01 Tuesday Mar 2022
Posted in birds
Cardiff Bay has a reputation as a lovely area but the sad reality is that when you place a barrier across a bay into which two rivers discharge then the garbage that flows down those rivers, especially after raging storms and heavy rain, is bound to accumulate. And, though the local council does remove some rubbish, this particular corner of the Bay is never cleared. No chance of any lunch for the Grey heron here, I’m afraid.
05 Saturday Feb 2022
Posted in birds
Tags
birding, birdwatching, British birds, Cardiff Bay birds, Cardiff Bay Wetlands Reserve, Mute swan, swan
The pair of Mute swans that reside in the pond at the Cardiff Bay Wetlands Reserve are always on the lookout for food. No pressure, but that stare!
29 Saturday Jan 2022
Posted in birds
Tags
birding, birdwatching, British birds, Cardiff Bay birds, Common sandpiper, Ely embankment, over-wintering Common sandpiper
One of the highlights of my local walks this winter has been the presence of a Common sandpiper (Actitis hypoleucos), usually seen foraging along the embankment where the river Ely runs out into Cardiff Bay. These birds usually migrate to west Africa for the winter but, each year, a few birds remain in Britain, and we are privileged to have this one, sharing our area during these cooler months. Yesterday, it was feeding well on some kind of tiny crustacean, freshwater shrimps perhaps.
You can read a detailed summary of the life cycle of Common sandpipers on Graham Appleton’s excellent Waderstales blog, Not-so-Common sandpipers, May 2019.
05 Wednesday Jan 2022
Posted in birds
On 10 December the word went out to local birders that someone had spotted a Black redstart in the Porth Teigr area of Cardiff Bay, so the next morning I wasn’t the only person to head over to see if I could find it.
Turns out, there are, in fact, three Black redstarts dotting around together, two males (one, above) and a female (below). I’ve been back to see them several times now and they are worth every strip of shoe leather I wear off my soles walking there and back. They are simply stunning little birds!
p.s. I wrote this post yesterday and, amazingly, in the interim, one of my birding friends noticed that there are actually two females, meaning there are four Black redstarts. I walked across for another look this morning and, sure enough, there were two females. Amazing!
01 Saturday Jan 2022
Posted in birds
In what is becoming something of a tradition, I enjoyed a lovely long walk around Cardiff Bay today to kickstart my patch birding list for the year. I managed to spot 45 species, with the highlights being an overwintering Blackcap; a Common sandpiper (pictured below); the Yellow-legged gull I blogged about a couple of days ago; and one of three Black redstarts currently in the Bay – more on those in a forthcoming blog post. I also caught up with several friendly fellow birders, always a pleasure. Happy New Year, one and all!
25 Saturday Dec 2021
Posted in birds
As I was walking along the edge of Cardiff Bay, I was mulling over what to feature for the letter T, and there they were, a little group of Turnstones, working their way along the water’s edge, one stopping to wash and preen, most poking to displace small pieces of vegetation for the insects beneath or prodding stones to scare out the tiny sea creatures lurking in their lee. And so my decision was made for me, and I am particularly delighted to share a photo of this particular Turnstone that came waddling right up to the top of the embankment as if to have its portrait taken.
13 Saturday Nov 2021
Posted in birds
Some recent sightings from my circuits around Cardiff Bay …
Common sandpiper, an unexpected sighting, as I was under the impression that these birds migrated to Africa to over-winter
Coot: often overlooked, frequently fractious, undeniably handsome
Carrion crow, frequently seen poking about on the stone embankments around the Bay
Goosander, likely an eclipse male, i.e. in the process of changing from summer to winter plumage
A Grey heron – presumably the same Grey heron – that I’ve seen a couple of times lately on the dolphins and pontoons near Mermaid Quay
A Mute swan reflecting
A Pied wagtail preening
The currently resident Ring-necked duck with one of its Tufted duck friends
Rock pipit, one of a healthy population of these birds that inhabit the unhealthy, rubbish-filled peripheries of Cardiff Bay.
13 Thursday May 2021
Tags
bird migration, birding, birdwatching, British birds, Cardiff Bay birding, Cardiff Bay birds, Dunlin, spring migration
Though I live near the sea, I don’t get to see Dunlin very often as the coastline near me is mostly cliffs and rocks, not the stretches of mud or sand these little waders can easily feed on.
So, it was a real treat during Monday’s walk around Cardiff Bay to see this single Dunlin foraging on the edge of the Barrage.
Flocks of Dunlin, and other waders, pass along our shoreline at this time of year on their way to their breeding grounds and, very occasionally, drop in briefly to feed, as this one was. And to have a good scratch …
After taking several photos, I left the bird in peace to forage further, grateful for the birding treat!
07 Wednesday Apr 2021
Posted in birds
Bird News, Personal column, daily from 18 March 2021
Handsome bachelor, of colourful appearance and long tail, with successful prior breeding record and prime, if rubbish-filled nesting location already staked out, seeks healthy active female, with enthusiasm for raising demanding youngsters, who keeps a clean nest and has a good eye for insects, for immediate co-habitation. Fly now to the entrance to Roath Basin, Cardiff Bay. Only personal applications will be considered.
10 Wednesday Feb 2021
Posted in birds
Redshanks are well known for being flighty birds – as soon as they spot something out-of-their-ordinary, or there’s a sudden movement within their range of vision, they start body-bobbing and, if the disturbance continues, they’ll signal their kindred with a noisy cry and fly off. That usually means every other wader in the vicinity also reacts to their alarm, and it’s why Redshanks have long been known as the sentinels of the marshes.
In my area, it’s more a case of them being sentinels of the river embankment. And now that I’ve learnt to recognise their behaviour and see that first body-bob, I know to stop, stand still and wait for them to calm down. As long as no other pedestrian comes along to disturb them, my patience and stillness are often rewarded with some lovely time spent watching them feeding or just snoozing. I’ve found it can be very relaxing watching a bird sleep.
earthstar 
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