Tag Archives: Moorhen

360/365 Christmas birding

26 Thursday Dec 2019

Posted by in birds, nature, walks, winter

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Normal weather service (i.e. wind and rain) has resumed here today but yesterday, Christmas Day, was glorious – blue skies, cold but no wind, so I took myself on a 6-hour 8½-mile walk right around Cardiff Bay. I saw 44 species of bird (and dished out some Christmas seed to a few), and had some nice chats to random strangers. The birding highlights included …

Grey wagtails and my favourite little Turnstones on the Ely embankment

191226 3 linnets

Seven Linnets in a tree

A Moorhen and a Little grebe at Cardiff Bay Wetlands Reserve

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The day’s surprise, a Great spotted woodpecker in trees, also at the wetlands reserve

Two Cetti’s warblers seen (and more heard), plus a lovely male Stonechat

191226 9 common gull

A Common gull puddling for worms with the Black-headed gulls in Hamadryad Park

348/365 The final brood

14 Saturday Dec 2019

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The Moorhens of Cosmeston’s dipping pond have had a bumper year.

191214 moorhen family (1)

I blogged about their first brood of five on the day they hatched 1 April ‘91/365 New arrivals’ and then reported on their progress on 28 April ‘118/365 Chick update’.

191214 moorhen family (3)

Then, on 25 June, in ‘176/365 More new arrivals’, I happily announced the arrival of five more chicks.

191214 moorhen family (4)

I must have missed the hatching of the third brood, which probably arrived in early September. I’m not sure how many there were but four have survived and flourished, as you can see in this latest set of family photos.

191214 moorhen family (2)

These adult Moorhens are obviously excellent parents!

312/365 Nuts

08 Friday Nov 2019

Posted by in autumn, birds, nature

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Today was a glorious autumn day so I took myself to Forest Farm Nature Reserve for a long walk. I popped in to the hide to see what birds were around but it was very quiet.

191108 moorhens

Apart from a couple of Moorhens in the pond, the only feathered creatures I saw were these, a Jackdaw and a Jay that had been enticed down on to the grass in front of the hide by the peanuts another birder had thrown out for them.

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308/365 Birds of St James’s Park

04 Monday Nov 2019

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I’ve just returned from three days with two friends in London. We were doing touristy things as our Australian friend hadn’t been to London before but I did manage some birding during our walk through St James’s Park. Though abundant and obviously breeding locally, most of these cannot really be classed as wild birds but they’re lovely just the same.

191104 st james park

The birds we saw included Mute swan and Black swan, Black-headed gull, Moorhen, Egyptian and Greylag and Canada goose, Feral pigeon, Shelduck and some species of white duck that I don’t recognise, Grey heron, Ring-necked parakeet, Bahama pintail, Tufted duck and more. Unfortunately, the resident Pelicans were hiding on their island so we saw them not.

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191104 egyptian goose

191104 heron white ducks191104 ring-necked parakeet

191104 can goose coot191104 tufted duck

262/365 Ratty’s second breakfast

19 Thursday Sep 2019

Posted by in animals, birds, mammal, nature

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It’s been a while since I’ve walked past the dipping pond at Cosmeston but I’m glad I did today as one of the resident water voles made an appearance.

190919 water vole (1)

It was quite well concealed amongst the reeds at the side of the pond – that brown fur really helps them to blend in.

190919 water vole (2)

In the past I’ve only seen them eating lily pads but today this little chap was munching on reed stems.

190919 water vole (3)

Eventually, it noticed me standing on the boardwalk but didn’t seem too bothered and carried on eating.

190919 water vole (4)

But it sure freaked out when one of the juvenile Moorhens came by to say hello!

190919 water vole (5)

176/365 More new arrivals

25 Tuesday Jun 2019

Posted by in 365DaysWildin2019, birds, nature

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190625 moorhen family (5)

On April Fool’s day I reported on the hatching of five Moorhen chicks in one of the ponds at Cosmeston Lakes Country Park. Nearly two months on, I’m delighted to report that all five of those chicks are still alive and thriving, and they now have a brand new bunch of five siblings, their parents’ second brood of the year. Raising them is a real family affair, as the older siblings help to feed and look after their little brothers and sisters. And there’s still time for the mum and dad to have yet another brood. I’ll be watching.

190625 moorhen family (1)

118/365 Chick update

28 Sunday Apr 2019

Posted by in 365DaysWildin2019, birds, nature, spring

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I’m delighted to report that the five Moorhen chicks that hatched in the dipping pond at Cosmeston on 1 April are all still alive and thriving. Their parents have obviously been doing a brilliant job of rearing and protecting them – no easy task when there are so many gulls at Cosmeston and a couple of local Buzzards that are always looking for an easy meal.

91/365 New arrivals

01 Monday Apr 2019

Posted by in 365DaysWildin2019, birds, nature, spring

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At 9am this morning, one of these Moorhen parents was still sitting on five eggs. By the time I got to the pond at 11.30 there were five newly hatched little bundles of fluff, two of which were already venturing out of the nest. And Mum and Dad were already mating, in preparation for their next brood. If these are the same Moorhens that bred at this site last year, they had three broods in total, I think, and those born first were helping the parents feed the subsequent generations. I’ll be keeping an eye on what happens this year.

190401 moorhen family (1)190401 moorhen family (2)190401 moorhen family (3)190401 moorhen family (4)

30/365 Preening

30 Wednesday Jan 2019

Posted by in 365DaysWildin2019, birds, nature, walks, winter

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190130 moorhen

Today was the calm before the storm – or, at least, it might have been – snow and strong winds are forecast for tomorrow afternoon but we’ll have to wait and see if that forecast is correct. Today, though, was bright blue skies, heavy white frost, a cracking walk around Forest Farm, lots of lovely birds (including my first Siskins of the year), nice catch-ups with birding friends and birding-chat with strangers – just perfect! Oh, and here’s one of the many Moorhens I saw, this one preening vigorously in the warm morning sunshine.

Cuteness

14 Thursday Jun 2018

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Sometimes, when all the news seems to be full of doom and gloom, it’s nice to have something in our lives to make us smile. So, on day 14 of #30DaysWild, I went looking for cute babies ’cause they always make me smile – not human babies but baby birds. First, I found these three gorgeous little Canada goose goslings with their parents by the east lake at Cosmeston Lakes Country Park.

180614 Canada geese goslings (1)180614 Canada geese goslings (2)180614 Canada geese goslings (3)180614 Canada geese goslings (4)180614 Canada geese goslings (5)

And then, at the dipping pond, I spent a very enjoyable half hour watching the many Moorhen babies feeding, swimming, and preening. I hope they make you smile as well.