Summer skies

To me nothing signals the start of summer quite like the arrival of the house martins here in Aberystwyth. As the warmer weather advances more and more of these birds return to their breeding grounds beside the harbour inlet. The quiet skies are soon filled with their aerial acrobatics and the sound of their constant…

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…

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…

The thaw

Another winter’s day and another glorious frosty morning! I had hoped to capture some photographs of the birds among the frost, something I have attempted and failed at several times before. Unfortunately, as is often the case in wildlife photography, my plans did not quite work out once again! It wasn’t until the sun was…

Reflection

It has been a rather dreary January, with seemingly endless damp and drizzle punctuated with the just the odd day of winter sunshine here or there. After a positive start with a beautiful frost to capture, there hasn’t been a huge amount to photograph. I must admit I have been feeling a little uninspired and…

Plastic planet

Ever since millions of us around the world watched the heartbreaking scenes in Blue Planet II where a Sperm Whale attempts to eat a large piece of a plastic bucket, we have been increasingly aware of the impact our use of, and careless disposal of plastic is having on our natural world. This impact is…

Capturing the moment

For our familiar mallard ducks the breeding season starts early, long before the welcome warmth of spring arrives to take the chill off the land. As early as October they begin to pair up, the males displaying enthusiastically despite the driving rain and freezing winds. Today on a relatively warm and sunny day in February…

Bird behaviour: Anting

It was a quiet day today with little bird activity to photograph, I was ready to call it a day when a Rook appeared and landed on the harbour wall nearby. It immediately took an interest in a particular spot and began acting rather strangely, dragging its wings against the ground and then turning to…

Bad feather day

After my failure to capture photographs of the young Jackdaw a few weeks ago, today my luck had turned and I was able to capture some more successful photographs as the corvid family foraged in and around the harbour slipway under the pleasant morning sunshine. The adults were busy searching for their breakfast among the…

Cygnet at 3 months

Our mute swan cygnet is now around three and a half months old, and is unrecognisable from the tiny, vulnerable ball of grey down that first emerged from the nest back in May. It never ceases to amaze me just how quickly they grow and the time has passed in what feels like the blink…

Stuck in the mud

Photography isn’t always glamorous, in fact if you are a nature enthusiast as I am you will often find yourself sat out in very comfortable situations whether it be freezing cold temperatures, traipsing through mud or knee deep in nettles. Today was one such day as I explored the tidal mud flat down in the…

A wild Jackdaw chase

For several weeks now I have been following a flock of Jackdaws who regularly visit the area around the harbour in search of food. Although these birds are always a favourite of mine, I am particularly interested in them at this time of year as this is the time when their youngsters fledge and join…