This trip had 14 participants and was led by club member Ceri Jones [many thanks Ceri]
It comprised a linear walk from Castell Nos car park to the miners’ memorial at Maerdy. Forestry tracks to Castell Nos and Tarren y Bwllfa, before crossing moorland to the Rhondda Fach at Pont Lluest-wen. It then followed the river downstream along a mostly surfaced track to Maerdy.
Highlights of the 47 species seen, as suppliued by Ceri were: Whinchat (1 seen – found by Barrie Gardiner), Cuckoo (2 seen at same time, quite possibly more there as heard numerous times – but hard to be certain as they are mobile up there), Wheatear (1 seen), Spotted Flycatcher (1 seen well by everyone – it was flycatching over the Rhondda Fach – found by John Western), Crossbill (heard only), Garden Warbler (heard and seen – found by Barrie) and Raven (scope views of young in nest).
Click here for the list.

Interesting sight this morning [at least I thought so anyway]. House Martins and a couple of Sand Martins, landing on the verge right by the road by Penarth Marina/R. Ely mouth, collecting dry bits of grass. Obv for nest material but [a] one usually sees HM collecting mud [of which there isn’t any atm] and [b] the Sand Martins were a long way from their nest site on the other side of the bay, where I did get a pic of one collecting grass the other day.

There was 1 Rock Pipit by the R. Ely embanment there. Sadly no sign of any Swifts altho’ it’s early days.

We had a successful sunny trip to Penderyn this morning with 16 participants, led by Ceri Jones [many thanks Ceri]. We walked part of the old mineral line and then basically did a circuit of Moel Penderyn. We did well, with 45 species [link to list below], highlights being singing male Redstarts, Cuckoo, Tree Pipits, Stonechats, Willow Warblers galore, a Grasshopper Warbler heard [not by me!] but not seen – well picked up by Julia Banks. Birds all distant for photos but some heavily cropped record pix below. Photos captioned individually. {Edit – I forgot to link to the trip list. Click here now to see it.

During this morning’s circuit:
Around the dipping pond: A Common Whitethroat sang a few times and did a brief song flight, and Blackcap and Cetti’s Warblers were singing.
Upper Dovecote field and the plantation: 2-3 Common Whitethroats singing incl another song flight in the big island of scrub on the slope; Lesser Whitethroat singing in dense scrub on the far side of the plantation by the new fence.
Sully Brook: 2-3 Reed Warblers singing, and Cetti’s, and a v brief snatch of Sedge Warbler song. [confirmed by Merlin].
The stiff chilly breeze was keeping birds hidden.

Around 6 Reed Warblers singing in the E lake reeds by the boardwalk, not showing; 1 Willow Warbler by the W lake viewpoint and 2 Common Whitethroats singing in the ‘snipe paddock’, again not showing. Male Redstart reported by Graham Smith late afternoon in the W paddock long hedge.

Decided on a day out today and went to Slimbridge. Sunny Sunday so not a good idea you may think. The car park was rammed when we arrived late morning, usually not a good sign. However the hides were fine and we ended up seeing 44 species, the highlights being a Spotted Redshank, a lingeringTundra Bean Goose, Common Sandpiper, 60 or so Black-tailed Godwits, a very brief Bittern. Reed and Sedge Warblers were a-plenty and v active so getting pix was tricky. Highlight at the end was 4 Cranes seen feeding from the Zeiss hide and then a group of 9 circling above, from the Kingfisher hide. Click here for the full list.

Anne & I did a walk from Penarth Marina, across the barrage to the Norwegian Church for a coffee & snack, and back again. There was much action in the old dock where the Sand Martins nest – see the pix below and a short vid from my Youtube channel. I’ve never seen a Sand Martin that close before. The old dock also had 2 pairs of Tufted Ducks and a Grey Wagtail. In the scrub by the path beyond the swift tower a Common Whitethroat was song flighting and there were 6 Shelduck on the mud outside the barrage. A few Swallows were over the bay and a House Martin entered a nest cup on one of the Penarth Marina houses. The adjacent R. Ely embankment had 1 Common Sandpiper and 2 Turnstones

19 members shivered in the cold at Craig Cerrig Gleisiad this morning, gazing up at the Cwm hoping to see Ring Ouzel, We did hear 1, possibly 2 birds calling but they weren’t being acive enough to betray their location. A pair of Peregrines and a pair of Kestrels chased around and a Red Kite circled and sat in a dead tree. Other highlights were a male Wheatear and a male Stonechat and a few singing Willow Warblers. After a lunchtime snack in the layby some of us went to Talybont-on-Usk and walked along to the Usk Valley Osprey viewpoint by the canal. We were treated with great scope views of a bird in the nest tree and flying around, being harassed by a Red Kite. Whilst in the tree it didn’t get much peace due to a hoard of irritating Crows & Jackdaws. The photos are cropped images I managed to ‘phone-scope’, plus the offending Red Kite.
Click here for the list [35 species]. List updated from 28 to 35, 10 Apr.

From today’s wanderings. At Cosmeston late morning a Reed Warbler was singing by the main boardwalk, first of the year. Two Green Woodpeckers flew out of W paddock and 2 Jays flew over there, and another Green Woodie called in E paddock. As to butterflies, I noted several Holly Blues and Brimstones and an Orange-tip. This afternoon down at the Bay a Common Sandpiper was along the R. Ely embankment and on the outer barrage rocks was my first Wheatear of the year, a female, and a Rock Pipit.

As it was a nice day, I decided to go to Ogmore this aft to see the American Wigeons. They were still at the donwstream end of Portobello Is. Pretty distant for photos but I shot off quite a few and managed to retrieve some half decent shots. Also present was a pair of Goosander initially resting on the island, and a [Common] Ringed Plover amongst the stones. Just before I left I did a quick scan from near Portobello House and noticed a Ringed Plover ‘sp’ in a muddy gulley on the island and tho’ it was at distance I thought I could see a yellow eye ring. I headed back to nearer the island and lo & behold it was indeed a Little Ringed Plover. Year tick! There was a Willow Warbler singing behind us.

The Sand Martins are now entering nest holes in the old feeder dock and I was lucky that one settled on a Buddleia sprig on my side of the dock. On the outer barrage just a Rock Pipit and a Pied Wagtail, but sadly no Wheatear.

The very pale imm Herring Gull was at Cosmeston on 3rd Apr. I thought it looked like a possible Caspian Gull due to the head and bill shape, but there was no concensus and Herring was considered most likely.

Highlight of this morning’s meander was an albeit very brief [i.e. about 5 seconds!], view of an Osprey heading NW, whilst I was on the main bridge. Very quickly lost behind the trees. I was c.80% sure and posted it and it was then seen shortly afterwards over Llandough. Over W paddock there was a fem Sparrowhawk heading SW and a single Mistle Thrush. A lone Swallow was over the mile road. Other than those, the usual suspects including 6+ singing Blackcaps.

Decided on a solo trip to Goldcliff yesterday afternoon. Tide was out but first lagoon was productive with c.50 Avocets, including a pair mating at one point. Also present c.20 Redshank and a single Spotted Redshank, c.20 Lapwing with some apparently incubating, 6 Black-tailed Godwit, Curlew. There were many Shoveler and Teal and I noted a single drake Wigeon and a Gadwall and 20 Shelduck. Other spp worthy of mention comprised a pair of Stonechat, singing Cetti’s Wblr & LInnets.
On Sunday I noted a Treecreeper in Alexandra Park in Penarth, and a couple of Turnstones along the R. Ely embankment.

Blackcaps and Chiffchaffs are now singing. Two Green Woodpeckers were calling this morning near the dipping pond and a couple of Redwings were noted. Quite a few Greenfinch wheezing. At the dipping pond the resident pair of Moorhens there have 2 very small chicks, which were off the nest and swiming today. Pics below are from a couple of days ago. Also there a Blue Tit was feeding on old reedmace heads.

18 hardy souls explored the Forest of Dean sites today, despite the developing drizzly conditions. We only had brief views of Goshawk, and Hawfinch by some, but we nevertheless built up a good list of 44 species [updated]. There were impressive numbers of Mandarin at Cannop Ponds, and of Chaffinches at the feeding table, plus a Marsh Tit and 1 Brambling seen by some. Other highlights were Kingfisher, Red Kite, Goosander ….
Full list here [updated].

Around 20-30 Sand Martins over W Lake this morning, and a slight return of Tufties with 16 drakes and 1 duck. A feeding flock round the back of W lake contained about 5 Chiffchaffs and 1 was singing nearby, and there was a single Goldcrest.

Yesterday I was surprised to find 2 drake Red-crested Pochards near the main bridge. Not seen one in the park since a single male in March 2022.
They were not present this morning sadly. Two Chiffchaffs were feeding in a tree by the west lake viewpoint along the Mile Road and two pairs of Great Crested Grebes were displaying on west lake, at one point quite close together. Two Buzzards circled together over Cogan Wood and in the wood, a Great Spotted Woodpecker was drumming [and another called near the main bridge]. I also managed to snap a Goldcrest in Cogan Wood.