First chicks of the year

30 Tuesday Apr 2024

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birding, birdwatching, British birds, Cosmeston Lakes Country Park, Moorhen, Moorhen chicks

When I first noticed this brood of initially five, now reduced to four Moorhen chicks at Cosmeston’s dipping pond, they had just hatched and, though I tried to get photos, the tiny bundles of black fluff were staying well concealed behind clumps of reeds. Six days later, on a subsequent visit, the chicks had grown enormously and were much more confiding. And – this always amazes me but these Moorhens generally have three broods a year – mother Moorhen was already sitting on a new nest, while dad tended to the first brood.

240430 moorhen chick

The need to breed

26 Friday Apr 2024

Posted by sconzani in birds, insects, spring

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bird reproduction, insect reproduction, mating Dock beetles, mating ladybirds, Mating Lesser black-backed gulls

One of the main purposes of all life on this planet must surely be reproduction to ensure the survival of the species of which they are a part.

240426 MATING ladybirds

Some life forms have the ability to reproduce asexually but most require the act of copulation between male and female to fertilise their eggs.

240426 MATING LBB gulls

And, this being spring in the northern hemisphere, evidence of that urge to reproduce can be seen everywhere.

240426 MATING dock beetles

These are just a few recent examples I’ve noticed: ladybirds, Lesser black-backed gulls and Dock beetles.

Distant birds

25 Thursday Apr 2024

Posted by sconzani in birds, spring

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birding, birdwatching, British birds, Common scoter, spring migration, Whimbrel

No doubt you will have realised how much I love birds, love looking for them, love finding them, love watching them and learning their ways, love getting good photographs of them. The latter, though, is not always easy, and for two days in a row I’ve seen some wonderful birds I don’t often see but both times they’ve been too distant to photograph well.

240425 whimbrel

Yesterday, at Sully Beach, it was Whimbrels, at least four of them, poking about in the piles of seaweed for crabs and other small morsels of food. But I hadn’t timed my visit very well – the tide was ebbing and already well out so the birds were distant. (I’m planning another visit or two in the coming days when the tides are higher so fingers crossed for better images.)

240425 common scoter

And today, in Cardiff Bay, two Common scoters popped in for a visit. These are birds I’ve only ever seen three times before and that was back in 2019, so seeing them was a real treat. Sadly, they were always distant and the weather was dreich: big dark clouds blowing a cool wind across the water, with frequent squalls.

Seven damsels flying

20 Saturday Apr 2024

Posted by sconzani in insects, spring

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British damselflies, British odonata, damselfly, Large Red damselfly, Pyrrhosoma nymphula

The odonata season has kicked off for me several days earlier than in previous years with the emergence locally of the Large red damselflies (Pyrrhosoma nymphula).

240420 large red damselfly (1)

The two shown here are from a total of seven of these little beauties I found in three different locations at Cosmeston Lakes Country Park on Thursday.

240420 large red damselfly (2)

Sunday’s gift

17 Wednesday Apr 2024

Posted by sconzani in insects, spring

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Anthocharis cardamines, British butterflies, butterfly, Orange-tip, spring butterflies

I was trudging slowly along a muddy path, trying not to slip (it’s happened before), so I wasn’t paying attention when my first Orange-tip butterfly (Anthocharis cardamines) of the year flitted up in front of me, disturbed from feeding on a flower of Herb Robert. Typically, it flew back along the way I had come, meaning I had to retrace my slippery steps while trying to keep an eye on where it landed once, twice, three times. By the time I got to the start of the path, the butterfly had disappeared and, though I lingered a while, it didn’t reappear.

240417 orange-tip

On my way home, I was more lucky and spotted my second Orange-tip of the year. I could easily have missed it, so well camouflaged was it amongst the lush new growth of Cow parsley plants, but the breeze had picked up and it was having to flap its wings just a little to hold on to its perch. The flash of its orange tips gave its location away.

The national butterfly of Finland

15 Monday Apr 2024

Posted by sconzani in insects, spring

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blue butterfly, British butterflies, butterfly, Celastrina argiolus, Holly blue, Spring colour

No, I haven’t been on a whirlwind trip to Scandinavia, more’s the pity. I’ve just read that the Holly blue (Celastrina argiolus) is not only native to Britain but can also be found throughout the Palearctic, and is the national butterfly of Finland. Well done the Finns for recognising the beauty of this gorgeous creature. And well done this particular Holly blue for sitting still for a few minutes yesterday so I could grab a few quick photos.

240415 holly blue

Sand martin magic

13 Saturday Apr 2024

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birding, birdwatching, British birds, Cardiff Bay birding, Delichon urbicum, nesting Sand martins, Sand martin

Although I saw the Sandwich tern again and a large huddle of Turnstones, as well as lots of other birds, the stars of my circuit of Cardiff Bay yesterday were the Sand martins, which are now here in large numbers. As I walked across the Barrage, these gorgeous little birds were buzzing constantly overhead, flitting low over the water just off the edge of the Barrage grass, then coming in to land and preen on the gabions.

240413 sand martins (1)

Being able to see those martins up close was a delight but things only got better. Sand martins nest in the holes along the concrete edges of the old dock by Tiger Yard, and that area was just alive with birds, seemingly arguing about ownership of particular holes, gathering nesting material, and generally going out their Sand martin business. Some of those beginning to make their nests comfortable were landing on the dock edge to gather moss and grasses. They were behind railing but less than a metre from me so, by staying still, I was able to get a few good close ups. They were simply magical to watch!

240413 sand martins (2)

My first Large white

12 Friday Apr 2024

Posted by sconzani in insects, spring

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British butterflies, butterfly, Large white butterfly, Pieris brassicae, spring butterflies

I’d just got home from walking a circuit of Cardiff Bay when a local birder and butterflier sent me a message to say there were some nice butterflies to be seen in a nearby park so out I went again for a look-see. He was right! Though I didn’t see the Green-veined white he had spotted, I did see the beauty shown below, my first Large white butterfly (Pieris brassicae) for the year, and my first two Holly blues, though neither paused long enough for a photo.

240412 large white

Another new arrival

11 Thursday Apr 2024

Posted by sconzani in birds, spring

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birding, birdwatching, British birds, Cardiff Bay birding, House martin

Spring migration is well underway now, with new bird species being sighted by keen-eyed local birders almost every day. My eyes are not so keen these days but, on Monday, with binoculars, I did manage to spot my first couple of House martins (Delichon urbicum) amongst a large flock of Sand martins feeding over Cardiff Bay. The two species can be difficult to tell apart especially in dull weather when the blue upper plumage of the House martin is not so obvious. However, when they’re flying, it was relatively easy to distinguish between the two species – the Sand martins have a brown bib whereas House martins have solid white underparts. As the birds were quite distant, I wasn’t able to get any clear photos so you’re being treated (ha!) to another of my very amateur drawings.

240411 house martin

Nest-building

05 Friday Apr 2024

Posted by sconzani in birds, spring

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birding, birds building nests, birds in nests, birdwatching, British birds, Great Crested Grebe, Moorhen, Mute swan, Sand martin

When I spotted this Great crested grebe hauling a long piece of reed towards a potential nesting place, near where yesterday’s grebes had been mating (though not necessarily the same pair as there are several in that area), it occurred to me to wonder which usually comes first with birds, the nest-building or the mating? Maybe it’s a combination of both?

240405 nestbuilding GCG

There’s certainly a lot of nest-building going on at the moment – as well as that grebe, recent sightings have included a Moorhen, Sand martins checking out nest holes in one of Cardiff Bay’s old docks, and a Mute swan already sitting but still busily adding to and tidying her nest.

240405 nestbuilding moorhen 240405 nestbuilding sand martin 240405 nestbuilding swan