An adult Rosy Starling was found at Lavernock late this afternoon and showed until about 6:45 p.m. It was with a small flock [c.12] of Common Starlings in the big coastal field north of the Church and the two big houses. This large field has quite a few nesting Skylarks so do not walk across it – just walk around the periphery – it’s a big field but this must be stuck to.

An Arctic Tern has been feeding in Cardiff Bay today. First seen at around 8:30 this morning by Peter Howlett on his regular round of the Bay, I wasn’t able to go until early afternoon. I set my scope up by Plas Taliesin by Penarth Marina and after some scanning soon picked it up flying back & forth more or less mid bay, looking towards the Taff road bridge. It continued to fly back & forth in that general area all the time and was still present when I left at 2:30. The House Martins from the nests in the Penarth Marina apartment complex were very busy feeding over the water. On my way back I came across the smart male Grey Wagtail below on the concrete wall at the opening of the entrance into the Penarth Marina locks. When it few off it was joined by another.

There was 1, poss 2 Spotted Flycatchers present this morning, in the edge of Cogan Wood about 75m beyond the dragonfly pond. I had 1 in open view for about 10 secs, then it moved back into a leafy tree, and appeared to be chased by another, then both birds disappeared further into the trees. I’d tried checking on the path just inside the wood but couldn’t relocate. A Green Woodpecker was in a tree just down from the pond and a few Swift were feeding overhead. A couple of Buzzards were thermalling.

Yesterday, 22nd May we had our first proper field trip since Covid restrictions were eased, although we stuck to our limit of 10 participants for the time being. Despite an unexpected wet start, we enjoyed good views of Pied Flycatcher, Common Redstart, Wood Warbler and Tree Pipit in the oak woods, plus plenty of common woodland species. A Garden Warbler also gave good views near the car park. Alan Rosney has the foresight to bring some seed to ‘bait’ the feeding log by the car park and we had superb views of a male Yellowhammer and a Marsh Tit dashed in and out too, plus a male Great Spotted Woodpecker. In total we saw 40 species. The Afon Tywi was impressive and, incredibly for the time of year, was in full spate. Clear of the woods we saw several Red Kite, a couple of Buzzards and a Kestrel over the nearby ridge. Photos clockwise – Pied Fly, Common Redstart, Tree Pipit, Yellowhammer, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Wood Warbler, Pied Fly. The Pied Flycatchers and Wood Warbler were nowhere as near as the images would suggest. The full trip list can be seen by clicking here.

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].

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.

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!