BIKING BIRDER VI 2022 February 22nd Another Day Looking for a Bonaparte's Gull. Cardiff Bay

 

          After another long chat with my host at Tanes Hotel, I set off for Cardiff Bay once more, a fourth attempt at seeing the reported Bonaparte's Gull ahead of me.

          I cycle through the city centre. Well, actually not through the pedestrianised areas as there are police fining cyclists who ride their bikes. I push mine and get to a cycle tracked road alongside Cardiff Castle. Memories of that Queen concert back in 1976.

https://www.queenconcerts.com/detail/live/261/queen-live-10-09-1976-castle-cardiff-uk.html 

          Down to the riverside, cycling past the huge Millenium Stadium, I stop to feed some hot cross buns to the gulls and geese, Swan Geese, three very vocal Swan Geese. Not countable on the BIGBY bird list, I am pecked by an aggressive Mute Swan as I feed the assembled birds.

          The rest of the day is spent going to all corners of the bay, for part of it I am accompanied by a local birder but all to no avail. There is no sign of the rare Bonaparte's Gull.

          There are though plenty of other gulls . . . 

          . . .  including three Mediterranean Gulls.

          and there are always pigeons to feed!

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BIKING BIRDER VI 2022 T-shirt and Mug

          How thrilling to receive a parcel containing not only the fabulous Green Birder enamel badges, available from Paul Herrieven at £3 a badge but also to find inside a fantastic Biking Birder t-shirt and a Green Birder/Biking Birder mug!

          Absolutely fantastic, proud to wear the 'T' and proud to drink my coffee from the mug.

          Badge sales have gone well and the first payments of just under £100 to each charity have gone into my Justgiving pages.

          Badges are available from :

https://www.ukbirdingpins.co.uk/product/green-birder-2022-pin-badge-pre-order?fbclid=IwAR2YKa0X8AaNbJIBfR_BUAHzT1vtIdFWX8XvlQCim1r9UTF0MiYyfDF2d6o  

Paul has a lot of birder related products for sale, including enamel pins, mugs and such like on his website - 

https://www.ukbirdingpins.co.uk/ 

Thanks Paul for all of your help. Brilliant!

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       Acorns Children's Hospice Justgiving page is 

 https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/GaryPrescott2022

 

and the RSPB Justgiving page is :

https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/bikingbirdervii-2022

Finally, thank you to the person who kindly sent me a squeaky parrot today!

Thanks everyone.

BIKING BIRDER VI 2022 21st February Escape from Porthcawl but a Double Dip!

          The weather forecast is for dry weather but with a strong gale. At least it is forecast to be behind me for much of my route.

          My plan and hope is to see two birds; Chough at Nash Point and some time ago Wales' only Cirl Bunting has been seen coming to proferred seed near to Nash Point. Getting both of these birds will save me having to cycle down to Cornwall later on.

          After going down to the beach to watch the waves coming over the harbour wall, after cycling along narrow country lanes and after enjoying having the wind at my back, I arrived at the field with the set aside seed crop and a couple of bird feeders. Unfortunately one of the bird feeders is on the floor, broken and empty and the other bird feeder is also empty. 

          No Yellowhammers, no Cirl Bunting, the only birds are a few Chaffinches, a couple of Greenfinches and a House Sparrow.

          Disappointed, I head off down to Nash Point and am soon walking the sort grassy areas by the double lighthouse there. 

          Sheltering behind the high white painted stone wall, I search through the flocks of Corvids, Jackdaws and Rooks hoping to find a Chough or two. No luck, I head off along the cliff edge to the east. Sunny intervals, a powerful gale makes the going east easy and the heading back a challenge. Fun though and the views across the Severn Estuary to Somerset and Devon, with sunbeams bouncing off the white horsed waves are beautiful.

           No sign of the Chough, I continue to go from the NT car park to the north and the cliffs to the east of the lighthouse. Whilst eating some sandwiches a couple of small Corvids fly by just showing themselves briefly before the dive down an adjacent cliff. 

           I rush to the cliff edge but they are Jackdaws!

           After spending about three hours searching for the Chough, I give up and go back to the bird feeders. Still no sign of the Cirl Bunting, there are a number of Fieldfares in the next field.

          Once again I have to give up and I head off east towards Barry, hoping to find a B & B there.          

          No accommodation available there, I continue on to Cardiff and am greeted at the door of my chosen hotel, Tanes Hotel, by the owner, Tane. We immediately hit it off and we spend over an hour talking music! Tane, a jazz guitarist, loves the music of Frank Zappa!!!!!

          Tane's favourite album by Frank is Hot Rats.

          Tane also tells me of a book about my musical hero that I have missed!

     I need to buy a copy!

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Green Birding Bagdes available!

 

Hiya!

A wonderful individual, Paul Herrieven has produced a special Green Birding badge and all proceeds from the badge will be going to either the RSPB or to a fabulous Children's Hospice in Birmingham, my home city, called ACORNS.

The RSPB are helping me to promote the badge sales and I do so hope that you will love one and buy one (or more!).

Green Birding to me isn't just cycling, no matter that the Green Woodpecker prefers to Green Bird this way, it is walking, kayaking, packrafting, skiing, running and horse riding.

Watching birds in your garden or local park is Green Birding so I hope you can see everyone can be a Green Birder.

All the very best to you all,

Gary, aka The Biking Birder

Get one (or more) here :

https://www.ukbirdingpins.co.uk/product/green-birder-2022-pin-badge-pre-order?fbclid=IwAR0IOabMpl6coAtY7WFxNp52A9bdYzZ80izOrRuVGtnibdTqnox09pMcWwc

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