12 Monday Sep 2022
Posted in birds
As well as the phenomenal Black terns I shared on Saturday, my visit to Parc Tredelerch produced another avian treat, this Kingfisher, at first perching on the edge of the boardwalk, then, later, appearing right in front of us as we searched the skies for the terns. Most of my recent views of Kingfishers have been of a fleeting flash of teal streaking rapidly past, so it was especially nice to have this one sit a short while quite close by.
28 Monday Jun 2021
Posted in birds
Tags
birding, birds at Forest Farm, birdwatching, British birds, Forest Farm Nature Reserve, Kingfisher
I mentioned in Saturday’s blog that I saw one particularly beautiful bird during my visit to Forest Farm Nature Reserve on Thursday, and this is it, a Kingfisher.
And I was lucky – I saw it twice, visiting the ponds in front of first one bird hide and then the other.
It didn’t linger long at either, announcing its departure with the trade-mark peep, peep, peeping as it flew off with a flash of vibrant turquoise.
03 Friday Jan 2020
Tags
birding, birdwatching, British birds, Dipper, Forest Farm, Forest Farm Nature Reserve, Great spotted woodpecker, Grey heron, Kingfisher
Today’s was another merry meander, this time around Forest Farm Nature Reserve. The sun was actually shining for part of the time, which was a very pleasant change, and I was lucky with my bird sightings.
As soon as I stepped on to the pedestrian bridge that crosses the River Taff from Radyr Station to Forest Farm, I could hear a Dipper singing – such a delightful melody! And there it was, sitting on a rock on the far bank, almost directly under the bridge. I couldn’t have asked for a better start to the day.
The little birds – the tits and finches, Robins and Wrens – were also very vocal and it wasn’t long before I had paused to hand out some sunflower seeds and enjoy their feasting. As I watched, I caught a flash of red – my first Great spotted woodpecker of the year. I also heard, then saw a Green woodpecker but wasn’t quick enough for any photos.
I popped along to the second bird hide but all was quiet there and I’m not one to just sit and wait for the birds to come, so I headed along to wander the length of the old Glamorgan Canal, and back. I was soon lucky there too – a Kingfisher was flying and perching on low branches, trying to fish but being almost continuously disturbed by passing dogs and their walkers and noisy families.
Four hours later, I had dished out all of my seed offerings and managed to clock 30 species, four of which were new for 2020 and all of which were lovely to see. But the highlight of the day was probably the sight of 10 Grey herons in one huge dead tree (at one point also joined by a Buzzard but two Magpies soon saw it off)!
29 Friday Nov 2019
Tags
birding, birdwatching, Black-headed gull, British birds, Cardiff Bay, Cardiff Bay birds, Chiffchaff, Coot, Goosander, Great Crested Grebe, Kingfisher, Linnet, Pied wagtail, Turnstone
What a wonderful long walk I had around Cardiff Bay today! Here are some of the birds I spotted along the way.
There were nine Goosanders in total, four in the River Ely where it flows in to the Bay and another five further east, in the Bay proper.
My favourite little Turnstones, again four along the Ely embankment and more near Mermaid Quay.
Linnets, a small flock of six flitting about the grassy slopes of the Barrage.
Pied wagtails – I lost count of these cheery little characters who appeared wherever I wandered.
One of several Great crested grebes that live in the Bay, constantly diving for fish.
I was getting ‘the look’ from this Black-headed gull, in the pond at the wetlands reserve, for not supplying food!
This Coot was also hoping for food.
This Chiffchaff was a surprise – it’s either very late migrating or has decided to over-winter in Britain, as some now do. Interestingly, I saw a Chiffchaff yesterday too, in a different location.
The best possible end to my walk – a Kingfisher peep-peep-peeped in to the pool near Hamadryad Park and perched on a branch over the water.
22 Monday Jan 2018
Tags
Alcyone, birding, birdwatching, British birds, Ceyx, Forest Farm, Glamorgan Canal, Greek myth about kingfisher, Halcyon, Halcyon days, Kingfisher
Did you know that the word halcyon is Greek for kingfisher?
It comes from an ancient myth about Alcyone and her husband Ceyx who angered the gods by calling each other Zeus and Hera. The real Zeus and Hera were livid and punished the couple by killing Ceyx, using a thunderbolt to sink Ceyx’s ship.
Overcome with grief at the news, Alcyone jumped into the sea and also drowned. Impressed by Alcyone’s love and compassion, Zeus and Hera transformed the couple into vibrant blue birds, the kingfishers that delight all who are privileged to see them.
But life was not all plain sailing for the newly transformed kingfishers as Zeus declared that Alcyone could only lay her eggs in winter, at a place close to the shore where Ceyx’s body had washed up. This caused Alcyone further grief because the winter storms kept washing her eggs away.
Eventually, Zeus relented and decreed that there would always be a period of fourteen days in the middle of winter when the seas would be calm enough for Alcyone to lay and brood her eggs.
This period of calm came to be known as the period of halcyon days. And, though the wind was strong, gusty and icy cold for my walk along the Glamorgan Canal at Forest Farm Nature Reserve on Friday, yet it was a day of seeing beautiful kingfishers so I feel I can still call it a halcyon day!
07 Thursday Dec 2017
Tags
birding, birdwatching, British birds, bullfinch, dunnock, Forest Farm, Forest Farm Nature Reserve, Great spotted woodpecker, Great tit, Kingfisher, long-tailed tit, Moorhen, robin, treecreeper
I had a meeting at Forest Farm last Friday so, of course, I took the opportunity while I was there to have a wander around the trails and along the Glamorganshire Canal. And it was wonderful, though I did come away feeling a little guilty. We’d had a week of low temperatures, with overnight frosts, and there was a bitterly cold wind blowing. It was obvious the wee birds were cold and hungry but I hadn’t taken any seed with me. Here are a Long-tailed tit, a male Bullfinch, a Dunnock, a Robin and a Great tit.
The water of the canal was sheltered from the breeze and very still, making for some stunning reflections (thank you little Moorhen). And I was treated to excellent views of a female Kingfisher, who sat for at least 15 minutes on her branch. From the way her feathers were fluffed up and she was hunched over her ‘toes’, I figure she was feeling the cold as well.
The Great spotted woodpecker was a treat, as were the Treecreepers – at least four of them, perhaps a family group, were actively scuttling up the branches in one small area by the canal. It was a grand day – my meeting went well and the birding was even better than expected!
19 Thursday Oct 2017
Tags
birding, birdwatching, British birds, Canada goose, Great white egret, Kingfisher, Lesser yellowlegs, Mediterranean gull, RSPB Lodmoor, Teal, Tringa flavipes
On the way to Portland Bird Observatory last Friday we called in at the RSPB’s Lodmoor Reserve, just outside of Weymouth, to see if we could catch a glimpse of one of their rare visitors, a Lesser yellowlegs (Tringa flavipes), a bird that’s usually more at home in the Americas. Our views weren’t super clear – my photos were taken through tall grasses and bramble – but it was great to see one of these occasional visitors to Europe.
As well as the Lesser yellowlegs (and the Gadwall I blogged about earlier in the week), there was an abundance of other birdlife.
Large numbers of Canada geese flew in while we walked the trails, and there were numerous Teal and Tufted ducks.
A few Mediterranean as well as the more common gull species …
Ruff, Snipe, Little and Great white egrets puddled about in the lagoons; a very confiding Kingfisher posed for photos; two Marsh harriers glided over the distant reed beds; and a Spoonbill was a nice, though distant sighting. I recorded over 30 species of birds at Lodmoor and that was without walking right around the reserve.
01 Thursday Dec 2016
Tags
birding, birdwatching, British birds, coal tit, Forest Farm Nature Reserve, Kingfisher, Mallard, Moorhen, nuthatch, robin
When deciding on a title for this post, I couldn’t help but wonder where the phrase ‘Watch the birdie’ originated, and I quickly discovered that as early as 1879 Victorian portrait photographers were using trained live birds and then mechanical chirping birds to hold the attention of their subjects. (This blog has more details if you’re interested.) My intentions were a little different: I was carrying small pottles of bird seed to try to hold the birdies’ attention so I could take their photographs! However, plenty of folk had beaten me to it and the birds were already scoffing into all their food presents.
I hadn’t been to Forest Farm for a month or two so it was lovely to wander along the towpath of the old Glamorgan Canal and the meandering woodland paths, listening to bird song all around. A highlight was watching a kingfisher trying to spot the sprats in the canal – I only saw it dive once and that was unsuccessful but it was still an absolute delight to watch. It was a truly wonderful day watching the very-much-alive birdies.
09 Wednesday Nov 2016
For World wildlife Wednesday this week we head to my homeland to check out one of our many beautiful birds. The aptly named ‘king of the fishers’ is a highly entertaining bird to watch, especially when fishing. New Zealand’s Sacred kingfisher (Todiramphus sanctus) sits patiently on a strategically placed branch, pole or railing overlooking a mudflat or estuary then, with a sudden flash of turquoise, it’s off to snatch, catch or grab whatever has caught its sharp eye. Though its habits and habitats are similar to those of the British kingfisher I now see on local rivers and streams, the Sacred kingfisher’s colouring is somewhat different, as you can see from these photos – the British bird is on the left, the New Zealand bird on the right.
With its loud ‘kek kek kek’ call, the Sacred kingfisher is sure to announce its presence, especially if you stray within its territory during the mating season, when it will also dive-bomb other birds and even humans if it considers them a threat. Its burrows can often be seen up high in muddy cliffs and banks at the coast but it also nests in holes in trees. Luckily, the population is numerous and widespread so New Zealanders and visitors alike can enjoy its antics.
earthstar 
You must be logged in to post a comment.