Sparrowhawk was present again this morning in the ‘snipe paddock’ and allowed for a better photo. It had its back to me but I made a not too loud ‘ticking’ noise and it turned its head. Thx to the binocular toting person near W lake, who alerted me to its presence. There were 9 Mistle Thrush feeding in the middle of W paddock, with a single Redwing. Fieldfare were present but mostly in tree tops along the mile road and also in trees adjacent to the golf course in E. paddock. Didn’t really check out the wildfowl although there were a lot of drake Tufties on W lake.

Highlight of this morning’s walk with the dog around Cosmeston was this male Sparrowhawk sitting in a tree in the snipe paddock [just beyond the dragonfly pond]. It was quite distant from me so these are big crops. I tried to stalk closer but it shot off and then settled in amongst the branches of another tree [see photo]. When it finally took off it flew right past me low over the high ground behind the dragonfly pond where I was standing. Very impressive. Other than that west lake held a pair of Shoveler and two Gadwall were also present. I didn’t check the Tufties for anything else. W paddock had 6 Mistle Thrush as I left.

On and off rain made for a wet walk today. All five thrush species were very active feeding on what berries they could find. On W lake a very distant duck was I’m pretty sure the Pochard x Tufted Duck hybrid that keeps reappearing. Cropped as much as poss record shot below. Best of all 2 Goldcrest were feeding in Ivy halfway along the mile road central path. One photo below of them both disappearing! One did eventually feed in one place for a short while, played peekaboo a couple of times then came into the open just long enough for me to grab some shots. I love the orange feet!

We had a Covid restricted walk to these three locations in the east of Cardiff, with just 7 participants. We had a good session, recording 60 species, the highlight undoubtedly being a Short-eared Owl, which we weren’t expecting, that flushed from very close from the foreshore where the Reen meets the sea wall. It flew along the shore westwards and we later relocated it on the west flank of the Lamby Way landfill. Other highlights included a Peregrine sitting up on an electricity pylon, a Kestrel on the landfill site, Lamby Lake had loafing gulls, Tufted Duck and Great Crested Grebes. Little Grebes were on the reen, and a Black Redstart was seen on foreshore rocks on the Great Wharf. 160 Pintail near the R. Rhymney mouth was a good count, with about 30 Shoveler with them. Waders comprised Curlew, Redshank, Dunlin, Oystercatcher, Lapwing, and Knot. Click here for a pdf of the full list.

WeBS count this morning at Green Point and Cardiff Heliport bay [week earlier than scheduled Webs due to unsuitable high tide time on 13th].

Green Pt [nice to meet John Aggleton there]: Redshank c.1000, Dunlin c.300, Shelduck 57, Shoveler 10, Teal 39 [mostly on river by Lamby Way], Pintail 6, GBB Gull 2 adults, Cormorant 4, Mallard 12.
Heliport bay: Pintail 60, Curlew 2, Shoveler 30, Oystercatcher 2, Shelduck 12.
The Redshank & Dunlin were initially on the east bank of the river mouth, not their usual spot along the shore and at the tip of Green Pt or just opposite. Something suddenly spooked them and although I wasn’t properly ready with the camera, I did manage a few flight shots.

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On Friday, a quick visit as I was due elsewhere at 12:30. The female Ring-necked Duck had returned from Cardoff Bay and was hiding under an overhanging tree on W lake. Winter thrushes were feeding on Hawthorn berries by the Mile Road and were fairly obliging for photographs, of which a few below.

100+ Redwing were around the W paddock hedge and adjacent ground this a.m., plus Fieldfare and Mistle Thrush. A Green Woodpecker was in a tree in W paddock hedge and there were at least 6 Greenfinch along there which was nice to see, plus the usual Goldfinches, and a single Stonechat. There was a Pochard wiht a few Tufties on E lake. The fem Ring-necked Duck seems to have gone back to Cardiff Bay, reported there on Twitter. Got round before thr rain came in!

Today I saw a surprising total of 5 Green Woodpeckers, 4 on the ground together in E paddock and another in W paddock. There were 6 Fieldfare resting in trees by the gate into W paddock, and on the high ground on the S side of W paddock central hedge there were around 50 Redwing feeding on the ground, and several Mistle Thrushes. A Heron was sitting on one of the posts in W lake bay and the fem Ring-necked Duck was in amongst the Tufties on W lake. Below, a Buzzard sitting up in an Alder near the car park yesterday, and also from yesterday, an obliging festive Robin by the path near the golf course, by E lake.

Several Fieldfare were feeding on berries in trees by the central W lake viewpoint along Mile Road this morning. A fem Goldeneye was in with the Tufted Duck flock there, and a lone Teal was hiding in under the edge of the trees by the W lake reed bed.

Have received news that 2 birders walked out in the marsh at Llanridian yesterday, to the harrier roost. This is totally unnecessary as the birds can be seen well from the road. Sincerely hope they weren’t GBC members.

Pretty quiet. There were 30+ Redwing feeding in E paddock and 3 Jays in the adjacent wood behind the play park. I didn’t check the wildfowl for the fem Ring-necked Duck.

From this morning, a couple of the best photos I managed of the Ring-necked Duck – they’re very grainy due to big crops and the really dismal light. Also a couple of Mistle Thrushes and a Redwing near W paddock.

All 5 thrushes this morning in the W paddock area. 2 Sparrowhawks hunting along hedgerows, 1 in W paddock and 1 beyond dragonfly pond. Also the imm fem Ring-necked Duck with Tufties on W lake and 1 fem Teal. R-n Duck pix later.

There was a nice showing of thrushes in the newly mowed W paddock this morning, with a mixture of Mistle Thrush, Redwing and Fiedfare. Not large numbers and all very skittish in such an open location. Probably about 30 birds in all.

Rec’d via email. Black Redstart seen y’day on rocks below docks building at the Cardiff end of the barrage.