Category Archives: 365DaysWildin2019

19/365 Hopalong Rock pipit

19 Saturday Jan 2019

Posted by in 365DaysWildin2019, birds, nature, winter

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It was lovely to catch up with my little friend, Hoppy the Rock pipit, as I walked along the Ely embankment today. It’s a month since I last saw him (and blogged about him – or her) and it’s always good to know s/he’s still doing okay. Today, little Hoppy was dotting around the apartment gardens and on to balcony railings quite fearlessly. I imagine the colder temperatures this week mean there’s not so much fodder at the water’s edge so Hoppy has to expand his/her grazing range.

190119 hopalong rock pipit

18/365 A slimy Friday

18 Friday Jan 2019

Posted by in 365DaysWildin2019, fungi, nature, winter

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It’s been wintery today, with a chill wind and frequent showers, but I rugged up and headed out for a stomp for the air and exercise. Cosmeston was almost empty of people and dogs, something unheard of on warmer days, and any wildlife was also keeping well under cover. So, I enjoyed a bimble in Cogan Wood, picking up logs, looking for insects and fungi, and I found this interesting slime mould growing on an ivy leaf.

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17/365 Goosey Goosanders

17 Thursday Jan 2019

Posted by in 365DaysWildin2019, birds, nature, walks, winter

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Today dawned bright and cold, the perfect day for a long walk, so I took myself out for a long stroll down to Penarth Marina, across the Cardiff Bay Barrage and around to the wetlands reserve, and then back again. These Goosanders – a male at the front and a snoozing female behind, with a second female just out of the frame – were the first birds I saw when I reached Cardiff Bay. Such handsome creatures.

190117 goosanders

16/365 Juvenile Herring gull

16 Wednesday Jan 2019

Posted by in 365DaysWildin2019, birds, nature, seaside, winter

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Another day, another bird club trip, this time to Kenfig pool (where we had the Slavonian grebe and the Great white egret), to Porthcawl (first Cattle egrets of the year), and to Newton Point (first Purple sandpipers, but no Black redstart today). It was a cracking day’s birding but rather rainy much of the time so the camera didn’t come out often and my best shot of the day was of this juvenile (1st year) Herring gull who was pleading with us to share our sandwiches as we sat on the seawall at Porthcawl. It was out of luck!

190116 juvenile herring gull

15/365 Shedding a tear

15 Tuesday Jan 2019

Posted by in 365DaysWildin2019, nature, trees, weather, winter

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More un-forecast rain stopped play today or, at least, limited it to a stroll around the town in full wet weather gear. Still, there are always things to see, especially if you work with the weather, and use a little imagination. So, while you might think this is just water running down a tree trunk, I see an eye shedding a tear.

190115 shedding a tear

14/365 A nest of rubbish

14 Monday Jan 2019

Posted by in 365DaysWildin2019, birds, nature

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190114 nest of rubbish (1)

When I walked along a local path today, I noticed this old birds’ nest propped up on top of a fence. I’m sure this is not where the nest was made – it had probably fallen from a tree and someone had picked it up. Nests are such wonderful constructions and this was no exception, though I was rather dismayed at how much human detritus had been included in it (I’ve included a second photo today, to show the detail).

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13/365 Llanrhidian sunset

13 Sunday Jan 2019

Posted by in 365DaysWildin2019, birds, nature, seaside, walks

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The sun goes down on an absolutely magnificent day, a 12-hour day of birding at Whiteford Point and Llanrhidian Marsh, a long walk with 33 fellow birders from the Glamorgan Bird Club in stunning Welsh scenery, seeing some wonderful birds and adding 16 new species to my 2019 year list, catching up with friends, enjoying good conversations and sharing some laughs – life doesn’t get much better!

190113 llanrhidian marsh sunset

12/365 A daffodilly day

12 Saturday Jan 2019

Posted by in 365DaysWildin2019, flowers, nature, winter

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In truth, there is nothing wild about these gorgeous daffodils – they must’ve been planted several years ago in the wide verges near Cardiff Bay Hospital, but it was such a delight to see their bright and glorious little faces bobbing in the light breeze on a grey day. And they were rather nicer than the thick sticky mud I trudged through as I made a circuit of Grangemoor Park.

190112 daffodils

11/365 Gull vs Heron

11 Friday Jan 2019

Posted by in 365DaysWildin2019, birds, nature, seaside, walks, winter

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It may have been grey and occasionally mizzling but that didn’t stop me enjoying a fabulous walk back from Sully beach to Penarth today. A tribe of 30 Turnstones flew in, as did 4 Grey plover and a little Dunlin friend; Rock pipits were flitting to and fro; there were 27 Curlew grazing on the playing fields – always a treat to watch; and I saw my first Kestrel of the year, perched on a high wire, watching. I did feel a little sorry for this Grey heron though, being harassed by a juvenile gull (Herring, I think).

190111 gull vs grey heron

10/365 The return of the ringed Redshank

10 Thursday Jan 2019

Posted by in 365DaysWildin2019, birds, nature, seaside, winter

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I was delighted during today’s walk along the Ely embankment to be reacquainted with this ringed Redshank I first saw back in January 2017. You can read this Redshank’s personal history in one of my previous blogs here.

190110 redshank