Cardiff bay

I had a quick vist to Cardiff Bay this afternoon where I was hoping to get a couple of photos of the long staying first winter Glaucous Gull but time was against me. I had an hour before I had to be back at the car so I got there pretty quick. I spotted two fellow birders standing on the boardwalk and the one guy had his scope on his back and I thought this does not look good. On getting there I asked any sign has you do and they told me they had walked all around the bay but had had no sign of it. I thought bugger so I started searching the bay, there was lots of big gulls on the water and I went through what I could make out with no scope but had no joy. Well last try and I was looking though the fairly close Black Headed Gulls and would you give it credit there he was and about 40 feet off the boardwalk and just sitting on the water. Well being a fool I whisked the trustee homemeal loaf of bread out and started feeding the Herring Gulls and Lesser Black Backed Gulls but the Glauc. just seat there and after a couple minutes it took flight and flew back over  the reeds and landed by the baskets and thats where it stayed. I will have to see if I can get my hands on a seal or two and try floating it out on a rope pmsl. When I was checking the gulls I noticed a Lesser Black Backed Gull with a ring on, I tried to get him close enough to get a photo of the ring which I managed which is HBM and going by what I have been told it's from Evesham in Worcsester.

There was a couple of Reed Bunting feeding on the Boardwalk.

Tracks from this morning

I found these tracks over Tir founder this morning, any ideas also if noted the Little Egret is still present. I also had 5 singing Chiffchaff and the Redwing are just starting to sing too.

willow Tit

Willow tit singing today in Trecynon

Bumping along the bottom.

Rhaslas: 5 curlew through on the 3rd March but nothing much of note with monthly highest counts for wildfowl as follows, January; wigeon [32], tufted [29], goldeneye [4], goosander [20]. February; wigeon [16], tufted [14], goldeneye  [10], goosander [5]. Also big increase in shooting this winter.

Gull counts: my counts at Pontsticill reservoir have been down all winter with this years count as follows, January; herring gull [1726], lesser black-backed [11], black headed [12]. February; herring gull [1266], lesser black-backed [35]. Returning breeding birds this a.m. (rough count re: limited vision); former Hoover Factory, herring gull [70 birds], lesser black-backed [33 birds]. Pentrebach factories, Kasai, herring gull [7] and MTIB herring gull [2], lesser black-backed [2].

Dowlais Lapwing; have noted the flock several times in the last couple of weeks when driving along HoV and couldn't believe its apparent size. Managed to stop and count this a.m. at least 40 (conservative estimate) birds the highest count since the Ffos y Fran colony was destroyed many years ago.

Back yard: first time ever I've had more redpoll to my feeders than greenfinch and I only had 1 redpoll.

Sunday Last

Martin Bevan and myself after looking at the weather forecast (strong winds and rain) decided to do a bit of a seawatch at Porthcawl. Arriving around 7am we were delighted to find the conditions good ie. a nice strong westerly wind and good visibility also the shelter was empty. What was not good was the total lack of birds out at sea, we had some gulls flying close by and Martin had two turnstones land on the rocks but absolutely zilch flying past the buoys.

We decided to cut our losses and went around various car parks looking for gulls but drew a blank again but did see around 25 Sanderling on the beach in front of the fair.

Plan C was to Kenfig where we sat in the hide for around 30 to 40 minutes picking out one Scaup, Pochard, Goldeneye, Shoveler, Gadwall, Tufted Duck, Great Crested Grebe and 4 Lapwing flying over. A bit of exercise was needed so we set off for Sker Point to look for Purple Sandpipers.

Once at Sker Martin set his scope up, which I had carried down for him, and quickly located a Grey Plover, Golden Plover, Curlew, Oystercatchers and 6 Purple Sandpipers. We were really exposed to the elements here and even holding binoculars steady was an effort for us. We walked back past Sker House but considering the conditions (hailstones by now) it was no surprise that the Little Owls were not being cooperative and sitting out.

Back at the car park we decided to go back to Porthcawl for high tide which was just after 11am and try some more seawatching. This turned out not to be the best decision we have ever made as we had the same result as earlier, zero birds out to sea. There were around 30 Turnstones feeding on the grass close by but nothing to keep us there so it was back to the car park behind the lighthouse.

As the car park came into view we could see lots of white, gulls at last. Martin got his obligatory loaf of bread, I had my camera and we were good to go. Mostly Herring Gulls and Black Headed Gulls but we did find one Lesser Black Back, one Common Gull and best of all at least 5 Med. Gulls one nearly in full summer plumage.

Cormorant trying to be a Bittern

Mr Bevan braving the elements at Sker Point.

Med. Gull

Med. Gull

Med Gull with ring, No 2X7N

Hyde park take two

With my daughter moving back to London in West Hamd she needing someone to help unload this Mini Bus and as always it was down to me to help. We picked the bus up the night before and fair play for Christina she drove this tank well. When we stopped for fuel in Asda in Tir Founder Fields I spotted a Tawny Owl in a near bush and it then landed on a fence post and give fairly good views. My first owl of the 2017. We left just after 6 am and going up went pretty smooth. I saw 3 Kestrels before I saw a single Common Buzzard, I also got  Red Kite near Reading and a Brown Hare in a farm field. Once we got to the Capital it was reasonably quiet and it went like a dream. By 2 pm it was all finished and time for me to go back to the park and try for Little Owl again. Up until this point it was sunny and dry but has I walked towards the park it got darker and by the time I got in it was raining and when I got to the Little Owl tree it was welling it down and no owls again. Never being one to let the rain stop play I just carried on and found a flock of about 12 Starlings. They landed by my feet and one was very happy to feed from my hand. How can a bird look so different in winter and summer plumage but a cracking bird .

I found a pair a Gadwall in with the Mallard and it was great to get close views of these ducks and yes they failed the bread test. I also had a couple of Tufted Duck and they were diving down under the other ducks and gulls and were grabbing the bread that the other were missing but that was not much. The Black Headed Gulls were very fast and were catching it before it hit the water.

I saw 6 Great Crested Grebes and one pair come together and looked like they were going to display and at the last moment changed their mind.

I also found this Winter Plumage Common Gull and at first I was thinking I had a Ring Bill and on getting closer found it was not but still a smart bird .

I also had this Herring Gull and I was think the bill looks thick compared to the other Herring Gulls and I think it could be a second year bird .

Near the Owl tree I found these two Grey Herons and I am still amazed they eat bread and how close they came.

I met this Irish man by the feeding area for Parakeets which is near the Peter Pan Sculpture and he said when he got there he saw about 7 parakeets but by now there was over 30 noisy birds and they wanted food. He was feeding them peanuts in the shell and I had one bird sitting on my shoulder and was chewing right in my ear. Another squawked right in my ear and I jumped a mile, all good fun and I will be back .

It was funny has he left the birds flew after him.

On the way out I found three pair of Mandarins and a great end to my two hour walk .

Mega returns

The Baikal Teal was seen briefy at Tir Founder Fields, before it floated down the River Cynon and away, also I did a Snipe flush with only one bird seen .