Photos:
Common Yellowthroat at Rhiwderyn
Adult Mediterranean Gull around a quarter of a mile out in Cardiff Bay
19th February
At HGF this morning the first Oystercatcher was back on territory. Nice one! The pair of Goldeneye were still there, a Reed Bunting was singing in the south field, as was the Skylark and it felt very uplifting. Later I found a flock of 20+ Linnets in Golborne Rd – seen from Waterworks Lane where the Tree Sparrows had buggered off.
I am working away tomorrow so today I headed towards Somerset via a slight diversion into South Wales. The target – to see a Common Yellowthroat. I arrived at the place indicated by my Sat Nav shortly having been ripped off at the toll on the M4 – how come the English get charged to go into Wales but the Welsh can escape free? Anyway I found myself in the middle of an estate but I parked up and soon found some local volunteers pointing the way into a field and up a very steep hill.
Just as I set off up the hill I encountered a descending birder who, in response to my querying if the bird was showing, scowled and shook his head. That didn’t sound promising. I puffed and panted up the hill and then stood in line for a breather. Just as I had recovered by composure a little, the bird in question popped out of some bracken no more than 20 yards away and showed spectacularly well. After a minute or so of watching, I grabbed my digiscoping camera and began to take shots just as the sun came out for the first time today. Result – glare in all the photos and by the time I realised and changed the settings the bird had done one.
There then followed a disagreement between a gruff Yorkshireman (is there any other kind?) and a local. Both had dogs, both had dogs off the leads and both dogs thought it was fun to run around where the bird was. Each blamed the other and a heated argument ensued, centred on whether the distance travelled to see the bird had some bearing on the degree of freedom given to the dogs. I left in disgust.
I then headed off to a place nr Cardiff Bay where two Bonaparte’s Gulls had been seen recently. I should have done some homework though – they are only seen at low tide when the beach is exposed. I arrived at high tide when there was no beach to be seen. Around the corner is a large and modern looking sewage treatment works – all concrete tanks and shiny steel rails etc. It is very difficult to view though and the few gaps were crammed with birders hoping to see the gulls. Sadly no one did, though it was clear that there were hundreds of birds in there – most hidden inside the tanks.
I started to leave after a couple of fruitless hours but had a quick scan of the sea as I did. Around a quarter of a mile out to sea I found an adult Med Gull which, upon discovery, had the good grace to fly off and over towards us, eventually passing right overhead. My camera lay forgotten in my pocket when it did. Lots of Pintails and Shovelers out on the sea too. I then bumped into a local who told me it was a banker to see the gulls at their roost from the car park of the ice rink – good views guaranteed and all that. I gave in and drove a few miles to the ice rink to find all the gulls somewhat distant – not a bloody chance of spotting a Bonaparte’s at that distance. The sole consolation was a winter-plumaged Black-necked Grebe which showed quite well. Not a bad day overall.
At HGF this morning the first Oystercatcher was back on territory. Nice one! The pair of Goldeneye were still there, a Reed Bunting was singing in the south field, as was the Skylark and it felt very uplifting. Later I found a flock of 20+ Linnets in Golborne Rd – seen from Waterworks Lane where the Tree Sparrows had buggered off.
I am working away tomorrow so today I headed towards Somerset via a slight diversion into South Wales. The target – to see a Common Yellowthroat. I arrived at the place indicated by my Sat Nav shortly having been ripped off at the toll on the M4 – how come the English get charged to go into Wales but the Welsh can escape free? Anyway I found myself in the middle of an estate but I parked up and soon found some local volunteers pointing the way into a field and up a very steep hill.
Just as I set off up the hill I encountered a descending birder who, in response to my querying if the bird was showing, scowled and shook his head. That didn’t sound promising. I puffed and panted up the hill and then stood in line for a breather. Just as I had recovered by composure a little, the bird in question popped out of some bracken no more than 20 yards away and showed spectacularly well. After a minute or so of watching, I grabbed my digiscoping camera and began to take shots just as the sun came out for the first time today. Result – glare in all the photos and by the time I realised and changed the settings the bird had done one.
There then followed a disagreement between a gruff Yorkshireman (is there any other kind?) and a local. Both had dogs, both had dogs off the leads and both dogs thought it was fun to run around where the bird was. Each blamed the other and a heated argument ensued, centred on whether the distance travelled to see the bird had some bearing on the degree of freedom given to the dogs. I left in disgust.
I then headed off to a place nr Cardiff Bay where two Bonaparte’s Gulls had been seen recently. I should have done some homework though – they are only seen at low tide when the beach is exposed. I arrived at high tide when there was no beach to be seen. Around the corner is a large and modern looking sewage treatment works – all concrete tanks and shiny steel rails etc. It is very difficult to view though and the few gaps were crammed with birders hoping to see the gulls. Sadly no one did, though it was clear that there were hundreds of birds in there – most hidden inside the tanks.
I started to leave after a couple of fruitless hours but had a quick scan of the sea as I did. Around a quarter of a mile out to sea I found an adult Med Gull which, upon discovery, had the good grace to fly off and over towards us, eventually passing right overhead. My camera lay forgotten in my pocket when it did. Lots of Pintails and Shovelers out on the sea too. I then bumped into a local who told me it was a banker to see the gulls at their roost from the car park of the ice rink – good views guaranteed and all that. I gave in and drove a few miles to the ice rink to find all the gulls somewhat distant – not a bloody chance of spotting a Bonaparte’s at that distance. The sole consolation was a winter-plumaged Black-necked Grebe which showed quite well. Not a bad day overall.
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