Category Archives: birds

Peter the Redshank

07 Tuesday Feb 2023

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I try not to anthropomorphise wild creatures but this handsome Redshank is one exception, and that is mostly because by naming him Peter, I can more easily remember that he was ringed at Peterstone, just along the coast from Cardiff. I hadn’t seen Peter since last January and was a bit concerned that something had happened to him, so I was relieved and delighted when another local birder spotted him on 30 January, and extremely happy when I finally saw him on 2 February.

230207 peter the redshank

A Raven family

04 Saturday Feb 2023

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Ravens are amongst the earliest of breeders in the bird world but, even knowing that fact, I was very surprised to see such a well-grown youngster with its parents at a local beach on Thursday. I struggled to find breeding information other than on Wikipedia, which gives figures of 18 to 21 days for incubation and 35 to 42 days for fledging. Counting back, that would mean this pair were egg-laying at the beginning of December, which I would not have believed if I hadn’t seen this family with my own eyes.

230204 raven family

Song vs Mistle

01 Wednesday Feb 2023

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While we’re on the subject of Song thrushes …
I know many people have trouble working out whether the bird they’re seeing is a Song thrush or a Mistle thrush. As I’ve managed to get reasonably close photos of both recently, I thought I’d post a blog comparing the two.

230201 song and mistle thrush (1)

The Song thrush (left) is smaller than a Blackbird, has arrowhead-shaped markings on its upper breast, its tail is the same colour as the rest of its back, and the edges of its wing feathers are a pale orange-buff colour. The Mistle thrush (right) is larger than a Blackbird, has breast markings that start off looking like sharp thorns then become more rounded and often smudge together, its tail tends to be a different colour to its back, and its wing feathers are usually edged in white. Also, the Mistle thrush has a very upright stance and often looks like it has a bit of a pot belly. The British Trust for Ornithology has an excellent short video on YouTube if you want to learn more.

230201 song and mistle thrush (2)  –  Song thrush, top, and Mistle thrush, below

Song thrushes are a’singing

31 Tuesday Jan 2023

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When a bitterly cold wind is making the tips of your nose and fingers feel like ice, it may not feel like Spring is just around the corner but the birds seem to think it is. I’ve seen Magpies fiddling sticks into years-old nest structures, and heard Dunnocks and tits singing for potential mates. And, yesterday, this beautiful Song thrush was sitting atop a big mound of scrub and bramble, singing his heart out. I wasn’t the only person to stop, look and listen.

230131 song thrush

Encounters with grebes

28 Saturday Jan 2023

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I’ve had two interesting encounters with Little grebes in the past week. The first was being relatively close to this little cutie having a bath, a delightfully splashy affair.

230128 little grebes (2)

Then, a couple of days later, I noticed this gang of Little grebes floating along the River Taff. At this time of year they often seem to congregate around the area where the Taff flows in to Cardiff Bay (I counted 28 thereabouts recently). I don’t know the reason for this but I wonder if it is some kind of pre-breeding behaviour, where the single grebes come together to appraise each other, looking for potential mates.

230128 little grebes (1)

Feasting Chiffchaff

26 Thursday Jan 2023

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So many flies, so little time …
Although the majority of Chiffchaffs still migrate to warmer southern climes for the winter, increasing numbers can now be seen over-wintering locally. This little beauty was feasting well on the hundreds of tiny gnat-like flies that had emerged in Monday’s sunshine.

230126 chiffchaff

A posse of Reed buntings

21 Saturday Jan 2023

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I was hoping to hear my first Skylarks of the year but was instead entertained by a little posse of Reed buntings, fossicking for titbits amongst the tall tufts of meadow grasses. If a noise alarmed them, they’d flit up to a higher vantage point, on a branch of Field rose or the twigs of a nearby tree, to survey the area and check out its source but, as I kept very still, the birds seemed unconcerned by my presence.

230121 reed buntings

And then there were three

18 Wednesday Jan 2023

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I know I’ve blogged about this drake Goldeneye very recently but I want to share yesterday’s magical experience. The drake was much closer than usual to the boardwalk along the edge of Cardiff Bay so I was able to watch its almost constant diving for food and to admire its stunning plumage when it washed and flapped its wings.

230118 goldeneye (1)

Suddenly, a flock of Tufted ducks flew in to join the couple of hundred already present and, amazingly, they were accompanied by two female Goldeneyes. It took ten minutes or so for the three Goldeneyes to find each other, and then I was able to watch all three interacting. It was enchanting!

230118 goldeneye (2)