Witch's Whiskers and the Monks Trod Part II

 I forgot to say yesterday, but the Witch's Whiskers are the name given at the Nature Reserve to the grey moss found on trees round here - I had identified it as Oak Moss but prefer Witch's Whiskers!!  Apparently there are 140 different types of moss on the Reserve at Gilfach.

At this spot on the river is a wooden viewing point and we saw a pair of Dippers hunting for insect larvae in the water.  They nest nearby . . .

I couldn't resist lots of river photos . . .  Towards the end of the year, there will be Salmon leaping up the river to spawn.

Gilfach is a locally unique mixture of habitats for wildlife - from high moorland to enclosed meadow oak woodland to rocky upland river.  (I quote the Reserve page on Visitwales here).  On the Gilfach homepage it mentions it being home to 413 species of litchen, 55 breeding bird species, and 6 species of bat (they are very much at home in the nearly-blocked up tunnel (enough room for bats to come and go).

Though you can't see them in this view, some of the fields had huge grassy tussocky anthills which would certainly attract Green Woodpeckers.

Gilfach was for centuries a working hill farm. This was the farmhouse - an old longhouse with the living accommodation for the farmer  to the left of that door below the bigger of the dormer windows, and to the right the beasts were kept.  There is now a display about the wildlife on the Reserve, and the upper half of the split stable door was left open with battens across, to allow Swallows access to nest.  Because of Covid it's not open at the moment, but hopefully will be later in the year.  The farmland was never improved with chemicals and so is as it always has been, and its diverse habitat supports much wildlife.  HERE is a link so you can look up some of the inhabitants.

The Tussock Grass shows this was rather sour wet ground, but what wasn't much good for farming is good for wildlife now.

Wherever we looked, the scenery was amazing.

The last little bit - a track beside the cutting where the Mid Wales railway line used to be.  We'll go back.  I can't wait to see the birdlife, butterflies and wild flowers this summer.  But not today, when there are 50 mph + gusts and heavy sideways rain.  Not much fun but the land DOES need a good watering.