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Hill Walking and at Home

I had a day in South Wales this week. Parking in the Blaenavon World Heritage Site at the Keepers Pond. I took the steep path down into the head of Cwm Llanwenarth to pick up the route of Hill's Tramroad. This is quite an impressive piece of engineering for 1820 cut into the side of the valley after tunnelling from Blaenavon.
In the photo you can see the tramroad cut into the hillside. In places the stone sleepers are still clearly visible despite being disused since 1860.
At the site of Garnddyrys Forge there were abundant meadow pipits and the occasional robin. I had heard other small birds in gorse bushes which were careful to stay invisible. Garnddyrys is noted for the formations of iron slag. The most spectacularly architectural were vandalised some years ago but some still remain.
Following the tramroad one thing that startled me was a red kite, the first that I have seen in this part of Wales although I have since been informed that they have reached as far as Usk. Unlike the Chilterns however, buzzards were still by far the most common birds of prey. What was impressive was a tree covered in mistletoe which deserves a visit at Christmas.
The head of the incline to the canal is easily missed as the tramway continues a little further, presumably for empties waiting for horses from the loaded waggons. Then you suddenly realise that you are no longer walking on stone sleepers and the path drops rapidly taking you round the side of the mountain to the Punch Bowl. This is a quite heartbreakingly beautiful spot with a man made pond in a glacial cwm (remember your O level geography?). By this point I could have done with a cup of tea and a slice of bara brith but instead I had a steep climb up to the road and a slog back to the car park with the sun in my eyes all the way. Apart from a few buzzards there wasn't much to see and the timing was such that I was too late for the cafe in the Blaenavon visitor centre and had to make do with Starbucks at Monmouth Services.

At home we had one treat with a hen brambling among a group of chaffinches. She didn't come to the feeders, luckily the spotting scope was ready beside the window so I could have a clear look and identify her.
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