Tag Archives: #365DaysWild

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

15/365 Shedding a tear

15 Tuesday Jan 2019

Posted by in 365DaysWildin2019, nature, trees, weather, winter

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More un-forecast rain stopped play today or, at least, limited it to a stroll around the town in full wet weather gear. Still, there are always things to see, especially if you work with the weather, and use a little imagination. So, while you might think this is just water running down a tree trunk, I see an eye shedding a tear.

190115 shedding a tear

14/365 A nest of rubbish

14 Monday Jan 2019

Posted by in 365DaysWildin2019, birds, nature

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190114 nest of rubbish (1)

When I walked along a local path today, I noticed this old birds’ nest propped up on top of a fence. I’m sure this is not where the nest was made – it had probably fallen from a tree and someone had picked it up. Nests are such wonderful constructions and this was no exception, though I was rather dismayed at how much human detritus had been included in it (I’ve included a second photo today, to show the detail).

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12/365 A daffodilly day

12 Saturday Jan 2019

Posted by in 365DaysWildin2019, flowers, nature, winter

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In truth, there is nothing wild about these gorgeous daffodils – they must’ve been planted several years ago in the wide verges near Cardiff Bay Hospital, but it was such a delight to see their bright and glorious little faces bobbing in the light breeze on a grey day. And they were rather nicer than the thick sticky mud I trudged through as I made a circuit of Grangemoor Park.

190112 daffodils

11/365 Gull vs Heron

11 Friday Jan 2019

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

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It may have been grey and occasionally mizzling but that didn’t stop me enjoying a fabulous walk back from Sully beach to Penarth today. A tribe of 30 Turnstones flew in, as did 4 Grey plover and a little Dunlin friend; Rock pipits were flitting to and fro; there were 27 Curlew grazing on the playing fields – always a treat to watch; and I saw my first Kestrel of the year, perched on a high wire, watching. I did feel a little sorry for this Grey heron though, being harassed by a juvenile gull (Herring, I think).

190111 gull vs grey heron

9/365 Siberian chiffchaff

10 Thursday Jan 2019

Posted by in 365DaysWildin2019, birds, nature, winter

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My friend Sharon joined me on a wild walk around Parc Slip Nature Reserve today and, though the reserve itself was very quiet, it was all action near the Centre building, because of this little beauty. This Siberian chiffchaff, a rarity that should be over-wintering somewhere in the lower Himalayas (not dissimilar to south Wales at all!), was first spotted about a week ago and, with its constant activity and absolute fearlessness of humans, it has been entertaining bird-lovers from far and wide.

190109 siberian chiffchaff

8/365 Beardies, at last!

08 Tuesday Jan 2019

Posted by in 365DaysWildin2019, birds, nature, winter

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I’ve only ever seen Bearded tits once before, and those so distant that even using my bins I could barely see well enough to identify them. So, you can perhaps imagine my delight today at being able to linger, watching a male and female feeding in reeds at the pond edge at Cardiff Bay wetlands. Such exotic-looking birds, especially the male with his black-tear-stained face; they look like they belong in a tropical rainforest rather than in wintery Wales. Magic!

75 bearded tits

 

7/365 Wildly waving woodlouse

07 Monday Jan 2019

Posted by in 365DaysWildin2019, nature

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Donning my wet-weather gear against the un-forecast rain, I headed out early afternoon for a bimble around my local parks. I’d taken a few photos of rain drops on mosses, which would have served well enough for today’s post, but then noticed this large, handsome and well-armoured woodlouse sheltering in a niche. And, when it waved obligingly at me, that clinched my choice.

190107 woodlouse

6/365 On the fence

06 Sunday Jan 2019

Posted by in 365DaysWildin2019, insects, lichen, nature

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Much to the amazement – or perhaps the amusement – of Cosmeston’s dogwalkers, I spent rather a lot of time closely studying the tops of fence posts today. The variety of lichen to be found on them is really quite astonishing but I wasn’t only admiring the lichen. There were even more interesting things sitting on those fence posts …

190106 on the fence