Stackpole Estate Wales

Back from Scotland with the boys. Going on holiday with my wife Jean to Pembrokeshire now, it will not be a birding one, but if the opportunity comes along we will do some birding and nature watching.

While out on a drive we come across Stackpole lake estate, it is run by the National trust now, we drive down to the car park to find out what is there,when we find out there are all kinds of different trails to take and we can take our dog Holly on a lead with us we set off on the trail to Stackpole head.

We set off over some grassy hills it is about a mile when it starts to get a bit rocky, but still a path so alright to walk along. we have to cross over  Barafundle beach said to be the most beautiful beach in Wales. Not a big beach but really nice,  now the cliffs come into view, on reaching the edge I look over and see the sea awash with Kittiwait, Guillemot, and on the cliffs were loads of Razobill.  Jean has never seen a Razorbill so great for her to see. I Think we have done well and am pleased we came, it is really lovely scenery. We sit about for a while when I spot 5 Puffins flying towards us this is fantastic as I really wanted Jean to see them, I talk about Puffins when I come back from Skomer Island, and now she know's why we make such a fuss about this wonderful bird.

We have to go now so we set off feeling that we have had a really nice 5 hours or so, as we go back over the hills we get another first for Jean when a nice Red Kite flies over our heads.
We are well pleased as we head back to the car,when Jean says what is that sitting on that post over there, it is really near to us and it turns out to be a common Buzzard, not a bad day as it was not a planned birding trip.

As we get near to the car we smell bacon cooking and head towards the smell, we find the boathouse cafe. we sit in the cafe garden with the dog who is in need of a drink of water as we had run out on the walk. Two big bacon rolls are eaten and a mug of tea for me & a cup for Jean, and I buy us a massive slice of carrot cake and a cream scone, now this scone is so big I have enough to feed the dog a little treat as well, and if you knew me I don't give cream scone away easily . If you ever vist here this is a must.

Next day we decide to go back and do the lake walk.

This is a lilly pond walk and it is claimed to be the home of the Lady of the lake from where King Arthur claimed his sword Excalibur. .

We walk down one side of the lake, we see 2 Kingfishers fishing, always a great sight to see.


Holly

 Also a few Dragonflys I don't know what they are but nice to see, we carry on and get to the end and find Broadhaven beach nice but we have come to see the Otters and have not seen them at all, we stay a while to rest up as our old legs are tired, we have brought a picnic with us today so this is a good time to eat. Refreshed Jean thinks we should try to go back the other side round the lake, I am not sure about it because I tend to get lost easy, but we do it and we only go 50 yds or so and I see some thing in the middle of the lake, I at first think it is just a big log, but then 2 OTTERS start to jump out of the water and start to play and swim about we get great views. I call out to a group of people we had passed to tell them we had found the Otters, when they see them they tell me that they had been 4 times and never seen them and they could not thank me enough for telling them, I feel good as I am never the one to spot anything, when I am out with Brian & Jimmy they are too quick to see everything  I don't get a chance to be first, they call me lazy, but it is not really true it is they are much better  than me.

Now we need to get back to the car, I said I was not sure about going another way and we end up lost.
It takes us 2 hours to go through a forest with not a soul in sight, but we do see 3 Goldcrest and a male Bullfinch, we are glad when we see the car park in front of us and my dog looked at me as if to say thank god for that, I knew how that felt myself although she has got four legs to my two.

Another really nice day that we both enjoyed a lot, I think the rest of the break will be sight seeing and a bit of shopping looking for craft shops for Jean to spend some time in, you have to give and take a little bit.