On a quick walk round, down to the old searchlight building and back, I was lucky enough to initially flush a Cuckoo in the second field, which did a circuit and disappeared.Fortunately it was still present on my return leg and after foraging in the dense ground cover, sitting briefy in the open on the dirt path, flew around and settled in a tree. There were many Ringlets on the wing and one settled nicely for an underwing shot.
A small group [just 7 of us] had a successful trip to Ham Wall RSPB in the Somerset Levels yesterday [25th]. The heat wasn’t too bad as there was some shade, plus the afternoon cloud and stiff breeze helped. 51 species were logged with highlights being 4 or poss 5 fly-by Bitterns, a Hobby, a Cuckoo, many Marsh Harriers and Great White Egrets [outnumbering Littles]. Also a Bearded Tit was seen by Alan Rosney and a few others were heard. There were very many dragon & damselflies, the best of which were Red-eyed Damselflies alighting on the floating vegetation [as is their habit] and a Lesser Emperor dragonfly flying back & forth in front of the Avalon hide. Thanks to all who came along. Click here for the full list. Images below L>R: female Marsh Harrier, Whitethroat, Great White Egret, Red-eyed Damselfly, 4-Spotted Chaser, Common Blue Damselfly.
From today GBC walk at Ham Wall
Not overly birdy at Cossie at the moment, so amongst the birdy pix there are some invertebrates. The GC Grebe ‘humbug’ is now as big as the adults. Two adult Herons were in a tree near the main bridge. Managed to grab a shot of the Jay which was very busy in the grove of trees behind W lake. The day-flying moth is Pyrausta purpuralis,always nice to see. The pair of Damselflies ‘in cop’ were by the dragonfly pond [either Common or Azure – not sure you can tell from the image]. The hoverfly is Leucozona laternaria [confirmed on the Hoverflys FB page] – a new sp for me. Finally the Comma was one of two seen near the Medieval Village.
A – White Spotted Bluethroat
There’s a field trip next Sunday 25th June to RSPB Ham Wall in the Somerset Levels. Meet in the RSPB car park at circa 09;30. It’s on the road called Station Road which runs north from Ashcott Village on the A39 to the village of Meare. The reserve is about halfway between these two villages. It’s probably a little later than ideal but there’s always plenty to see, although I believe the initial flurry of Hobby activity has quietened down. I will aim to leave home at 8 a.m. and could pick up at St Margaret’s Road at about 8:15 if anyone would like to car share. Plse let me know by email whether you plan to come and whether you need a lift. John Wilson
35 speice seen, 3 Airborne Birds of Prey – Red Kite – Buzzard and Kestrel with snake – 58 Canada Geese & 6 Juvs and a Black Tailed Godwit around the pond
Small red-eyed Damselfly also Common Blue Damselfly + Emperor 4 Broad-bodied Chaser 6, Mute Swan 88 Great Crested Grebe 1
Wednesday am. Redstart 1 juv Tree Pipit 2 Jay 3 Curlew heard
Dragonflies: Emperor 2BroadBodied Chaser 6 Four Spot Chaser 4 Golden Ringed Dragonfly 3 Large Red Damselfly 1 Azure Blue Damselfly 10 Beautiful Demoiselle 1
I visit RSPB Ynys-hir, walking to Salting hide look out on river mouth, when this rapter made airborne pass, just say i never been so dispointing with Peregrine, for a second i hope a Osprey. Ynys-hir is a lovely reserve, i manage Saltmarsh trail, Wetland trail and bit of the hard up and down woodland walk, Redstarts, Pied Flycatchers, saw spotted flycatchers, everywhere Canada Geese with all size of Goslins and some mad horses – Than dash up the boardwalk at Dyfi Osprey Project, well bit of lie, after 5&i/2 walk and sitting in hides around Ynys-hir my walk to hide was a hobble and got this years Osprey tick – My Airborne competition between buzzard and Red Kites tried at 6 each on both leg of the drive.
Highlights: A Night Heron was found at Cosmeston (15th). Sightings from around Kenfig NNR included Purple Heron (Kenfig Pool, 27th), Wood Sandpiper (Sker Pool and Kenfig Pool, 26th and 27th respectively), two Greenshanks, Little Tern, Arctic Skua and Brent Goose. A Purple Heron was still at Cwmbach Wetlands (2nd), having been first seen in late April. A drake Garganey visited the Watermill flood, Ogmore Estuary (7th). Ospreys were seen over Bridgend on two occasions. A group of four Hobbies was observed at Newton Moor, Cowbridge, with a single noted at Ogmore Estuary. Four Purple Sandpipers were at Ogmore-by-Sea. The first Spotted Flycatchers arrived at Pennsylvania Wood and Gwaelod-y-garth (3rd).
Summary by Paul Roberts
On a sunny day 12 members enjoyed a walk around the beautiful Dinas RSPB reserve, north of Llandovery. We logged 38 species including all the ‘targets’ of Pied & Spotted Flycatchers, Common Redstart, and Wood Warbler, with Garden Warbler, Marsh Tit and other common woodland species thrown in for good measure. Adult Wheatears were feeding juvs by the access road to Llyn Brianne reservoir. By the afternoon it was getting pretty warm and folk were wilting, and the leader succumbed to an ice cream cone and then an ice lolly after watching the Wheatears! A few record shots by yours truly below. Thanks to all for coming. John Wilson. Click here for the full list.
A pair of Blue tits having successfully raised a brood and all have fledged from a nest in an outside cigarette butt bin. Swallows have again nested in the garage/workshop ( this time on a ledge of plywood I screwed to a crossbeam ), another pair are investigating the ladies toilet through an open window and a pair of pied wagtails have a clutch inside the gubbins of a contractors dumper truck! ( a sign is up to stop it being used). Also House sparrows are nesting all over the place, at least 20 pairs.
Spotted Flycatcher
One of several fledgling Great Tits from the nestbox in my garden. Amazing to watch the parents working non-stop all day.
Today was pretty quiet but I noted a Green Woodpecker near the dragonfly pond and a Great Spotted Woodpecker calling by the Mile Road next to W. paddock but not seen. A Chiffchaff was feeding in a tree there and a WIllow Warbler has been singing from a tall bare tree near the snipe enclosure for several days. One Great Crested Grebe pair has a single well grown ‘humbug’ [usually on E lake] and this morning I saw that the other pair have at least 2 small chicks, still being carried on the adult’s back [1 visible in the pic below]. There’s a Moorhen with 3-4 young on the dragonfly pond. Yesterday a Stock Dove was in W paddock then flew obver to feed just beyond the dragonfly pond. Was pleased to see and whole lot of Honey Bees nectaring on the mass of Alexanders near the dipping pond this morning [there’s been a noticeable absence of bees & hoverflies up til now]. Whilst there I saw a Reed Warbler singing in the ‘open’ amongst the Alexanders and took a couple of shots for the record [see the pix to see the difficulty through swaying vegetation]!
Glamorgan Bird Club 
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