Spot the latest in Crow nest accessories …
So when you get home from a hard day’s crowing, you can hang up your feathers before snuggling in for the night.
At the crow’s nest
02 Saturday Apr 2022
Posted in birds
Tag Archives: birding
Osprey!
31 Thursday Mar 2022
I had a mystery bird during yesterday’s walk. It flew high over the west paddock at Cosmeston Country Park, heading north, in slow circles, mobbed by corvids and gulls. It was carrying something that seemed to have a snake-like shape, long and thin and dangling from its claws. Looking through binoculars, my impression of the bird was that it had dark grey/brown wings, a very pale, possibly white body, and a small pale head.
I had an idea what it might be but had never seen that species before so took as many photos as I could with my point-and-shoot camera (the telephoto lens on my DSLR camera has died and I can’t afford to replace it at the moment – what a time not to have a good lens!). Fortunately, local expert birders and our county bird recorder were able to confirm, from my description and the photos, that I had seen my first Osprey, migrating north to its breeding site after over-wintering in Africa. Welcome home, you beauty!
The ju-jitsu bird
29 Tuesday Mar 2022
Posted in birds
I know everyone thinks the Chiffchaff (Phylloscopus collybita) calls its own name ‘chiff chaff, chiff chaff’ or, sometimes, ‘chaff chiff, chaff chiff’. I beg to differ. A lot of the birds I listen to are actually saying ‘did you? did you? you, you, did you?’ and some of them are even in to martial arts, calling ‘ju-jitsu, ju-jitsu, you, ju-jitsu’. Listen closely next time you hear one and let me know what you think they’re saying.
Flying kites
24 Thursday Mar 2022
Posted in birds
Tags
This was yesterday’s ten minutes of heart-racing (SO exciting!), anxiety causing and expletive-inducing (my camera lens is on the blink and I can’t afford to replace it at the moment, and, initially, it wouldn’t focus on the birds) high drama. One Red kite came soaring up over the edge of the cliffs at the edge of the nature reserve where I was walking, followed almost immediately by a second kite, and then, incredibly, a third. I could hardly believe my eyes – or my luck.
Though Red kites are increasingly common in many parts of southern Britain, they are seldom seen in my part of south Wales, and to see three at once is almost unheard of. It was quite simply amazing!
Red-crested pochard
22 Tuesday Mar 2022
Posted in birds
Tags
birding, birdwatching, British birds, Cosmeston Lakes Country Park, Netta rufina, Red-crested pochard
Last Monday it was a Little gull in Cardiff Bay; yesterday a Red-crested pochard at Cosmeston Lakes – I’m already wondering what next Monday might bring.
According to the BTO website, the Red-crested pochard (Netta rufina) usually spends the summer in Europe and central Asia, and overwinters in north Africa, India and Japan. In Britain, where the earliest record of this bird dates to 1818, the population is tiny and originated from birds that escaped captivity.
This particular Red-crested pochard was most likely the bird that was first seen at Kenfig National Nature Reserve on 10 March. It stayed on Cosmeston’s west lake all day Monday, diving often to find weed to munch on and contentedly preening between times. Unfortunately, it remained quite distant so I couldn’t get any decent photos but it was still a treat to watch this handsome exotic visitor.
Redshank and Coltsfoot
21 Monday Mar 2022
Posted in birds, wildflowers
Not a combination you see every day: a Redshank passing some golden Coltsfoot, growing near the river’s edge …
The smallest gull in the world
15 Tuesday Mar 2022
Tags
birding, birdwatching, British birds, Cardiff Bay birding, Hydrocoloeus minutus, Little gull, spring passage
Local birders have been treated to another striking gull visitor to Cardiff Bay in recent days, this time an adult Little gull (Hydrocoloeus minutus). They can often be seen locally at this time of year as they move from their over-wintering locations to their breeding grounds but they can be difficult to spot, especially if they are flying in the centre of the Bay.
These are the smallest gulls in the whole wide world – compare the size of the Little gull perched on the buoys with the Black-headed gull standing next to it. Their size is one distinguishing feature, but the best way to pick out the adults is from their wing colours, light grey with a white edging on top, very dark grey with that white edging underneath. The wing shape – often described as paddle-shaped – is also distinctive.
First Spring Wheatear
12 Saturday Mar 2022
I was just about to head home from Cosmeston when I got word there was a Wheatear in the southern end of the west paddock – I was at the northern end. Back I stomped and splashed – it’s exceedingly muddy there after all the recent rain – and enjoyed close views of this very handsome bird, as well as a lovely catch up with a female birding friend. I’ve since seen reports of Wheatears in other locations today – Spring migration has begun!
A mischief
08 Tuesday Mar 2022
Posted in birds
There’s something about the grassy playing fields of Cardiff’s Hamadryad Park that Magpies love, as I often see large numbers there, prospecting for worms and other insects. Today I counted 44 birds, and more could be heard and seen in the neighbouring trees.
I’ve just been reading that there are several collective nouns for a flock of Magpies – amongst them, congregation, tribe, charm – but the one I like best is mischief. The four birds shown below certainly looked like they were plotting some kind of devilment.
Red-listed Greenfinches
05 Saturday Mar 2022
Posted in birds
The current conservation status of the Greenfinch (Chloris chloris) in the UK is RED (meaning the species has been accorded the highest conservation priority and requires urgent action) because of its ‘recent severe breeding population decline’. So, I was very gratified during yesterday’s walk to see at least six birds, including 3 males sitting in treetops, wheezing their strange call, and females nearby taking notice. Let’s hope this attraction translates to fledgling success this breeding season.
earthstar 
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