Had a walk round this morning with 2 new GBC members from Penarth. Highlights were a Red Kite high up just SW of Cosmeston being mobbed by 2 Crows. So distant I thought Harrier at first due to the long wings, but eventually got the forked tail. It drifted off in the general direction of Dinas Powis. Good views of Green Woodpecker near the dragonfly pond and a couple of Greenfinch and Song Thrush and a few Goldfinch there. A Stonechat was by the dipping pond and a Buzzard was sitting in a dead tree there too. A few Swallows and House Martins passed overhead.

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.