Paid my first visit here for quite a while having seen a Tweet that Graham Smith had found a Yellow-browed Warbler. Got on to it eventually as it was calling a lot. Very difficult to get a clear view of such an active bird in fairly dense canopy cover. Eventually showed pretty well, even allowing me to get a couple of shots off. There were several Chiffchaffs present too, allowing for comparison of the differing calls. YBW much higher pitched and ‘cleaner’ than Chiffie. Similar in some ways to Coal Tit, a fair flock of which moved through. A Kestrel with a damaged, loose primary was hovering over the coastal field, and eventually perched, and a Sparrowhawk had an aerial set-to with a Magpie. Big flock of Linnet present also. Location of the YBW was at ST 186689 where the farm track from opposite Cosmeston meets the coastal path.

On 1st there was a pair of Stonechat by the snipe paddock, plus a Wren, 20 Goldfinch and a Green Woodpecker flew over W lake. In heavy rain on 2nd there were c.30 Swallows feeding low over the lakes, with about 6 House Martins with them. Today, 3rd, there was a flock of 100+ Goldfinch beyond the snipe paddock, a few Swallows over the lakes, and I heard 2 Cetti’s Warblers, 1 by Sully Brook near the Medieval Village and the other near the dipping pond. Below, some somewhat abstract pix of the Goldfinches today.

Stonechat 1, Greenfinch 2, Chaffinch 1, Goldfinch, Song Thrush 3, Blackbird 5, all around the snipe paddock. Green Woodpecker 1, Long-t Tit, Blue Tit E paddock. Cetti Wblr at Sully Brook.

Thanks for posting the report and list Jean. As a follow up just thought I’d add on the pix I took. Three of the rapidly vanishing Marsh Harrier, the close hovering Kestrel, and the nice posing Common Gull which allowed for pointing out the salient features, and the fact that it’s quite a scarce bird for the location [on the posts near the Pool beach].

Long-tailed Tits in and around the garden again today – they’ve been around for about a week now, once on the feeder. Yesterday a Chiffchaff was in a shrub 6ft from me as I had a coffee, and today one was in full song.

At the plantation above Sully Brook, Cosmeston this morning, the Stonechat family are still around and there were several Meadow Pipits. A male Blackcap was in the island of scrub there. Also Greenfinch and 8 Linnet. Greenfinch seem to be more frequent these days and have made a bit of a recovery.

Excellent news from near Ogmore – a migrating juv Honey-buzzard was seen and photographed at Pant Norton by Gary Light.

Quick walk round Cosmeston E & W paddocks. V hot. Gt Spotted Woopecker flew over E paddock towards golf course. Ad Little Grebe on W lake, and Heron trying to catch dragonflies by the W lake reeds.

Yesterday’s location was being mowed by a tractor mower this morning, up & down between the saplings. I only managed to see three Stonechat but Phil Bristow did manage to find the Whinchat and a Redstart about an hour later. He also had a Harris Hawk fly by over E lake whilst having a coffee! There was pretty constant hirundine passage going on and in W paddock I had Green Woodpecker and 3 Common Whitethroat in the adjacent snipe paddock.

At Cosmeston around the sapling plantation at ST169690 (far side of Sully Brook just outside Cogan Wood). 1 Redstart, 1 v brief Whinchat, m&f Blackcap, 2 Stonechat, Goldfinch, Linnet, Greenfinch and 1 Reed Bunt. Halfway back towards medieval village on same side of the brook, a Cettis Warbler was shouting at me inside social distance but refused to show. In the Snipe Paddock there were 2 Song Thrushes, around 6 Blackbird, Goldfinch Linnet and several Greenfinches.

Action reported this morning by patch worker Graham Smith. Short-eared Owl and Redstart at Lavernock. At Cosmeston above Sully Brook Whinchat, 4 Stonechats, Wheatear, 2 Spotted Flycatchers and 2 Redstarts. Nice work !

Of interest at Cosmeston this morning, a Wheatear was in the west paddock near the central hedge, and whilst watching 30 or so Sand Martins over W lake a Swift appeared briefly then headed off over E lake and was lost to view.

Had a flock of Long-tailed Tits in the garden today and yesterday – pretty unusual for us. Also a lone Goldfinch on our seed feeder today.
At Cosmeston this morning a Chiffchaff was in the snipe paddock, a male Bullfinch by the mile road adjacent top of W paddock, an ad Little Grebe with a fully grown juv on W lake and about 20 Sand Martins feeding there.

Had a v brief view of a Redstart on the W paddock hedge on a quick walk round before my weekly game of tennis in Newport this morning.

Pretty quiet bird-wise on a walk out to Sker Pt then back via Sker Farm & golf course. Couple of Common Whitethroat on the way out and a good show of butterflies on some Hemp Agrimony, with 10 Red Admirals, 2 Comma, 2 Small Tortoiseshell, Peacock and a few Meadow Browns. Also had a fem Common Blue [I think]. At Sker there were a couple of Wheatear and some Linnets, and near Sker Farm a few Stonechat incl a young male, a Meadow Pipit, and a Kes on the telephone wires.

Cosmeston a.m. I thought this was a tree full of Swallows and grabbed a few shots, but when I zoom them in they seem to be mostly Sand Martins and one or two juv Swallows. Never seen that many in a tree before. This was in the field that has the Medieval Dovecote. Further along in the next field there were 3 Common Whitethroat, 3 Stonechat, male Blackcap, 1 Raven and 1 Buzzard over and a couple of people had seen 2 Tree PIpits. I also had a calling fly-over Yellow Wagtail. There were 2 Whinchat there y’day apparently.