16/02/2015 In Wales Little Bunting and Lesser Scaup.

Monday 16th February 2015
Cardiff, Wales

Alastair and I made an early start for Wales, hoping to get there just as the wet weather was moving out towards the east.  This turned out to be the case - thankfully. On the way down we managed to see 3 Red Kites and 4 Buzzards flying over the M4.  Our main aim was to see the Little Bunting, the Lesser Scaup and the Bonaparte's Gull, all of which had been seen in the Cardiff area in the last couple of days.

• First port of call was the Forest Farm Country Park Warden Centre to see the Little Bunting.  After a short wait, during which we were entertained by a variety of woodland birds, including Bullfinches, Coal Tits and a Nuthatch, the star turn duly turned up and put on a truly stellar performance. 

Little Bunting
Library picture

• From distances of less than 5 metres we were able to check all the ID features and admire it's handsome looks.  With the Reed Buntings close by we were also able to compare the two.

Little Bunting
Library picture

• Alastair saw his first ever Dipper in the nearby River Taff as we acted on local knowledge and made the detour.  An obliging Kingfisher,  a  Sparrowhawk and 2 lovely Grey Wagtails added to the pleasure.

• Next stop was Cardiff Bay to look for the Lesser Scaup.  Alastair and Sam (from Nottinghamshire) spotted the bird over the far side of the bay to the west so we relocated there by car and came face to face with this delightful bird as it swam around close to the shore.



Lesser Scaup
Library picture



Lesser Scaup
Library picture

• From a point further east, near the sewage works, overlooking the heliport, we were unable to find the Bonaparte's Gull in the bay but we did witness a new spectacle - 120+ Pintails swimming around.

A lovely day out with 2 "lifers" leaving me now with just 14 more birds to find to pass the magical 300 in the UK. 








Additions to BUBO UK Birds Life List:
Little Bunting   (285)
Lesser Scaup   (286)

Additions to BUBO UK 2015 Bird List:
Little Bunting   (163)
Lesser Scaup   (164)



Little Bunting Ecology
The little bunting breeds across the taiga of the far north-east of Europe and northern Asia. It is migratory, wintering in the subtropics in northern India, southern China and the northern parts of south-east Asia. The birds remain in their winter quarters for quite long; specimens were taken in Yunnan in late March. It is a rare vagrant to western Europe.


Lesser Scaup Ecology
The Lesser Scaup is found only in North America and is one of the most abundant and widespread of the diving ducks in North America.

They are rarely—but apparently increasingly often—seen as vagrants in western Europe. The first documented British record was a first-winter male at Chasewater, Staffordshire in 1987 but by 2006, over 60 had been recorded, with an average of 2 per year. UK records are typically in the northern parts of the country