Martin Aaron
Blog posts in total 486
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RSPB: Feed the Birds Day
As the weather starts to cool down, RSPB Cymru are urging people to feed the birds and this weekend sees the launch of Feed the Birds Day, on Saturday 29 October. As the clocks go back and green leaves turn to golden brown, the extra food, water and shelter we provide for birds and other garden wildlife could make the difference between life and death. RSPB Cymru suggests calorie rich foods like mixed seed, nyjer seed and peanuts. Kitchen scraps are also good too - mild grated cheese, cooked rice and pasta, unsalted bacon and cooked potatoes will give birds the energy they need during the winter months. A supply of water is also essential for bathing and preening. Birds need to keep their feathers in top condition to ensure they insulate effectively and a dip in a clean bird bath is just what they need. Garden plants are important too and a few inexpensive wildlife friendly plants such as honeysuckle or bushes rich in fruit like rowan and hawthorn will provide extra food and shelter. Quick bird cake recipe: Melt or soften some suet or lard in a pan Mix in some or all of the following; seeds, nuts, dried fruits, finely chopped bacon rind Place in a container with some string threaded through so that half the string is inside the container and half outside (for example a plastic cup) Leave the mixture to cool Once hardened, hang up container by the string RSPB Cymru and volunteers will be holding several Feed the Birds Day events this weekend with activities such as bird cake making and nest box building. Here are a few around Wales: North Wales National Slate Museum Padarn Country Park on 27 - 28 October. Family activities and fundraising. Denbigh Plum Festival on Saturday 29 October; RSPB stand at the event offering advice. RSPB Glaslyn Osprey Site near Porthmadog will be holding daily family activities between 14 - 30 October. Fron Goch Garden Centre, Caernarfon Feed the Birds Day on Saturday 29 October at. Advice and information about how to feed your garden birds and how to attract them to your garden. Portmeirion - Feed the Birds Day / Woodland Feast on Tuesday 25 October and Wednesday 26 October from 11am - 3.30pm. Join RSPB staff for a fun day in the woodland and make bird feeders, enjoy a woodland walk, learn about woodlands and watch the birds on the feeders at the screen. Cost: Entrance fee to Portmeirion, check the website for discount offers. South WalesMargam Park on Tuesday 25 October RSPB West Glamorgan Local Group will be running activities encouraging the public to use binoculars to look at wildlife. Blooms Garden Centre in Cardiff on Saturday 29 and Sunday 30 October RSPB Cymru staff will be at on hand to give talks at 11am and 1pm on both days about how to attract birds to your garden, feeding garden birds, what flowers birds like etc. Mid WalesForestry Commission Wales Bwlch Nant yr Arian site near Ponterwyd - Saturday 29 October from 11am - 2pm. What's on my feeder event where children can learn to identify the birds they see on feeders and what they like to eat, make bird feeders, a talk on feeding the red kites at 2.30pm and watch the red kites get fed at 3pm. Cost: free (car park charges 拢1.50 apply). Age group: Families RSPB Lake Vyrnwy on Saturday 29 October join RSPB Cymru staff and volunteers to make feeders and bird cake 1pm - 3pm. Cost: children non-members 拢2.50, WEX and Phoenix members 拢1.50, special offer if you join the RSPB on the day, the event is free for the whole party
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October walking festivals
This year's Monmouthshire Walking Festival takes place from October 22 - 31October . The festival features a selection of 30 walks over 10 days, showcasing the best walks in Monmouthshire. The walks all vary in length and difficulty and are all led by qualified and experienced walkers. ...
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From another kingdom: Fungi
Despite a chill in the air, autumn is a great time for nature and not everything migrates or runs for cover. Beneath the damp, decaying leaves lie fungi in a variety of shapes, sizes and vibrant colours. Yesterday I attended a fungi walk at the National Botanic Gardens of Wales, followed ...
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Nation's favourite walk
The National Trust have enlisted eight celebrities, including the comedian Omid Djalili, the best selling crime-writer Val McDermid and Time Team's archaeologist Francis Pryor to find the nation's favourite walk. Representing Wales is celebrity weather presenter, Sian Lloyd who chose Powis ...
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Bridgend walking festival
Discover the best of Bridgend county on foot! This year's walking festival kicks off on Saturday and runs from 1 - 9 October, 2011. The festival offers a range technical walks for the experienced plus an eclectic mix of experiences for dabblers, families and novice walkers. Visitors can t...
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Atlantic Array: Bristol Channel wind farm proposal
Plans for a huge offshore wind farm in the Bristol Channel are to go on show to people across south and west Wales. Atlantic Array would be roughly 10 miles off south Wales and nearly nine miles off north Devon. Meanwhile, the first minister has reiterated his frustration that big onshore wind farm decisions are to be taken outside Wales. He warned that Welsh Government planning guidance had been overruled by Westminster. The turbines will be visible from the Gower, Pembrokeshire and north Devon coasts. Carwyn Jones, questioned by assembly members, said it meant large onshore wind farms could be built anywhere in Wales. A consultation on Atlantic Array has been held in Devon and the first of seven exhibitions in Wales opens in Porthcawl at the Grand Pavilion today. It is thought the development will cover an area of sea similar in size to the Isle of Wight. Developers claim it could provide the equivalent of more than 90% of the domestic electricity consumption needs of Wales. All this comes at a time when local councils and the Welsh Assembly are attempting to attract more tourism and watersports enthusiasts into south Wales. Plans are already in the pipeline for Swansea Bay to become a 'centre of watersports excellence' and feature sports such as sailing, canoeing, kayaking, rafting, surfing, rowing, windsurfing and kite-surfing. It will be very interesting to see how the proposed wind farm, spanning a large part of the Bristol Channel will effect local surfing and wind conditions at the surfing beaches in the area. South Wales currently serves a large population of surfers, windsurfers and kite-surfers who travel from far away, to enjoy the excellent wind and wave conditions found along this stretch of the coast with the M4 corridor making it easily accessible. A regeneration scheme is also going ahead in Porthcawl where a new Adrenaline Coast Festival gets under way next month (October 7-9). This includes a UK Pro surfing contest featuring 100 of the best UK surfers and a 拢2000 prize. Read more about the wind farm story on 成人论坛 News. Have your say in the comments box below.
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Live n Deadly Day at Margam Park
Meet Steve Backshall and the team as they bring the wild C成人论坛 TV show to Margam Country Park on Sunday, October 7. This is your chance to come face to face with amazing animals and have a go at fun adventure activities. The event is free but is ticket only, so you must register for tickets. The closing date for this process is September 25 so either register online or phone the 成人论坛 Ticket office for details on 0370 901 1227. *0370 calls cost no more than calls to 01 and 02 geographic numbers and are included in discount packages for both fixed-line and mobile phones. Please note your call may be recorded for training purposes. Might see some of you there. Find out more about 成人论坛 Live n Deadly Days Out
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Two new walking routes open
The Wales Coast Path nears completion, with two more walking routes being completed in Gwynedd and Chepstow. Taith Ardudwy Way covers 16 miles in south Gwynedd using existing footpaths and is said to take three days to complete across three sections. Meanwhile in the south, a 5.9 mile section from Chepstow, Monmouthshire snaking its way from Chepstow to the Severn Estuary has just opened. The Wales Coast Path is due to be completed by May 2012 and will link up 850 miles of walking routes along the Welsh coastline for everyone to enjoy. I've been lucky enough to have already walked some of the coast path whilst filming Weatherman Walking and it's a stunning addition to an already breathtaking landscape, right on our front doorstep (give or take a few miles). Read more on this story on 成人论坛 News Online.
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Wales Valleys Walking Festival
If you enjoy walking, then the South Wales Valleys are definitely for you. The Wales Valleys Walking Festival runs from September 3-18 so you still have time to take part in some amazing walks. There are plenty of walks to do, suitable for all ages and fitness levels but organisers recommend booking ahead to reserve your place by phoning (01443) 838632. It's worth downloading the Trekker Test on the website too, to find a walk that suits you. The 成人论坛 Wales Weatherman Walking team have done some lovely walks in the area so I can highly recommend it. Views over Treherbert on the Blaencwm walk for Weatherman Walking. The Blaencwm walk we covered for the last series had some breathtaking views and was surprisingly accessible; just a short drive from Swansea and Cardiff. Wales Valleys Walking Festival website
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Blast from the past
Archaeology seems to be having something of a resurgence of late, at least in the eyes of the media anyway - with televised digs popping up on every TV channel including the 成人论坛. Dr Alice Roberts (of 成人论坛 Coast fame) will be presenting Digging For Britain on 成人论坛 Two at 9pm on Fridays from 9 Sep...
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Fins off Pembrokeshire coast
Marine experts say that groups of fin whales are now returning to Welsh waters on an annual basis. The fin whale is the second largest living animal (growing up to 27 metres in length) after the blue whale and is an endangered species. Research by the Sea Trust indicates that pods of fin...
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Grey seal pups due
The first grey seal pups of the year are due any day now and luckily for us, Wales is one the best places in Europe to see them. Female grey seals start congregating at special sites, called rookeries, to give birth at the end of summer and beginning of autumn and already the first few have made it ashore. Richard Ellis of the National Trust said, "West Wales is home to 5,000 grey seals and their spread of pupping dates is wider than in any other breeding colony, although scientists are unsure why. Pups can be seen from September to December, with the most visible during October." A grey seal pup by 'Top Sausage Lobber' on Flickr. Despite their name, grey seal pups are born with a yellowish white coat and weigh 15 kilograms. During the two to three weeks they are suckled, the pups put on an incredible 1.4 kilograms in weight, every day. To ensure visitors to the Pembrokeshire coast don't disturb the seals, the National Trust have issued a few guidelines to follow: Keep well away from baby seals if you spot one on a beach, and keep dogs on the lead at all times. Baby seals are sometimes left unattended while their mothers are away feeding. They will return, so don't assume a lone pup has been abandoned. The RSPCA also offer some good advice on seal pups. Some grey seal facts: Grey seals are the largest breeding seals on our shores. Half the world's population of grey seals live in our waters. Seal milk is 60% fat so that the pup can put on as much blubber as quickly as possible. A grey seal bull can be twice the size of a cow, weighing in at as much as 300 kilograms and measuring up to 3.3 metres in length. Grey seals can dive to a depth of 70 metres to find food. Each seal needs around five kilograms of food a day and favourite foods include sand eels, herring, skate, cod and flatfish, but they will also eat lobster and octopus. The National Trust are offering special guided walks along the Marloes Peninsula to see the first seal pups on Friday, 26 August and Sunday, 4 September. For more information phone (01348) 837860 or visit the website www.nationaltrust.org.uk.
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Locals are lovin' it
A giant letter M, similar to the burger chain McDonald's logo, has mysteriously appeared on an island owned by TV writer and animal rights campaigner Carla Lane. Carla Lane is famed for a string of hit TV comedies in the 1970s and 80s including Butterflies, Bread and The Liver Birds. The...
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Nature events this weekend
Something for the weekend? Friday, 5 August at 8pm: Badger watch at Big Wood, Hendre. Meet at Royal Oak pub, Hendre (SJ 189672). Drinks at Royal Oak afterwards. Bring warm/waterproof clothing. Contact Jonathan Hulson on (07599) 102138 Saturday, 6 August from 2pm: Walk along the Dyserth ...
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National Marine Week
This week it's National Marine Week (30 July - 14 August) and The Wildlife Trusts will be celebrating everything that's great about our oceans - from basking sharks to puffins and everything in between. This year a 'Petition Fish' campaign is being launched in order to demonstrate public supp...
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Tickled pink at rare flamingo chick
A rare lesser flamingo chick hatched on Thursday, 21 July at the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust in Llanelli - only the second one to be hatched in captivity in the UK. The first lesser flamingo chick to be hatched in captivity was at Slimbridge, Gloucestershire in July 2006. The lesser flamingo egg was actually incubated by Caribbean or American flamingo to improve its chances of survival. The flock actually form a creche to care for their young, so the new arrival will receive better care staying with the Caribbean flock. Watch footage of the egg being incubated by Caribbean flamingo on You Tube. Read more about this story on 成人论坛 News.
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Firemen rescue feral stallion
Flickr regular Keith O'Brien has sent in these fantastic shots of a feral pony being rescued from Ardudwy Leat, near Trawsfynydd. This feral pony had no way of escaping the conduit. The Ardudwy Leat is a conduit which captures water from the headwaters of streams in the Eden basin and is roughly 10km long. Here is Keith's report: Firemen begin their rescue attempt using shields for protection. "Ostracized from the rest of the herd since February, this poor feral pony found himself in the Ardudwy Leat, near Trawsfynydd, North Wales (having probably jumped over one of the bridges) with no means of escape." Rescuing a wild pony requires plenty of man power. "He'd been there for at least a day but fortunately for him, the Fire Service came to his aid and did a great job in getting him out. He was soon back grazing with just a few minor grazes from his ordeal." Firemen, using a thick rope manage to haul the horse up and out of the water to freedom.
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Deathly blackcap
I woke up this morning and was busy putting out the recycling when I spotted and almost stepped on a juvenile, female blackcap lying on the path. I believe it to be a female as it had a light brown crown rather than the darker, chestnut brown found on the males. I hoped it was just stunned...
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BTO Cymru launch at the Royal Welsh
If you get a chance, try and visit some of the conservation tents on site here at the show. All the big players are here including the WWF, RSPB, CCW, BTO and more - all of which are being manned by helpful and willing staff, keen to enlighten you on the state of nature and the environment in Wa...
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Chainsaw art
There is so much to see and do here at the Royal Welsh that it's difficult to know what to write about but I'm finding the most interesting exhibits by simply wondering around and discovering them quite randomly (for example chainsaw wood carving, sheepdog geese-herding and a giant robot quoting lines from famous movies). Late afternoon on Monday, I bumped into Simon Hedger who was busily hacking up large blocks of wood with a petrol chainsaw and turning them into something wondrous. Simon with one of his wooden creations Simon informed me that he'd been sculpting with wood for many years but had only turned his hand to using a chainsaw over the last five or six years. It was at the Welsh Wood Festival in 2004 that Simon was first introduced to chainsaw carving whilst hand carving a wooden totem. He soon realised he could carve much larger sculptures and also enter carving competitions all over the world and the rest, as they say, is history. Heledd Walters from Swansea, tries out Simon's version of a double bass. It's all quite incredible really when you look at what he's creating: intricate wooden sculptures, miniature wooden tractors, drums, ornate chairs etc and he's not shy about playing his wooden instruments either! A small chainsaw carved wooden tractor. It didn't take too much encouragement for him to blast out a tune on his double-bass hybrid and bang his homemade drum sticks all over a tree-drum installation. James might pop down with his microphone later and record some of Simon's instruments in action. So, if you're passing the axe men display (well worth a look), check out Simon's space opposite and see what he's creating today. The cut and stitches on his head were caused by a falling teepee on day one though and not by his chainsaw!