‘He rocks in the tree tops all day long
Hoppin’ and a-boppin’ and singing his song’
~ lyrics by Jimmie Thomas
27/366 Rockin’ Robin
27 Monday Jan 2020
Category Archives: nature
26/366 Three-cornered leek
26 Sunday Jan 2020
Posted in flowers, nature, wildflowers, winter
In New Zealand we call this plant Onion weed but, here in Britain, its common name is Three-cornered leek. As its scientific name, Allium triquetrum, indicates, this bulbous plant is part of the garlic and onion family, the Alliums, and triquetrum refers to the triangular shape of its flower stem.
In Flora Britannica, Richard Mabey writes that this smelly plant was ‘introduced to Britain in 1752’ and ‘began to escape into shady hedge-banks and churchyards in Cornwall in the 1860s. By the 1930s it was in Devon’ and, in 1995, Mabey found it in the Chilterns, near London. Obviously, it’s spread even further since then, as it’s jumped the border and is thriving here in Wales. These were my first Three-cornered leek flowers for 2020.
25/366 Grey, but a grebe
25 Saturday Jan 2020
Tags
birding, birdwatching, British birds, Cosmeston, Cosmeston Lakes Country Park, Great Crested Grebe
Today’s seven-mile walk was through thick grey drizzle-like mist and, except for the raucous gulls at the edge of Cosmeston’s east lake (where everyone feeds the birds), the land was hushed and still. Not wanting to get my gear wet, I only got my camera out of my backpack once, for a few shots of this handsome Great crested grebe.
24/366 Black swan
24 Friday Jan 2020
This Black swan was a nice surprise during my ramble around Barry today. Though it wasn’t ringed, it may well have been an escapee from a wildfowl collection somewhere, which is the case with almost all British Black swans. As far as I’m aware, these now-wild birds have not yet established a self-sustaining local population so are not yet considered official British birds … but they must be close to reaching that level.
Back in August 2016, I wrote a longer blog post on Black swans, using photos I’d taken in New Zealand, where there is a large wild population. You can see that blog here.
23/366 Siberian chiffchaff, 2020
23 Thursday Jan 2020
It’s just over a year since I saw my first ever Siberian chiffchaff. These Siberian birds are a subspecies of the Common chiffchaff we all see during the summer months but, as their name suggests, these scarce but regular winter visitors to Britain spend their summers and breed in Siberia.
Two Siberian chiffchaffs were found in Cardiff Bay yesterday so, of course, I had to go and see for myself today. I only saw one of them, though both birds have been seen today – this one seems the dominant bird and chased the second bird away when that bird ventured within its territory.
As you might expect of a bird that comes from Siberia, it was quite confiding, as it may not have seen many humans before arriving in Cardiff. Hanging out in the small garden area in front of a Cardiff Bay pub has probably been a bit of a shock to the wee creature!
22/366 First Snowdrops
22 Wednesday Jan 2020
Posted in flowers, nature, wildflowers, winter
I saw my first Snowdrops of 2020 today in Cardiff’s Bute Park.
Candlemas bells, Mary’s taper, Snow piercer, February fairmaids, Dingle-dangle – all vernacular names for Snowdrops, according to my Flora Britannica. In Welsh, Snowdrop is Eirlys (pronounced Ire-liss), a lovely word that’s sometimes used as a girl’s name. How pretty!
21/366 Siskin
21 Tuesday Jan 2020
On yet another very frosty morning, I met a friend to explore a woodland near Caerphilly called Coed y Werin, which I hadn’t been to before. And it was a delightful place, full of grand old trees, small streams and an iced-over pond.
And we saw Siskin, birds that seldom venture into my coastal patch, though these were very high up, nibbling at the cones in the tall larch trees, so my photos are heavily cropped. But hopefully you can see the birds today – not like yesterday’s Snipe challenge.
20/366 Crispest
20 Monday Jan 2020
Tags
birding, birdwatching, British birds, Forest Farm, Forest Farm Nature Reserve, frost, Jay, nuthatch, Snipe
It was frosty white again this morning so, in the hope that the chilly temperatures might have lured the resident Snipe out of their hiding places in the reed beds, I headed to Forest Farm Nature Reserve for a meander. And I was lucky – though they were very distant, I managed to spot three Snipe. Full marks if you can actually see them in this photo.
Of course, the cold temps also meant the birds were hungry and frantic to be fed. I took plenty of seed with me but many of the good folk who walk this reserve regularly had already covered fence post tops and feeding tables with food of various types. This Nuthatch was stocking up, taking away several seeds and nuts at a time to stash in nooks and crannies in nearby trees.
Jays were also busy stashing. Birders were spraying the grass in front of the bird hide with peanuts, which at least two Jays were gathering and carting away to their local hiding places. Best to be prepared in case this chilly spell continues.
19/366 Crisper
19 Sunday Jan 2020
We had another very frosty morning, crisper underfoot than yesterday, and I was delighted to find these fungi, covered in beautiful ice crystals.
18/366 Crisp
18 Saturday Jan 2020
Tags
It was minus 2°C this morning, the first time we’ve seen frost this year – indeed, for many weeks – so, of course, I went looking for signs of the touch of Jack Frost’s crisp finger on the vegetation. Here’s what I found …
earthstar 
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