Failed to spot BN Grebe until Phil B saved the day and found it sleeping with its head under its wing in the SE corner, then moving quickly across the middle of the reservoir to the NW corner. Water man let us in for five minutes to see it close up. A male Redstart was catching flies on the grass by the road entrance to Hamadryad Park. There are now 7 ad Little Grebes in the ‘pond’ and GC Grebe on a nest.

 

BN Grebe still present this am in the NW corner .

A fem. Wheatear on the barrage rocks this am. A Kingfisher by the boardwalk in CBWR. Approx. 50 Linnets over Roath Lock. The Oystercatcher chick dead on the pebbled beach with adults gone.

In Hamadryad Park ‘pond’, 6 ad.Little Grebes and on the playing fields an Oystercatcher probably the one from Mermaid Quay. In CBWR the Little Grebe pair now showing with 3 quite large young in the second small bay from the boardwalk. 2 Common Sandpiper were on the shoreline and in flight on the barrage coast path by the picnic tables seen from St.David’s Hotel.

Late news for Sat 9 Aug: 7 Swift high over the bay. 2 Ad Med Gulls on the playing fields of Hamadryad Park.The Oystercatcher chick has changed its plumage almost over night to blackish upperparts and white below. Its also cleverly moved from the pebbles to the darker rocks to enhance the effect of its camouflage.Little Grebe pair plus chick present again in the first little bay from the boardwalk.

Twice in the last month a Common Whitethroat singing like a Garden Warbler by the entrance gates to Cardiff Yacht Club;
Bird Guide says some Whitethroats do this, calling it their
‘ecstatic’ song.
A single, presumably Common Sandpiper along the water’s edge on the barrage coast path by the picnic benches and old wooden jetty viewed from St.David’s Hotel.In CBWR a Little Grebe with one chick.
2 Clouded yellows today and one in mid-May by the Penarth Oystercatcher.

A pair of noisy Oystercatchers with a singe small chick still surviving next to the Bosphorus Resaurant, Mermaid Quay, in this precarious location.
Red-Crested Pochard still present in CBWR very close to the boardwalk – comes to bread, seems very tame.

A single Ad.summer Med Gull among c.300 Black-headed Gulls at about 4pm on the playing fields.
The R-C Pochard (?) still present in CBWR off the boardwalk.

Poss.Red-Crested Pochard juv/fem (?) close off the boardwalk with Mallard flock.

Garden Warbler showed very well in the trees along the dirt track not far from the river and by-pass bridge 6.00-6.45am;thanks to Steve Young for finding it. In Grangemoor Park the Lsr Whitethroat for once showed well but briefly, together with a pair of Bullfinch there.Also 2 Skylarks, one in song flight.

3 fox cubs playing on the grass track in the middle of the large reed bed viewed from in front of St.David’s Hotel at 8.45am; adult fox seen crossing the gravel path between the reed beds at 8.15am.

2 Cuckoos calling in the reserve at 11.00am when I arrived. One was close to the boardwalk but flew off almost immediately giving good views in flight; the second one continued calling for about 10 minutes, then fell silent and did not show again. I bumped into Steve Strutt 15 mins earlier in Grangemoor Park and he had just come from CBWR and did not see anything so they must have been just passing through. Hard luck, Steve!

2 Wheatears (1m,1f) on the barrage rocks and an Oystercatcher flew into the bay from the sea.
The Lsr Whitethroat is still singing in Grangemoor Park near to the thick metal chimney stack. A second LW heard briefly over the IKEA brick wall to the east.

4 Wheatear(1m,3f)on the barrage rocks (with Peter H).
c.40 Swift over the bay at 10am.

3 Sedge Warblers showed well this morning, 2 in song flight, including one seen singing in the scrub just over the grass track through the reeds from the beginning of the boardwalk.

In CBWR a mink in a tree (seen with Eileen Y,Peter H,3 Park Rangers and the 2 MOPS who found it); great excitement at first thinking it was an otter but wiser heads eventually prevailed. Also 33 GCG. No sign of yesterday’s Gadwall pair. 9 Reed Warblers, and 1 Sedge Warbler singing briefly and intermittently.
In Hamadryad inlet pond, the swan’s nest was burned out last night; no sign of the swans.
In Grangemoor Park, a Lsr Whitethroat singing for the second day close by the thick metal chimney stack and another LW 400m away singing just over the IKEA boundary wall.
5 Shellducks yesterday on the mud by the barrage rocks engaged in a strange neck-rolling mating ritual.

A pair of Gadwall on the reserve and 10 Swifts over.

Lsr Whitethroat seen in the brambles and gorse off the boardwalk but not singing.

A fem.Redstart in the small reed-bed in front of St.David’s Hotel did not linger ( 9.45am with Peter H ). Wheatear over. Reed Warbler seen and heard in the Ely River inlet by the BT building.

1 Lsr Whitethroat just over the boundary wall of IKEA singing and showing briefly 7.15-7.45am. Bullfinch in Grangemoor Park same location as before 20m east of the thick chimney stack.
In Hamadryad/CBWR 41 Tufted Duck and at least 5 Reed Warblers but appears to be no Sedge Warblers.