Peter Howlett
LightNews LightNews
cardiffbirder.bsky.social
Peter Howlett
@cardiffbirder.bsky.social
760 followers 100 following 340 posts
Cardiff-based birder and photographer. Posts are my photos of birds, marine mammals and occasionally other critters. Check out @cardiffott.bsky.social for photos of metal flying things
Posts Replies Media Videos
Reposted by Peter Howlett
robinmmorrison.bsky.social
What looks like a dark morph Lapwing seen at #RSPBGreylake #Somerset this morning. It was very aggressive to any other Lapwing that came to close.
February 6, 2026 at 8:26 PM
Reposted by Peter Howlett
smart0406.bsky.social
Treecreeper near the feeders at the Kingfisher Hide this afternoon at WWT Slimbridge #GlosBirds #birds #BirdsSeenIn2026
February 6, 2026 at 4:38 PM
cardiffbirder.bsky.social
Massive building work behind my house has drastically reduced the cover available, so I was pleasantly surprised to see this lovely male Blackcap in the garden feeding on the fat block. Certainly brightened up a wet and dull Cardiff morning #BirdsSeenIn2026 #birdingWales #birds
February 6, 2026 at 10:26 AM
Reposted by Peter Howlett
henrikfrietsch.bsky.social
Super excited that I finally got to #photograph the Eurasian woodcock (Morkulla) I was walking across a meadow and all of a sudden it came flying straight towards me! Such a lucky encounter! ✌️🤩
#birds #EastCoastKin
#photography #nature
#PhotographersUnited
#PhotographersOfBluesky
#BirdsSeenIn2026
February 2, 2026 at 3:28 PM
cardiffbirder.bsky.social
Another bird from my Pacific trip last year for #SuperSeabirdSunday - Black Noddy while we were off Pitcairn Island #birds
A Black Noddy against the brilliant blue of the Pacific. Actually not black but almost totally a very dark brown apart from its white cap and grey brown tail. It has a longer, thinner black bill than the very similar Brown Noddy.
February 1, 2026 at 12:08 PM
cardiffbirder.bsky.social
A return to Thompson's Park, Cardiff for another go at the Firecrests - success! A couple of shots of them, they were a little distant for the high iso needed in the shaded bushes they were frequenting. Also a Goldcrest for comparison. #BirdsSeenIn2026 #BirdingWales
Firecrests have a very distinctive face, a distinctive black eye stripe and white supercilium flanked above by the black border of the crown stripe. Their backs are also brighter green than Goldcrests Firecrests have a very distinctive face, a distinctive black eye stripe and white supercilium flanked above by the black border of the crown stripe. Their backs are also brighter green than Goldcrests. The bird in this photo has its head down so the bright crown stripe is very obvious Firecrests have a very distinctive face, a distinctive black eye stripe and white supercilium flanked above by the black border of the crown stripe. Their backs are also brighter green than Goldcrests Goldcrest, in contrast to Firecrest, has a very plain face just having the crown stripe flanked by a black stripe. They are however, still very cute
January 30, 2026 at 5:34 PM
cardiffbirder.bsky.social
A visit to Thompson's Park and Bute Park on the trail of Firecrests resulted in no Firecrests seen but did see a handful of Ring-necked Parakeet at Thompson's Park and a Treecreeper in Bute Park both new for #BirdsSeenIn2026 #BirdingWales
A Ring-necked Parakeet perched on a pole, likely a female or young males as it's uniformly green and the ring is not prominent. A Treecreeper searching for food amongst the moss on a tree trunk
January 29, 2026 at 5:59 PM
cardiffbirder.bsky.social
There are 3 Common Sandpipers wintering along the shores of the River Ely in Cardiff Bay. This one was foraging at the top of the embankment the other day and finding some very juicy earthworms to eat. #BirdsSeenin2026 #BirdingWales
A Common Sandpiper fills the frame as it walks towards the photographer. It has a brown head with a whitish stripe through the eye. Its upper breast is streaked greyish-brown. The bill is short and straight, about 40-50mm A Common Sandpiper with a large worm in its beak Common Sandpiper swallowing a large worm
January 29, 2026 at 5:42 PM
cardiffbirder.bsky.social
This rather unfortunate young Cormorant has managed to get itself tangled in an anglers bait bomb. It can fly okay and looks in good condition but must be impacting its ability to hunt a little. #birdingWales #UKbirding
A Cormorant has become entangled in an anglers bait bomb - a canister anglers use to disperse food to attract fish to where they're fishing. It looks as though the angler lost this one and the bird has managed to swim through the lines that would attach to the casting line.
January 27, 2026 at 6:08 PM
cardiffbirder.bsky.social
Photographed this Rock Pipit on Cardiff barrage yesterday. Not sure when it lost its feet but I've seen it regularly in past couple of months. I'm pretty sure it's a first year bird so likely picked up fibres around its legs not long after fledging #birdingWales #birdsseenin2026
A Rock Pipit that has lost both its feet and stands on calloused stumps. It has been like this for several months so is able to lead an almost normal life
January 27, 2026 at 9:48 AM
cardiffbirder.bsky.social
For #SuperSeabirdSunday this week I'm going back to February 2024 and a couple of memorable days out with the Petrel Station off North Island, New Zealand and this New Zealand Storm Petrel #birds
January 25, 2026 at 10:40 PM
Reposted by Peter Howlett
stephszarmach.bsky.social
Out now in Movement Ecology: We used multi-sensor geolocators to track myrtle warblers breeding in Alaska and found that they migrated much farther than expected to the Gulf Coast—rather than to the closer Pacific Coast non-breeding area 🪶🧵 link.springer.com/article/10.1...
Left panel: A small black, grey, white and yellow songbird wearing a tracking backpack. Right panel: A map of North America showing a migration track beginning in Alaska, crossing east across the boreal forest of Canada, and then turning south to the coast of Texas before retracing the path north.
January 23, 2026 at 7:29 PM
cardiffbirder.bsky.social
The Scaup which appeared in the Bay yesterday had moved to close in by the Norwegian Church, allowing for some nice clean photos, although, annoyingly it spent most of its time resting #BirdsSeenin2026 #BirdingWales #birds
January 23, 2026 at 7:14 PM
cardiffbirder.bsky.social
One of my favourite birds to photograph in Cardiff Bay - the Cormorant. Quite a few in the bay at the moment just starting to come into breeding plumage. They really are striking birds #BirdingWales #BirdsSeenin2026 #birds
January 21, 2026 at 6:45 PM
cardiffbirder.bsky.social
Whilst photographing the Black Redstart this morning an obliging Peregrine flew overhead - a new species for the @patchbirding.bsky.social year list #BirdsSeenIn2026 #BirdingWales #birds
An adult Peregrine flies over the photographer showing the finely barred underwings and underparts. The yellow eye-ring, feet and cere (the area around the nostrils) also stand out An adult Peregrine flies over the photographer showing the finely barred underwings and underparts. The yellow eye-ring, feet and cere (the area around the nostrils) also stand out
January 21, 2026 at 6:16 PM
cardiffbirder.bsky.social
Caught up with the very smart adult male Black Redstart near Cardiff barrage this morning, always a little distant but lovely to see. One of the adult females around Penarth Marina also popped up #BirdsSeenIn2026 #BirdingWales #birds
Adult male Black Redstarts are really distinctive with grey head and back, jet black face and breast, bright white panel on the wing formed by the edges to the secondaries and orange red tail and rump. Adult male Black Redstarts are really distinctive with grey head and back, jet black face and breast, bright white panel on the wing formed by the edges to the secondaries and orange red tail and rump. Adult male Black Redstarts are really distinctive with grey head and back, jet black face and breast, bright white panel on the wing formed by the edges to the secondaries and orange red tail and rump. Adult female Black Redstarts aren't quite as distinctive as the males being brown-grey above and grey-buff below, the orange on the tail and rump is duller too
January 21, 2026 at 6:13 PM
Reposted by Peter Howlett
mmcminn.bsky.social
Cape pigeon from the #SuperSeabirdSunday
January 18, 2026 at 12:02 PM
cardiffbirder.bsky.social
A lovely adult Yellow-legged Gull at Caleta de Fuste, Fuerteventura #SuperSeabirdSunday #BirdsSeenIn2026 #birds
An adult gull glides past the photographer against a backdrop of blue sea and surf
January 18, 2026 at 9:57 AM
cardiffbirder.bsky.social
A bold first year male Fuerteventura Stonechat at Puertito de los Molinos was a superb sight on my last full day on Fuerteventura #birds #birdsseenin2026
January 16, 2026 at 9:34 PM
cardiffbirder.bsky.social
Some superb Spectacled Warblers in Barranco do Torre, Fuerteventura this morning, not sure I quite appreciated just how smart they are #birdseenin2026 #birds
January 16, 2026 at 9:31 PM
cardiffbirder.bsky.social
Stopped for some Trumpeter Finch near Tiscamanita, Fuerteventura and an Egyptian Vulture flew over. Like most of the vultures on Fuerteventura this one was colour-ringed but don't think the ring is quite clear enough to be certain of the code, will send photos in anyway #BirdsSeenIn2026 #birds
January 15, 2026 at 9:32 PM
cardiffbirder.bsky.social
Dipped on Houbara in the desert near Jandia, Fuerteventura today but did at least see Black-bellied Sandgrouse. Such strange but amazing looking birds #birdsseenIn2026 #birds
January 15, 2026 at 8:55 PM
cardiffbirder.bsky.social
There was occasionally, with the bigger waves, shades of the Guinness white horses at El Cotillo today. With a 2.5-3m swell rolling in and an offshore breeze there were some nice manes blowing off the waves
January 14, 2026 at 9:36 PM
cardiffbirder.bsky.social
I'd seen a couple over the previous few days but El Cotillo, Fuerteventura provided a couple of very close Berthelot's Pipit, almost too close for a few seconds #BirdsSeenIn2026 #birds
January 14, 2026 at 9:32 PM
cardiffbirder.bsky.social
Despite dozens of dogs running around there was a very relaxed Great Grey Shrike at El Cotillo, Fuerteventura, with a bonus flight shot #birds
January 14, 2026 at 9:29 PM