24/365 Yaffling all day long

24 Thursday Jan 2019

Posted by in 365DaysWildin2019, birds, nature, winter

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It was a woodpecker-kind of day at Cosmeston today. No sooner had I arrived and cast my eye (and bins) up towards the chirping-finch-filled trees above my head than I spotted a Great spotted woodpecker. It wasn’t drumming but was studiously pounding away at the tree trunk it was on – preliminary hole excavation work perhaps.

190124 green woodpecker

Then, as I headed on along the path, I heard this Green woodpecker yaffling in the neighbouring field. A reasonably tall hedge separated us so I was able to get quite close for photos and to watch it prospecting for ants and other insects in the damp ground. I wonder if the winter dampness means its prey is further down in the soil – it was certainly probing quite deeply.

 

Galls on Red valerian

22 Tuesday Jan 2019

Posted by in insects, nature

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I first noticed these strange rolled-up leaf edges about a week ago, in the lane behind my house, and, since then, I’ve seen them in several places locally.

190122 trioza centranthi (1)

The plant is Red valerian (Centranthus ruber) and the leaf-rolls are galls, almost certainly caused by the larvae of a little bug called Trioza centranthi. The gall is where it makes its home until it matures into an adult bug, and you can see some of the larvae in the lower right photo below.

Amazingly, I photographed the little bug (see below) on one of the plants and I think this is the adult. I’ve read that Trioza centranthi is quite uncommon and, certainly, there are only 3 records in Aderyn, the Welsh biodiversity database but I imagine this is to do with under-recording rather than rarity.

190122 trioza centranthi (6)

22/365 What’s green and yellow?

22 Tuesday Jan 2019

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Today I went looking for the Siskin that were seen at Cosmeston on Sunday (and had been heard by another birder earlier in the month). They’re not birds I’m familiar with as they’re not common locally and I’ve only seen them a couple of times when I’ve been on bird club trips (oh, and once very high in the trees at Forest Farm). My heart skipped a beat when I heard a flock of Goldfinches in the trees ahead of me (the Siskin were associating with Goldfinches on Sunday) and saw a few flashes of yellow and green in the birds with them. Unfortunately, they weren’t Siskin but Greenfinches – I’m not complaining though, as Greenfinches are also birds I don’t see very often.

190122 greenfinch

21/365 A Snipe or three

21 Monday Jan 2019

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

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When I headed to Forest Farm Nature Reserve today, I was hoping to add a Dipper to my year list (tick) and, as frosty mornings often lure them out from the reeds, I was also hoping to see some Snipe – these are they. Not as close as I’d have liked but still good to see as they are so well camouflaged they’re often difficult to spot. There were lots of other lovelies too: a Kingfisher, two Buzzards being harassed by Crows, three Great spotted woodpeckers, a ton of Mallards and Moorhens loudly staking out territories in preparation for breeding, four Grey herons like statues in a dead tree, and my first Snowdrops of the year. T’rrific!

190121 snipe

19/365 Hopalong Rock pipit

19 Saturday Jan 2019

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It was lovely to catch up with my little friend, Hoppy the Rock pipit, as I walked along the Ely embankment today. It’s a month since I last saw him (and blogged about him – or her) and it’s always good to know s/he’s still doing okay. Today, little Hoppy was dotting around the apartment gardens and on to balcony railings quite fearlessly. I imagine the colder temperatures this week mean there’s not so much fodder at the water’s edge so Hoppy has to expand his/her grazing range.

190119 hopalong rock pipit

18/365 A slimy Friday

18 Friday Jan 2019

Posted by in 365DaysWildin2019, fungi, nature, winter

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It’s been wintery today, with a chill wind and frequent showers, but I rugged up and headed out for a stomp for the air and exercise. Cosmeston was almost empty of people and dogs, something unheard of on warmer days, and any wildlife was also keeping well under cover. So, I enjoyed a bimble in Cogan Wood, picking up logs, looking for insects and fungi, and I found this interesting slime mould growing on an ivy leaf.

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17/365 Goosey Goosanders

17 Thursday Jan 2019

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

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Today dawned bright and cold, the perfect day for a long walk, so I took myself out for a long stroll down to Penarth Marina, across the Cardiff Bay Barrage and around to the wetlands reserve, and then back again. These Goosanders – a male at the front and a snoozing female behind, with a second female just out of the frame – were the first birds I saw when I reached Cardiff Bay. Such handsome creatures.

190117 goosanders

16/365 Juvenile Herring gull

16 Wednesday Jan 2019

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

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Another day, another bird club trip, this time to Kenfig pool (where we had the Slavonian grebe and the Great white egret), to Porthcawl (first Cattle egrets of the year), and to Newton Point (first Purple sandpipers, but no Black redstart today). It was a cracking day’s birding but rather rainy much of the time so the camera didn’t come out often and my best shot of the day was of this juvenile (1st year) Herring gull who was pleading with us to share our sandwiches as we sat on the seawall at Porthcawl. It was out of luck!

190116 juvenile herring gull