Pembrokeshire Coastal Path

The Pembrokeshire Coast Path runs for 186 miles along the coast and part of it goes from Abeireddy on to Porthgain, this is the only part of it we walked. It's said that you could walk it in one go taking about 10-15 days but the rate we walk it would take us at least double this!!

Walking along from the Blue Lagoon there is a hidden away beach, Traeth Llyfn, which has rock pools, sand and beautiful sea............and a lot of steps to get down to it!

The cliff tops were covered in butterflies - Painted Ladies, Wall, Gatekeeper, Meadow Brown, Blues.......

I think these are all Common Blue

A rather worn out Painted Lady

A less worn out Painted Lady!

Meadow Brown

Small Copper

Gatekeeper

Peacock

Meadow Brown

......and birds - Linnets, Meadow Pipits, Wheatear, Stonechats, Gulls, Raven, Crows, Sparrows and Oystercatchers, though we heard those long before we managed to spot them.

Oystercatchers

Linnet

Meadow Pipit

Wheatear

House Sparrows

Plenty of other insects buzzed around, lots of Bees, Crickets/Grasshoppers, Shield Bugs and Beetles

Pied Hover Fly?

Meadow Grasshopper?

Field Grasshopper

Sawfly?

Hairy Shieldbug

We walked on to Porthgain - lots more steps down to it and they were having a local 5 a side tournament so it was quite busy. The lady we rented the cottage from had recommended The Shed - the local Fish and Chip shop here but in the end we weren't really in the mood for fish so decided on lunch in The Sloop Inn instead, lovely big plates of food and a nice cold drink! We got ice creams for the walk back and had to eat them quickly as it was so warm. 

I've got to say the walking is fine, I can walk for hours usually but throwing in all the steps today was painful, my poor calves!! It was all worth it though. 

The view looking away from the sea

and towards it

So our little bit of the Coastal Walk took us a good few hours and it was just beautiful. I'd love to go back to walk other parts of it some day.

St Aidan's & Fairburn

Last Sunday we spent the day in the at St Aidan's and then Fairburn. Another good day weather wise though the rain had left things muddy and still flooded in places. But we're used to that!

At St Aidan's there'd been Whimbrels spotted but we dipped on those however my husband did find a Black-tailed Godwit hiding behind a couple of Mallards, my first one in a while.

We could hear Bitterns booming all around, some seemed really close but of course we didn't see any sign of any. We did see lots of Reed Bunting, Gadwall, Gulls, Pochard, Lapwing, Little & Great Crested Grebe amongst others.

Chiffchaff where calling too. Overhead we saw Buzzard and Kestrel and up in the trees on the hillside a Green Woodpecker. A Hare ran up the hill and there were quite a few geese on it. Around the paths lots of Meadow Pipit plus Skylarks and a Wheatear.

At Fairburn the sight from the Kingfisher screen.......a Heron in a tree!

Instead of going around the coal tips we walked down the lake trail instead, only as far as the Bob Dickens hide though. We spotted a pair of Blackcaps in the trees and again could hear Chiffchaff all around.

From the hide we saw several Great Crested Grebe, Gulls, Gadwall and a few Mallard.

The sun was out by now and off to the side of the hide a couple of Brimstone butterflies were flying around.  They were too quick for the camera though, so was this Ladybird that was disappearing round the back of the stem.

This Chiffchaff was singing at the very top of the tree by the visitors centre.

It was t-shirt weather by the time we were leaving.....finally a hint of spring, maybe even summer!