23 Tuesday Dec 2025
Posted in birds
For several days at the end of September, I and many local birders were treated to the rare appearance in the sea just off Cardiff Bay’s Barrage of this Red-throated diver (1 November). For me, this was quite special, as it was only the second time I’d seen this species, and I’d love one day to see the bird in full breeding plumage, but I think that’s probably unlikely.
21 Sunday Dec 2025
Posted in birds
Tags
autumn migration, birding, birdwatching, British birds, Cardiff birding, Grey phalarope, Lisvane Reservoir, Red-necked phalarope
One of this year’s birding highlights was undoubtedly the influx of Grey phalaropes, blown in by autumn gales to many locations along the Welsh coast and even to some inland sites during September. In my county of Glamorgan, the local bird club reported an incredible numbers of sightings
with observations from Kenfig (maximum count five), Ogmore Estuary (three or four in total), Cardiff Bay (seen at several locations), Llanishen/Lisvane Reservoirs (at least two), Barry (one, possibly two, on The Knap), Llandaff (one on the River Taff), Llwyn-on Reservoir (one) and Rumney Great Wharf (one).
I was lucky enough to spend time watching the two Grey phalaropes on Lisvane Reservoir on 16 September (above), and another, on the River Taff, on 22 September (below) (Two Grey Phalaropes, 24 September, a blog post that also included a short video clip of the Taff sighting).
To my delight, and that of many keen birders and local visitors alike, the two Grey phalaropes on Lisvane Reservoir were accompanied by the Red-necked phalarope shown below (Lifer: Red-necked phalarope, 23 September). What a special day that was!
08 Monday Dec 2025
Posted in birds
It was back in November 2019, at Rhossili, that I first saw Britain’s rarest corvid, the Chough, and I only managed to grab a few blurry record shots before the birds flew to a more distant location. So, you can perhaps imagine my delight when, this October, I had a totally unexpected and relatively close encounter of the Chough kind much closer to home (Choughed, 10 October). A definite highlight of my birding year!
04 Thursday Dec 2025
Posted in birds
Tags
birding, birdwatching, British birds, Bucephala clangula, Cardiff Bay birding, diving ducks, female Goldeneye, Goldeneye, male Goldeneye
Local birders have this week been treated to the appearance of a pair of Goldeneyes (Bucephala clangula) in Cardiff Bay, though they have occasionally been elusive, disappearing from their favoured area in the bay behind the Ice Rink for long periods, then reappearing as if by magic. When present, they also dive very frequently, so it’s easy to blink and miss them.
The male is a particularly handsome duck. He looks black in his upper parts and white below, though his head is actually a very dark green, and he has white cheek patches. As is usually the case with ducks, the female is more plain, her body patterned in shades of grey, though the brown colouration of her head is a warm rich hue. Both sexes have the golden-coloured eye they are named for.
02 Tuesday Dec 2025
Posted in birds
Despite my being partially concealed by low trees and tall shrubs, moving as quietly as possible over the uneven ground, and pretending not to have noticed this stunning Kestrel (I always think it’s better not to meet their eyes when trying to be stealthy), I still didn’t manage to get close enough for a very good photograph. It was almost as if the bird was teasing me, leading me to think I could get closer, before it flew up and away to hover several times over the neighbouring field while searching for unfortunate small mammals.
29 Saturday Nov 2025
Posted in birds
Just because I adore these cheeky little characters …
27 Thursday Nov 2025
Posted in birds
Tags
birding, birdwatching, British birds, Cardiff Bay birding, Coot, Coot with leg problem, disabled Coot
Call me heartless but, when I first noticed this Coot in Cardiff Bay yesterday, I laughed out loud. Then I felt ashamed of laughing and couldn’t help but admire how tenacious the bird was. Despite having something wrong with its left leg, it was swimming strongly, and clearly not letting its disability limit its determination to get where it was going.
24 Monday Nov 2025
Posted in birds
Tags
birding, birdwatching, British birds, Carrion crow, Cosmeston Lakes Country Park, crow with deformed beak
Let me introduce you to Beaky the Carrion crow. It lives at Cosmeston Lakes Country Park, in the area around the visitor centre and car park at the southern end of the east lake. I’ve heard about Beaky from other park visitors and know some elderly gents who throw it some bread whenever they visit but, as I don’t often walk in that area (too many people for my liking), I hadn’t met Beaky until last Friday. I had some bird food with me so threw it into the water at the lake edge for the Tufted ducks then was sitting on a bench, putting away my bins and camera in preparation for heading home, when this crow landed in front of me and stared, as if to say ‘Where’s my food?’ And, of course, I couldn’t help but notice its deformed bill so knew immediately this must be Beaky. Unfortunately, I didn’t have any food left but I’ll definitely save some for this characterful bird next time I head that way.
And, just in case you’re wondering, ‘my’ crows are well, and still/always hungry. I don’t go to Cosmeston as often as I used to (too many people for my liking, and that’s only going to get worse, as the Welsh government has just approved a development of 576 new homes on the land opposite) but, as soon as I walk in to my crows’ territory, they come flying in to see me.
The male, above, usually lands right by my feet, whereas the female, below, more wary, perches in a nearby tree. I don’t know if you’ve ever felt a close connection to a wild creature but it truly makes my heart sing when these birds fly in, feed near me, and often walk around the field with me.
22 Saturday Nov 2025
I wrote that title in an optimistic frame of mind a week ago, when planning forthcoming blog posts and after seeing my first Black redstart of the autumn/winter season in a nearby seaside town. This female / immature bird – it’s impossible to tell whether they’re male or female at this time of year when they haven’t yet acquired their adult plumage – was moving between the rooftops of local houses and an adjacent newly planted park.
This was apparently one of two birds, and, a few days later, two males were also seen. I had intended to go for another look but the park also held a children’s playground very close to where the birds were feeding and it’s not really a good idea to linger near a playground with binoculars and a camera. Then, yesterday I heard that no Black redstarts have been seen at all this week so it looks like they’ve moved on. Fingers crossed we’ll get some local over-wintering birds, in a more suitable location.
20 Thursday Nov 2025
Tags
autumn bird migration, autumn migration, birding, birdwatching, British birds, Woodpigeon, Woodpigeon migration
This time is 7.35am Monday morning, and the sun has just risen above the Mendip Hills, on the north Somerset coast.
And the Woodpigeons have begun moving northwards again, along the south Wales coast, reversing the journey they made a week or so ago. Their flocks – at least, the ones I can see – are smaller, in the tens and hundreds, not the massive flocks of several thousand birds I saw moving south.
Did they get to Land’s End and think ‘You’ve gotta be kidding me?’ Do the young birds tag along for the British section of the flight as a learning exercise? Are Woodpigeons like sheep that just mindlessly follow a leader? Do they get caught up in the fun, the exhilaration, the sense of adventure but then realise their limitations when they meet the challenge of a sea crossing? Do they somehow realise the grass, and the berries, are not greener on the other side?
Just as with their migration south, so with the move of smaller numbers back north, no one knows why they do it; why some carry on with their migration while others return back the way they came, and whether they return to where their journey originated or whether they stop off to overwinter somewhere different along the way. Woodpigeons are much more mysterious than you might think!
earthstar 
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