41/365 Oak trees

10 Sunday Feb 2019

Posted by sconzani in 365DaysWildin2019, nature, trees

Tags

#365DaysWild, Oak, oak tree, Victoria Square Penarth, winter trees

190210 oak trees

I’ve been trying to find out how old these Oak trees are but haven’t managed it … yet. They grow on one side of the green that surrounds All Saints Church in Penarth’s Victoria Square. I did discover that the church itself dates originally from 1891, though it had to be rebuilt after being reduced to a burnt-out shell when 100 high explosives and 5000 incendiaries were dropped on Penarth during a bombing raid by the German Luftwaffe on 4 March 1941. I don’t know if the trees were also damaged in that bombing or whether they date from the 1890s … or even earlier. Whatever their age, they are magnificent.

40/365 A rose by any other name?

09 Saturday Feb 2019

Posted by sconzani in 365DaysWildin2019, lichen, nature

≈ 3 Comments

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#365DaysWild, British lichens, Caloplaca decipiens, Caloplaca species, lichen on gravestone, Penarth graveyard, St Augustine's Church

In this case, though, my rose is not a rose but a lichen that I thought looked a lot like the outline of a rose – my warped imagination perhaps, but pretty nonetheless. I spotted this on a gravestone during a wander around the graveyard that surrounds St Augustine’s Church here in Penarth. I presume it’s one of the Caloplaca species of lichen, possibly Caloplaca decipiens, but many of this species seem to look alike and I am not at all skilled in identifying lichens.

190209 Caloplaca lichen

39/365 Who’s black-and-white?

08 Friday Feb 2019

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

≈ 5 Comments

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birding, birdwatching, British birds, Cormorant, Cormorant's facial plumage, Penarth marina

I took advantage of a two-hour break in Storm Erik’s passage early afternoon to do a quick circuit of the Ely embankment, just in case the storm had driven in any unusual birds. Apart from a lot of Black-headed gulls and Coots taking advantage of the shelter afforded by Penarth’s cliffs and three Redshanks enjoying a companionable snooze, it was fairly quiet. But I did find this gorgeous Cormorant perched on a pontoon in the marina, drying its wings. They’re so often thought of as black-and-white birds but just look at how colourful its facial markings are.

190208 cormorant

38/365 The seed-eaters

07 Thursday Feb 2019

Posted by sconzani in 365DaysWildin2019, birds, nature

≈ 7 Comments

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bird seed, birding, birdwatching, British birds, feeding the birds, Jackdaws, seed-eating birds, Tufted duck

Shame on me! I bought a big bag of bird seed at one of the local cheapo shops for just a pound. It was a mistake, a case of false economy, as it’s almost 90% large seeds that the littler birds, the robins and tits, can’t eat, and it’s those littlies that I like to feed – I figure most of the larger birds can take care of themselves.

190217 tufted duck

Still, the cheap seed needs to be eaten. So, today, battling blustery winds, sheltering from hail behind too-narrow tree trunks, I bore two containers-full to Cosmeston, one lot for the Tufties, who lived up to their name as diving ducks by plunging constantly underwater following the sinking seed, and one for whichever of the bigger birds wanted the bounty I broadcast under the trees, which turned out to be a small clattering of grateful Jackdaws.

190217 jackdaw

37/365 Ever upwards

06 Wednesday Feb 2019

Posted by sconzani in 365DaysWildin2019, birds, nature, trees, winter

≈ 6 Comments

Tags

birding, birdwatching, British birds, Lime tree, treecreeper

190206 treecreeper

Up! Always and forever, the Treecreeper goes up, up, upwards. Never down, hardly ever sideways, though often, in the process of going up, spiralling round and round a trunk, a branch, to the top. And then, flying quickly down to the bottom and heading upwards once again. Unusually, today, this little Treecreeper flew down to the very base of a huge Lime right in front of me and I followed it round and round the tree, until it was too high to see. What a treat!

36/365 Staring at gulls

05 Tuesday Feb 2019

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

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

birding, birdwatching, British birds, Common Gull, Cosmeston, Cosmeston Lakes Country Park, gulls, identifying gulls

I’m sure I’m gaining a reputation as ‘The woman who stares at gulls’. I don’t think of myself as a larophile, a gull-worshipper – I’d just like to become better at identifying them. With their annually changing plumages, the juveniles are the most difficult; generally, the adult gulls are easier, if you can get a good look at them. Today, at Cosmeston, while staring at the gulls as usual, I actually found something different, not one of the usual Black-headed gulls or Lesser black-backed gulls or Herring gulls, but this lovely Common gull. Fortunately, it was close to the shoreline so it was easy to pick out its distinctive bill and head shape and colouring. A very pretty little gull!

190205 Common gull

35/365 Little egret

04 Monday Feb 2019

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

≈ 2 Comments

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#365DaysWild, Barry, Barry Old Harbour, birding, birdwatching, British birds, Little egret

After the rain and low cloud cleared late morning, I headed to the seaside for the afternoon, to Barry, a short train ride west along the south Wales coast. Despite the chilly wind blowing in off the sea, the day was glorious and I walked around the Knap, the Old Harbour, the beach at Barry Island and then along the old docks to catch the train home. The tide was out so it was a good time to check the now-silted-up Old Harbour for birds and I was delighted to spot this Little egret puddling about in one of the channels, trying to stir up something for its lunch. Such an elegant bird.

190204 little egret

34/365 Beachcombing

03 Sunday Feb 2019

Posted by sconzani in 365DaysWildin2019, geology, molluscs, nature, seaside

≈ 2 Comments

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#365DaysWild, beach fossick, beachcombing, fossilised seashell, fossils, Penarth Head, seashell

As part of this morning’s local meander, I went for a beachcomb at the base of the cliffs at Penarth Head – not too close to those cliffs as they’re continually shedding small stones and occasional larger boulders but it’s safe enough nearer the water’s edge when the tide’s going out. I didn’t linger long as people arrived to run their dogs, sending sand and stones everywhere. However, I did find this little beauty before they arrived – a fossilised seashell I think.

p.s. My fab Facebook friend Mark says that the only ‘Jurassic bivalve with that pattern in my books is something called Oxytoma inequivalvis’, so now we have a name. Thanks, Mark.

190203 fossil

33/365 My lunchtime view

02 Saturday Feb 2019

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

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

south Wales coastal path, south Wales coastline, St Mary's Well Bay, winter weather

What a stunning winter’s day it’s been! Mostly blue skies, patches of yesterday’s snow lingering in places where the sun hadn’t reached, a bitterly cold wind but warmth in the sun in sheltered places, crunchy underfoot in the fields instead of squelchy mud – perfect for a long walk. So, I stomped the 6½ miles of one of my regular routes, to and through Cosmeston Lakes Country Park, on to and through Lavernock Nature Reserve (via St Mary’s Well Bay) and back to Penarth (via the coastal path). This was my view at lunchtime – not bad, eh?

190202 lunchtime view

32/365 Redwings

01 Friday Feb 2019

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

≈ 6 Comments

Tags

#365DaysWild, birding, birdwatching, British birds, Redwing, Victoria Square Penarth

190201 redwing

With its wide diversity of trees young and old, Victoria Square is home to a good number of birds. Today I spotted Blue and Great tits, Nuthatches, a Treecreeper and two Goldcrests, Crows and Jackdaws, Blackbirds and Song thrushes, a Greenfinch calling from a tree top, and several of these beautiful Redwings energetically turning leaves in the never-ending search for food. I sprinkled some seed about in the less snowy places close to trees and left them to it.