Changing colours

01 Saturday Apr 2023

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birding, birdwatching, British birds, Cardiff Bay birding, Turnstone

There hasn’t been a lot of Turnstone activity around Cardiff Bay this winter, perhaps because the milder weather has allowed them to forage and rest in more exposed locations, so it was delightful to see a flock of 13 birds on the River Ely embankment on Thursday. Several were showing signs of the colour changes, those splodges of rusty red that come as they moult into their breeding plumage.

230401 turnstone (1)

Judging by previous years, these superb little waders will be heading north to their breeding sites in the next few weeks and I won’t see them again until sometime in August, when they and their fledged youngsters will return to our shores.

Orange legs

22 Thursday Dec 2022

Posted by sconzani in birds

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birding, birds with orange legs, birdwatching, British birds, Goosander, Mallard, Redshank, Turnstone

As a follow up to yesterday’s post about our local Redshanks, I thought I’d write about those legs, which, to my eye, are orange not red. A few months ago, I wondered aloud on social media why so many birds have such bright orange legs and was informed that, on a recent episode of the BBC’s Winterwatch television programme (I don’t have a tv so didn’t see it), it had been suggested that orange-coloured legs ‘are effective in disturbing benthic creatures when feeding/stirring the sediment’.

221222 orange legs (1)

Another idea suggested on the Canadian Science.ca website is that ‘bright orange feet may reveal that the male is good at foraging (carotene comes in the diet)’, though the writer of that article also acknowledged that there may be several other factors at play, and that scientists don’t actually know the answer to the fascinating ‘why orange feet?’ question. So, if you have your own theories, or verified scientific knowledge, please do share in the comments.

221222 orange legs (2)

Beach birding, 2

22 Thursday Sep 2022

Posted by sconzani in birds

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birding, birdwatching, British birds, Sully beach, Sully birds, Turnstone

As well as the Ringed plovers I blogged about yesterday, my walk along Sully beach produced over 30 Turnstones, my favourite beach birds, pottering along, poking under stones, pulling at piles of seaweed in their never-ending search for tasty invertebrates.

220922 turnstones

T is for Turnstone

25 Saturday Dec 2021

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birding, birdwatching, British birds, Cardiff Bay birds, Turnstone

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.

211225 turnstone

The return of the Turnstones

06 Friday Aug 2021

Posted by sconzani in birds

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birding, birdwatching, British birds, Cardiff Bay birding, Turnstone, Turnstone breeding plumage, turnstones in Cardiff

That sounds like a movie title, and the journey Turnstones make to their breeding grounds (in northern Europe, Greenland and North America) and back would undoubtedly make a good wildlife documentary. But a filmmaker I am not. I am simply excited to see these beautiful Turnstones have returned to their usual stone-turning antics on the embankment where the River Ely flows in to Cardiff Bay. Many are still sporting the remnants of their bright breeding plumage, which they will gradually moult in the coming weeks.

210806 turnstone

Turn, turn, turn

14 Thursday Jan 2021

Posted by sconzani in birds, winter

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birding, birdwatching, British birds, Cardiff Bay birds, Ely embankment, Turnstone, turnstones in Cardiff

We can’t let January pass without at least one photo of a Turnstone, or two …

210114 turnstone

231/366 They’re back!

18 Tuesday Aug 2020

Posted by sconzani in autumn, birds, nature

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autumn bird migration, birding, birdwatching, British birds, Cardiff Bay, Ely embankment, Turnstone, Turnstone breeding plumage

As well as seeing the Common sandpiper I blogged about yesterday, Friday’s walk along the Ely embankment made me smile for another reason – the Turnstones are back!

200818 turnstone (1)

Fresh from their breeding season in Greenland and parts of northern Canada, looking very handsome in their darker summer plumage, perhaps still a little weary from those long-haul flights, but they’ve made it.

200818 turnstone (2)

I love these characterful little birds. Most of the time they might seem a bit dull, plodding purposefully along the tide line, turning over pebbles and seaweed in their never-ending search for insect snacks, or sitting, a little hunched over, snoozing in the sun.

200818 turnstone (3)

Yet I’ve also seen a large group of them, in a coastal town in southern England, in the midst of a huge storm, when the ferocity of the waves had driven them up off the beach on to an expanse of grass where large puddles had accumulated, behaving like crazy kids, chattering away happily to each other while they ran in and out of the puddles, excited, splashing and flapping their wings, and so obviously having fun.

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There were four Turnstones on the embankment on Friday. Maybe they’re locals, or maybe they just stopped over for a rest before heading further south, but I’m sure I’ll be seeing many more of these special birds in the weeks to come.

118/366 A birding fix

27 Monday Apr 2020

Posted by sconzani in birds, nature

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birding, British birds, Cardiff Bay, Coot, Ely embankment, Pied wagtail, Rock pipit, Shelduck, starling, Turnstone

I felt the need to see some birds today so headed down to Cardiff Bay for my exercise walk. First up, this pair of Shelducks were working their way around the water’s edge near the Barrage – first I’ve seen since the lockdown began.

200427 1 shelducks

This Starling had a beakful of caterpillar and flies so I presume it had hungry mouths to feed somewhere nearby.

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At least fourteen Turnstones were picking and poking their way along the stones of the embankment, this one looking very handsome in its breeding colours.

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This Coot was busy pulling bits of rubbish into the pile of sticks it has begun shaping into a nest. Its mate was nearby, hauling a branch to weave into the growing structure.

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This was the first Rock pipit I’ve seen for a little while. It was busily prospecting for nibbles so perhaps it also has offspring to feed.

200427 5 rock pipit

Most of the wagtails have moved away to breed but this Pied wagtail looked very handsome amongst the Herb Robert and Red valerian that now covers much of the embankment.

200427 6 pied wagtail

88/366 Down by the riverside

28 Saturday Mar 2020

Posted by sconzani in birds, nature

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birding, birdwatching, British birds, Cardiff Bay, Ely embankment, female mallard, Grey wagtail, Redshank, Turnstone

Today’s exercise walk saw me up and out of the house by 7am for a stomp down to Cardiff Bay and the embankment path alongside the River Ely. There was, and still is, a bitterly cold wind blowing, pushing small waves up on to the stones of the embankment so I was surprised to see any birds there at all. But the further up river I went the more sheltered it became and the embankment foragers appeared.

200328 1 redshank

First up was this Redshank, poking about at the water’s edge, its feathers ruffled by the wind gusts.

200328 2 turnstones

Next, in a corner where rubbish often accumulates, three Turnstones were poking about amidst the branches and twigs, plastic bottles and other assorted detritus.

200328 3 mallard

Two Mallards came waddling hopefully up the stones while I was watching the Turnstones. Sadly, I didn’t have any seed for them today.

200328 4 grey wagtail

Lucky last, and most colourful, was this bright little button, a Grey wagtail, which was singing a little song to itself as it pottered along.

1/366 And we’re off!

01 Wednesday Jan 2020

Posted by sconzani in birds, nature, winter

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birding, birdwatching, Black redstart, British birds, Cardiff Bay birding, Goosander, Lesser black-backed gull, Turnstone

And so another year, another decade has kicked off, and I started as I mean to go on, with an 8-mile walk around Cardiff Bay, immersing myself in the local wildlife. I counted 43 species of birds, found 28 species of wildflowers in bloom (more on them tomorrow), and spotted 1 moth. I finally met someone I’ve ‘known’ on Twitter for ages, and bumped into 2 fellow birders. The weather may have been shite (gloomy, partly foggy, partly low cloud, sometimes drizzle) but it was a mighty fine way to jump start a new year.

My good camera didn’t come out often as it doesn’t like the wet and the photos I did take are very grainy due to the poor light, but I’ll include a couple anyway.

This male Goosander was posing nicely – wish I could’ve done him justice

200101 3 turnstones

There were 14 Turnstones along the Ely embankment today, 7 of which ventured up on to the pavement – never seen that before. Lingered watching for quite a while …

For those who like lists, the birds were: Robin, Lesser black-backed gull, Feral pigeon, Starling, Great tit, Blackbird, House sparrow, Woodpigeon, Herring gull, Carrion crow, Dunnock, Blue tit, Long-tailed tit, Magpie, Cormorant, Coot, Great-crested grebe, Mallard, Goosander, Grey wagtail, Turnstone, Collared dove, Mute swan, Redshank, Tufted duck, Wren, Blackcap, Black redstart, Moorhen, Pied wagtail, Raven, Goldfinch, Song thrush, Little grebe, Linnet, Reed bunting, Cetti’s warbler, Shoveler, Sparrowhawk. Pochard, Grey heron, Meadow pipit, and Jackdaw.