I met Marc Hughes at dawn this morning and took an early walk around his patch, the Great Orme, near Llandudno.
Sunrise on the Great Orme
Marc, walking his beloved patch
I had only visited the Great Orme a few times to observe some rare birds, and I didn't realise how vast the area was. We encountered numerous Meadow Pipits; we must have seen over 450 of them visually migrating across the Orme throughout the morning.
Meadow Pipit
Ring Ouzel
Chough
Wheatear
We left the Great Orme, and as we approached Conwy, Marc received news that an Osprey was flying out of the Conwy Valley. We were fortunate enough to see it as it flew over Conwy Castle. Our next stop was to check what we had caught in the moth trap and to enjoy a warm drink. I added two more Moths to my list.
Chestnut
Pine Beauty
Our next target species was the Emperor Moth, and Marc had identified a site for us near Penmaenmawr. Emperor moths are active in April and May, so we were optimistic about seeing one during their flight period. We set up three pheromone lures, and it wasn’t long before I spotted my first Emperor Moth. Fortunately, the moth settled on the heather, allowing me to take some photographs before it took off again.
Two more males came into the lures while I was photographing this beautiful moth, one that I had always wanted to see.
After a fantastic morning filled with memorable experiences, we finally wrapped up our time at the site and made our way home, our spirits high and smiles wide.
What a morning!