2 female ring necked ducks (still) at Lisvane Res this morning – viewed from the Blackoak ‘platform’. Rather overshadowed by the astonishing performance of a young female peregrine – bombing around causing chaos and finally landing 100yd away

yesterday: male gadwall by lighthouse end, adult y l gull, several teal and shoveler

On a high and falling tide impressive nos of redshank, dunlin, plus curlew, lapwing, oyks, plus a group of 12 ringed plover (notable as the first ringed plover I have seen within Cardiff boundaries this year despite lots and lots of looking), pintail, teal, wigeon (wigeon just in gwent), also kestrel, sparrowhawk, redwings, nearby flock of fieldfares (first of year for me), chiffchaff, stonechat

No less than 3 blackcaps in our Cardiff suburban garden feeding on berries. I guess the winter shift have arrived

on walk yesterday peregrine, goshawk and sparrowhawk added to the enjoyment

Hi tide: little egret, whimbrel, curlew, ~35 lapwing, 1 common sand, redshank, gbb gull, 2 kestrels

Green point – several hundred redshank, 2 common sand perched on buoys

flying over Whitchurch yesterday

Wood warbler singing this morning in Castell Coch woods, but didn’t hear any in the Wenallt

Had a go at seeing/hearing as many sp by bike in the cardiff authority area – reached 82 (plus wood warbler out of area) Nothing truly remarkable but good to see first cuckoo and garden warblers of the year (by Garth Mtn), plus several lesser whitethroats, wheatears (RGW), lots of redstarts below garth, common sandpipers in C Bay – alas really missing any winter ducks or waders. Only embarrassing miss was no treecreeper. But it was a great way to spend a sunny day! ( I am told the record is 97!)

Drake garganey still in pond Hamadryad park, Cardiff bay this evening. Loiters in rushes at the back of the pond near the swans nest. This morning on RGW lesser whitethroat, 4+wheaters, countless whimbrel – they seemed to be everywhere. Another lesser whitethroat at CCReen and a third at Rumney Est

3 little egret over (with PH), 2 sedge warblers have joined the contingent of reed and cettis w in CWBR, swifts overhead. Whitethroats singing in various sites around bay. (4 goosander on T Taff en route)

8+ wheatear on RGW plus whimbrel and whitethroat. 2 more wheatear at Cardiff bay but too late for the y wagtails that had been seen earlier

2 wheatear feeding on w end of mountain – also good to see kestrel, stonechat, linnets, tree pipits – plus restart singing from down in valley

3 common sandpipers at green point. RGW highlight was a little ringed plover flying off a saltings pool, plus at least one whimbrel, 3 wheatear

great white egret, group of 7 white wagtails, gadwall with ducklings, 2 snipe, 150+ sanderling on beach, just one whitethroat, one singing reed warbler, and lots of willow warblers were among the highlights. Also Italian lords and ladies (a first for me)

Truly impressive numbers of swallows, house martins (in abundance), and sand martins this pm.

Brief views of avocet on east side of estuary (9.30) before it disappeared with the rising tide. 1 wheatear RGW

Late afternoon stroll produced stock doves in 4 quite different locations, totalling 11 birds. Remarkable for a species that is 1) pretty scarce, 2) only appeared here for the first time a couple of years back. An added bonus was the late sun catching the back of their heads – revealing a bright pink/fluorescent nape – simply stunning.

drake scaup still present + drake shoveler this morning. Impressive flock of ~100 sand martins overhead – the air crackling with their buzzy calls – cettis singing seemingly everywhere

With a kestrel, I have just reached 100 sp within the Cardiff city boundary for 2021. I must add that all birds were seen (cettis heard) by foot or by exercise on bike, i.e., all compliant. Just goes to show what is on your doorstep, and there are plenty of migrants still to come.