Peter Howlett

@cardiffbirder

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

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Peter Howlett@cardiffbirder· 8h

Been seeing loads of reports of Hummingbird Hawk Moths turning up in people's gardens. Finally had one in mine yesterday - just a shame the light had gone a bit

Peter Howlett@cardiffbirder· 1d

It may 'only' have been 93% here in Cardiff but the eclipse was still impressive. The change in the quality of the light was amazing and yet equally amazing how light it still was given how much of the sun was covered. 1 18:14 pre-contact 2 18:52 3 19:13 4 19:27 with a wisp of cloud

Peter Howlett@cardiffbirder· 5d

A visit to Lerwick last week allowed for some lovely close views of Fulmar on the Knab #SuperSeabirdSunday #birds

Peter Howlett@cardiffbirder· 21d

Plenty of Emperor Dragonflies around at the moment, can be a challenge to get a decent shot of them as they scoot around looking for prey but quite pleased with this one taken on the River Taff a couple of days ago #wildlifephotography #wildlife

A male Emperor Dragonfly caught in flight against a blue backdrop

Peter Howlett@cardiffbirder· 22d

A Blackbird with a beak full of food for it youngsters, in a nest just off the boardwalk at Cardiff wetland reserve, couldn't hear them calling when it dived into cover so perhaps still small #birdingwales #birds

A male blackbird perches on a branch with a beak full of slugs and caterpillars for its nestlings

Peter Howlett@cardiffbirder· 23d

Some beautiful light on the water surface shows how this River Skater (Aquarius najas) manages to take advantage of the surface tension and move over the surface #wildlife #insects

A River Skater (Aquarius najas) sits on the surface of some water. The light has made the water look like liquid bronze and the dimple made where each foot makes contact with the water surface stands out

Peter Howlett@cardiffbirder· 26d

Lovely juv Med Gull in Cardiff Bay on 17/07 and, as it turns out, a fast mover. Ringed as chick in colony near Leipzig 16/06, seen in colony on 07/07 then the 1059km to Cardiff in 11 days #BirdingWales #SuperSeabirdSunday

Peter Howlett@cardiffbirder· Jul 5

I think another look back to my visit to New Zealand in 2024 for this week's #SuperSeabirdSunday with this lovely White-capped Albatross gliding overhead on outstretched wings against a clear blue sky

Peter Howlett@cardiffbirder· Jun 21

Not much better than a magnificent Wandering Albatross gliding low over the waves for #WorldAlbatrossDay and #SuperSeabirdSunday

Peter Howlett@cardiffbirder· Jun 14

A beautiful Black Guillemot in Hammerfest harbour, Norway back in April #SuperSeabirdSunday

Peter Howlett@cardiffbirder· Jun 7

A little look back to October 2024 for #SuperSeabirdSunday and my annual visit to the Channel and Celtic Sea with CEFAS. This Cory's Shearwater was living up to its name in the Channel

Peter Howlett@cardiffbirder· May 28

Got excited about seeing 2 Cory's Shearwaters out in the Porcupine Seabight yesterday, seen more than 70 today between 150-200 miles SSW of Ireland. Likely females from Portuguese colonies on pre-laying exodus #UKbirding #seabirds

Peter Howlett@cardiffbirder· May 22

A visit to Caerffili common this morning and a little taken aback that the first bird I saw on getting out of the car was an Osprey, drifting over to the north #BirdingWales #BirdsSeenIn2026

Peter Howlett@cardiffbirder· May 17

5 species of storm petrel in one shot and there's potential for even more in this particular neck of the woods - the eastern Pacific off the coast of Peru #SuperSeabirdSunday #Birds Elliot's Storm Petrel Wedge-rumped Storm Petrel Ringed Storm Petrel Markham's Storm Petrel Least Storm Petrel

Peter Howlett@cardiffbirder· May 17

A westerly breeze in Cardiff means the Swifts feed over the bushes along the barrage - a better place to try and get photographs than by the ice rink on the west side of the bay #birds #BirdingWales

Peter Howlett@cardiffbirder· May 13

Lovely adult Peregrine gliding up and down along the cliffs of the Glamorgan coast yesterday #BirdingWales #Birds

Adult Peregrine banking away from the photographer showing the finely barred underparts and the black mask either side of the face

Adult Peregrine banking away from the photographer showing the finely barred underparts and the black mask either side of the face. Something has caught the bird's attention as it is looking around behind it

Peter Howlett@cardiffbirder· May 10

Also on board Borealis as we approached Puerto Limon, Costa Rica was this this superb Lesser Nighthawk - almost as amazing the Chuck-Will's-Widow which we saw at the same time - but beaten by the fact I'd never seen the latter before #Birds #BirdsSeenIn2026

Amazingly we had two species of nocturnal bird onboard the Borealis at the same time. While the Chuck-Will's-Widow was flying around a Lesser Nighthawk also circled the ship a few times. Another cryptically plumaged bird but this one has very obvious white flashes across the wing and a white chevron on the underside of the throat.

Peter Howlett@cardiffbirder· May 10

Chuck-Will's-Widow ranks as one of the most amazing, and least expected, terrestrial birds I've ever seen on board a vessel. This one was on board the Borealis as we approached Puerto Limon, Costa Rica #Birds #BirdsSeenIn2026

Chuck-Will's-Widows are nocturnal birds so to see one in daylight - and at sea - was a really unexpected thrill. This photo shows off the cryptically patterned plumage of various shades of brown which makes them so difficult to spot when they're sitting on the ground in their forest homes

Peter Howlett@cardiffbirder· May 9

Some beautiful light on this Great Crested Grebe off the Mermaid Quay boardwalk the other morning. That and the diffuse background and calm water really makes the bird stand out #BirdingWales #Birds

A Great Crested Grebe faces the camera, showing off its crest and the beautiful neck ruff

A Great Crested Grebe sat in still water with a lovely reflection and showing off the tawwny-orange cheeks and neck feathers

Peter Howlett@cardiffbirder· May 6

The first broods of Canada Geese are out and about in Cardiff Bay now. These very new goslings looking particularly cute as they toddled around on the barrage grass tasting different bits of vegetation #BirdingWales #Birds

A Canada Goose chick, or gosling, only a couple of days old out and about on the Cardiff barrage grass. Still completely covered in brown and creamy-yellow down with a short, stubby black beak.

Peter Howlett@cardiffbirder· May 3

A rather smart Common Gull in Norway 2 weeks ago #SuperSeabirdSunday #Birds

Peter Howlett@cardiffbirder· May 1

Beautiful male Northern Wheatear on Cardiff Barrage yesterday morning #BirdingWales #Birds

Adult male Northern Wheatear standing on some short turf. Salmon throat and breast black stripe through the eye and black ear coverts, broad white supercilium. Top of head and back blue grey wings black. There is just a hint of the white rump these birds are so well known for

Peter Howlett@cardiffbirder· Apr 30

A White-tailed Eagle from a boat trip in Norway last week. It's ringed and I had most of the numbers. Email to the Norway scheme and found out it was ringed almost 20 years ago! Remarkably this is first report of it, despite it being seen (and likely photographed) on many boat trips! #birds

Peter Howlett@cardiffbirder· Apr 26

Fantastic to see my first ever Brünnich's Guillemot off the coast of northern Norway last week - in fact by the end of the day - first couple of hundred #SuperSeabirdSunday #BirdsSeenIn2026

Peter Howlett@cardiffbirder· Apr 7

Always nice to welcome back the first Willow Warbler of the year, one in Cardiff Bay on 5th (first for me, earlier birds seen by others) #BirdsSeenIn2026 #birdingWales

Peter Howlett@cardiffbirder· Apr 7

Belting Yellow Wagtail on Cardiff Barrage this morning. An early bird for here brought in on some stiff E'ly winds #BirdsSeenIn2026 #BirdingWales

A very yellow Yellow Wagtail showing why they deserve their name. Head and underparts bright yellow, brown back with two buffy-white wingbars

Peter Howlett@cardiffbirder· Apr 5

A lovely adult Brown Booby in early morning light as we sailed into St John's, Antigua Thursday 2 April #SuperSeabirdSunday #BirdsSeenIn2026

An adult Brown Booby, brown above, head and breast brown with a white belly, undertail and underwing, with a cream-coloured bill

Peter Howlett@cardiffbirder· Apr 4

Violet-bellied Hummingbird at the flower on a tree at Fort San Lorenzo, Panama last week #BirdsSeenIn2026 #birds

A Hummingbird hovers next to a flower, feeding on its nectar. The flower has a very feathery appearance

Peter Howlett@cardiffbirder· Apr 3

Rufous-tailed Hummingbird at Matute forest reserve, Cartagena, Colombia a few days ago #BirdsSeenIn2026 #birds

A Hummingbird caught in mid-hover as it feeds on a flower

Peter Howlett@cardiffbirder· Mar 22

Galapagos Petrel off the coast of Peru 2 days ago #superseabirdsunday #birdsseenin2026