Cycle round bay from home: female scaup and ring necked duck side by side just in front of the ice rink board-walk
Author: aggleton
Cardiff Bay
Good numbers of duck in the wetland reserve area including female ring necked duck, scaup, and pochard. Goldeneye out near the sails. Also rock pipits and a common gull (by Channel View). (I assume the l t duck is still around but didn’t spot). Good to see Matt and Peter – thanks guys (great start to my cycling/walking year list)
Great northern diver
On Lisvane reservoir – visible from the overlook, but can disappear from view for some time – also common gull White fronted goose reported yesterday from llanishen/lisvane res
Roath park 16+ shoveler, 7 teal, 1 drake wigeon seen couple of days ago
Garden tick
Garden warbler in our Whitchurch garden this morning – feeding on berries- a very pleasant first
pied flycatcher
pied flycatcher along the field fence line/hedgerow S of Garth Mtn and above Coed y Bedw
Garth mountain and valley
This a.m. 2 cuckoos and singing garden warbler on s slopes of Garth mtn. In the valley to the S of Garth were several redstarts, spotted flycatcher (E end) and singing pied flycatcher in W end beyond coed y bedw
Peterstone Gout
yesterday near high tide, a handful of whimbrel, dunlin and ringed plover
today curlew, whimbrel, 2 bar tailed godwits and a greater black backed gull
seven warbler sp forest farm/radyr flood plain
Walk from home before breakfast rewarded with blackcap, whitethroat, willow w, chiffchaff, cettis w, reed warbler, and garden warbler. The last is especially pleasing as it is the first one I have seen at Forest farm and brings my no car/shutdown list to 82
Covid 19 bird race
For the past 35 years I have done a bird race (ie how many different species in a day) with a group of friends. Circumstances led to new rules: two 1 hour trips within 24 hr but two different days, no cars permitted, plus as long as you could manage in your garden during that time. While I am in N Cardiff my compatriots were in N Lancs (near Leighton Moss), Peebles, and W of Edinburgh. Astonishingly we reached 110 species – I do not lie. Leighton Moss had a big part to play but I managed 51 species, including hawfinch, kingfisher, wood warbler, and jay (I mention the last because they can be impossible in May). Lesser whitethroat was a blocker (they are singing away on Glamorgan flats but too far to go)
Noting John Wilsons Covid shutdown list, I have reached 78 – all on foot or on bike (typically with no bins) – if only I could get to the coast.
But the challenge has definitely made life more bearable. Lets just hope there is no repeat in 2021.
Roath park
Two common sandpipers flitting around the islands in Roath Park Lake this morning.
warblers N Cardiff garden
willow warbler and 2 female blackcaps in our pear tree at same time – things are definitely moving – plus 4 buzzards soaring and rook flyover (a real rarity for our garden). First orchid shoots on front lawn.
blackcaps
Two female blackcaps in our N Cardiff back garden – something I would have missed if I weren’t stuck here. I suspect there will be some interesting garden sightings over the next few weeks. first brimstone
forest farm – cettis
Cettis warbler singing at Forest Farm reserve this morning – 1st one I have heard here after 25 years of waiting – at last. Also plenty of singing chiffchaffs
Bute Park Monday mid-day
No less than two firecrests foraging together (plus one goldcrest in the vicinity). Using the space between the dock feeder stream and N Road ie East of the dock feeder where there are no paths. Found between 30 and 100m north of the road bridge access into the park, as they foraged heading north. (This is on the E border of Bute Park)
Castell Coch and OOC
wood warbler singing in same spot as last week in Castell Coch woods, close to the road. Male and female goosander on Taff in Bute Park – unusual for this time of year
OOC Lancashire and S Cumbria ‘bird race’ on 18th May 134 species in one day including 17 wader species, 4 tern sp, arctic skua, hooded crow, manx shearwater, osprey, little gull, red grouse commonest bird not seen/heard was jay
Saturday morning
Siberian chiffchaff and good company at parc slip, 4 cattle egrets porthcawl, Slavonian grebe and g w egret at kenfig all found almost instantly, makes a change. Most remarkable bird of the day was a shag hunting in the melin griffiths feeder at Forest Farm, I had to rub my eyes.
Hawfinches
13+ hawfinches at Forest Ganol yesterday morning. Quite remarkable
Forest Farm
Sunday 31st pm Bittern seen from the hide with no door – plus 1 snipe, 1 water rail, Other hide, siskin and kingfisher. Also 2 buzzards