Fem Wheatear W paddock Cosmeston briefly this morning but flew off high SW. Spot Fly far LH corner of W paddock – 1 of poss 3 seen by Graham Smith. Also Graham had 1 brief Pied Fly in fenced off area very far end of E paddock.
[Now added Wheatear pix, plus Holly Blue and fem Common Darter]
A juv Little Grebe was quite active and vocal, constantly badgering its parent for food, although it could dive itself [see the ‘bedraggled’ image]. In E paddock I had a very brief encounter with a female Pied Flycatcher, which I took to be a chaffinch when it flew past my peripheral vision, due to the white wing flashes, but then it settled in a tree in the ‘ditch’ briefly. I managed a distant shot which I’ve cropped a little, but then it flew off towards the golf course. Green Woodpeckers are evident almost daily. Graham Smith had 3 Spot Flys, a Garden Warbler and a Ring-necked Parakeet somewhere by W paddock. Non-bird highlight was the attractive Pyrausta purpuralis moth and a Common Carder Bee.
There’s a trip to Kidwelly and Burry Port on Weds 18th Aug. High tide is around 2 p.m.. Please let me know by email if you would like to attend so I have an idea of numbers [johndw1948 at gmail dot com]. At present I think we shd still stick to our own transport as there’s no clear guidance on people sharing cars, although if one can travel on public transport [one assumes including taxis] with a mask then sharing car in the same manner could be argued to be no different. In any event in this case our usual meet point in N. Cardiff is in the wrong direction for me. At present I am inclined to suggest meeting at Burry Port first, at say 10 a.m. so that we have Kidwelly at its best on an incoming tide later. Otherwise meeting at Kidwelly at 10 would give us a long time around there before the tide became favourable. Below is a map showing the access to the Burry Port [old harbour] parking area. I note that just east of Burry Port town there’s a location called Ashpits Pond and Pwll Lagoon Nature Reserve. Does anyome know amnything about that?
Also there’s the standard KNNR monthly walk on Sat 21st Aug meeting at the KNNR centre at 9 a.m. Just turn up for that.
Mid afternoon, so about the worst time for seawatching – a single Fulmar flew down channel at c.3 p.m.
From observations this morning (per Alan Rosney): a steady stream of Manx Shearwaters. Also 1 Storm Petrel, 1 Med Gull, 2 Common Terns, 2 Gannets, 1 Kittiwake and several Fulmars. Also a glimpse of a passing wader that might have been a Phalarope.
Highlights: A Common Scoter turned up inland at Lisvane Reservoir, while three were noted on the sea off Sker. Little Egrets were at Ogmore Estuary (two) and Cadoxton rivermouth. Hobbies were noted in Cardiff and at Hendre Lake, St Mellons. A Wood Sandpiper called in at Llanilid. Nine Green Sandpipers were present on the River Ely, with others at Ogmore Estuary, Llanharry and Llanilid. Two Black-tailed Godwits stopped off at Ogmore Estuary. A Black Redstart was visiting a Treorchy garden, with another seen at the regular location of Aberthaw Power Station. A flock of up to 100 Mistle Thrushes was observed at Heol-y-Cyw. Choughs bred successfully on the Heritage Coast, with a family party of seven (five young) ranging around.
Summary by Paul Roberts
A quick walk round and on entering E paddock I immediately heard some very agitated and loud yaffling from 1 poss 2 Green Woodpeckers. I scanned around and found two on a tree trunk in the wooded area behind the play park. I crept across the paddock and eventually got close enough [they’re normally very nervous], to get some nice cropped stills and I took a couple of video clips using the Sony RX10 IV at max zoom. The birds were an adult male [on the right – red in its ‘moustache’] and a stripey and flecked immature. There’s a link below to a vid clip on Youtube.
Here’s the Youtube link – just click to go to the vid and then play it. Best to choose full screen option. https://youtu.be/ne9d9eK1Eak
Pretty quiet bird-wise at the moment due mainly to the heat. A group of 9-10 Tufted Ducks have been around for a few days – a sign of autumn – returning non-breeders probably. The half grown Gt Crested Grebes on W lake are pretty vocal but never very close. Had an obliging juv Blackbird in Cogan Wood 2 days ago and a Song Thrush outside. The bird in the tree is a young Blackcap which was v difficult to get a picture of.
Upcoming field trip. We have decided to cancel the scheduled trip to Taf Fechan NR which was to be on Sat 31st Jul, due to access problems and also the person who had offered to show us round is now not available.So, there will now be a trip to the old Llanilid opencast site SW of Llanharan on Sun 1st Aug. I cannot be there so Alan Rosney has kindly agreed to lead and be the contact to book a place. The meeting arrangements are 9 a.m. at St, Illtyd’s Meadow, just off Enterprise Way, CF72 9FX. See the map below. Book with Alan via email only, first come first served – alanrosney at gmail dot com. One track might be muddy so wear suitable footwear. The usual precautions regarding field trips at the moment are detailed on our Field Trips page on this website
The map is a little blurred but Enterprise Way is the road that goes south off the roundabout by the Co-op Food store Bryncae. The red arrow indicates the St Illtyd’s Meadow area. The main road through Bryncae is the A473
We had a pleasant GBC trip to Goldcliff yesterday with 8 participants. No other birders there – reflected in that there weren’t many birds! 
Waders were pretty disappointing although we did have 6 Ringed Plover, 2 distant and v brief imm Little Ringed Plover, just 2 Blackwits, 1 Common Sanpiper, 4 Dunlin a few Redshank and about 50 Lapwing. We timed it for high tide at 11:27 but that didn’t bring in anything extra. No Short-eared Owl although one was seen recently. The v pale bellied/headed Buzzard was sitting on a post. By 1 p.m. it was getting too hot and we called it a day. Thanks to the folk who attended. Pix below of obliging Pied Wag and Linnet in front of one of the hides, and a peekaboo Greylag. Click here to see the full list.
Morning walk round. Near the dragonfly pond there were three juv Robins together, presumably from the same nest, a Green Woodpecker and a Great Spotted was calling but not seen. A small flock of Linnets was in W paddock and allowed me a couple of shots. A Grey Heron was resting on the dead tree by E lake near the bridge and 3 Cormorants were on the W lake posts. A drake Tufted Duck was on E lake. Also shown, a Small Skipper – these have just appeared on the wing.
There were 5 or 6 very active and vocal Whitethroats in the vegetation by the dipping pond this morning, a famliy group. A Cetti’s Warbler sang several times at the back of the dipping pond but as usual didn’t show. A pair of GC Grebes were together on the far side of W lake and looked to have 2 or 3 young ‘humbugs’. By the E lake boardwalk there were a couple of Reed Warblers which I just failed to get a shot of.
Yesterday there were Black-headed Gulls on the W lake posts, a sure early sign of autumn. Also I noticed then and the day before that one of the Gt Crested Grebes had a youngster [humbug] on its back. I’ve no idea where the nest was. There have been a couple of Grey Herons in residence by W lake too. A Whitethroat family was active in the long grass at the far end of W paddock and there’s also a family near the dipping pond.Dragonflies active recently on sunny days gave been Emperor, Black-tailed Skimmer, Broad-bodied Chaser, and Four-spotted Chaser, and Beautiful Demoiselles have been by Sully Brook through the kissing gate beyond the Medieval Village. A poor summer thus far for Butterflies in any number.
Highlights: Adult Rosy Starlings were located at Lavernock (2nd) and Llantwit Major (22nd). A flock of nine Cattle Egrets overflew Kenfig (10th), with one still around the next day. Two Hawfinches came to a Rhiwsaeson garden. Two Sandwich Terns were at Ogmore-by-Sea. Two Green Sandpipers were in the Alun Valley. A Hobby was noted at Kenfig.
Summary by Paul Roberts
Nothing terribly exciting in a quick walk round this morning. A nice patch of the 100’s of Pyramidal Orchids in E paddock, a Meadow Brown [1 of only two Butterflies seen, the other being a Speckled Wood], a posing Moorhen chick [one of 7] showing off its long toes, an adult Little Grebe creating a nice wake pattern on W lake, one of two Grey Herons that have been around for a couple of days, wing stretching on the fallen tree by E lake that is sometimes used as a perch by a Kingfisher, and an adult Carrion Crow feeding a juv in W paddock. Interesting to see that the adult’s nictitating memrane was across the eye during the act of feeding the youngster. This was the case in the other three shots I took.
Slightly damp walk round this morning. Highlights – family group of Common Whitethroat in W paddock plus 5 Linnet, 1 Stock Dove and 1 imm Pied Wag, singles of Sand Martin and House Martin over W lake. In one small area of E paddock I counted 80 Pyramidal Orchids.
Just myself, Alan Rosney, plus Adrian Webb, Mark Davies & Diane visited on what was going to be a hot day. We got there at 9:30 and birded {and butterflied etc} until about 1 p.m. then headed off home before it got too hot [and busy]. As it was, by the time we headed back down from the top view point both lakes had more human occupants than avian! Considering the time of year we did pretty well with 42 bird species logged. The lower lake had a nesting Coot, and a single Little Grebe stuck to the far margins and whinnied a couple of times. House Martins dropped in to drink, as did a couple of Swifts. Blackcaps, Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler and Chaffinch sang as we walked up by the stream. The the first viewing ‘platform’ area we lucked out and got good viewds of a Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary [Alan’s target for the day -pix below] and we also briefly saw a Dark Green Frit but it didn’t settle. Whilst snacking in the shade at the top viewpoint we had some close fly-by Siskins and in the trees below by the stream was a male Redstart. A Kestrel chased a Buzzard along the ridge, and on the walk back we got on to a singing Garden Warbler which gave reasonable views as it flitted about in the top of a tree. Click here to see the full list pdf.
A bit short notice for which apologies. Most people have been alerted via the email group and on FB. We have a field trip to Parc Cwm Dare aka Dare Valley CP this coming Sunday, 13th June. As per current arrangements please email me, John Wilson, if you want to attend. Full details about the current field trip arrangements are on the Field Trips page of this site – click here. Plan is to meet in the car park at 9:30 a.m. Parking is free. Bring a packed lunch.
A very successful evening trip to the Llanwonno forestry above Pontypridd, saw 11 participants delight in the performance of up to 7 Nightjars. Despite the midges we had excellent flight views of 4 birds, including a male that few right over our heads and perched up for a few seconds, and a female, then later a pair flying together. Others were seen and heard more distantly, and as we walked back to the cars, my torch and that of John Duffy caught the ‘eye glow’ of a churring bird not far off the road. Tree Pipits were singing and showing well and at least two Grasshopper Warblers were heard [not by me!], plus a Common Whitethroat and several Willow Warblers. A fly-by Cuckoo added to the show plus a few fly-over Lesser Redpolls.
We walked across the Barrage in pretty hot sunshine but a cool breeze occasionally. At the locks end of the barrage I found 3 Grey Wagtails on the outer barrage rocks, at least one of which was a juvenile. By the maintenance yard at the other end, there were 2 Ravens resting and I took some images of them interacting – I think one [on the right in the photos] was a juv and the adult was seemingly ‘grooming’ it [known as allopreening when it involves a pair]. The usual Sand Martins were busy in the old dock where they nest in holes in the dock walls. We had a coffee in the Lookout cafe and then Anne & I made our back back. During the walk back I had a Rock Pipit on the outer barrage and there were 50 or more Swift distantly over the swimming pool. Just by the inner barrage near the waterbus stop were two large fish [Grayling?]. At Penarth Marina, there was plenty of House Martin activity but it seems that some residents are trying to deter them from nesting under the eaves by hanging glitzy strands of tinsel-like ribbons from their upper window frames, so they blow around and ‘flash’ in the breeze.
Glamorgan Bird Club 
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