In the wet this morning, Swallows [about 10], and 2 each of Sand Martin and House Martin were feeding low over the lakes, and a Cetti’s sang in the E lake reds. There were 2 Reed Warblers singing there yesterday.

The April WeBS count. I’ve been doing WeBS there since the late 90’s and this was the fist time I’ve had virtually no waders, in particular Redshank. Bascially there was an angler stting on the shoreline right near where they normally roost, and couple of blokes on the shore with a dog which they were throwing sticks for it into the water. So, the dog flushed 2 Whimbrel and there was a single Oyc on Green Point itself. Upstream near the Lamby Way rbt there was a single Common Sandpiper. Wildfowl comprised just 22 Shelduck, 11 Teal and 4 Mallard and there were 6 roosting Cormorant.
At the heliport bay there were 2 more Common Sandpipers and a single Shelduck.

Two days ago at Cosmeston, a Treecreeper gave a rare opportunity to get some nice photos of it doing what it does best, creeping up a tree!, and also a couple of shots showing the camouflage and the cryptic upper part markings. A Song Thrush posed nicely near the dipping pond. Today a Grasshopper Warbler was found reeling in a hedge at the top of the field above Sully Brook, by Graham Smith. Sadly it had stopped and gone into hiding when I got there. There were 2 possibly 3 Common Whitethroats song flighting in that field and a Lesser Whitethroat was singing from cover, in the central area of vegetation. Also Cetti’s Warbler singing from down by the brook itself. This morning whilst leading a walk in the grounds of the Kymin in Penarth, we saw a pair of Sparrowhawks mating in a tall tree. Something I’ve never seen before.

No song or sight of yesterday’s Common Whitethroat, but a Lesser was singing down by Sully Brook near the new bridge (possibly yersterday’s bird having moved location?). . Also there, was a singing Reed Warbler which refused to show. A few Swallows were passing through. There’s a nice show of Cowslips in the field above Sully Brook and a Holly Blue briefly settled on Celandine.

A brief walk around this morning via the Medieval dovecote field and the adjacent large field above Sully Brook gave me a couple of ‘year ticks’ in the form of a singing Common Whitethroat in scrub near the dovecote ruin itself, including two brief ‘butterfly’ song flights, and then farther on in scrub in the large ‘island’ of vegetation in the next large field, a singing Lesser Whitethroat. Neither bird was particularly showy due to the pretty cold stiff wind.

Yesterday morning at Cosmeston, I had my first Willow Warbler of the year, singing by the Mile Road, but too high in the trees for a decent photo. Farther up by the main bridge a Chiffchaff was more obliging and I got a couple of nice shots of it singing. A female Wheatear was in the newly planted sapling area by Sully Brook and there may have been a male too. Earlier someone had seen 4 there. The drake Pochard was still present. I also saw my first hoverfly of the spring – a Tapered Drone Fly {Eristalis pertinax}.

In the afternoon I took my camera to Cardiff Bay to have another look at the 1stW Little Gull, and hopefully get some pix. The light wasn’t as good as the other day but it was still in the same area off the Ice Rink boardwalk, very active as usual, catching insects. I managed one shot where an insect is about to be snapped up.

I surveyed a tetrad in the Vale of Glamorgan today for the Welsh Ornithological Society all Wales Rook survey this afternoon, sadly with a nil result – it was around Penmark, centred on ST050690. Driving home I thought it’d be rude not to call in at the Bay to see the Little Gull which was first reported this morning. One of my favourites – they’re so great to watch in flight. This was a ‘W’-winged’ first winter bird. No camera but hopefully it’ll stay put and be there tomorrow and not decide to head out to the middle of the Bay!.

At Cosmeston in intermittent rain this morning a few Sand Martin were present and what sounded like a tidy flock of feeding vocalising Siskin but they were well hidden and I only managed to get eyes on 1! Haven’t had a flock there for quite a long time. They were above the far end of the E lake boardwalk.

Finally caught up with a Wheatear on the barrage this morning – a smart male which insisted on hiding on the seaward side of the outer rocks after very brief views in the open [too brief for a pic]. Rock PIpits [3] were more obliging and there were 4 Pied Wags and 6 Linnet briefly.

During a walk round this morning, decided to take the path through Cogan Wood. First encounter was a nice Red Admiral, although it had lost part of each hind wing. Best surprise was hearing an unfamiliar song, which turned out to be a Marsh Tit singing up in tree. I’ve only ever heard the “pitchu” call before, but this was a fairly rapid “seew seew seew seew seew seewv …”. Promising sign tho’ – a pointer to possible breeding – there’s certainly a pair resident even tho’ they’re not always obvious.

In misty fine drizzle this morning: a few Sand Martins around the ‘Dr Who’ feeder dock and Roath Basin. Fem Black Redstart was on the large rectangular block on the waste ground, and a very smart ad male Grey Wag was chasing a female by the feeder dock. Couple of Chiffies noted.

Carried out my WeBS count at high tide this morning. Best birds were 146 PIntail [130 off Green Point and 16 at the heliport]. Still at Green Point there were c.300 Redshank & 80 Dunlin, 3 Cormorant, 30 Shelduck [low count but I believe many were off RGW], 33 Teal. There were 2 colour ringed Redshank in the flock, which had settled in reasonably close ‘scope distance. Also at Heliport Bay were 15 more Shelduck and 22 Turnstone and 2 Oycs on the beach.

It’s been pretty quiet at Cosmeston over the last few days, but this smart adult Common Gull was resting by E. lake on Tuesday 7th. They are not as regular in the park as they used to be in the winter.

We had a successful [mostly] but chilly trip to the Forest of Dean today with another big group [22 participants]. It was too cold & still, apparently, for raptor soaring so just a few Buzzards were seen from the viewpoint despite patient waiting and scanning. Highlights were Crossbills at the viewpoint, Hawfinch up in tall trees by the sportsfield in Parkend, Marsh Tit, Goosander [9 redheads] and Mandarins at Cannop ponds. 45 species in all. List here: https://drive.google.com/…/10ceHJ3fmRMb3rP…/view…