Exe Estuary - 03/02/2013

For Jess's birthday weekend we went down to Devon and on the Saturday took a cruise up the Exe Estuary. There were lots of species on show, Sanderling, Avocet, Red Breasted Merganser, Dunlin, Redshank, Oystercatcher and Curlew to name but a few. And this Grey Seal female, with a cataract in one eye unfortunately -

Forest Farm 13/01/2013

The weather was nice today so took a quick trip around Forest Farm, but only managed a few standard shots here and there however, so this Kingfisher was a shot taken from the first hide on my last trip over just before Christmas that I forgot to upload at the time. There was plenty of GS Woodpecker activity in the area, and I had a quick flyover after I stood chatting to a gentleman listening to one drumming shortly after arriving not far from the hides. The chap informed me he had seen Brambling at the Llyn Y Gamlas hide recently so I thought I'd go check it out, but there wasn't much in the way of things to see, and I moved on after a short while. 

I then saw at least two kingfishers over on the canal, and there were perhaps three present, but definitely at least two as I saw a pair chasing each other; possibly rival males. Out of the usual for the canal was a Little Grebe, keeping a low profile and sticking quite rigidly to the far side. A couple of Nuthatch were busy feeding near the lock on the last leg of the lap. 

Kingfisher (M)

Cairgorms, Ptarmers, Snowies and Waxies - 23/11/12 - 26/11/12

Jess and I flew up to Inverness and rented a car up to Loch Garten on the first day of our mini-trip. Unfortunately for us there were no Crested Tits or Red Squirrels at the centre, so we moved on to the B+B and had an amazing beef dinner out in Aviemore. The next day we went up the Cairngorms where we saw Red Grouse, Ptarmigan and Snow Bunting.

Sadly no Snow Bunting shots but they flew so close in a flock of about 15 I couldn't help but just watch them before they disappeared out of sight. 

Ptarmigan tracks

Cairngorms National Park

These Ptarmigan were aptly near the eponymous restaurant near the summit - 

On our final day off I popped over to see the first group of the Cardiff Waxwings on Quarry Road in Rumney and managed to get a few shots off before the light went -

LEAP!!! - 10/11/2012

We popped over to Radyr Weir for a quick visit this afternoon after taking Jess for a quick lesson to see the migrating salmon. Below the salmon is also another snap from the hide in Forest Farm from last weekend.

Tales from the river bank - 29/10/2012

With a slightly worse for wear head after an over indulgence shall we say I went for a stroll and a sit in the first hide over on Forest Farm. I'd been on my first BTO Winter Thrush survey the day before, and been down onto the flood plain, but I wasn't quite up for that this time around!!

The kingfishers dropped in during the rain -

And also this Snipe, disturbed initially by a magpie which brought it to my attention, and then flushed again out more into the open where it was ticked at by a tiny wren.

Sadly not the Jack Snipe that's rumored to be around!

Flight Of The Curlew - 20/10/2012

After blasting around Castle Comb Racetrack, Jess and I went back to Exeter for the weekend. Down at the hide on Bowling Green Marsh, the wildfowl had begun their winter congregations, with plenty of Wigeon, Pochard, Canada's, and Lapwing in front of the hide.

At the Estuary vantage point there were lots of waders out on the flats, and a Curlew flew up from the adjacent field, calling as it went -

A Little Egret also made it's way along the front of the viewing platform, feeding in the shallows.

Armchair wildlife - 03/10/2012

Well autumn is well and truly settling in, and the birds are starting to appear in the garden more regularly. Just over pasta bake earlier we saw a Coal Tit, Robin, Blue Tit, and House Sparrow helping themselves to the seedy feast in the green feeder.

 A few nights ago we also saw a fox on Pant-Yr-Rhyn Road where we pulled over and shut off the headlights, and then tailed him onto Pantmawr Road too, brazen as brass.