This morning, cuteness x 6! We think the nest was one right near the cafe. Reed Warblers are still singing in both reed beds, Cetti’s Warbler was shouting somewhere near the cafe, Grey Heron far side of W lake and the Lesser Black-back was yelling whilst we had our coffee under the trees in the car park. Two Swift flew over whilst we sat there.
During a pause in the rain I was walking along the main boardwalk, on the ‘T’ by the cafe, when I noticed a couple of birds chasing each other in the reeds, one suddenly perching up on a reed stem – a Reed Warbler. The first time one has shown decently since they first arrived, despite having been singing well for the last 2 weeks. I just had time to grab a couple of shots before it disappeared back down into the base of the reeds.
Lots and lots of Blackcaps singing today, the pictured one high in a tree. The Wren was singing in the reeds by the dipping pond, and the Cormorant was drying its wings by E lake. In a dense clump of bushes and trees 100m past the dragonfly pond, I’m pretty confident I had a singing Reed Warbler which is a bit unexpected considering how far it is away from suitable breeding habitat there. Here’s a link to a short vid on youtube – no bird, but the song coming from the bushes! … https://youtu.be/yoZBTwJmqfg There were some nice twisted branches in Cogan Wood which I took a nice image of but the B&W high contrast version works pretty well.
Decided on a change of scenery and drove to Bryngarw Country Park on a very dull day. It was a very pleasant circular walk, initially alongside the R. Garw, which was a raging torrent. A Dipper was resting obligingly close on a mossy tree that had fallen across the river and a Grey Wagtail showed briefly in the same area. An active Goldcrest had moss in its bill and looked as tho’ it was buiilding a nest behind some Ivy on a tree. There was plenty of common birdsong including many Blackcaps and Chiffchaffs. Wood Anemones and Greater Stitchwort were in flower. Whilst having a coffee outside the cafe, we were entertained by a tame Nuthatch, which had a nest in a hole in a nearby tree.
Pretty quiet bird-wise this morning although plenty of common birdsong – Wrens, Robins, Song Thrush, Blackbird, Blackcap, Common Whitethroat, Cetti’s Warbler, Reed Warbler. A pair of Mute Swans with a nest on W lake, Coots and Moorhens with young and a Moorhen sitting at the dipping pond [photo]. There were 5 Great Crested Grebes but the only nest I was aware of seems to have flooded out – not unusual. The insect is a nomad Bee [one of three species which are v difficult to ID from a photo apparently].
The 2021 AGM took place on 27th April and was attended via Zoom by 27 participants for which we are very grateful. It was followed by an excellent and enjoyable quiz devised by Alan Rosney. Thanks Alan! Minutes have been compiled by reference to the recording made of the meeting and can be seen, together with the accounts, on the GBC documents page on this site – click here to go there, and scroll down to the bottom. The minutes contain verbatim, our Chairperson’s [Jean Haslam] Trustees report.
Highlights: A 1st-winter Bonaparte’s Gull, which had previously been at Cardiff Bay in February, returned after a sojourn over the border in Gloucestersire and was then joined by an adult bird, with both subsequently remaining until the month end. A Ring-necked Duck was still frequenting Lisvane Reservoir. Two Turtle Doves were reported from Nash Point (27th). A Great Grey Shrike as found in the forestry near Craig y Llyn, Hirwaun (11th-12th). A Woodlark was briefly at Lavernock (11th). An Avocet was present at the mouth of the Rhymney River (3rd). A Russian White-fronted Goose remained at Kenfig until mid-month. A Great Northern Diver was off Sker. Ospreys were recorded at Llwyn-onn Reservoir and Kenfig, where the first Hobby was also seen (14th). A particularly good passage of Bar-tailed Godwits was enjoyed, with several hundred noted along the coast between Ogmore and Kenfig, along with 100+ past Lavernock. Greenshanks passed through at Ogmore Estuary, Llanilid and Parc Slip. A Green Sandpiper at Kenfig was an unusual spring sighting there. A good count of 24 Purple Sandpipers was made at Porthcawl. Four Arctic Skuas were logged off Sker, with a single from Lavernock. A noteworthy arrival of 12 Little Gulls occurred at Cardiff Bay (24th). Several Arctic Terns called in at Sker. A Black Redstart was at Llantrisant. An early Whinchat was at Cwm Cadlan (3rd). Ring Ouzels visited Dare Valley Country Park, Cog Moors WwTW and Cosmeston. A Wood Warbler stopped off at Kenfig. Migrant Pied Flycatchers graced Pant Norton, Llanilid and Groeswen (Caerphilly). Four or five Hawfinches were seen at St Fagans. Two Bramblings visited a garden feeding station in Southerndown.
Summary by Paul Roberts
Interesting brief encounter this morning. Whilst walking past the snipe paddock towards the dragonfly pond a bird suddenly appeared flying across the open area and settled briefly in a tree by the sipe paddock, then flew off again – a Hawfinch! A small wintering group had been present up to at least 18th Mar, but a record in May is interesting. I couldn’t relocate it. All three hirundines were over the lakes in the steadily increasing wind.
Pretty busy by the time we walked across, but not too bad. No sign of the 6 Yellow Wagtails that Peter Howlett had seen on the barrage earlier, but I soon relocated them in the grassy area behind the green chainlink fence opposite the swift tower. Never very close but I managed a few record shots through the fence. At least three Whitethroat were singing a bit further along and an obliging Song Thrush was singing by the swift tower. The Sand Martins are now visiting holes in the old feeder dock. On the way back a female Wheatear was on the outer barrage rocks.
Alert! We have organised another Zoom presentation for next Wednesday, 5th May 7:30 p.m.. This one is by Rob Thomas of Cardiff University who will be talking about the ‘Conservation of Welsh woodland birds in a changing environment’. An email invite with a link has been sent out to those on our News email group. If you’re not on that and wish to attend then please email John Wilson in good time, and he will email you the link. John is on johndw1948 ‘at’ gmail ‘dot’ com.
Alerted via Twitter to the presence of 10-12 Little Gulls in Cardiff Bay, so went down to Penarth Marina at about 6:45 p.m. to have a look. Many B-h Gulls sitting on the water way out mid bay and couldn’t really find any Littles with the scope. But during a scan a group of gulls suddenly took off and there was the tell-tale black ‘W’ across the wings of a 2nd yr bird. Others then popped into focus as did the black underwings of some adult birds, the total in the flock being 10. They flew up very high, then drifted eastwards and I lost them to view beyond the barrage, so assumed they’d left. Still scanning around for another 20 mins or so and then suddenly there was a 2nd yr bird feeding over the water, then another, then 2-3 adults. Whether these were from the original group I couldn’t say, or maybe they were different birds that had still been sitting distantly on the water. Some observers did report 12 birds but maybe there were more? Nice sight tho’ – the most I’ve seen together in the UK.
Quite a productive morning. A Common Whitethroat was singing by the dipping pond, enabling some pohotos albeit distant. By the main boardwalk in the E lake reeds there was a singing Reed Warbler, singing Sedge Warlber and singing Cetti’s Warbler, and two Reed Buntings, although none of them showed, and another Reed Warbler was singing near where the hide used to be. Saw my first Speckled Wood of the year, which reminds me 2 days ago I had my first male Orange-tip, and also my first odonata in the form of a female Large Red Damselfly. On the Blackthorn blossom was a Tapered Drone-fly [Eristalis pertinax] and a common Honey Bee. A Cormorant was wing drying on the W lake posts.
Finally one of the Great Crested Grebe pairs has started to build a nest. On the same day I saw a Coot pair with 9 small chicks, an adult Moorhen with at least 1 chick in the dipping pond, a Little Egret was sitting in a tree at the far end of W lake, a Common Sandpiper flew across W lake in the afternoon. A Ring Ouzel had been seen early morning. A Reed Warbler sang briefly by the E lake boardwalk and 2 Reed Buntings were singing there too.
A bit late posting this, but I nipped down to Cardiff Bay on 19th Apr to see the immature Boonaparte’s Gull that had been found the day before. It was out with the Black-headed Gulls, viewed from Plas Taliesin – Penarth Marina., too far out for decent shots. At the Cardiff end of the barrage there were 2 Rock Pipits on the outer rocks, one of which was singing [never heard that before]. A few showy Greenfinch were near the old dock, where 50+ Sand Martins were busy choosing holes in the walls for nest sites. One obligingly perched on a jutting out twig on my side of the dock, to give a good photo opportunity. One image shows how far away the Bonaparte’s was! – spot the gull!
The Common Redstart was in E paddock again this morning, in the same area. Got a couple of nice shots against a better background, but still from quite a distance. One below as taken and the other cropped with the bird in a better pose. Nothing else particularly special although a Buzzard dropped into trees behind the dragonfly pond.
Cosmeston a.m. produced a v smart male Common Redstart in E paddock, 2 singing Willow Warblers by the Mile Road, and an obliging male Pied Wag by the car park picnic tables. Also there of interest, a Tawny Mining Bee and a Buff-tailed Bumble Bee which was carrying a load of mites [these re apparently harmless to the bee but take a ride too the nest where they clean up detritis and other unwelcome guests]. If you’re on Facebook there’s an interesting post here: https://www.facebook.com/monktonreserve/posts/1555662794623353
Due to a visit to Brackla to collect something we decided on a quick visit to Kenfig. There were c.1000 hirundines over the pool, mostly Swallows and Sand Martins but I did pick out a couple of House Martins. Willow Warblers singing everywhere plus Chiffies and Blackcaps but couldn’t find any Whitethroat. It did rain tho’ – continuous light rain getting more & more steady. Had a pair of Linnet in the dunes and a pair of Bullfinch feeding on buds, plus a Stonechat.
The 2021 AGM is on Tues 27th April at 7:30 p.m. via Zoom. Full details on a dedicated page here [click to link].
A walk round today with our 2 teenage grandchildren. In Cogan Wood Flynn & I had a nice encounter with the local Marsh Tit by the dragon tree. A GS Woodpecker was heard calling there, and a Buzzard was sitting up high in a tree. At W lake there had been an arrival of Swallows, with 30+ feeding over the lake and a single House Martin was with them. Another GS Woodpecker drummed briefly in the wood near the Medieval Village. Snapped a bumblebee sp on Hawthorn blossom in W paddock.
From a visit on 3rd April – a posing Willow Warbler near the central viewpoint, a Dark-edged Bee-fly feeding on Ground Ivy and some Cowslips coming in to flower.
Very very bracing walk in a bitter NW wind this morning. 11 Turnstone were resting on the rocky embankment by Penarth Marina. On the Barrage, a couple of Rock Pipits, and 2 Linnet. A Swallow was with Sand Martins at the Cardiff end, my 1st Swallow of the year at last. Managed to hold the binos steady enough to find a couple of 1s cal yr Med Gulls in with the B-h Gulls in the Bay. A Raven flew over the Barrage and another was circling above Penarth. Some sleet bearing cloouds passed over then gave dark skies over N Somerset.
Glamorgan Bird Club 
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