Sighting: Grey Wagtail

Friday 3rd April: Isolation Day 10 Aside from a brief lull yesterday, we are still blessed with gorgeous blue skies here on the Welsh coast. The beautiful weather is very uplifting and making the adjustment to a life of social isolation and staying home just a little easier. I am making the most of the…

Corvid not covid

Sunday March 29th: Isolation Day 6 Almost a week into our new life of uncertainty and restriction and the boredom and monotony is beginning to set in. Fortunately the sun is still shining enabling me to get out briefly each day for my daily dose of nature therapy. Whilst being limited to just one small…

Rain rain, go away

Winter in Wales brings the inevitable deluge of heavy rain which seems to last for weeks on end…I am rather fed up of the constant damp and drizzle and long for the return of Spring which can’t come soon enough! The birds don’t look too impressed either and I’m sure they would welcome some sunshine…

The chase

Despite a drizzly morning and a thorough soaking, nothing could dampen this male pigeon’s spirits today. He and his mate provided me with great entertainment as he pursued her in circles like a hyperactive wind up toy. Whilst he clearly had just one thing on his mind, his mate was less than enamoured and gave…

Deja vu

Bird photography often requires a lot of patience and many hours of sitting in silence, hardly moving, sometimes in the freezing cold or in some pretty uncomfortable situations and even then you are rewarded with nothing but a fleeting glimpse of your subject. Sometimes however you have a lucky break and the wildlife literally wanders…

Opportunists

The humble house sparrow may not be the most glamorous of our garden birds, lacking the showy colours of the blue tit or the twinkling song of the goldfinch, but nevertheless they have a beauty and charm all of their own. Several weeks ago, during a spot of lunch at a peaceful riverside cafe we…

Blending in

Rock pipits as their name suggests, inhabit rocky coastlines around the UK, their greyish brown plumage offering superb camouflage in this environment. This camouflage is also equally as effective in and around the concrete walls and sea defences here in Aberystwyth. This rock pipit had chosen a spot high on the stony sea wall in which…

Herring gulls: Villain or victim?

A few weeks ago I rescued a herring gull chick from the pavement in Aberystwyth, after it fell from it’s nest unable to fly. Unfortunately the fall had resulted in a broken leg and this was so badly damaged there was nothing that could be done but to take the bird to a vet and…

WWT Llanelli: Close encounters

Llanelli Wetland Centre offers a unique experience to get up close and personal with many of it’s residents, including many rare and endangered species. With most of the birds here very tame and approachable the centre provides the opportunity to hand feed it’s ducks and geese with bags of seed supplied by the visitor centre….

WWT Llanelli: Ducks

A couple of weeks ago we took a visit to the WWT Llanelli Wetland Centre in south Wales. Unfortunately the weather, which had promised to be warm and sunny, was replaced with gloomy overcast skies and drizzle. The conditions made photography challenging at times but I was determined not to let this dampened my spirits….

Patience pays off

After weeks of relentless rainfall the sun has finally returned to Aberystwyth, just in time for the beginning of summer! Taking up my usual uncomfortable (and slightly damp) seat on the slipway beside the harbour edge this morning I soaked up some much needed sunshine whilst waiting to see what birdlife might appear. An hour…

The darker side of ducks

For all creatures no matter how great or small, their primary aim in life is to survive long enough to reproduce and pass on their genes to the next generation. This instinct can result in some startling behaviour as demonstrated with the local mallard population here in Aberystwyth. Mallards are very common birds and often…