Nice GBC trip down Cwm Nash this morning and up on to the west clifftop fields. Quite close and warmer than expected so yours truly got a bit overheated with too many layers!. 9 of us collectively saw 39 species. The wooded section of the Cwm was very quiet and only revealed a Goldcrest on the way back up. In the open valley at the bottom there were a few Chiffchaffs feeding, and several Blackcaps, Blackbirds, Song Thrush, 3 Bullfinches, Goldfinch and a pair of Stonechat and a few other common species. At the shore there were 3 Oystercatcher, 2 Rock Pipits and a Grey Wagtail and a bunch of Herring Gulls, a Black-headed and an adult Great Black-back. A nice find was a busy colony of Ivy Mining Bees by the path leading up the west side away from the stream. Most of us tackled the steep climb up to the west clifftop where we had a couple of Wheatear, Meadow Pipit, Buzzard and a lucky few had a couple of Chough. Nothing rare but a nice morning out. John Wilson. Thanks to Alan Rosney for keeping the list., which is here.

Yesterday morning in the rain there were small numbers of all three hirundines feeding low over W lake [House & Sand Martins and Swallow]. There were a couple of flocks of c.30 Goldfinch, 1 in E paddock and 1 in W paddock. There were a surprising 10 Moorhens around the duck feeding area – Moo0rhens are not usually that visible in the park.
This morning, Sand Martins were still feeding over W lake and there was a light passage of Swallows. Just beyond the snipe enclosure in W paddock there was a pair of Stonechats.

We had a successful but tiring trip to W and E Aberthaw today with just 7 participants. Highlight at the western end as we walked along the coast path by The Leys, was a Merlin which shot through westwards along the edge of the fields. On the return we had a large female Sparrowhawk and a Kestrel hunting and there were 2 Buzzards by a distsant field. There were large flocks of Goldfinch and Linnet. During the day we got into double figures of Stonechat [c.12 I reckon] and at the E end of the power station an amazing 13 Jays flew up off the ground. A small group of Wigeon were offshore. Waders comprised Curlew, Oystercatcher, Ringed Plover, Turnstone and 2 fly-by Dunlin. A single Teal flushed from the lagoon. Pathside scrub held a juv Whitethroat. At both E and W locations, flocks of [,mostly] Herring Gulls also had accompanying Med Gulls, all ad winter birds. Thanks to Alan Rosney for being ‘keeper of the list’. Full list can be seen here.

Couple of pix of a Jay at Cosmeston yesterday. There have been 3 or 4 flying back & forth collecting acorns. Today in the morning drizzle, 2 Redstarts and a Common Whitethroat were in the snipe enclosure [beyond the dragonfly pond on the right], and in the trees around the bird table there were 2 Treecreepers, a Nuthatch and 6 Chaffinch. Several Chiffchaffs were along the edge of W paddock.

2 Redstart & 1 Comm Whitethroat in snipe paddock Cosmeston, GS Pecker nr dragonfly pond, 2 Treecreeper, 1 Nuthatch & 6 Chaffinch nr the bird table.

Successful monthly walk at KNNR this morning with 16 participants and Dave Carrington leading. We walked straight out to Sker Farm and watched ‘Strinda’s’ Hoopoe for a while, then walked to Sker Pt, watched a bit from there and then walked back through the dunes via the ‘yellow’ path. A total of 40 species were logged. Highlights – the Hoopoe obviously, several Wheatear, a Marsh Harrier that flew E past Sker Farm, a fly over male Yellow Wagtail, 2 AdW Med Gulls and what was probably a Common Tern in a group of gulls offshore at Sker Pt, Stonechats, Skylarks, a light passage of Swallows….. John Wilson. Full list here:https://drive.google.com/…/1a4w4786y7L4tpZwBWbV…/view…

Managed to find a ‘window’ to drive down to KNNR and walk out to Sker Farm to see the Hoopoe found by GBC trustee Strinda Davies. It performed pretty well in the field it is currently calling home, finding plenty of what looked like black caterpillars to feed on. At one point it was irritated by the sudden arrival of a Wheatear and raised its crest and spread its wings.

Yesterday afternoon’s Hoopoe, found by Strinda Davies, apparently still present at Sker House this morning, reported on the local Whatsapp group.

A bit after the event but a Hoopoe was seen mid afternoon near Sker Farm, apparently still present late afternoon. It also appears that a Ring Ouzel was seen near the R. Ogmore mouth this morning.

In our garden this afteroon, a feeding flock of tits containing many Long-tailed Tits, the trees at the bottom of the garden were alive with birds, and a couple of Willow Warblers were with them. One settled by our garden wall long enough for me to grab a couple of photos, plus a couple of an accompanying Long-tailed Tit. The odd one out is a House Martin in a still active nest at Penarth Marina.

Just one highlight this morning. A Goshawk circled fairly high over the dovecote field mid morning and drifted off in the direction of Lavernock.

During a 1 hr walk round highlights were 2 Spotted Flycatchers in the fenced off area at the far end of E paddock, and a Garden Warbler there plus a couple of Willow Warblers and a few Chiffchaff and 1 Green Woodpecker. In the ‘snipe area’ of W paddock there were 4 Common Whitethroats, another Willow Warbler and more Chiffies, and a Sparrowhawk flew over Cogan Wood. The prev day there had been a Whinchat by Sully Brook just outside Cogan Wood per Graham Smith but I didn’t check for it today.

A little activity around the W paddock area, with a Spotted Flycatcher just beyond the dragonfly pond and a Bullfinch there and a juvenile Common Whitethroat. There was also a juv Common Whitethroat in bushes in the ‘snipe paddock’. Around 20-30 Sand Martins were chittering away high above W paddock and even higher still 3 Buzzards thermalled, one almost disappearing into the high mist that hung over the place.
Today there were three council officers walking around the car park checking every car to see if it had a paid for parking ticket or a permit. There’s plenty of signage now so there’s no excuse. It was good to learn that according to one of the park employees, all monies taken from parking will go to the park’s budget, and the same applies to the charges now being levied at Porthkerry.

A good trip was had by 15 members of GBC. At the old dock at Pembrey we were welcomed by a Sparrowhawk chasing 3 Linnets around the sky. There was a mixed flock of about 50 LInnet & Greenfinch feeding in the grass across the inlet there, with 3-4 imm Stonechats in the same area. 4 fem/imm Wheatear were on the inner beach. Offshore a couple of Gannets flew back & forth and occasionally dived and there were 3 Gt Crested Grebes. A long way off in the Burry inlet a line of about 40 Eider [all with the typical blackish immature plumage] were sitting on a sand bar. Not everyone was convinced by these distant dark blobs but to experienced eyes they were undoubtedly Eider! On the near beach were a number of Sandwich Terns some of which occasionally went on a feeding foray, and there were a number of Oystercatcher, 3 Ringed Plover and a Dunlin. At Kidwelly on a not particularly high rising tide we had several Whimbrel, c.100 Curlew, around 7 Greenshank upstream beyond the ‘busy’ railway bridge which is currently under reconstruction, and some Redshank, plus 100’s of Oycs farther out. Little Egrets were numerous – the closest resting group numbered 22. We also had a possible Great White Egret but it was a very distant shimmering blob in the heat haze. The structure looked right tho’. A Peregrine circled purposefully for a while but didn’t stoop. Roughly 40 species were seen. Official list to be compiled.