Another well supported trip, 50 people this time on the coach for Wales. Our targets were the woodland birds and especially Wood Warbler, Pied Flycatcher, Redstart and Tree Pipit.

This was our first visit to this Welsh reservoir for some time. On our last visit it had rained constantly, but on this visit the sun shone all day. We concentrated on the woods as all the 'normal' (non birding) trippers seem to stay around the reservoir. On our way along the path, before we reached the woods proper we found a Garden Warbler in a tree right out in the open and a Common Sandpiper was seen near the river.

Woodland sites are not the best places for large parties and this became apparent when the front of the group soon found a Pied Flycatcher. By the time the people at the back had got to it the bird had flown. Soon after we did all get to see a singing Wood Warbler and shortly after a male Redstart that was perched on top of a Pine tree. I think this was the only Redstart seen during the visit. We climbed to an area we had been told was good for Raptors and settled down to have our lunch, as soon as we were settled a Peregrine appeared and put on a show for us. It made low passes over the group and then soared high, before swooping down again. Magic.

Also here a Tree Pipit was displaying from a small tree, it was flying up and parachuting down all the time we were there.

After lunch we had a 'yomp' up one of the steepest hills I have ever seen this worried one of the organisers as we had several people in the party who suffered from heart trouble! Anyway everyone managed it safely and we went on to see a few more birds, these included Willow Warblers, Chiffchaff, Coal Tit, Crossbill and Spotted Flycatcher. As we had some time left after the completing the circuit some of the group went back to the place Pied Flycatchers had been seen, it looked as if we were going to be disappointed again but just as we were about to leave a male came right out into the open. Buzzards were seen almost everywhere in fact the group had seen double figures of them before we arrived at the reserve, but while at Lake Vyrnwy we had seen them very close.