Pen Trwyn
New Seasonal Restriction Mayfair Wall, Upper Pen Trwyn March until June 30th.
Choughs are nesting on a break right in the middle of the routes "Contusion" and "Mayfair" on Mayfair Wall. As Choughs are listed as a Schedule 1 bird under the Wildlife and Countryside Act and have additional protection under the law, it's a criminal offence to cause disturbance to nesting or breeding Chough. With less than 300 breeding pairs in the whole of the UK and numbers falling (mainly due to changes in land and grazing management), these are very rare birds in the UK.
Following negotiations with the Country Park staff and RSPB Chough specialists, the routes being restricted have been kept to a minimum and only includes the routes Contusion, Mayfair, Julio Juvenito, Carrigan's Groove, Masterplan and Masterclass. Signs are in place at the base of the cliff and this will be reviewed as the season progresses.
It's likely that this is a young pair attempting to nest for the first time and it's possible the nest will fail in which case the restriction will be lifted immediately or as soon as the birds fledge. The birds are currently in the "nest building stage" and are likely to be incubating eggs by mid April.
Updates will be on the BMC RAD https://www.thebmc.co.uk/modules/rad/view.aspx?id=830
Thanks for your cooperation
Elfyn Jones
BMC Access & Conservation Officer (Wales)
