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When? Started: 1993 Who? Started with staff and friends from U H S, Chester. Organiser: Martyn Harris We walk every Wednesday and Saturdays, New Years day and May Day. How many walk? Walks take place as long as there are at least 2 wanting to walk on that day. More walk on a Wednesday than on a Saturday. Most ever: 29. Current group size walking: 2-10 in mid-week and 2-4 on Saturday. Where do we walk? Saturday: Anywhere in North and Mid-Wales, Peak District, Shropshire and the Long Mynd and as far North as the Trough of Bowland. Thursday: Anywhere within about 40 miles of Chester. Type of walk: Distance: 6 – 14 miles (but usually under 10 miles). Climb: up to 4000’ (but usually very much less!). People involved on walks in 2020:- Martyn Harris, Fran Murphy, Sue and Michel Pelissier, Mike Dodd, David Savage, Wendy Peers, Celia de Mengle, Wendy and Ian Peers, Roger Smith, Paul Collinson, Ed Meads, Nigel and Elaine Taylor, Celia de Mengle, Sue Pearson.

Sunday 19 June 2016

Wylfa, Cemlyn Bay and Carmel Head 18th June 2016

A view we weren't expecting to see - Porth Wnal and Wylfa Head.
Porth-y-pistyll.
The gateway to Cemlyn Bay.
Cemlyn Bay.
Sandwich tern taking a dislike to the Black-headed gull and this chick.
Sounds from the tern colony.
Inside Llanbadrig church near Tyn Llan.
Emerging from Llanbadrig church.
One of the seals seen today.
One of the Red breasted mergansers on the sea near Hen borth.
Two White ladies and a one man at Carmel Head.
A pair of Shelduck and seven of their ten ducklings.
A Brown hare, South of Neuardd.
Catch me if you can.
Walk stats: Distance: 11.0 miles. Climb: 903'.
Time: 7 hours 15 minutes. On the move walking average: 2.2 m.p.h. Overall walk average: 1.5 m.p.h.
Group: Martyn and Mike.
This was almost the perfect day for walking, pleasantly warm and occasionally a gentle breeze to ensure that it didn't feel too warm.
 We start off by heading through the Nature Reserve, expecting to pick up a path that took you through the grounds of the power station, and initially arrived at a view point overlooking Porth Wnal and Wylfa Head. We couldn't find the path we had used last time and ended up walking along the access road of the power station where we shouldn't have been. It was only later that we found that the footpath had been closed while work was being done. In order to accommodate this work the path from the power station to Simdda-wen was fenced off so there was no doubt as to where you should walk,
 Walking along  the coast are always enjoyable, especially on days like this when sea seems blue and the rocky coastline is intermingled with pebbled beaches. There is almost something special seeing yachts sailing gently across the blue water when messing about in boats must be good fun.  A bonus today was seeing Grey seals off shore as we had lunch in the bay off Hen Borth. At first we thought it was only one, but on closer look to one of the rocky islands there were several basking in the Sun. 
 Today watching the activity around the tern colony at Cemlyn Nature Reserve was a special treat, admiring the many Sandwich terns returning with fish in their beaks.
 Another special treat was tow see Sand martins nesting in the cliffs near where we had lunch, a sight that we don't see very often on our walks.
 Flowers as well as birds were the order of the day, everywhere we went Foxgloves were in flower with lots of bees visiting them.
 We even visited a delightful Llanbadrig church near Tyn Llan farm.
 The furthest-most point of our walk today was the two White Ladies, warning of the dangers of Carmel Head. Although our return route involved a fair bit of road, they were only narrow country lanes and it was along one of these lanes that we spent ten minutes or so watching two Brown hares chasing each other.
 We arrived back at the car over seven hours later, having had a leisurely walk enjoying the scenery, flora and forna of this beautiful area of Anglesey.
 Birds seen or heard today included: Raven, Common blackbird, House sparrow, Chaffinch, Common whitethroat, Herring gull, Great black-backed gull, Black-headed gull, Common tern, Arctic tern, Sandwich tern, Winter wren, Carrion crow, Red-billed chough, Common buzzard, Sand martin, Shelduck, Red-breasted merganser, Grey heron, Common coot, Willow warbler, Oystercatcher, Rook.Great cormorant and Jackdaw,
 After walk drinks were enjoyed at the Blue Bell Inn at Halkyn, where Weetwood's Oregon Pale went down well as did the Gwynt-y Draig, Haymaker cider.
 Overall a great day out, even if the chippy was closed by the time a got home after 20-30!

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