sp. - but I'll never know.

Still looking at Pipit's and scratching my head!

I got a fair decent picture of the bird though.
20 plus Swallow and a few House Martin were seen along the walk.
Great Black-backed Gull, Cormorant, Herring Gull, Heron.
A few, very distant, Terns that were not Sandwich Terns but I did not know their call. The picture is poor.


Tuesday 3rd October, 2017.

We left the caravan site today and drove to Pembroke.
A pretty little place with a Big Castle and a picturesque walk along the moat / pond.

There were over 15 Little Grebe here.
They were in silhouette  so there may have been a Grebe other that a Little Grebe in the mix - could not say.
Also lots of Swan, Grey Wagtail, Coot, Moorhen.

We had lunch in 'The Drifter' cafe.
The place had small towns and lighthouses made out of rough driftwood dotted about the place.
A local gentleman made them as a hobby - none were for sale.
My favourite was a rough looking piece of driftwood depicting a lighthouse in storm - magic.

From Pembroke we drove to St. David's where the gale finally caught up with us.
The smallest city in the UK.
St David's sits slightly inland on a rocky outcrop with very narrow lanes leading down to beaches - a bit awkward for the motorhome, especially when you meet the large RLNI lorry on a tight bend.

After St. David's we went found ourselves near Cardigan Island and found a Caravan Site for the night.
'Cardigan Island Coastal Farm Park' had a cafe and gift shop, Pygmy Goats, llamas, Kune Kune pigs and a lot of strong wind a blowing.

We got there a 5pm and just had time for a walk along the high coast to the end near the island.

We were pleased to see 4 Atlantic Grey Seals but the hoped for Choughs were not located (2 Choughs had been seen earlier in the day).

A large contingent of Canada Geese, Linnet and Herring Gull.

Wednesday 4th October, 2017.

We had call at Redditch (West Midlands) today - a long drive.
I looked at the map, but in the end decided to leave the route to the Sat Nav - big error!

The Sat Nav took us back up to Camarthen then Swansea. Neath, Merthyr Tudfil, Abergaveny, Monmouth, Ross-on-Wye, M50 & M5 a long, long way.

After Redditch we went to the Riverside Caravan Park at Stratford-upon-Avon where there is a smashing Cafe /  Resturant over looking the river.

Thursday 5th October, 2017.

Home day today but we did manage a look around Stratford and a walk along the river by the caravan Park where there was a distant Buzzard and an even more distant Raven.

A few pics:-







My Rock Pipit Pics









'Tern Pics'























The Riverside Restaurant












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