A DIVER AT CARDIFF BARRAGE

 A Red Throated Diver had turned up at the Cardiff Bay Barrage over the last few days so when my best birding buddy Steve Bool asked me if I wanted to go down to see it I absolutely jumped at the chance.

Red Throated Divers breed up in Scotland on inland lakes but in the Winter although scarce can turn up on UK coasts as this one's done in Cardiff.

When we got there we spotted it nearly straight away swimming with a Great Crested Grebe but the sun was shinning straight into our faces so views were pretty poor. We decided to move onto one of the pier like structures so the sun wouldn't be so obstructive but the time I'd got into position it had gone. The tide was going out so it must have swam out to deeper water, divers can swim underwater for two hundred yards or more so it might be the reason why we didn't see it leave. 

We decided to have some refreshments and wait for the tide to come in a bit before trying to relocate it. After an hour or so we went back to the same place it had disappeared from, the tide had started to come back in and the mudflats that were left after the tide went out were now underwater again. After about another half hour of scanning the sea with our binoculars it finally turned up. It was a good way out to begin with but came closer and closer until at last I was able to get some decent images.

red throated diver

The bird is obviously now in it's Winter plumage, some were saying it might even be a juvenile but it's difficult to tell.

what a cracking bird

One annoying thing was it was constantly diving so Steve couldn't get any video footage but just to see it is sometimes enough what a beauty.

Whilst trying to photograph the Diver a Seal turned up and caught a huge Salmon. Lucky enough it wasn't to far out and I was able to grab a few shots as it devoured this massive fish.

seal with it's catch

 
After seeing that unexpected treat we concentrated back on the Diver what a privilege to see this handsome bird.

red throated diver

 After a while the bird once again decided to do it's disappearing act and as our car parking time was nearly up and the rain started to come down we decided to call it a day. What a morning it was though Red Throated Diver and a Seal with a Salmon it don't get much better than that. Big thanks as always to Steve for doing the driving what a diamond he is and what a great morning it was at Cardiff Barrage brilliant.