Cold weather birds

Last couple of days has seen the temperature drop to -4c and a covering of snow which isn't melting above 300 metres. So I've been around a few places making notes of what birds are about.

Caerau (01 Feb) - untagged Red Kite (late news)

Caerau (31 Jan) - A Red Kite has been around Tudor Woods and it has an orange wing-tag on the right wing meaning it was tagged as a nestling in 2014, but the left wing tag was missing (or at least I couldn't see it) meaning you couldn't tell where it was from. A Sparrowhawk swooped through the street after starlings but was unsuccessful. A Stock Dove at Foel-y-Dyffryn is also unusual, not seen too many over the years here. Lots of LBB/Herring gulls in the air too. Garden feeder highlights were 8 Long-tailed Tit and 2 Collared Dove. Grey Heron over the church another unusual sighting.

Caerau Forest (30 Jan) - Another Red Kite, this one untagged otherwise fairly quiet besides 6 Bullfinch (3male, 3 female) dotted around, A male Stonechat was high up around Darren-y-Bannau cliffs, odd in itself but it also had a bright rosy-pink rump but nothing else to suggest a rarer species. Good numbers of Coal, Blue, Great Tit, Chaffinch along the forestry edge accompanied by a Great-spotted Woodpecker.

Mynydd Ty-Talwyn (29 Jan) - Another untagged Red Kite along with 13 Buzzard (12 in one field worming), 7 Raven and 35 Starling. A flock of 57 Lapwing was flushed from Mynydd Baeden by a light aircraft overhead, while loose flocks of 48 Fieldfare were feeding on what berries were left and finally 2 Great Black-backed Gull were in attendance on a sheep carcass above Cwm Nant Gwyn.

 Raven perched at Darren-y-Bannau

 Robin at Caerau forestry

These 200 foot wind turbines really are monsters when up close, the photo is from 600 yards away to get it all in. They make quite a loud whirring noise too.

Photos of specimens

While taking samples of hoverflies, I sometimes take photos first if possible, below are a few examples to see if they can be identified by photo alone.


Chrysogaster virescens

These 3 photos show Chrysogaster virescens from various angles. The clear wings and lack of deep black on the thorax rule out "solstitialis". What you can't see from the photo is the lack of grey hairs on the lower side of the thorax, which rules out "cemiteriorum" and this species is also matt black, so the bronzy green colour of any Chrysogaster is at least a pointer towards virescens. It is a species of acid moorland and was half expecting to find it at Garnwen eventually, it is regarded as local and the rarest of the Chrysogaster. Incidentally Chrysogaster are much larger than any of the other metallic species of the tribe.

 Eupeodes latifasciatus

Male Eupeodes are difficult to identify from photos, I kept this one as it didn't fit neatly into the latifasciatus genus, but there are only 2 species with wavy yellow lines on the abdomen that don't reach the side (in Wales) and I thought this one might be bucculatus after looking at it under magnification but Roger thought not.

 Cheilosia fraterna

The yellow hind tibia is a diagnostic feature of the "grossa group" of 4 species, but the other 3 species are very hairy on the thorax and abdomen while this one is clearly not, so this species can be done from a photo.

Cheilosia proxima

The only way to identify proxima is to catch one to check the underneath of the abdomen for dusting, so there's no way it can be identified from photos.

Orthonevra nobilis

I was quite surprised when this species came back as "nobilis" as the wing venation suggested Chrysogaster genus and the grey dusting on the side of the thorax pointed to cemiteriorum. Taking it as an Orthonevra the length of the yellow antennae and sparse dusting on the side of face point to nobilis.

Pipiza austriaca

Pipiza are almost impossible to identify from photos except austriaca which has a thickened ridge to the hind femora underneath which is just visible in some of the following photographs.

Hoverfly specimen results for 2018

I have received the results of the specimens I took throughout the year from Roger Morris of the Hoverfly Recording Scheme. There were 3 new for the valley and are as follows

132. Chrysogaster virescens (4)     2 male     14 May 2018   Garnwen
                                                          1 female  30 May 2018   Blaencaerau
                                                          1 male     02 Jun 2018     Garnwen

3rd record for VC41, last recorded Swansea (2004)

133.  Cheilosia antiqua (1)             1 male       18 May 2018   Lletty Brongu Woods

2nd record for VC41, last recorded Ystrad Mynach (1997)

134. Cheilosia vulpina (1)               1 female    13 Jul 2018    Lletty Brongu Woods

4th record for VC41, last recorded Portenyon (2013)    




Other good records    

Neoascia meticulosa (1), Parasyrphus malinellus (1), Parasyrphus punctulatus (1),
Cheilosia fraterna (4), Platycheirus peltatus (1), Pipizella viduata (2),
Pipiza austriaca (4), Platycheirus clypeatus (2), Lejogaster metallina (1),
Eupeodes lapponicus (1), Cheilosia longula (1), Sphaerophoria interrupta (3),
Sphaerophoria philantha (1), Paragus haemorrhous (1).


Commoner records

Platycheirus albimanus (2), Eristalis nemorum (1), Eristalis arbustorum (1),
Melanostoma mellinum (8), Cheilosia bergenstammi (4), Sphegina sibirica (2)
Eupeodes luniger (3), Sphegina clunipes (1), Neoascia podagrica (1),
Cheilosia pagana (11), Melanogaster hirtella (2), Neoascia tenur (1),
Platycheirus scutatus (3), Cheilosia variabilis (1), Platycheirus angustatus (1),
Cheilosia proxima (11), Orthonevra nobilis (2), Eupeodes latifasciatus (4),
Syrphus torvus (2), Cheilosia scutellata (3), Syrphus ribesii (1),
Syrphus vitripennis (2), Melanostoma scalare (1), Eupeodes corollae (1)


So the valley list is now on 134 species and the total species for 2018 was 104.

Gilfach (west) - Top Llangynwyd

Another cold day after overnight frost, this time I ventured up Top Llangynwyd to see if I could find a shrike but no luck. Walked from the car park area to the Bodvoc Stone and back via the moorland. The Usual winter birds were present in 2 pairs each of Raven and Jay and 3 pairs of Bullfinch dotted around. The moorland area held the most birds  with a very dark Common Buzzard and Kestrel hunting overhead, 6 Redwing, 25 Starling and Green Woodpecker flicking between the stands of trees. I decided to walk the small stream at the bottom of the moorland until I flushed a Snipe, it actually took me three steps so no more "booters" for me this year then 🙏. Other than these birds the place was a wilderness.

Witches' Broom above is caused by the fungus Taphrina betulina on Silver Birch, not a great example but you can see clearly the bunches of stunted twigs in various places on the branches of the tree. When small galls like these appear they have been described anecdotally as a "flock of roosting hedgehogs" before they become full blown "Witches' Brooms" in the spring when the tree starts to grow again.

A better example of Witches's Broom - Lletty Brongu [09/01/2019].

Blaencaerau and finally some sun

It's been quite a while since we've had some sunshine, so I made the most of it as we are having 2-3 days of cold crisp weather. A walk around the coal-spoil area produced a good size flock of 32 Lesser Redpoll feeding on Larch and Birch seeds as well as on the ground/fallen seeds but not much else, but included Meadow Pipit, Bullfinch, Coal Tit, Long-tailed Tit and Mistle Thrush for a total of 17 species. The garden feeders highlights were a pair of Collared Dove and 10 Long-tailed Tit.

No insects or any other genus of fauna. So onto the plants - I managed to find an Austrian Pine in the planted trees which is a first for Blaencaerau. Surprisingly I also located 4 species of plant in flower in Dandelion, Herb Robert, Ox-eye Daisy ssp. and Gorse. A lot of Sallow, Alder and Birch catkins were starting to open up and release pollen, but the next few colder days will put an end to that