BIKING BIRDER I April 3rd 2010 Newport Wetlands RSPB Reserve and To Cardiff For An Encounter with A Boney?

 

          Ste' Allcott, A Birding Clam, in other words an ex-student of mine from my Secondary teaching days at Coppice High School, Wolverhampton, on the left. A Sunshine RSPB staff member on the right.

          Photo taken at Newport Wetlands RSPB reserve.

3^rd April

 

Newport and Cardiff, an American gull to see, eventually, hopefully.

Another early rise to cycle around the Newport Wetlands reserve. Lots of Cetti's Warblers calling, Blackcap, Willow Warblers and Chiffs as well. Met a local birder, Nathan and two wardens - Chris & Keith. It turns out that the huge reedbeds are not RSPB but there is a cooperative going over the superb visitors’ centre. Was chuffed that an ex pupil, Steve Allcott from my Wolverhampton teaching days, had come down all the way from the same city. Thanks Steve - great to see you. Not many birds but did have a Bearded Tit flying over the reeds.
I was photographed for the local newspaper, the Newport Argus, by Dave from Berkhamstead. Afterwards we chatted with a very enthusiastic young RSPB warden; a would-be twitcher whose name I think was Matthew.
More rain fell as I made my way to Cardiff. I found Cardiff Bay, the area where the Bonaparte's Gull had been reported and what a difference to when I was last here. That was back in the Seventies, many years ago.  Then the area back then was a huge dirty estuary with old industrial fringes and massive, deep, rectangular pits full of seawater and jellyfish. In 1975 I had been hitch-hiking around Britain and had arrived here to visit a friend from college, Susan Potter from Penarth. I wondered if she is still there. Now the estuary was a landscaped lagoon with modern roads and bridges and brand new apartment blocks and shops. I met Phil Bristow, another birder but sadly we had no view of the hoped for Bonaparte’s Gull despite searching until dark.

I found a Bed & Breakfast in a hotel, almost on the opposite side of the river to the immense Millennium Stadium, with an oldie world decor including original Edwardian fittings. In the evening Cardiff City played Swansea in a football local derby and I watch with a gang of Cardiff supporters as .

Afterwards I watched my team, Aston Villa, play Bolton Wanderers and screamed and danced around, like a devilish dervish, when Ashley Young won the game for the mighty Villa.