Always more to learn - Nelson Wern 28/02/2014

I took a quick trip down to Nelson Wern this morning and racked up a good number of species from a fairly short visit, and all from being patient and staying in one spot. There was one bird singing which I could not see, and from the noises it made it put me in mind of a warbler at first, so I was thinking Blackcap initially, but I eventually spotted it (it was actually quite high above me) and realised it was a Siskin. Whilst according the BTO Siskins are on the rise, and are coming into gardens more than ever now, I must say it's not a species I've ever seen before in these parts myself, so it was a nice surprise. The BTO website also mentions that it also can sometime exhibit signs of mimicry, which is why perhaps my mind jumped to warbler, althought that could well be me trying to justify a bad ID guess...

No sightings of the resident Willow Tits this visit.

 

Spring has sprung - 24/02/2014

Yet another day off using up annual leave today left me free to visit Parc Slip and Ogmore again to try for some target species. On arrival at Parc Slip the first things I saw were four Buzzards and a Red Kite circling above not far from the car park. On the feeders were Nuthatch, Blue Tits, Coal Tits and a few others, and from the hide were a few teal whistling noisily.

From the conservation fields where the highland cattle were grazing, there were 13 Lapwings in flight, which was great to see, evidently getting ready for the breeding season, fingers crossed they get a good one. A calling Reed Bunting was the first of 2014, and I popped to the hide a bit quickly, but there was no Bittern on show so I moved on and while my attention was caught by two bullfinch, both a female and a male, a few Lesser Redpoll came by, and luckily I took a few snaps because I had taken them to be Linnet -

 There was also a Goldfinch busy feeding on Teasel nearby -

At Ogmore the sea was surprisingly choppy, but I managed to find eight Purple Sandpipers which were trying to roost but were not having much luck, being constantly buffeted by the waves-

 On the river there was also plenty of Redshank and still 20+ Goldeneye that I could see. The Stonechat pair were also still present, presumably the same ones from a few weeks ago. That came to a total of seven new 2014 ticks, a great day's birding, and some top shots to go with it.  

 

I do love a good bit of Hovis.. Barry Knapp - 21/02/2014

First up this morning was a trip to Forest Farm with the intention of getting Green Woodpecker and Water Rail on the 2014 list while waiting to see if the LTD was still present in order to spare myself the journey back down to Barry. Outside the first hide was a good selection, including 5 Bullfinch (3m, 2 f) a Goldcrest, Dunnock, Goldfinch, and the usual tits. From the hide there was a glimpse of a flyby Kingfisher heading over to the hide with a door, and brief views of a Water Rail feeding behind two Moorhens on the far left. I had squinted at a small shape scurrying across the open gap, which I might have thought was my eyes playing tricks had it not re-emerged shortly after. I could hear a Green Woodpecker yaffling somewhere not too far away, but no luck on that front.

A quick pit stop at home, and a quick and dirty fry-up later I was back out on the road down to Barry to try for the LTD once again. On arrival my heart sank because it didn't seem to be there, but luckily I went for a lap of the lake just in case and there it was happily going to bread thrown to the tufties and Mallards from a visiting family, who I assume where completely clueless as to the fact they were feeding a pretty scare type of duck. My initial shock was just how small it was, the tufties were much bigger alongside it, and I managed to get plenty of shots because it was quite tame. Luckily the light was onside, and a few have come out quite well.

Valentines Duck - 14/02/2014

I braved the elements quite literally to take a chance on the Long Tailed Duck still being on the boating lake at the Knapp in Barry, to no avail, and similarly with the Black-throated Divers in Barry docks. There was however, finally a chance meeting with the Scaup at Cosmeston - third time lucky. The weather was really bad by this point and no sooner had I managed a couple of okay record shots the rain absolutely poured down and I had to make a sharp exit back to the car, thoroughly drenched, but happy enough to have finally seen the Scaup, a lifer, and a decent year tick too!

Turnstone - Jan 2014

The weather so far in 2014 has been horrendous, with the wettest winter in over 250 year! Climate Change deniers better get some better excuses sharpish, because if the climate scientists are right, winters like this are going to become increasingly common. Ands that is a depressing notion. Give me some honest frost and snow any day.

On the birding front, I'm doing my first year list this, via Bubo, and have racked up 61 species so far from only a few visits, mostly Forest Farm, Cosmeston in my quest for the elusive lesser scaup, and Bute Park on my lunch break walks.There are plenty of rarities about, with BT divers and LT duck at Barry, American Wigeon at the Wetlands, Ross's and Little Gull at Aberavon and Red-flanked Bluetail over the border in Gloucs.

This is the best shot so far of 2014, at Ogmore during one of the less weather adverse days of the year so far. Unfortunately no Purple Sandpipers to be seen, but the Turnstone were quite obliging.

Hawfinches, Fforest Ganol 15/12/2013

It was a horrible, foggy, grey and wet Sunday morning but I had to go and see if the flurry of hawfinch activity at Fforest Ganol was still going to be there today so I got up early before we ventured to the cinema to see The Hobbit 2, and managed to get some terrible records snaps of a group of Hawfinches feeding high in the trees near the path. A GSW was in the trees over the carpark and this will definately be worth a return visit on a nicer day.

 

The Penduline swings - 09/11/2013

The autumn migration period is pretty much over for another year, but Thursday afternoon at work brightened up considerably with the news of a male Penduline Tit at Newport Wetlands, and 5 of us (including 3 members of Wales Management Team mind you) bundled into a car to see it. Unfortunately then weather wasn't exactly onside and fiftenn minutes before we arrived it emptied down and the bird went to ground in the rush beds immediately outside the center, of all places! I kept an eye on the forums yesterday and eagerly again this morning before making a quick exit for round two.

When I arrived it was where it had been two days previously and he was busy feeding on seeds. He had practically gone up inside a rush, the seeds floating away in the breeze. Another one of the rarest birds I've seen to date in the latter half of 2013!