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Tag Archives: spring migration

Farewell, Fieldfares

20 Saturday Feb 2021

Posted by sconzani in birds

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birding, birdwatching, British birds, Fieldfare, spring migration, winter thrushes

Now that the cold-weather ‘Beast from the East’, a freezing Arctic blast, has passed and been replaced with much milder temperatures, the birds have decided it’s spring.

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This week I’ve heard Song thrushes and Blackbirds belting out their tunes from the treetops, Dunnocks singing from the bushes, male Greenfinches wheezing a welcome to prospective mates, and Skylarks songflighting above the local farm fields, which is all wonderful, but it also means the thrushes that have been over-wintering in Britain will be heading back to their breeding grounds.

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These Fieldfares are probably the last I’ll see, until the winter thrushes return again later in the year. They may already have started their long flight back east, to the Scandinavian peninsula, Finland or northwest Russia, according to the BTO website.

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72/366 Sand martins

12 Thursday Mar 2020

Posted by sconzani in birds, nature, spring

≈ 1 Comment

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birding, birdwatching, British birds, Cosmeston Lakes Country Park, Sand martin, spring migration

When I walked through the park this afternoon, three Sand martins were riding the blustery winds over Cosmeston’s west lake, twisting and swerving this way and that, hunting for tiny flying insects, feeding up after their marathon flights from Africa. What a joy it was to watch them!

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69/366 First Chiffchaffs

09 Monday Mar 2020

Posted by sconzani in birds, nature, spring

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bird migration, birding, birdwatching, British birds, Chiffchaff, spring migration

Spring migration is underway! Our county bird recorder yesterday reported seeing his first Sand martin for 2020 and today I’ve seen my first Chiffchaffs, newly arrived from overwintering in the warm countries around the Mediterranean or perhaps somewhere in west Africa. Such long migratory flights by such little birds – incredible!

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I saw or heard five Chiffchaffs during my walk along the coastal path this morning and then another three at Cosmeston Lakes Country Park. Above is number three and below is number seven. Hearing them singing their ‘chiff chaff’ song made my heart spring!

200309 chiffchaff (2)

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122/365 On the rocks

02 Thursday May 2019

Posted by sconzani in 365DaysWildin2019, birds, nature, spring

≈ 2 Comments

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#365DaysWild, birding, birdwatching, British birds, Cardiff Barrage, Cardiff Bay, spring migration, Wheatear

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Finally, I spotted a Wheatear on the Cardiff Bay Barrage rocks this morning. Other birders have been seeing them on and off for a month or so now, as they pass through on their way back from wintering in central Africa to their breeding grounds in Britain’s sunlit uplands. I certainly didn’t expect to find one this late in the spring, so I count myself extra lucky to have seen this little beauty today.

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84/365 Sand martins, yay!

25 Monday Mar 2019

Posted by sconzani in 365DaysWildin2019, birds, nature, spring

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#365DaysWild, birding, birds in Cardiff Bay, birdwatching, British birds, hirundines, Sand martin, spring migration

I’ve been following the reports of hirundines – that’s the Sand martins, House martins and Swallows – arriving for the last week or so, itching to get out and find some for myself. Finally today I plodded, slowly and still having trouble walking in a straight line, over to the other side of Cardiff Bay, and my stumbling was rewarded by the sight of at least half a dozen Sand martins checking out the holes in the walls of one of the old harbour docks as potential nesting sites. A couple of pairs looked like they were getting quite cosy.

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Spring migration: Wheatear

26 Monday Mar 2018

Posted by sconzani in birds, nature, spring

≈ 5 Comments

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bird migration, birding, birdwatching, British birds, Oenanthe oenanthe, spring migration, Wheatear

I’ve walked miles – seriously, miles and miles and miles! – in the past ten days, trying to spot my first Wheatear (Oenanthe oenanthe) of 2018. I was following up reported local sightings by my fellow birders – ‘Wheatear at Swanbridge/Sully Island this morning’, ‘Wheatear for 2nd day at Hayes Rd car park’, ‘Wheatear on Cardiff Bay barrage’ (two people saw that one on the same day – but did it show for me? Did it heck as like!), ‘Wheatear on the Barrage’ (4 days later), ‘Male wheatear Penarth Marina’ (my local patch and I couldn’t find that one despite three walks around about).

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Then finally, on the 23rd, I got a fleeting glimpse of one (and a couple of fuzzy photos) just off Sully beach. And, just like the proverbial buses that don’t turn up at all and then all turn up together, I spotted another one on Cardiff Bay Barrage the very next day. That one’s the very handsome male in these photos.

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Wheatears are just returning from having spent their winter in the tropical parts of Africa. The males arrive first, usually in March, followed not long afterwards by the females. We see them arriving along the south Wales coast for a few weeks, then they move inland to their breeding sites. Now, to keep an eye out for a female!

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Spring migration: chiffchaff

18 Sunday Mar 2018

Posted by sconzani in birds, nature, spring

≈ 2 Comments

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birding, birdwatching, British birds, Chiffchaff, migrating birds, Phylloscopus collybita, spring migration

You know it’s really springtime when the migrating birds start to appear and this week has seen those birds arriving, albeit in fairly small numbers yet here in south Wales. Friends have been reporting sightings of Sand martins and Wheatear – I’ve yet to see either, but I am one of the many who have now either heard and/or seen their first Chiffchaff (Phylloscopus collybita) of 2018.

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Though a few Chiffchaffs overwinter in Britain, the vast majority migrate south during autumn and overwinter in the sunshine and warmer temperatures of the Mediterranean and west Africa.

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I heard my first of these lovely little birds last Monday, 12 March, at Forest Farm Nature Reserve, and I saw my first, shown here in my photographs, in trees alongside the River Taff in Cardiff on Thursday, the 15th. Welcome back, little Chiffchaffs!

180318 chiffchaff (2)

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About me

sconzani

sconzani

I'm a writer and photographer; researcher and blogger; birder and nature lover; countryside rambler and city strider; volunteer and biodiversity recorder.

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