Had to stop in for a delivery so only managed a local meander late on. Spent 45 mins looking & listening for (& cheating by playing a song recording) the 2 Firecrests that are apparently lingering along the stream in a local park. Dipped for the 4th time but this handsome Robin entertained me. 💚

How wonderful the rare sunshine during my Cardiff Bay circuit (until it rained), though I feel I peaked too early with my bird sightings. At Penarth Head beach, the male Black redstart came out to play; I saw my first Sparrowhawk of the year, & I couldn't resist an image of this Wren. #BirdingWales

Fantastic news from Scotland and huge congratulations to Hannah & all who worked for this!!! Certainly puts the Welsh Government to shame for not doing the same when @senedd.wales members voted on @juliabarrell.bsky.social's petition last year.

The wind & squally showers of Storm Chandra notwithstanding, I had a lovely walk from Sully to Penarth via Cosmeston today, with four new bird species along the way: Ringed plover & Dunlin on Sully Beach, Shelducks on Sully Island, & a lovely Kestrel at Cosmeston. (Record shots only) #birdingWales

As often happens with visiting ducks, the female Scaup, who began her visit at Cosmeston & then spent a few days in Cardiff Bay, has now returned to Cosmeston. She was snoozing close to the reed beds on the east lake. (Thanks to @graham7777777.bsky.social for pointing her out) #birdingWales

Today's two birding highlights were this Jimmy Wren, belting out his territorial female-attracting song, and the Marl's almost-resident Med gull, a bird so confident that it's always the closest amongst the flock of other gulls to any humans and the path around the park. #birdingWales

At Penarth Marina earlier I finally saw both female Black redstarts on the same rooftop at the same time. And that's about all I saw today despite 2 walks out & about, though I did have some interesting chats to some interesting people. ☺️

I was on the Barrage, being blasted by the fierce wind, when word came in (thanks, @cardiffbirder.bsky.social) that this stunning female Scaup was close in by the Norwegian Church. Luckily I had excellent views before the blue speed boat hurtling by scared the Tufty flock & Scaup off. #birdingWales

It's another wild day here on the south-east Wales coast but the gulls seem to love it, soaring along high above the cliff tops.

To Cosmeston today: Siskin, Gadwall & Fieldfare all NFY. A short break in the gloom saw Song thrushes singing. A Dunnock, often overlooked but really very handsome birds. Turns out Rats like berry flavoured suet & BH gulls like chasing Ring-necked parakeets (2 now seem resident). #birdingWales

A couple of moth larvae from today's walk: the first is, I think, Southern Wainscot (Mythimna straminea), typically spending the day hiding in the stem of a Reed (Phragmites sp.), & lots of tiny Firethorn Leafminers (Phyllonorycter leucographella) on Firethorn (Pyracantha sp.). #TeamMoth

Though it doesn't look it in my photos, it was blowing a hooley in Cardiff Bay this morning, & still is. Along the Ely embankment a pair of Goosander were getting their feathers in order before the heavy rain; 2 Common sandpiper & 3 Redshank were feeding, & 15 Turnstone were huddling. #birdingWales

Blowing the cobwebs away at a wild and windy seaside today

Incoming! #sunrise

A real pea-souper in Cardiff Bay today, which disorientated some birds: a Redshank where they don't usually go; ditto a Skylark. 2 male Blackcaps & 3 Black redstarts now around the southern side of the Bay, though I only saw 1 female & the male B redstart (award-winning photo of it!). #birdingWales

It may be mid winter but it definitely felt like Spring was in the air today. And I wasn't the only one to think so. This pair of Mute swans were being very lovey dovey in Cardiff Bay this morning. #birdingWales

Forest Farm was a favourite destination for toggers today - they were everywhere. Stock dove & Reed buntings (2m) NFY. Little egret churning up mud in the feeder always nice to see. Distant Kingfisher fly past. No sign of Water rail or Dipper but a lovely wander in welcome sunshine. #birdingWales

Turns out that having to wait an extra 20 mins after my first train was cancelled this morning wasn't such a bad thing as a poke around the station's plants produced my first larvae of the Rosemary beetle (Chrysolina americana). And now I know where to look for adults later in the year.

To Lamby Lake this morning but, according to locals, the resident Egyptian goose did a flit as soon as the lake froze. Nothing else of note. To Cosmeston this af'noon for the female Scaup & my first Shoveler of the year. Both distant in shite light. #birdingWales

As the sun crests the hills ... #sunrise

Lines and layers of light this morning ... #sunrise

A day of Redshanks, 4 tootling along the Ely embankment, including local celebrity Peter (ringed in 2016 at Peterstone Great Wharf, hence the nickname) & 19 on the outer Barrage rocks, waiting for the tide to go out & expose the mud flats. #birdingWales

Target aquired! I usually avoid Cosmeston at the weekends but wanted to check the outer fields for new birds & they're usually relatively empty of people & it was such a glorious day. I was hoping for a Stonechat & up she popped in the tree plantation. #birdingWales

I think Ravens have inbuilt facial recognition software. I've only fed them once but they came hopping over today expecting food. And while 'she' ate the suet, 'he' chatted - Raven: 'Kronk, kronk' Me: 'Boop' Raven: 'Kronk, kronk' Me: 'Boop' x10. No idea what we were saying though! 😂

Apart from some rain, Storm Goretti mostly passed us by & a circuit of Cardiff Bay today didn't turn up anything new. The Black redstart & Blackcap are still in Penarth Marina; no sign of Goldeneyes behind the Ice rink but the hybrid Scaup x Tufted duck was there with the Tufty flock. #BirdingWales

Just one new bird today but a real cracker, one of the pair of Peregrines that use Cardiff's City Hall clock tower as their home base. (Including a photo of the tower, as it too is a cracker!) #birdingWales

A Cosmeston walk today & 3 new birds for 2026, none of which made for good photos: a Common gull on the frozen west lake; a fly-by Little egret in the fields behind Cogan Wood; a Song thrush feasting on Ivy. Also my 1st Ring-necked parakeet at Cossie. And lots of fluffed-up Robins. #birdingWales

Seven new birds for my 2026 list spotted during today's 8-mile walk (with a friend) from Llanishen Reservoir to Bute Park; one might say from the sublime (Great northern diver) to the ridiculous (Ring-necked parakeet). 😂 Fab winter's day for a long walk! #birdingWales

Only one new bird today, a Pheasant that was too distant to photograph. So, instead, here are some Carrion crows, living up to their name by taking turns to devour what looked like a dead rat. I was surprised the birds weren't arguing so I assume they were related, maybe siblings. #birdingWales

Shepherd's warning!

Walking in sunshine looking for birds - is there anything better? NFY: Chiffchaff (but it didn't come out to play so here's a male House sparrow in the same spot, munching on Gorse flower buds); Med gull on The Marl (maybe the same bird seen on 29/12); Kingfisher on the Ely; Buzzard. #birdingWales

The low tide & fishermen all along Sully beach meant few waders today but I had a lovely walk from there back to Penarth via Cosmeston & added 11 more birds to my year list. For me, though, the joy is in the searching rather than the total. Today's best images: Rock pipit & Redwing. #birdingWales

A grand, if bl**dy chilly 8.5-mile circuit of Cardiff Bay produced 43 bird species, a good start to my birding year. Highlights: a local Treecreeper (not always easy to find here), a Redshank (I love 'em), the Black redstart in Penarth Marina, & the Goldeneye pair in the Bay. HNY #birdingWales

Cardiff Bay today: a Common gull on buoys by the Barrage sluices; a Black redstart on the marina rooftops (found yesterday by @cardiffbirder.bsky.social); &, along the Ely embankment, 3 Redshanks, several Turnstones & the 2 over-wintering Common sandpipers. Fab end to my birding year! 💚#birdingWales

A glorious beginning to the end of the year ...

Today's north Cardiff wander took me past the (VR type B) postbox that's being eaten by a tree (side-by-side pics from 2015 & today show the tree's growth) &, in the old part of Cathays Cemetery, a Jay & a Grey squirrel were pinching each other's acorns & there was clutch of 20+ Collared earthstars

Great to see slime moulds getting some attention on the BBC website, and Barry Webb's photos are fab! www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

It seems everyone else is enjoying Tundra beans & Russian white-fronts &, yes, I'm very envious, but I'm still happy to have enjoyed close views of the handsome male Goldeneye in the Bay this morning & the handsome Med gull on The Marl. #birdingWales

Betwixtmas daffodils in full bloom

There were too many people & dogs for my liking at Cosmeston today but I was delighted to find 2 Sparrowhawks together in some trees (1 flew off right away, the other lingered a while) & there were Redwings in every berry tree and Ivy bush. #birdingWales

As my flat faces south, I'm sheltered from the bitter nor'easter that just keeps on blowing and so my windowsill was the perfect spot for this basking Red admiral to soak up the sun's warmth, though I couldn't get a clear shot without disturbing it. #DecemberButterfly

It was wild in Cardiff Bay this morning, so wild that a pair of reindeer had been blown over - no sign of Santa & his sleigh. And though I couldn't find any special birds, there were some very odd creatures about. 😜

A lovely walk around Cosmeston this morning, despite the bitter nor'easterly wind. It was nice to see a couple of Siskin with a flock of Goldfinches in the Alders, and my first Blackthorn blossom of the Spring ... oh, wait.

Today was cold and grey but I found a few things on my walk: a Winter moth on a fence panel; Coleophora albitarsella on ground-ivy; and both male and female flowers on Hazel, as well as lots of Hazel bud-galls created by the mite Phytoptus avellanae .

I'd hoped to find something special during my walk from Sully to Penarth via Cosmeston but it was not to be. Fortunately, the 'ordinary' birds were all rather lovely: a singing Robin; Mr & Mrs Crow, always pleased to see me (or my suet pellets); one of lots of Redwings, always skittish.

This Wych elm is where I found the first record for Wales of Zig-zag elm sawfly (the larvae of Aproceros leucopoda) back in October 2021. Sadly, the tree is now dead, due to Dutch elm disease - you can see the Elm bark beetle marks on the bark. Now it's feeding fungi, Velvet shanks & Yellow brain.

I had a wonderful stroll around the outskirts of town today, loving all the Redwings & Fieldfares in the berry trees & all the birds (Rooks, crows, Jackdaws, gulls) worming in the sodden farm fields, as well as a surprise Little egret.

Turns out the Cardiff Bay Ravens quite like berry-flavoured suet pellets. They flew in while I was walking across the Barrage & were quite close, so I said hello to get their attention, put some food down, & over they hopped. Dogs scared them off briefly but they came back for more after a few mins.

Double rainbow to start my walk. Lovely!

My walk in to the city this morning took me past the building site whose night-lit fence panels have previously been good for moths & they didn't disappoint today, with at least 5 Winter moths & 1 lovely Mottled umber. #TeamMoths