Very quick look around the sailing jetty at Channel view at 2pm -2 med gulls on the jetty-A cracking nr full sum.plum. adult (this one without ring) and a 1W with metal ring (unable to read) also quite a few chiffchaff along the scrub feeding up and occ.singing.

Two fieldfare this morning were first since late Dec, Reed buntings back on the Common and a flock of 35 mipits,but highlight was an Osprey over this evening at 16:45 flew in SE direction towards the  Bristol channel.

A Great black- backed gull and 4 GC grebe at Caerphilly moat this a.m, flushed a woodcock this evening while setting out some bird boxes on Rudry Common Trust woodland (Rudry) this evening.Just had a quick look at the Atlas database -really great stuff- Great graphic representation of  the hideous decline of Willow tit in E Glam!

Quick walk to the top of Rudry Common as light faded this evening -2 woodcock flew up from the bracken near the summit (backlit by the orange glow of Caerphilly),2 tawny owl heard and a snipe added a point to my PWC list.

Wern Ddu- close view of peregrine which eventually hunted down and killed a magpie.Lots of siskin and tit flocks around the area too.

Rudry Common-150 redwing

Caerphilly moat-A kingfisher

Doing the Patchwork challenge on foot (Green League), 51 species for year so far.Mainly based around Rudry but taking in Caerphilly moat at one end and a little bit of Rumney River at Waterloo .Think it will take a fair bit of stanking to get a reasonable year total!

Late afternoon yesterday in the pouring rain was cheered a little by two Redpoll which have sadly  become a rare  winter treat on the Common,also a nice ground feeding flock of 100+ redwing.

As per John Duffy -No sign of the snowbunting at Southerndown early p.m -3 chough on the cliffs and an adult med gull on the beach.Nice walk in the sun tho’.

A nice single flock of c.70 Fieldfare plus around 45 Redwing .A few siskin and reedbunting flying around too this morning.

One Brambling in with 60+ Chaffinch, 8 Mistle thrush, 30+ Redwing best of on a rainy , windswept Common this p.m

A dozen or so Redwing flew over about 3.30pm.

7 chough the highlight , also a few chiffchaff around the seaward end of the valley , 2 kestrel,fulmar ,plenty of mipits ,skylark and linnet in the fields.3 clouded yellow .1-3pm.

Little of note late afternoon other than  3 kestrels together over the top of the mountain and away towards the Ridgeway.

17.40 to 18.10  this evening count of 375 Swallows passing overhead  heading S.E down the valley. Others of note 5 stonechat together.

Spotted flycatcher and about 10 chiffchaff around the pond this evening ,also a small flock of 21 linnet over.

Area around the carpark swarming with birds between 5pm and 6pm .Concentrated around the willow and birch copse below the carpark- conservative estimate of 50 chiffchaff and at least 40 LTT , accompanied by 6 reed bunting , 4 common white throat ,a blackcap, a goldcrest and 10’s of blue and Great tit.Don’t often see so many birds in such a confined area -made for quite a show!There have been a few spotted flycatchers and redstarts around the carpark in the past few days but none today.

Some migrant activity around the pond side willows this evening , about 40 chiff chaff and a single willow warbler passed through in a few minutes with approx.20 long tailed tits, a spotted flycatcher remained in the willows .A smart male redstart nr the carpark and 23 Mistle thrush went over in a loose flock.

Nice range of species in the early morning sun -Best of being 3 singing Garden warblers, a singing male Redstart, a pair of Stone chat  and a little unusual for here ; a pair of Stock doves

Ditto John’s post-I was only bemoaning the loss of whinchat on the common a couple of days ago-I think it is 2 years since i have seen one here . This evening a pair of cuckoo and two wheatear on the rocky outcrop on top of the mountain nearly made up for missing the chat!

Two singing garden warbler on the Common this am ,deep in scrub, but did get good but brief view of another at woodland edge just East of Rudry school. 6 skylark at the mountain top and plenty of the usual migrants ,including cuckoo.

Black Tern still at 11am mid bay from the Ice Rink  and at that point 60+  screeching swift overhead too.