17 Monday Oct 2022
Posted in birds
Three Little egrets standing on a wall
Three Little egrets standing on a wall
And if one Little egret should suddenly fly away
There’d be two Little egrets – that would still make my day!
Apologies for the poor rhyme. I still find it amazing to see such exotic-looking birds in a local Welsh setting but their numbers are certainly increasing. These were on the banks of Llanishen Reservoir in north Cardiff last Thursday.
15 Saturday Oct 2022
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Do you remember my piece back in July about The Gadwall that thinks she’s a Mallard? Well, she’s back – or perhaps she’s been lingering unnoticed in the more sheltered spots around Cardiff Bay – and, though I still think she thinks she’s a Mallard, she now has a male Gadwall friend who’s trying to convince her otherwise.
Personally, I hope he succeeds, not from any notion that a pairing would somehow be romantic but rather because in the area where they are now several birds (and a large fish) have been found dead in recent weeks. This might be due to avian flu (it has been reported to the appropriate authorities) or it could be the poor water quality, but it would certainly be better for all the local ducks if they moved elsewhere.
The only positive thing about their location, in the old canals of Cardiff’s Atlantic Wharf area, is that you can get very close views. And so I couldn’t resist a visit, partly to say hello to Ms Gadwall again but also to get some good photographs of the drake.
12 Wednesday Oct 2022
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A single Dunlin, which appeared to fly in to the rocks at Newton Point with a flock of Ringed plovers, was my first sighting of this handsome wader species this year. Though initially standing alone on the quickly disappearing patch of sand at the base of the rocks, it soon moved on to a large rock to hunker down with the other roosting waders, the Turnstones, Ringed plovers and Sanderlings.
11 Tuesday Oct 2022
Posted in birds
Sanderlings are stunning small waders, usually hyperactive sand scurriers, though these particular beauties were trying to settle in for a night’s sleep. When splashed by a high wave from the incoming tide, they seemed almost to mutter crossly and fluttered forward to the next dry spot.
These were my first Sanderling sightings for the year and an absolute joy to be near as they settled to roost, some just closing their eyes and hunching down, others tucking their heads under one wing. Watching these little waders winding down made me feel quite sleepy too.
08 Saturday Oct 2022
Posted in birds
I have developed something of an obsession with Stonechats this year. They are such feisty, entertaining, active, handsome, delightful little birds.
06 Thursday Oct 2022
Posted in birds
I’ve had two close encounters with Grey herons in recent days, this first in a tree near the bridge between the lakes at Cosmeston Country Park (which is why I was at eye level with the bird).
The second was along the canals in Cardiff, the bird this time standing on a log at water level. When I posted this photo on Twitter one of my followers commented that she thought the heron could ‘change from an old man to an elegant ballerina depending on stance’ – thank you, Jane. I think she was absolutely right – the bird above is the elegant ballerina, and below is the grumpy old man.
04 Tuesday Oct 2022
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I spotted this gorgeous little Coot chick (I call them Cootlets) during last Wednesday’s walk around Cardiff’s Roath Park Lake. It seemed very late in the breeding season for one so young and I couldn’t help but wonder whether it could survive. But it had the full attention of both its parents, so fingers crossed!
01 Saturday Oct 2022
Posted in birds
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birding, birdwatching, British birds, Cardiff Bay birding, Great black-backed gull, juvenile Great black-backed gull
It’s not unusual to see Great black-backed gulls on the water in Cardiff Bay or on the mudflats outside the Barrage at low tide, so these two adults weren’t a great surprise (though I’ve not seen one sitting on a pontoon before).
What was a surprise though was seeing this juvenile. Initially, I wasn’t sure what it was – I figured it wasn’t a Herring or Lesser black-backed gull as it was larger, had different markings on body and wings, and a markedly different head shape. I thought perhaps it was a Yellow-legged gull until, most fortuitously, I bumped into a local gull expert who was able to identify the bird from looking at the photos on my camera. My first juvenile Great black-backed gull, I think.
28 Wednesday Sep 2022
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I spotted these two Starlings, perched on a phone line, during a recent walk and, delighting in their beautiful speckled colouring and grateful that they stayed still, took a few photos. It was only when I reviewed the photos later at home that I noticed the juvenile bird, whose head feathers were still a dull brown, had a deformed beak. Fortunately for the bird, the deformity appeared slight so shouldn’t affect its ability to feed.
26 Monday Sep 2022
Three weeks ago, we enjoyed Linnets bathing. Today, we have one of a small flock stripping seeds from wildflowers, munching happily with its efficiently designed, seed-cracking beak.
earthstar 
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