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pameladean's entry mentioning herons reminded me that I saw a pair of red kites on the way home from Caerleon. I normally drive straight up the A470, but G decided that he wanted to go the pretty way and so after Rhaedr he directed me to turn left at the next roundabout and take the road leading to Aberystwyth. Some miles on, flying above a copse and settling into the top of a tall tree, were two red kites. At one time red kites were some of the rarest birds in Britain and down to a handful of breeding pairs. Despite being guarded, their reproductive success was extremely poor. Then the appearance of German female brought some new blood into the population and from then on the birds have never looked back; they are now easy to spot if you know where to look. I've seen them before at the Cwmystwyth Lead mine (once the biggest lead mine in the world) and also spotted them while driving along the coast road from Aberaeron to Aberystwyth.
They really are beautiful and glide over the hills, covering the ground with a wonderful economy.
