An unexpectedly super day’s birding

15 Tuesday Sep 2026

Posted by in autumn, birds

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , , ,

Last Wednesday, the day after the excitement of the White-winged black tern, I caught the train to north Cardiff, intending to do my usual walk down to Roath Park Lake, maybe have a mooch around the trees at Cathays Cemetery and Heath Park before catching the train home, but all that changed when I got to the reservoirs.

First, as I walked a circuit of Lisvane Reservoir, I noticed our county bird recorder Phil and another man staring intently at the vegetation along the perimeter fence. Local birder Simon had spotted a Redstart and they were hoping it would reappear. Though it was obviously being put off by the almost constant parade of walkers along the footpath, our patience was eventually rewarded during a lull in pedestrians, and the little beauty sat obligingly on the perimeter fence for a few photos, before disappearing once again. This was my first Redstart of the year so I was well pleased.

Then, Phil spotted a Wheatear flying out to one of the artificial islands and back again to the bank of the reservoir so, after thanking Simon and finishing our chat, I went to try to re-find that and, hopefully, get a closer look. It was very active but I managed to catch up with it on one of the steeper sides of the reservoir.

Next, I tried for some photos of the single late Swift that was flying around over the water with the Sand and House martins, but failed. So, then, I spent a little time watching the still-present Grey phalarope, hoping it would swim or fly a little closer – it didn’t.

At that point, I decided it was time to leave the reservoir enclosure but, ever the optimist, I thought I would have a look along the outside path in case the Redstart was showing out there – it wasn’t. By that time though, it was gone noon so, rather than continue with my initial plan, I figured that, as I was here, I might as well have a walk around the meadows north of the reservoirs, something I used to do often when I lived in the Roath Park area when I first moved to Cardiff but hadn’t much lately. And I’m so very glad I did, as I had only reached the end of the first meadow when I spotted a (the same?) Redstart in the trees ahead.

I’d only seen Redstarts flying from bushes to the ground and back again before but this bird was flying out from the trees well above my head height, putting on a spectacular display of fly catching, its red-coloured underparts flashing vibrantly each time it flew. It was incredible to watch, particularly as it was often accompanied by one or more Chiff/Willows (what birders say when they’re not sure whether they’re seeing Chiffchaffs or Willow warblers) also feeding on the abundance of flying insects.

I watched the Redstart and its smaller companions for quite some time, spellbound, thinking what an amazing day this had turned into, but it wasn’t over yet. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed yet another bird fly catching from the tree tops to my left, a distant Spotted flycatcher to polish off what had been an unexpectedly super day’s birding.

Lifer: White-winged black tern

14 Monday Sep 2026

Posted by in nature

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

, , , , ,

At 9:02 last Tuesday morning, a WhatsApp message and back-of-camera photo came through from local birder Gareth: ‘I think this could be a juv ww black tern in Bay’. A flurry of posts followed from our local experts, agreeing with his identification, and then querying which would be the best location to see the bird from. More posts rushed in as excited birders started arriving: ‘flown towards the Barrage’, ‘can be watched from Penarth Marina with scope’, and, at 9:40, a slightly desperate ‘can you still see it?’.

Though I knew it would be a long shot for me to be able to spot the bird in Cardiff Bay using just binoculars, as I’d never seen a White-winged black tern I had to try. Being a pedestrian (and so not being able to drive quickly from place to place), it was also tricky knowing where to head, as the bird seemed to be moving about a lot, but the Barrage was closest so that’s where I went. And, miraculously, despite the distance, I managed to spot the bird almost immediately; having watched the Juvenile Black tern on Lisvane Reservoir very recently, it was easier to lock on to that distinctive swooping and diving flight pattern all tern species have.

After I’d watched the tern for a while, hoping in vain that it might come closer, and checked the Barrage for other birds, it was still only late morning, and the tern had moved from the Bay to the River Taff, flying back and forth just north of the A4232 road bridge. I thought I might have closer views in that location, so off I stomped.

As it turned out, the views were only marginally better as the bird was feeding on the opposite side of the Taff; if I’d gone to that side of the river, I would’ve had the sun in my eyes, so I stayed on the west side. Despite the distance, the bird was still a delight to watch, its flight so agile and energetic. In fact, I couldn’t help wondering how it was finding enough insects to create the energy to power its almost constant flight, but such is the way of terns.

Later, the facts rolled in. The records showed that no White-winged black tern (Chlidonias leucopterus) had ever been seen in Cardiff Bay before, and it was 33 years since an amazing three birds had visited Kenfig National Nature Reserve, further west along the Glamorgan coast. It was a brilliant find by Gareth, a suitable reward for all the hours he puts in checking for birds in the local area. And if you’re wondering, as I was, why it’s called a White-winged black tern, check out the photos on eBird of this tern in full breeding plumage – it’s a stunner!

The time of the phalaropes

13 Sunday Sep 2026

Posted by in nature

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , ,

If you’ve been following here for a while, you might remember my previous encounters with phalaropes, those tiny birds that usually get sighted on British waterways during the month of September as they migrate south from their breeding grounds in the Arctic to their over-wintering sites in warmer climes, in the Arabian Sea and off the coast of Africa.

Last year we were treated to four phalaropes popping in to Cardiff: the Lifer: Red-necked phalarope (blogged on 23 September) and, published the next day, Two Grey phalaropes (though three birds actually featured in that blog as a bonus Grey phalarope was found feeding on the River Taff for a couple of days); and the previous year, we had a Juvenile Grey phalarope visit the seaside town of Barry during the end of August holiday weekend. I’m tagging those previous posts here as all of those birds provided much closer, more confiding views than the bird that is currently still on Cardiff’s Lisvane Reservoir, having arrived on 3 September so, if you want to see what a Grey phalarope looks like, click on those links.

Our latest Grey phalarope is spending almost all of its time floating and flying back and forth in the middle of the reservoir, making it very difficult to see at times; during my two visits, I’ve actually lent my binoculars to a few curious non-birders because they haven’t been able to spot the bird with the naked eye. Still, I’m not complaining – any opportunity I get to spend time watching a phalarope is time well spent in my book.

Caddisfly: Mystacides longicornis

12 Saturday Sep 2026

Posted by in insects

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, ,

I mentioned in yesterday’s blog that I’ve visited Cardiff’s northern reservoirs a few times in recent weeks. When I have, I’ve usually completed a circuit of the two reservoirs than walked from there down through fields and woodland to Roath Park Lake before heading to the nearest station for the train home. During one of these walks I spent some time turning over the leaves of several willow trees in a field next to the reservoirs, and this is one of the creatures I found during that fossick, the stunning caddisfly Mystacides longicornis, my first of this species.

Some caddisflies are tricky to identify but I struck lucky with this one, as the patterns of its wings – those stripes of brown and gold – and its red eyes distinguish it from other species. I presume this caddisfly spent its larval stage, in its case constructed of tiny chunks of grit and sand, in the adjacent reservoir. The adults are usually seen between May and September, so I was lucky to see this one, almost at the end of its season.

Juvenile Tufted ducks

11 Friday Sep 2026

Posted by in birds

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , ,

I’ve been to north Cardiff, to the Lisvane and Llanishen Reservoirs, a few times recently – about which more anon – and each time I’ve visited I’ve been captivated by a resident family of Tufted ducks.

These ducks don’t often breed locally but, this summer, a pair hatched six ducklings from a nest on one of the artificial islands in Lisvane reservoir.

Unfortunately, I missed seeing them when they were very young – I’m told they looked like six tiny bundles of fluff, which would’ve been wonderful to see.

In the photos shown here, they are about 4½ weeks old so almost fully fledged, but still showing a little of their baby fluff and downy feathers.

No one’s quite sure whether all six ducklings have survived. That might sound odd but, as they are no longer sticking together in one family group, and the reservoir’s quite large, it’s difficult to check all their locations at one time. I spotted four individuals during this particular visit, and a local birder told me he thinks there are still at least five, which is a very good survival rate. Mum and Dad Tufted duck have obviously done an excellent job raising, instructing, and watching over their little family.

Hoverfly: Eupeodes latifasciatus

10 Thursday Sep 2026

Posted by in insects

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , ,

Until last week I’d only seen this hoverfly species once before, almost ten years ago to the day.

This is almost certainly Eupeodes latifasciatus; it has been verified as ‘considered correct’, which usually means the verifier is 99% sure the identification is right but there is some room for doubt. That’s because, as my trusty guidebook points out, ‘the most reliable character requires a microscope’.

The guidebook also notes that ‘Abundance varies considerably from year to year suggesting that it is at least a partial migrant’. Perhaps that’s why it’s been ten years since I saw my first of these, and why it’s taken our record-breaking summer weather this year to see another.

One very confused Shag

09 Wednesday Sep 2026

Posted by in birds

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

, , , , , ,

Last Friday evening word came through on my local WhatsApp birding group chat that a Shag (Gulosus aristotelis) had been sighted on the River Taff. Shags are rare locally – we see on average one a year somewhere around Cardiff Bay (see A Shag even closer, September 2025, and The Birding begins, January 2024) – but this particular Shag was even more rare than usual; it had joined the regular flock of Mute swans, Mallards, Canada geese, Feral pigeons and assorted gulls coming to bread on a local slipway.

This I had to see, plus I knew the site would allow very close views of the Shag, and the location was one I often pass during one of my regular walking circuits, so I headed that way the following morning. As you can see from my photos, the Shag was still present.

There had been a suggestion put forward that the bird couldn’t fly but I don’t know how it could have got to this site if that was the case. It certainly looked healthy enough, its eyes clear, its feathers glossy, and it was preening a lot. The major concern was its behaviour – no Shag should ever come to bread, and its confused behaviour could perhaps indicate illness of some kind.

Fortunately, access to the slipway had been restricted by chain and padlock, so the Shag wasn’t being threatened by boats being launched, but dogs and people remained a threat. While I was watching the bird, two women with two very young girls walked part of the way down the slipway, the children chasing the pigeons. I politely, but firmly, asked the women to stop their children from doing that because of the danger to the ‘sick’ bird. I half expected to be abused, but they withdrew. Why people let their children chase birds at all is beyond my comprehension.

But I digress. When I passed the slipway yesterday, the Shag was no longer there, and today I’ve seen a report of a Shag in the sea off Cardiff Bay. There’s no way to tell if it’s the same bird but I certainly hope it is, and that this indicates it’s okay. Fingers crossed it never tries to eat bread again!

Aphid: Chaitophorus tremulae

08 Tuesday Sep 2026

Posted by in insects

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , ,

In the same area where I recently found colonies of Chaitophorus populeti aphids on Poplar, there is a small stand of Aspen trees. By turning over a few of their leaves, I easily found another aphid species, a cousin of those I had found on the Poplar trees, this one most common on Aspen (Populus tremula) though sometimes also found on Poplar.

This is Chaitophorus tremulae, a species that was first recorded in Wales in 2009, according to the Influential Points website. As you can see in the image above, these aphids are tiny, and I found various stages living together. If I’ve understood correctly (I find aphid life cycles very confusing!), the larger blackish specimens are apterae (wingless adults); the pale aphids with darker, triangular markings on their bodies are sexuales (sexual forms; males, and females that lay eggs rather than live young); and there are also lots of nymphs, the smallest pale specimens.

Interestingly, the Influential Points web entry says that the honeydew produced by these aphids is not very attractive to ants as it contains a lower amount of the sugar melizitose than other honeydews. As one of my images shows, there were ants on the Aspen leaves but they weren’t as focused on the aphids, and weren’t exhibiting the behaviour I’ve noticed in other ants, where they appear to stand over, even protect ‘their’ aphids and try to ‘persuade’ me to remove my fingers from the leaves, even crawling over my hands, though not biting.

A skulking Sedge warbler

07 Monday Sep 2026

Posted by in autumn, birds

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , ,

The first of September, which shall forever more be known by me as ‘The Day of the 10 Spotted flycatchers‘, also produced another lovely bird sighting, this one completely unexpected and almost missed. I was buzzing from just having seen the first two Spot flies of the day when, out of the corner of my eye, I noticed movement in the trees edging a local brook. I was tempted to ignore it but some instinct told me to look more closely, so I stood still, watching and waiting for leaves to move, a shape to appear.

I was on the point of giving up and moving on, when it happened again, only this time I caught a glimpse of something brown and a bit stripey. Be patient, I told myself. In the space of perhaps 15 minutes, as the bird moved along the tree line, I caught several more tantalizing glimpses, before it finally emerged a little further. And then I knew it, a Sedge warbler (Acrocephalus schoenobaenus), a bird that breeds in Britain but spends our winter in sub-Saharan Africa. It took another 10 minutes before this handsome warbler emerged far enough for a reasonable photo and then flew further along the field. I wished it well on its long journey (yes, I do often talk to the wildlife I see), and carried on, smiling even more broadly than before.

Invasive Water-primrose

06 Sunday Sep 2026

Posted by in plants

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

, , , , ,

I was having a mooch around the vegetation by the River Ely at Cardiff’s Grangemoor Park on Thursday when an official-looking chap approached and asked if I was surveying. I explained that my activity wasn’t anything official but that I am a biodiversity recorder and also that I write this blog … and so we got chatting. It turned out that he is the ecologist for the Cardiff Harbour Authority, and he was there on official business.

Presumably due to the hot temperatures in recent months, the Ely has had a lot more vegetation than usual growing on its surface this summer. I don’t know anything about water vegetation – some might have been algal bloom, some various types of plants that grow in water. On the opposite side of the river from Grangemoor Park there have also been several large raft-like clumps of vegetation that have grown and expanded considerably during the summer. It was these that had prompted the ecologist’s visit as they are, in fact, the highly invasive plant Water-primrose (Ludwigia grandiflora).

Legally, in the UK, Water-primrose is a ‘species of special concern’; unless you have a special exemption, you are not permitted to grow it, sell it, release it into the environment (the National Wildlife Crime Unit website has the full list of regulations), and you must report it if you see it. Of course, if I had known what it was, I would have done that; fortunately, a well-known Cardiff ecologist spotted it and recorded it on 19 August. That was the first time this plant has been recorded in Wales.

The CHA ecologist had subsequently been notified about the plant, as had Defra, the UK government’s Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs, and the ecologist told me that a specialist team from Defra would be coming to endeavour to remove the plants this coming week. As you can see from my photos, the Water-primrose is in full bloom, so the authorities will want to remove it before it seeds to prevent its spread. The plant also grows easily from cuttings, so they will have to be especially vigilant about removing all the material. Needless to say, if those of you who live in Britain ever see a plant like this growing in any waterway near you, please do report it to Defra, or your local environmental authority.