The hay in the Dovecote field has been collected and baled so the previous 30+ Yellow Wags have left. A group of 12 or so Starlings feeding in the large area of Hawthorn and other trees in ‘tree plantation’ field were accompanied by a female Reed Bunting. In the tree plantation itself a single Tree Pipit was atop the tallest of the bushes and there was a Stonechat fly catching there. Whilst on the wooden bridge across Sully Brook I struggled to get a decent clear image of a very active Reed Warbler. The juvenile Moorhen was sitting in the invasive aquatic ‘weed’ [which I have fiorgotten the name of] at the dipping pond, and a Cetti’s Warbler sang very loudly near there.

We had a warm humid troll round the Lavernock WT reserve and along the coastal path this morning – 11 participants came along – thanks for your support and patience folks. The hoped for small birds were very much not in evidence but nevertheless we logged 28 species – click here for the full list. There was continuous light passage of Swallows. Apart from the common birds, other interest was provided by a Small Copper butterfly, Common Migrant and Commomn Darter dragonflies and various hoverflies including several of the impressive and scary looking hornet mimic, Volucella zonaria. Edit: for interest I’ve posted some pix below.

A good passage of Yellow Wagtails in the last few days. There have been 30+ in the hay cut grass in the dovecote field at Cosmeston for 3 days now, and 50+ were noted at RGW the other day. A few ix of the Cossie ones below – couldn’t get one of a bright yellow male. Yesterday I was chatting to an intertested couple at the central viewpoint by W lake when what I thought was an imm large gull was flying towards as but then it banked, and …. wow! … a BIttern! It flew past us and then headed towards E lake. Not relocated tho’. It could possibly have been the one that was seen a couple of days before at Parc Tredelerch.

Yesterday and again this morning, there are 20+ Yellow Wagtails feeding in the cut grass in the Dovecote field, basically in the flat non-sloping area above the Dovecote ruin [which is basically a mass of brambles that you can see as you enter the field from the Mile Road]. This is possibly the highest ever count at Cosmeston.

No migrant action in W. paddock this morning but a Green Woodpecker loud call alerted me to a juv in a tree near the dragonfly pond. A very careful approach [they’re always very skittish and alert to any movement], and I managed a few shots before it flew off when I wasn’t looking. Coming back down the N side of the W paddock hedge and what I assumed to be the sme individual was hopping along on the ground. I followed it slowly and it was soon almost swamped by a flock of starlings and finally flew off.

Fine misty mizzle at Cossie this morning wasn’t really very conducive for photography, or indeed much bird action. I was pleased to spot a Tree Pipit alight in a dead tree by W. paddock, next to the Mile Road, and managed to grab a shot before it moved on. There was a Green Woodpecker in the same tree but if flew off b4 I could grab a photo. There were a few Sand Martins feeding over W lake. At the dipping pond a recent Moorhen chick was being fed by an older sibling from a brood hatched earlier in the year by the same female. Indeed I suspect that the fem concerned had actually had 3 broods.

Another migrant this morning – A Whinchat [looks like a juv] in the bushes in the tree plantation. Local Penarthuan Annie Irving had 3 Spot Flys on the other side of the bushes at the same time. I wonder whether they were the same three I saw near the dragonfly pond on the 15th? Down by Sully Brook there were 2 juv Stonechats in the trees. Whilst I was having coffee outside the back of the cafe I took a coupoe of shots of a hoverfly, which turns out to be Eupeodes luniger. A group of around 20 Swallows flew over. Top left is the Whinchat.

This morning about 50-100m beyond the dragonfly pond in trees on the left, there were 3 Spotted Flycatchers doing what they do best. A few Sand Martins aere over W lake. In the afternoon, other local birdwatchers had Tree Pipit, Whinchat, Yellow Wagtail and Wheatear, all by [or in] the tree polantation above Sully Brook.

Bit of a turn up at Cosmeston today. Found at around 5:30 p.m. by our local ‘bird magnet’. A juv Cattle Egret! I didn’t find out until about 7 p.m. due to being busy with other things. Almost didn’t go as I thought I’d probably ‘dip’ but then I thought, maybe it’ll roost, so I dropped down there. And there it was resting in a tree near a Grey Heron, movements of which spooked it occasionally. A juv Cattle Egret. It finally did go to roost at about 8 p.m. Managed some quite nice pix in the failing light. First record for the site as far as we know. It’s a juv bird. The occurrence is perhaps not totally surprising after a report the other day of a roost in the Somerset Levels of 370 birds!

Signs of autumn migration at Cosmeston this morning. At the tree sapling plantation above Sully Brook, Whinchat and Tree Pipit and also Stonechat. Pix taken distantly so as not to flush, so record shot crops. From the other day, a Moorhen with a newish chick at the dipping pond – I think this one from a third brood from this pair! Yesterday in teh morning drizzle there was a single Swift high over W lake plus a few House and Sand Martins.

We had a reasonably successful trip today to Goldcliff in Gwent when 21 participants logged a total of 58 species [at the last count!]. Waders were a little disappointing but we did see c.55 Blackwits, c.100 Lapwing, c.40 Dunlin, 1 Redshank, 11 Ringed Plover and a fly-over-calling Green Sandpiper. Other highlights included 4 Yellow Wagtails, a Spoonbill, fem/imm Redstart and 2 Marsh Harrier. Not many bird pix were taken [by me at least]. Featured below are the notorious Goldcliff ‘Bosprey’ [v distant][a v pale Buzzard that is often mistaken for Osprey], a fem/imm Redstart and some Blackwits & Dunlin. Full list can be seen by clicking here. John Wilson

The juvenile Redstart was in the southern boudary hedge of W. Paddock again, on the outside of the hedge facing W lake. This was about 11:45. It dropped down into cover on the scrubby slope facing W lake. At teh far end of W paddock by the fenced ingrazing area, I had a Garden Warbler briefly, before it flew into brambles. An ad GC Grebe was on W lake accompanied by 3 still insistently squeaking, fully grown young. 3 other ads were present.

Before the rain this morning, on the large bramble bushy clump in the plantation above Sully Brook, there were 2 Whinchat, 1 Stonechat, about 6 Whitethroats, a Greenfinch and some Goldfinches, flycatching from the top of the bushes. It looked like the Whitethroats were a family group as I could see at least 2 imm birds there.
On 1st Aug on a walk across the Barrage, there were 2 Grey Wags by the exit of Penarth Marina and still a good number of occupied House Martin nests on the houses there. The once occupied Sand Martin nests now seem to be empty so the young have flown.