Birding on Gower

10 Tuesday Oct 2017

Posted by sconzani in birds, coastal fauna, nature, seaside, walks

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birding, birdwatching, British birds, coastal cliffs, dramatic coastline, Glamorgan Bird Club, Gower, Mewslade, Rhossili Beach, Worm's Head

It was a wild and windy but not wet day last week when I ventured for the first time to the incredible Gower peninsula, on a birding trip with my Glamorgan Bird Club friends.

171010 Glamorgan bird clubbers

We parked near Mewslade Beach, then walked a circuit from there along the cliff-top coastal path, across the medieval field system of The Vile, through the little village of Rhossili and then back to the car park. Most of the birds were best viewed through binoculars or ’scopes so I don’t have many images of them to share but the scenery was just stunning! High stone cliffs honed in places to a razor edge by millennia of wind and rain, secret little coves nestled between tall protective hills, the long stretch of golden-sand beach at Rhossili that was recently named the best beach in Britain and one of the world’s top ten – Gower really does deserve the adjective ‘awesome’!

Oh, and getting back to the birds – I saw a total of 34 species: Cormorant, Sparrowhawk, Common Buzzard, Kestrel, Peregrine, Oystercatcher, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Herring Gull, Woodpigeon, Collared Dove, Pheasant, Magpie, Jackdaw, Carrion Crow, Raven, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Coal Tit, Long-tailed Tit, Chiffchaff, Goldcrest, Wren, Blackbird, Robin, Stonechat, Dunnock, House Sparrow, Pied Wagtail, Meadow Pipit, Chaffinch, Goldfinch, Linnet, and the two highlights for me, Common Scoter (a group of perhaps 20 floating together on the sea – seen through a ’scope) and several Gannets, flying low to the waves not far offshore, plus a bonus sighting of at least one Grey seal lolling about in the waves in one of the bays.

The group total was 46 species as I was too busy admiring the scenery to notice these: Shag, Kittiwake, Guillemot, Razorbill, Green Woodpecker, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Chough, Rook, Bullfinch, Song Thrush, Common Gull, and Great Black-backed Gull. Thanks to John and Glamorgan Bird Club members for yet another fantastic day out!

171010 Rhossili beach

Bully for you

08 Sunday Oct 2017

Posted by sconzani in birds, nature

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birding, birdwatching, British birds, British finches, bullfinch, Pyrrhula pyrrhula

What a dapper fellow this male Bullfinch is, with his apricot-coloured waistcoat, grey jacket, black bowler and tails! The female, shown below, is elegant in a more understated way (I’ve yet to get good close photos of her).

171007 Bullfinch (3)

Sadly, despite its good looks, the Bullfinch (Pyrrhula pyrrhula) has been much persecuted by humans due to its preference for devouring the buds of trees, particularly tasty fruit trees, in the springtime. According to Buczacki’s Fauna Britannica, ‘As long ago as 1566, an Act of Parliament allowed for one penny to be offered for “everie Bulfynche or other Byrde that devoureth that blowth of Fruite”.’ And according to the BTO website, the number of wild birds was further depleted in Victorian times because people preferred to admire the Bulfinch’s gorgeous plumage in cages rather than in woodlands.

However, these factors are not the reason for the bird’s declining numbers – there was a sharp decline in the late 1970s, which has upturned slightly since 2000, but is still 36% lower than in 1967. That decline is thought to be a result of decreasing biodiversity in woodlands and of the negative effects of agricultural intensification. I haven’t been able to find any more recent population figures but let’s hope the Bullfinch recovers. What a loss that apricot waistcoat would be!

171007 Bullfinch (2)

Autumn migration: Garganey

30 Saturday Sep 2017

Posted by sconzani in autumn, birds, nature

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Anas querquedula, autumn migration, birding, birdwatching, British birds, British ducks, ducks, Garganey, migrating birds, Roath Park Lake

When sightings of rare birds are reported, the birds are usually in out-of-the-way locations that are difficult to access by public transport so I can’t go looking but yesterday was different. A ‘scarce and very secretive’ duck had been spotted at Roath Park Lake, my old stomping ground, so I hopped on a train and was there like a shot.

170930 Garganey (1)

The bird was a Garganey (Anas querquedula) and it was certainly living up to its reputation: I spent 30 minutes or so walking and looking and couldn’t spot it (though the Teal and Shovelers were an added bonus amongst the resident water birds). A fellow birder told me he’d seen the Garganey briefly through his ’scope but it had then disappeared under overhanging tree branches. So, I went for a walk around the park, watched a young Heron fishing in the sluice and enjoyed the autumn colour, before heading around the lake again on my way back to the train. And there it was!

170930 Garganey (2)

The female Garganey looks much like a female Mallard at first glance but she is a much smaller duck, the markings on her face are stronger, with the eye stripe giving her quite an exotic look, and she has a bill that shows she’s a dabbler. She was very active, constantly ducking her head under the water for plant material and insects – in fact, most of my photos are of a headless duck!

Garganeys are only seen in small numbers in Britain, as they pass through during spring and autumn migration, so being able to see and watch this beautiful female was a treat indeed!

Birding at Goldcliff

28 Thursday Sep 2017

Posted by sconzani in birds, nature

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birding, birdwatching, British birds, Dunlin, Glamorgan Bird Club, Goldcliff lagoons, Greenshank, Knot, Newport Wetlands, Shelduck, Spotted redshank, Wheatear

190728 2 mixed flock

I am SO pleased I bought binoculars. My second trip to Goldcliff lagoons and Newport Wetlands with my Glamorgan Bird Club buddies last weekend was just so much better for having them, as there was an incredible diversity of birds to be seen but most were distant views from hides or platforms. Using the bins not only brings the birds closer but it also means I get to watch and learn more of each bird species’ habits and actions, which I really enjoy.

190728 4 spotted redshank dunlin greenshank flying

Though I’m not an obsessive twitcher, I am keeping a personal list of bird sightings this year and saw a few new birds to add to my list (which now totals a respectable but not huge 130). The Club’s list for the day totalled 77 species but I didn’t see (or hear) the Great Crested Grebe, Siskin, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Goldcrest, Song Thrush, Mistle Thrush and Yellow Wagtail, so my total was 69 species: Mute Swan, Canada Goose, Shelduck, Wigeon, Gadwall, Teal, Shoveler, Tufted Duck, Little Grebe, Grey Heron, Little Egret, Cormorant, Marsh Harrier, Buzzard, Kestrel, Sparrowhawk, Peregrine, Water Rail (heard), Moorhen, Coot, Oystercatcher, Ringed Plover, Lapwing, Knot,

190728 1 shelduck knot ringed plover

and Little Stint (below with Ringed plover),

190728 little stint ringed plover

and Dunlin, Ruff (two below with a Greenshank),

190728 3 ruff greenshank

and Snipe, Black-tailed Godwit, Whimbrel, Curlew, Spotted Redshank, Greenshank,

190728 5 greenshank

and Redshank, Black-headed Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Herring Gull, Feral Pigeon, Woodpigeon, Collared Dove, Kingfisher, Magpie, Jay, Carrion Crow, Raven, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Skylark, House Martin, Swallow, Cetti’s Warbler (heard, several times), Long-tailed Tit, Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler, Sedge Warbler, Blackcap, Wren, Starling, Blackbird, Robin, Stonechat, Wheatear (they do like their fenceposts),

and House Sparrow, Pied Wagtail, Meadow Pipit, Chaffinch, Goldfinch, Linnet, Reed Bunting, and Mallard. It was a wonderful day’s birding.

190728 8 mallard female

Autumn migration: Chiffchaff

20 Wednesday Sep 2017

Posted by sconzani in autumn, birds, nature

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autumn migration, bird migration, birding, birdwatching, British birds, Chiffchaff, Phylloscopus collybita

Although this little warbler can be seen all year round, most of its kind migrate in August and September, which is why, during the past couple of weeks, I’ve been seeing an awful lot of these pretty birds in my local parks and nature reserves. They’ve been fattening up on flies and other insects before they head south to the Mediterranean and west Africa.

170920 Chiffchaff (7)

This is the Chiffchaff, Phylloscopus collybita. As it has a tendency to nest low down amongst brambles and evergreen shrubs, it has earned itself such vernacular names as bank-bottle and bank jug, but I have no idea where most of its other common names originate from: feather bed, feather pokel, huck muck, lesser pettychaps, Peggy, sally picker, thummie, and wood oven.

One thing I have learnt about the Chiffchaff, however, is to try to get a good look at the colour of its legs because if it’s not singing its distinctive ‘chiff chaff’ song, then its dark-coloured legs are one way to tell it apart from its look-alike, the Willow warbler.

Wheatear

14 Thursday Sep 2017

Posted by sconzani in birds, nature, parks

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autumn bird migration, birding, birdwatching, British birds, Cosmeston Lakes Country Park, migrating birds, Oenanthe oenanthe, Wheatear

I went looking for Whinchat and Redstart but came home with Wheatear. I’m talking about birds, of course, and I didn’t actually bring the bird home, of course, just photos – and not particularly crisp photos at that, as the bird was perched on a fence post some distance away and I couldn’t get closer without spooking it. But what a lovely little bird it was!

170914 wheatear (1)

This was at Cosmeston, my local country park and nature reserve, which, as it sits very close to the Welsh coast adjacent to the Bristol Channel, is perfectly situated as a sort of springboard location for migrating birds – and the autumn bird migration is well and truly underway now. The Wheatear (Oenanthe oenanthe) breeds in upland areas of northern and western Britain but then, come the cooler days of late summer – early autumn, it wings its way south to spend the winter in central Africa.

The name Wheatear intrigued me so I consulted my trusty copy of Stefan Buczacki’s Fauna Britannica. It appears that many people assume, as I did, that the name comes from the bird’s tendency to consume ripening wheat. However, the etymology is older and seems to come from a Middle English word meaning ‘white arse’!

170914 wheatear (2)

The Young’uns at Forest Farm

10 Sunday Sep 2017

Posted by sconzani in birds, nature, parks

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birding, birdwatching, British birds, dunnock, Forest Farm, Forest Farm Nature Reserve, Greenfinch, Grey heron, juvenile birds, robin

I hadn’t been to Forest Farm for a while but, when I heard some rather nice fungi had been found, I was there like a shot (more on that tomorrow). And, of course, whilst there I had to spend some quality time with the lovely birds that can be seen in this beautiful nature reserve at any time of the year. Now, in early autumn, there are a lot of young birds, and they’re always fun, and hungry, and often quite confiding.

170910 Dunnock 170910 Greenfinches 170910 Robin
170910 Grey heron (1) 170910 Grey heron (2) 170910 Grey heron (3)

Why I bought bins

28 Monday Aug 2017

Posted by sconzani in birds, nature

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benefits of binoculars, birding, birdwatching, British birds, Goldfinch, Little egret, Rock pipit, Yellowhammer

I have always been a bird lover but my birding enjoyment has increased immeasurably since I finally bought myself a pair of binoculars. (I’d previously relied on using the 300mm lens on my camera to bring me closer to distant birds but I now realise how utterly inadequate that was.) From yesterday’s trip to Gileston and Aberthaw with my bird club, here’s why buying bins has been brilliant …

170828a Goldfinches

I could see these Goldfinches with the naked eye and the camera got a reasonable, though not crisp shot.

170828b Yellowhammer

This was my first sighting of a Yellowhammer this year. You can perhaps just make out a yellow dot perched on top of the hedge.

170828c Sparrowhawk

You’ll have to take my word for this one – there’s a Sparrowhawk in this photo. It was well camouflaged but I could just see it with my bins.

170828e Turnstone Dunlin Ringer plover

There were lots of waders foraging on the beach: Turnstones, Dunlins and cute little Ringed plovers. Just specks through the camera, though.

170828f Rock pipit

This one’s a little easier. Spot the Rock pipit.

170828g Little egrets

Their bright Persil whiteness makes these two Little egrets much easier to see but with the bins I could almost see what they were catching for lunch!

Bay birds

21 Monday Aug 2017

Posted by sconzani in birds, nature

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birding, birdwatching, British birds, Cardiff Bay, Cardiff Bay wetlands, Great Crested Grebe, House martin, Linnet, Moorhen, Pied wagtail, swan, Turnstone

I had a super walk around Cardiff Bay yesterday …

170821a Linnets

A family of four Linnets were feeding on the Ely embankment. The seeds of Herb Robert seemed to be their food of choice.

170821b Linnets

This is one of six Turnstones foraging along the shoreline. I love their breeding plumage, which is now just beginning to change back to their less colourful winter plumage.

170821c Turnstone

These House martin chicks were poking their heads out of a nest on a house at the end of Penarth Marina.

170821d House martins

A close-up of one of a family of six immature Swans by the Barrage.

170821e Swan

And a little further long, this juvenile Pied wagtail was slipping and sliding along the wires at the shoreline.

170821f Pied wagtail

At Cardiff Bay wetlands, I followed a flock of tits and friends, and snapped this lovely bird. It might be a warbler or it might be a Chiffchaff – I couldn’t be sure as I didn’t hear its song and it wouldn’t show me its legs!

170821g Warbler or Chiffchaff

This young Moorhen was sticking close to the reeds while its parent was engaged in nest reconstruction, which seems just a little late in the year.

170821h Moorhen

And back over the other side of the Bay, by Ferry Court, this is one of three immature Great crested grebes that were swimming around amongst the Coots, Tufted ducks and Swans.

170821i Great crested grebe

Decorative bunting

19 Saturday Aug 2017

Posted by sconzani in birds, nature, nature photography

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birding, birdwatching, British birds, bunting, decorative bunting, Reed bunting

‘Are you looking for outdoor bunting?’ read the ad in the local newspaper.

170819 Reed bunting (1)

Well, no, actually, I was outdoors looking for Spotted flies – this rather handsome Reed bunting was an added bonus!

170819 Reed bunting (2)

It did look a little out of place, sitting in a leafy tree amongst a long row of leafy trees, rather than in or very near the reed beds around the lakes.

170819 Reed bunting (3)