Skomer, College Trip - June 26th 2015

Catalonian adventure - Barcelona May 2015 Holiday

Osprey!! Easter Sunday - 05/04/2015

Yesterday's quick afternoon trip to BG Marsh added Spotted Redshank and Sand Martin to the year list. Today, an Easter Sunday lie-in and bacon and egg sarnie was enjoyed before I decided to chance a quick trip back down to Bowling Green Marsh where I had been yesterday to see if by chance the Osprey that had been reported in the early morning was still around. I was seriously glad I did because upon coming down the hill, I could see a silhouette of a bird on the perch that I had been told the osprey's favour when they pass through, and my pace quickened. From the hide I could see that it was indeed an osprey and the resident birders were showing some kids through their scopes. The Osprey was sat eating a big fish, but soon took off, catching a thermal that took it soaring above the hide before finally going out of sight.

I met Steve the SW RSPB Visitor Experience Officer, who kindly caught up with me as I left to make sure I didn't leave without the camera! There were 3 grey plovers huddled on the island, and plenty of waders still there after high tide, but with the sun against me I decided to head back up to pick up Jess, and we made our way to Berry head via Starcross, and Labrador Bay. At Labrador, I could see two distant cirl buntings through the scope, and at Berry head the sun had come out and we ate lunch watching rafts of guillemot out on the sea. There were no dolphins to be seen, but there were fulmar, shags and great black backed gull also in the area, along with a resident peregrine which we could see from the visitor centre camera.

They're still there! Easter - Darts Farm - 03/04/2015

Realising I needed to burn some energy I took myself off for a stroll down to Darts Farm, and I'm glad I did because there was a Penduline Tit only a few metres away in the reed mace at the conservation area. It was soon joined by a second, and I was a bit gutted I hadn't brought my 500mm, although the light was pretty bad so it might not have been all that much better.

That's why mums go to Iceland - 01/04/2015

It wasn't even some kind of April fools joke, there really was an Iceland Gull at Taff Mead Embankment. An individual that had been down the Bay had made it's way up river, so on a quick detour on my normal route to work I popped by to see it for myself. Knowing it had been  there for a couple of days at the same time in the morning from the Glam forum, I took my chances. It almost instantly stood out to me in flight, the sun of the morning shining through it's wings in flight which made it look even whiter than it was, before it alighted on the railway bridge, not bothered at all by the industry going on behind it, with the erection of the new BBC building in the back ground. That makes 203 British Life List, and a new all-round tick before work set the day up nicely.

Spot the difference?? Forest Farm - 07/02/2015

The news went out on Thursday in the office that a little bunting was visiting the feeders at Forest Farm after some local birders found it having had heard that some lesser spotted woodpeckers are coming to the feeders (the latter remains to be proven). However, my initial scepticism was misplaced because it was soon confirmed so I took my Saturday morning opportunity to go and visit, and was straight on to it feeding on the ground in front of the hide only a few feet away. Hats off to the finders, a very impressive ID, and one that was very difficult given that it seems to be quite asymmetrical in the defining facial features, the supercilium being brighter on the bird's left side.

There was a similar level of bad light as the recent trip to Ogmore for the firecrest, but an enjoyable quick trip out in the morning all the same. The year is shaping up nicely with two lifer's in as many weeks, and an office trip to Norfolk on the cards.  

Firecrest! 25/01/2015

It had been a while since my last real outing in the new year down Exeter, but with a firecrest still hanging around near the water treatment works  in Ogmore, I decided to voyage out while Jess completed the Big Garden Birdwatch. It was my first outing to Merthyr Mawr, but found my way easily enough to the Candleston carpark. After a quick walk through the dunes, where I disturbed two green woodpeckers, and saw a big flock of fieldfare, I was soon found myself on the opposite side of the river to usual, and met up with a couple of birders who were already on site. There were several goldcrest flitting around which made the task of pinpointing the firecrest a bit more difficult, and also this overwintering chiffy -

I soon got on to the firecrest briefly, however, a passing party of riders disturbed him and he stayed down for some time. Just as I was about to leave another visiting birder from Pencoed caught a glimpse, and we had him in the bins for a few minutes, with this being the best shot I could muster -

He was very mobile, and the light was terrible with the rain coming in, but that was a World, a 2015, Glamorgan and British tick in the bag. Top bird!