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~ a celebration of nature

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Author Archives: sconzani

Waxwings, still

22 Friday Mar 2024

Posted by sconzani in birds

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birding, birdwatching, British birds, Cosmeston Lakes Country Park, Waxwing, Waxwing winter

I know, I know, this is my third post about Waxwings this year but what’s not to love and celebrate about these stunning birds, and it could well be several years before we experience another Waxing winter like this one. Since they were first found at Cosmeston Lakes Country Park on 2 March, we locals have had the opportunity to observe and get to know these birds a little better.

240322 cosmeston waxwings (1)

Photos taken 14 March, after the extra 4 birds had arrived and all were feasting on rose hips

As food supplies have dwindled, the (first four, now eight) Waxwings have changed their diet from Hawthorn berries to rose hips to Ivy berries, with a little fly-catching on sunny days. It’s just such a privilege to have had these beautiful birds with us for such a long time.

Photos taken 21 March, after the birds had moved on to eating Ivy berries

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Two Wheatears

21 Thursday Mar 2024

Posted by sconzani in birds, spring

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birding, birdwatching, British birds, Cardiff Bay birding, Oenanthe oenanthe, spring migration, Wheatear

When Spring migration draws nigh, I start watching more closely the social media posts from birders living along England’s south coast, as that gives me a fairly good idea about what might turn up on the south Wales coast a day or two later. So, after seeing reports of the first Wheatears arriving 7-10 days ago, I’ve been focusing my walks in the area of Cardiff Bay, as that’s the most likely place for me to spot one. And, finally, yesterday I spotted the first two on the Barrage, initially on the grassy banks but, as so often happens, loose dogs racing madly about scared the birds into seeking refuge amongst the outer barrier of huge boulders. These were two handsome male Wheatears, returning to breed after having spent their winter in sunny central Africa.

240320 wheatear

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First Bee-fly

20 Wednesday Mar 2024

Posted by sconzani in insects, spring

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Bee-fly, Bombylius major, British bee-flies, British flies, Dark-edged bee-fly, signs of spring

As well as the lovely Comma, Monday’s walk also produced my first bee-fly sightings for 2024. We only have Dark-edged bee-flies (Bombylius major) in my area and these were all males, as they usually emerge before the females. It’s so heartening to see these wonderful little signs of Spring.

240320 dark-edged bee-fly

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First Comma

19 Tuesday Mar 2024

Posted by sconzani in insects, spring

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British butterflies, butterfly, Comma

During Monday’s walk I finally saw my second butterfly in 2024, my first Comma, and this was my first photo of a butterfly this year – the first butterfly I saw was a Red admiral fluttering most unexpectedly outside my train window on a sunny day in January. My Comma is not the sharpest but I rather love the frothy pink of the ornamental Cherry blossom surrounding it.

240319 comma

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Greenbottle

18 Monday Mar 2024

Posted by sconzani in insects, spring

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British flies, Greenbottle, Greenbottle fly, Lucilia sericata, Lucilia species

I was enjoying seeing a few flies and hoverflies out and about in the sunny sheltered spots during yesterday’s local meander but this little one, in particular, caught my eye with its iridescent green shimmer. It’s one of the so-called Greenbottle flies, a species of Lucilia, and is most likely the commonest of those species, Lucilia sericata, as it seems to have the correct identifying features. The Naturespot website entry lists these as a ‘pale basicosta and a single anterodorsal bristle on the mid tibia’, which may make you say ‘What???’ out loud, as I did, but fortunately they include photos to illustrate what this gobbledygook – er, scientific anatomical description refers to.

240318 greenbottle

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Green-flowered wildflowers

17 Sunday Mar 2024

Posted by sconzani in flowers, plants, wildflowers

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British wildflowers, Dog's mercury, Euphorbia peplus, green flowers, green-flowered wildflowers, Helleborus foetidus, Mercurialis perennis, Petty spurge, Stinking hellebore

As the Wildflower Hour team wrote on social media when announcing this week’s challenge: ‘Some of the loveliest wildflowers are green! Can you find one for this week’s challenge?’. Well, yes, I can. In fact, I found three on yesterday’s meander, and I’m sure there must be more that I missed. My finds are:

240317 dog's mercury

Dog’s mercury (Mercurialis perennis). I didn’t know until today, when I was reading the First Nature website, that ‘Dog’s Mercury is an extremely poisonous plant and when eaten it has been known to cause vomiting, jaundice and coma.’ Of course, you’d have to be pretty stupid to eat it, but some foragers are pretty stupid!

240317 petty spurge

Petty spurge (Euphorbia peplus), a common sight along the edges of lanes and pavements, and scattered across any patch of waste ground. It’s just getting started again in my area after being knocked back by the cooler winter weather and the interminable rain.

240317 stinking hellebore

Stinking hellebore (Helleborus foetidus). This was a surprise find along a local river embankment and, though Stinking hellebore is a UK native, because of its sudden appearance in that location, I think this particular specimen is probably a garden escapee.

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A flatmate

16 Saturday Mar 2024

Posted by sconzani in spiders

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British spiders, Daddy long-leg spider, Daddy long-legs, spider

240316 daddy long-legs

This is just one of my current flatmates, the biggest one, but I know for sure that there are others. Its territory is my stairwell, though it most often parks itself, as shown below, under the alarm box. My other flatmates are not Daddy long-legs, but other spider species. There’s a tiny crab spider, which just appeared around the side of my laptop screen, as if to say ‘What about me?’ – it’s now been moved to a house plant, and there are a couple of equally tiny jumping spiders, which I find very cute, that spend most of their time amongst the plants along the window sills. Do you have spidery flatmates?

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Scutellinia

15 Friday Mar 2024

Posted by sconzani in fungi

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British fungi, Cosmeston Lakes Country Park, Eyelash fungi, Scutellinia, Scutellinia fungi

I’ve never been able to work out which of the Scutellinia species the Eyelash fungi at Cosmeston Lakes Country Park belong to but it’s always a joy to spot these tiny orange-red gems in the grass.

240315 scutellinia

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Name the singer

14 Thursday Mar 2024

Posted by sconzani in birds, spring

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birding, birdwatching, British birds, spring migration

The occasion in this short video was the first time I heard this beautiful melody in 2024, on 3 March, about 10 days earlier than in previous years. The next day I heard two more, in different separate locations, the following day yet one more. The miracle of migration is just so incredible; every year I am amazed and overjoyed when the birds return and begin to sing. Can you name the singer, and have you heard one yet?

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Construction materials

14 Thursday Mar 2024

Posted by sconzani in birds

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birding, birdwatching, British birds, Cardiff Bay birding, Carrion crow, crow nestbuilding

Carrion crows begin breeding a bit earlier than the majority of birds and, as you can see, nest building is obviously underway for this bird I spotted during this morning’s circuit of Cardiff Bay.

240313 crow

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About me

sconzani

sconzani

I'm a writer and photographer; researcher and blogger; birder and nature lover; countryside rambler and city strider; volunteer and biodiversity recorder.

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Recent blog posts

  • Cute cootlet April 30, 2026
  • Blood bees April 29, 2026
  • Nesting material April 28, 2026
  • Lifer: Box bug April 27, 2026
  • Peak Wild garlic April 26, 2026

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Unless otherwise acknowledged, the text and photographs on this blog are my own and are subject to international copyright. Nothing may be downloaded or copied without my permission.

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