Pretty quiet this morning, the only thing of real interest, a lone Fieldfare feeding on Hawthorn by E. Lake near the main bridge. The Tufty flock remains at about 100 and Pochard about 15, and the usual Gadwall, GCG and Little Grebes. A few Goldfinch were feeding in the Alders near the cafe but no sign of any Siskin [seen by Wayne Strong yesterday].

Elsewhere in other media/fora male Hen Harrier at Cwm Cadlan yesterday afternoon, and Gt Grey Shrike still in the nearby clearfell, SEO over fields by Saltmarsh Lane, Goldcliff, Gwent, Green Sand, 2 Common Sand, 2 Water Pipit and fishing Otter near Portobello – Ogmore TODAY.

Was hoping to tick off the final one of the 5 ‘British’ grebes before the end of Jan but no sign of the Cardiff Bay Black-necked this morning along the whole length of the inner barrage shoreline. 2 redhead Goosander were in the bay near the big blue ‘dome’ that was Dr. Who experience. On R. Ely shoreline by Penarth Marina 1 Redshank [usual one with yellow leg ring], and 1 Grey Wag. 60 Cormorant were on the inner barrage ‘jetty’ and 4 Common Gull on the orange floats. Also on Barrage 1 Rock Pipit, several Meadow Pipits in the fenced grass area where the funfair was.

There was a successful GBC trip to Kenfig NNR and sites in Porthcawl dodging the showers today. Some or all of 14 participants had these highlights amongst 57 species: At Kenfig Pool – Slavonian Grebe, Gt White Egret, and drake Goldeneye, plus Oystercatcher {unusual by the pool}; at Wilderness Pond – 5 Goosander {3m, 2f} and an AdW Med Gull; at nearby Zigzag Lane – 4 Cattle Egret; and at Newton Point – 2 Purple Sandpiper, 6+ Grey Plover, 1 Sanderling, several Turnstones. Only ‘no’show’ was the recently seen Black Redstart around the Beach Cafe by Rhych Point.

The other recent GBC trip was to Whiteford Point on Gower, where an amazing 34 participants saw 70 species. I couldn’t make that trip but the list can be seen here: Click here

This takes you to a pdf of the list.

Records!! My thanks to the nine people who have already sent me their records for 2018. If you are someone who sends in their records direct to me rather than using BirdTrack or SEWBReC and haven’t done so yet, then please get them to me ASAP, so I can get on with consolidating them all. Many thanks in anticipation. John Wilson

Various records today from other fora:

JackSnipe at Kenfig rivermouth; 4 Cattle Egret in field at Zigzag Lane, Porthcawl; Spoonbill British Steel hide Llanelli; Gt White Egret Kenfig Pool; Siberian Chiffchaff still at Parc Slip cafe pool.

Posted in other media: The Gt Grey Shrike seen again this morning in the clear fell off the Cwm Cadlan road from the back of Llwyn-on, b4 the cattle grid; Siberian Chiffchaff around the dragonfly pond outside the cafe at Parc Slip; 4 Cattle Egrets at Porthcawl in Zigzag Lane in field opposite White Wheat Caravan Site – CF36 5EH.

We’ve had a report of a Great Grey Shrike hunting from trees on the RH side of the road that leads up to Cwm Cadlan from the back of Llwyn-on, so in the edge of the Garwnant forestry before you emerge onto the common over the cattle grid. There is some clear fell both sides of that road. This was in Fri 28th. It was observed for about 15 mins.

The Black-necked Grebe was in the usual area between the sails and level with the play park, off the Barrage this morning, in very choppy water. Also 3 Goosander [2f 1m] briefly off the Barrage then flew towards the main road bridge.

Wildfowl today: fem Goldeneye W lake bay, pr Shoveler & 1 drake Wigeon W lake, 6+ Gadwall. c10 Pochard, and the usual c100 Tufties.

Negatives were: [1] the Scaup seems to have done a bunk; [2] 2 people walking a dog right through the conservation area; and [3] late p.m. a guy with a large blue plastic sack full of old bread and what looked like bits of pizza, feeding the whole lot to the gulls and worse still the Mute Swans. There needs to be a much more prominent notice asking people not to do this. The current laminated A4 sheet [if it’s still there] goes unnoticed.

Only 8 intrepid souls for our trip to Rhossili and the Worm. The Scoter flock was close to the beach – all Common Scoter with no Velvets found. Off the cliffs there were several Fulmars. Two Purple Sandpipers with Turnstones and 100’s of Oystercatcher. Two Eiders, A Red-throated Diver, Guillemot, Great Crested Grebe and a poss Black throated Diver were off the Worm. On the Vile were Linnets, Goldfinches and Reed Buntings as well as Peregrine and Kestrel. We managed to dodge all the showers. A pleasant, if windy trip. Afterwards we spent a little time at Llanrhidian Marsh until the rain really set in. John Duffy had a Marsh Harrier, and we added Grey Heron, numerous Little Egret, 2 Red Kites and a couple of Snipe. A total of 51 species were seen. Click here to see a trip list. Thanks to all the participants. Happy Christmas one and all.

From Cosmeston this morning. The drake Scaup found by Graham Smith yesterday was on E lake with all the Tufties. A fem Goldeneye was in the middle of W lake, too distant for a decent photo. A couple of fem Reed Buntings were feeding next to the main boardwalk, and a flock of Goldfinch were feeding in Alder by the car park. One managed to get a beak full of whole Alder cone!

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..