Per Dave Bush – 4 Little Egrets were present today, as indeed they were on Mon 3rd.

A non bird news reminder. Tues 4th Dec Richard Smith is giving an illustrated talk on a trip to Peru, travelling from the coast south of Lima, over the High Andes and back.

Despite the howling gale and occasional rain, the GBC trip here today was remarkably successful. Myself and 5 other stalwarts were rewarded with 56 species including 3 Avocet, a Spoonbill, 3 Greenshank, 2 Kingfishers, around 200 each of Black-tailed Godwits and Lapwing, plenty of wildfowl, and a Peregrine. However all of these were surpassed by 20 minutes of watching 2 Otters playing around in the pools in front of the Heron’s Wing hide in the Millenium Wetlands – superb. Click here for the full species list.

VERY wet walk this morning. The only birds of note were a Common Snipe which flushed from the fenced in ‘snipe paddock’, and c.30 Fieldfare which flew out from the canopy of Cogan Wood.

Club member Annie Irving had a ringtail Hen Harrier fly over W paddock at around 1:38 this afternoon, heading south-east over W lake towards Lavernock. Nice one Annie! During my comparatively dull morning visit there were 8 Teal, 3 Pochard and 3 Shoveler on W lake. No activity from the Bittern.

Per Dave Carrington: 2 Whoopers were on the pool this morning but were seen off by the resident Mutes. A Slav Grebe was also present.

15 people went on the Glamorgan Bird Club trip to the above locations today. Highlights were lots of excellent views of Crossbill at Garwnant, plus 3 or 4 Willow Tit, and Red Kite and many other common species. We had brief views of a very flighty Water Pipit on the spillway at Llwyn-on Reservoir, plus a Common Sandpiper on a weir below the spillway and there was a pair of Wigeon on the Res. A cold & windy Rhaslas Pond had 8 Goosander, c.10 each of Wigeon & Tufted Duck, a few Teal, and a single fem Goldeneye. A full list of the 39 species seen can be seen by clicking here.

Report of an Isabelline Shrike S end of W paddock Cosmeston per Graham Smith. Currently lost and being looked for..

First thing I noticed is that E. lake appears to have acquired the entire Canada Goose population of E Glam – I counted 280!

There were at least 100 Redwing around the park this morning, mainly in the trees around the bird table and the W. paddock hedgerow and the edge of Cogan Wood by the dragonfly pond. Also 30+ Fieldfare mainly in the latter location, plus 10+ Blackbird and a few Song Thrushes, all feeding on hawthorn. There were 2 Reed Bunts in the W paddock hedge and a Snipe flushed from the boggy area by the sunken copse behind the dragonfly pond. Around the ‘T’ junction of the path from the boardwalk and mile road [central path] there was a feeding flock mainly consisting of Long-t Tits [c.15], plus Gt Tit, Blue Tit and Coal Tit, plus 2 Nuthatch, a Treecreeper and a few Chaffinch. No sign of the Bittern but the rangers were doing some work behind the RH end of the W lake reed bed using a rotary cultivator. Tufties number about 50, 4 GCG, 1 Little Grebe and a Green ‘Pecker in W paddock. ….. just remembered – a Water Rail ran under the main boardwalk as I returned.

Delayed WeBS this morning at Green Point: c.500 Shelduck, 800 Dunlin, 500 Redshank, 2 Cormorant, 10 Mallard, 5 Canadas, 60 Pintail, 10 Shoveler, and 20 Teal.

At the far end of east paddock, where it is very muddy, and just before the heavens opened this morning, there were at least 30 Redwing feeding in the many berry trees there [in the fenced in area], with a Song Thrush and at least 8 Blackbirds. Did quickly check for the Ring Ouzel in W paddock but it was chucking it down so I didn’t look too hard or long.

From the closed Whatsapp group – the Ring Ouzel apparently showed again this afternoon  – was nowhere to be seen in my walk this morning although c. 20 Redwing were flying around. Also this morning there seemed to be just 1 single fem Shoveler left on W lake unless the 4 drakes of yesterday [2 full plumage, 2 eclipse] were skulking in the reeds. I didn’t have time to check the gulls for an ad Yellow-legged that David Rich saw yesterday afternoon, which had creamy rather than yellow legs.

Just a reminder about this evening’s GBC indoor meeting when David Rich will be giving an illustrated talk on a trip to the Falklands Islands. Shd be very interesting. Starts 7:45 p.m. prompt.

Annie Irving photographed a Lapland Bunting on the barrage today. Not sure if there’s any further news.

A Bittern turned up yesterday [per Graham Smith] and was seen twice today in the morning [sadly not by me]. It’s using the W lake reed bed. Watched for about 45 mins late afternoon with Graham & Wayne Strong but no show. A flock of c.80 Starlings flew around over the lakes at about 5:45 so a poss sign that we will have a murmuration this winter. Nearby there’s a Yellow-browed Warbler hanging out with a tit flock down St. Mary’s Well Bay road, mostly in Sycamores on the LH side round about where there’s a ruin down among the trees on the left [again found by Graham about 3 days ago].

Pleased to catch up with the immature Red-necked Grebe that Mike Pointon found this morning on Roath Park Lake. Here’s my best shots – all taken against the light.

There were 3 drake Pochard on W lake this morning, my first of this autumn/winter. A flock of c.100 Goldfinch was in W paddock and contained 3-4 Linnet, and a couple of Mipits. In trees in the snipe paddock there were 2 Chiffchaff and 2 Reed Bunting, and there was a fem Blackcap by W paddock. Finally there was a male Gt Spotted ‘Pecker in a tree near the main boardwalk.

There was a Cetti’s Warbler singing its head off on the RHS at the end of the main boardwalk before it goes under the trees, this morning. First I’ve heard there for quite some time. A Sparrowhawk had a go at a flock of c.50 Goldfinch near the dragonfly pond. Otherwise v quiet, although there was apparently some good vis mig at Lavernock earlier [per Jeff Curtis/Graham Smith]. There are apparently huge numbers of Linnet in the coastal fields, and this morning Graham found a morbid juv Common Rosefinch!! – which had been predated judging by its injuries.

Delayed WeBS count this morning [Sunday was awful!]. For the first time ever in doing this count for c.20 yrs, I saw no waders! There were 710 Shelduck, 22 Pintail, 6 Shoveler, 15 Mallard, a Grey Heron and 4 Cormorants. Also 2 Rock Pipits and a very pale breasted Buzzard. Walked around all the shallow pools but couldn’t find a Jack Snipe.