Posted in Nature, Uncategorized, tagged autumn, Cardiff Bay, Nature on September 20, 2018| 6 Comments »
Firethorn (Pyracantha) berries beside the Wharf in early September
During my monthly walk around the Wharf (old East Bute Dock) in Cardiff Bay on September 4 I was surprised to find how far advanced Autumn was, with many seeds and berries on both the wild plants and cultivated shrubs. Here are some of the pictures I took… (more…)
Posted in Birds, Nature, Uncategorized, tagged birds, Cardiff Bay, Nature on August 23, 2018| Leave a Comment »
Mother and child great crested grebes on the Wharf – there had been two young ones but the other was killed by a gull when it fell from its mother’s back, witnessed by a friend of mine one lunchtime
On a recent walk beside the Wharf (former East Bute Dock) in Cardiff Bay I saw two pairs of great crested grebes (Podiceps cristatus). Until then I had thought only one pair lived there. Here are a couple of scenes from their daily life. (more…)
Posted in Nature, Uncategorized, tagged Cardiff Bay, Nature on July 21, 2018| 18 Comments »
Purple loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria) beside the Wharf in July – in the past this plant has been used to treat dysentery
We have had hot sun and no rain for many weeks now, but we had very light, refreshing rain during the one lunchtime I walked around the Wharf next to County Hall this month – on July 4.
I hadn’t looked for a while and was amazed and delighted by the unusual colourful wild flowers I found near the water’s edge. Most of the little wild plants like groundsel, chickweed, goose grass and nettles had shrivelled in the drought – or in the case of those around the building-site hoardings, been sprayed with weedkiller. (more…)
Posted in Birds, Nature, Uncategorized, tagged birds, Cardiff Bay, Nature on July 15, 2018| 14 Comments »
Great crested grebe (Podiceps cristatus) and young ones on the Wharf on July 4 – can you see the striped neck of the second offspring riding on its mother’s back?
The water birds are a constant delight on the Wharf next to my office in County Hall, Cardiff, and at the moment they have juveniles with them. I missed most of the very small baby birds as they are growing up so fast… (more…)
Posted in Nature, Uncategorized, tagged Cardiff Bay, Nature, weeds on May 20, 2018| 6 Comments »
Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) beside the Wharf in late April
The Wharf (the old East Bute Dock) next to Cardiff’s County Hall in the Bay is greening up now spring has arrived. The small wild plants finding a niche on the stone and concrete surfaces around the water are at their best, before summer comes and they become overblown and tatty.
Here are some of my snaps from lunchtime walks on April 26 and May 8. As usual help would be appreciated with identification for one or two of the plants. (more…)
Posted in Nature, Trees, Uncategorized, tagged Cardiff Bay, Nature, Spring, Trees on May 5, 2018| 2 Comments »
Alder leaves (Alnus glutinosa) against a backdrop of the silky waters of the Wharf
The catkins are dying away now and the leaves are sprouting on the shrubby waterside trees around the Wharf (old Bute East Dock) next to our office in Cardiff’s County Hall.
I went out for a walk at lunchtime on April 26 to take these pictures – and was pleased to find that my earlier identification of many of the species seems to have been correct. (more…)
Posted in Nature, Street plants, Uncategorized, tagged Cardiff Bay, lichen, Nature, weeds on March 31, 2018| 6 Comments »
Strangely yellow Buddleia davidii leaves among stonecrop (possibly Sedum acre) beside the Wharf
I am thoroughly enjoying my lunchtime explorations of a new habitat this year – the Wharf (the old East Bute Dock) next to Cardiff’s County Hall in the Bay. As spring arrives there are so many little wild plants coming to life on the stone and concrete surfaces around the water, making do with whatever nutrients there are in hollows and cracks (or nooks and crannies, if you prefer the cliché). In some ways these little beauties remind me of those found in an alpine habitat. (more…)
