The listing of other species was well under way as we left Nottingham and an early sighting was that of a Kingfisher, spotted on a pipe over the River Soar. Lapwings displaying over a field and the first Buzzard of the trip held our interest until we reached our first stop, the RSPB reserve at Highnam Woods near Gloucester. Here there was some shelter from the strong breeze and that elusive bird the Jay put in an appearance. Chiffchaff and Great Spotted Woodpecker soon followed and, though we could hear a Nightingale, the bird was in deep cover and remained unseen.

As we walked down the grassy rides a large raptor appeared. First thoughts were Buzzard but the shape of the wings and the long tail showed it to be a Goshawk, one of the specialties of the reserve. Blackcap, Tree Creeper and another local resident the Marsh Tit went on the ever growing list. Too soon it was time to leave and we headed down the Severn Estuary. As we passed through one village sharp eyes spotted a Hobby keeping pace with us at no more that housetop level whilst on the estuary Shelduck and Little Egret were welcome additions.

We pressed on over the Welsh border and it was near Carmarthen when the cry of "Red Kite on the right!" woke any who had been tempted to have a nap. Soon afterwards we were negotiating the narrow streets of Tenby to the Clarence House Hotel on the seafront. The hotel had magnificent views towards Caldey Island and several of us had rooms with a balcony so that we could set up scopes. This we did and Fulmar, Gannet and Manx Shearwater were taking advantage of the breezy conditions.

 At dinner time our group was described on the seating plan as 'Mrs Goodwin's Ramblers!' Though we do tend to ramble on at times, especially in committee meetings, this was perhaps taking things too far. After a good dinner the party split up, some for a short walk, returning in time for 'happy hour' at the hotel whilst others went a little further, a stiff uphill walk taking us to a viewpoint on the Pembroke Coast Path. We temporarily lost three members of this group but all were found and most were glad to repair to the Hope and Anchor for liquid refreshment. On the way a Yellow-legged Gull was seen on the side of the inner harbour, an excellent last bird of the day. Then it was back to the hotel, though a couple of members with an insatiable appetite for chips were a little later returning.

The next morning dawned sunny but breezy. With the exception of three members who decided on a trip to Caldey Island we were bound for the Kenfig National Nature Reserve near Port Talbot. The early walkers had already added Skylark, Bullfinch and Whitethroat to the trip list and during the journey a Raven put in an appearance. Kenfig is a large reserve, mostly composed of impressive sand dunes of the type that the ignorant wish to turn into golf courses. There is also a large lake and a section of sea shore so hopes were high that a good variety of species would be seen. Over the lake Swallows, Sand Martins and House Martins hawked for insects whilst Reed Buntings sang from the tops of bushes. On the water were Great Crested Grebes and Mallards, joined later by a few Canada Geese.

Away from the lake the path through the dunes produced Kestrel, Linnets, Meadow Pipits, Curlew and Dunlin, the latter in the dune slacks where a little moisture had gathered. The sunny day had tempted some butterflies onto the wing, including a few exquisite Small Blues with their blue-brown wings edged with white. There were patches of Early Purple Orchids and the tiny pale lemon and yellow Field Pansy.

The sea shore proved a productive area, especially the rocky outcrops of Sker Point where Turnstone, Whimbrel, Ringed Plover and Wheatear were seen. Sanderling and Knot were on the shore and Arctic Skua passed along the coast. Turning back into the dunes a Tree Pipit and a few pairs of Stonechat were sighted. Brimstone and Small Heath butterflies were enjoying the sunshine as we made our way back to the Visitor Centre, realizing just how large the reserve is. At the centre a class in nest box building was under way, demonstrating the importance of spreading conservation work to people who might not have given it too much thought. The size of the reserve meant that at departure time we were not all accounted for but the stragglers were located and we were able to arrive back at the hotel in plenty of time. Those who had chosen to visit Caldey were thwarted by rough seas but were still able to add to the trip list when they saw a Peregrine as it flew through Tenby.

After dinner a small group, on my suggestion, intended visiting Pembroke where, from a waterside pub, Otters were reported to have been seen. Accordingly we gathered on Tenby station to discover, from the departure of fairies and the arrival of St Trinian's girls, that Tenby's reputation as one of the hen night capitals of Britain was not unfounded. This exposure to the local wildlife was something of an eye opener for those members of the group who are not visitors to Nottingham on a weekend evening. The train arrived and, courtesy of a broken ticket machine, we enjoyed a free trip to Pembroke. The birder never sleeps and the cry of "Moorhen" as we passed a small pond woke up the bemused locals.

At the Waterman's Arms we settled at a long table on decking overlooking the Mill Pool to await events. There were plenty of Mute Swans and Mallards and A Grey Heron flew in but no Otters appeared. A local tried to persuade us that none had been seen for some time, contrary to the information I had received, and eventually we gave up, returning to the station for the train back to Tenby. Here the conductor gave us a party rate as seniors, a move which pleased everyone financially though the younger members of the group were not quite so delighted!

The early birds added Pheasant and Sandwich Tern to the list before breakfast, after which we set off for the Welsh Wildlife Centre near Cardigan. This involved going over the high ground of the Mynydd Preseli, the source of the blue stones at Stonehenge. On the tops we saw a raptor we were not expecting, which we tentatively identified as an Osprey. On arrival at the Centre, one of the first things we were told was "You should have been here yesterday, we had an Osprey!" The reserve here covers a wide variety of habitats from hanging oak woods to open grazing grazed by Water Buffalo, reed beds, ponds and creeks and part of the Afon Teifi. Footpaths of varying lengths take you through different sections so your walk can be as short or as long as you wish.

I decided to try the oak woods first and was soon rewarded with the sight of a male Redstart. Chiff Chaff, Blackcap and Jay were also seen and once more Nightingale was heard, in what must be the west of its range. Another path took us on a short walk hoping to see roosting Tawny Owls though we were too late, though they had been seen by other members of the group a little earlier.

We now started on the long trail round the grazing and reed bed areas. At one point we could hear the reeling call of the Grasshopper Warbler but it remained hidden, though as we looked a Great Spotted Woodpecker flew past. Other members reported seeing Spotted Flycatcher but we were not successful and a particularly loud Cetti's Warbler also escaped observation. In the reed beds both Sedge and Reed Warblers appeared as they flew over the reeds, whilst Shelduck probed the mud of the Teifi estuary.

As we approached the Centre we heard that Richard and Tammy, our driver and his wife, had seen three Otters in the river. This had caused a stampede by members to the spot in the Teifi gorge where the sighting had occurred and, to their delight, several other group members had seen the Otters. Unfortunately a group from the Mad Canoeing Company had come downstream and disturbed them so they had disappeared. The gorge had other delights, with Dipper and nesting Ravens present. Keith and I heard about these quite late in the afternoon but we made a lung bursting walk over the steep and narrow paths to see them. When we returned we found that the group had, between them, managed to see a wide variety of birds including Nightingale, Garden Warbler and Nuthatch. All were agreed that this is a most lovely reserve though opinion was split as to whether it was superior to my personal favourite, the RSPB reserve at Ynys Hir.

That evening it was time for a final stroll and a stop for refreshment, though Graham fell foul of Sunday closing times after scouring Tenby for a last bag of chips.

Time to go and after breakfast and a goodbye from our hostess who, to recover, was off for a holiday in South Africa, we set off for home. On the way we were due to call at the new RSPB reserve at Newport. This proved to be very badly signposted from the west but we did eventually arrive on another sunny but blustery day. We were barely off the coach when we saw a Lesser Whitethroat by the reserve car park. Past the state of the art Visitor Centre we saw that the reserve was still in an early state of development but the birds didn't seem to mind and we spent some time trying to see a Cetti's Warbler, a task accomplished when the bird flew from one bush to another.

The reserve is linked to an area under the auspices of the Welsh Wildlife Trust which had been opener in the year 2000. This land had been given to the trust in exchange for other land needed as a site for works associated with the still to be built Cardiff Bay Barrage. This new land consisted of an extensive reed bed flanked at either end by woodland and bounded to the Severn Estuary. The islands of Flat Holm and Steep Holm could be seen in the distance. The trip list was suffering from a shortage of ducks and waders so we were pleased to walk out on floating pontoons to see Tufted Duck, Little Grebe and Pochard on the open water. On the estuary there were Curlew, Redshank and Whimbrel whilst Little Egret, Reed Bunting and Reed Warblers kept to the reeds.

A cunning piece of deception by a Carrion Crow led several group members to call "Marsh Harrier" but we had to admit we had been fooled when it came closer. In the woods at the far end of the reeds we saw Song Thrush, Long Tailed Tits, Chaffinch and Goldfinch. A circuit having been completed several of us headed for the café for hot soup and a drink and, as birders do everywhere, to swap news of sightings. The most interesting concerned Bearded Tits so after refreshment we set out for the reported location. We had barely arrived at a point where the reeds met open water when two small orange balls shot across the path and down into the reeds. Further observation eventually provided brief sightings of five other 'beardies'.

Our trip was now nearly over but it was not too late for one more sighting as a Green Woodpecker flew out from a tree as the coach made its way up the narrow lanes towards the main road. We had enjoyed a very good holiday with some surprising omissions. For example no one had seen a Black-headed Gull and though we had heard the Cuckoo it had escaped visual identification. The final total of species was a hundred and one with Sandra keeping up the tradition of female success by winning the sweepstake. Thanks to you all for your efforts but especially to Jan and Dave for organizing such a splendid holiday and to Richard and Tammy who, as driver and courier, had worked hard to make the journeys stress free. I know Jan is already thinking about next year. Any suggestions?