Thanks to a text from my friend Annie Irving, I finally connected with a Spotted Flycatcher for the year. It was in trees on the ‘hill’ behind the dragonfly pond. Got as close as I dare by hiding behind bushes but shots still pretty cropped. The two with its bill open were where it was bringing up a pellet of indigestible material which you can just see in the bottom RH photo..

There was a 3rd cal yr Yellow-legged Gull on E lake this morning – see photo. Graham Smith had a Spot Fly and Garden Warbler near the N entrance to Cogan Wood but I couldn’t find them, although a pr of Bullfinch were feeding on blackberries there. Also the Med Village/dipping pond boardwalk is now fenced off due to work commencing to create an education area and new pond. See photo of plan which has been pinned upon the fencing. In the plan the carpark end is at the top.

16 participants went on a very hot, GBC field trip to the above this morning and early afternoon. We logged a total of 55 species which wasn’t bad considering. Highlights were 3 Tufties on the lake at Parc Tredelerch, Little Grebe with young in Cors Crychydd Reen, plus several Willow Warbler there and Reed Warbler, lots of Goldfinch, Greenfinch. On RGW we walked east – there were few waders – just a small flock of Redshank with a few Dunlin in flew past, some saw 2 Ringed Plover, and there were Lapwing and Curlew towards Sluice Farm. A Little Egret was sitting on the groyne posts and surprisingly, Trevor Fletcher found a Common Gull in amongst the lines of Black-headed Gulls on the many posts. A Buzzard was patrolling Lamby Tip, and a Kestrel caught and ate prey from a post by RGW. Gareth ‘the tax ret’d’ Jenkins had a fly-by Whimbrel. Leps highlights were 2 Wall Butterflies and 2 Clouded Yellows.

2 Kingfishers from the main bridge y’day and 1 this morning. Max 22 B-h Gulls recently including at least 2 this years imm. Reed Wblr at the dipping pond this a.m. GC Grebe with 1 fully grown imm still with stripey head. Water Vole v brief appearance at the dipping pond this morning. Also an amazing carving recently installed near the dipping pond, carved out of a single tree.

On Weds 11th Jul 15 GBC members had a morning walk through Lanlay Meadows NT and on to Peterston Moors (R. Ely floodplain) near Peterston-super-Ely.  It was very hot and humid in overcast conditions.  We saw 32 species in all, highlights of which were 2 Green Sandpipers, adult Grey Wagtails with young, Sand Martins entering nest holes in the sandy river banks, and exc views of Red Kite, Buzzard and a Sparrowhawk. The full list ca be seen by clicking here.

Today there were 9 Black-headed Gulls on W lake posts including 2 of this years juvs. The Canada Goose pair have lost 1 of their 3 goslings but the remaining 2 are quite large now. Silver ‘Y’ moths seen this a.m. plus Comma. 2 Days ago there were 20 or so each of House and Sand Martin feeding over the upper dovecote field, plus a few Swift. Here’s a few recent photos:

A nice find [and my first there since 2007] was this Cuckoo on the posts of the ‘snipe’paddock’ fence this morning. Also fem Mallard with 8 v small ducklings on W lake, and 7 Black-headed Gulls on the W lake posts, the first for me since the winter. Also v annoyed to see that some morons have chucked the life belts back into the lake, 2 days after they had been retrieved and put back on the holders by the park staff.

Pretty quiet at Cossie this morning due to the heat I guess. Did see one of the Kingfisher pair from the main bridge plus the pr of GC Grebes with 2 now pretty advanced young. Other wildlife included several Emperor dragonflies ovipositing at the dipping pond, and a Comma sunning on the path through Cogan Wood. Several Swift were over the meadow by Sully Brook with a few Swallows.

11 hardy souls faced the all day drizzle and had a long walk around the NW Bargoed area including Cefn Gelligaer, thanks to Club member Lee Taswell showing us round his local patch. Despite the weather we saw 42 species, although Cuckoo was only heard. Highlights included at least 3 Common Redstart including a juv bird, 2 male Whinchats, 3 Red Kite, Tree Pipits, a Curlew display flighting, lots of Skylarks, Green Woodpecker and 2 Great Spotted Woodpeckers, and quite a few young birds including Stonechat, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Robin. A fly by flock of 4 Stock Dove were also noted. Many thanks to Lee. Full list will be added to the GBC trip lists page shortly.

A follow up re my melanistic Green Woodpecker of 8th Jun. I thought I had it again today when a dark looking Green Pecker came & landed on a post by the dragonfly pond at Cossie, whilst I was sitting on the bench opposite. Hence I got a better shot and I think it’s a different bird, but still with unusually dark plumage for a Green Pecker. I’ve posted both photos here to compare. The second one is clearly a male and does have some green tinges on the upper parts but there’s still a lot of very dark plumage there. Any thoughts? Agree they re diff birds? Top bird today, bottom bird was on the 8th. Comments on FB agree they’re different.

I rec’d an email tonight re a bird someone saw in a street in Ely – Cardiff at 1:05 a.m. Sun morning when he returned home from work. He didn’t know what it was and showed his pal today, who ID’d it and emailed me. Night-heron in a street!! – incredible. It’s prob gone now to find somewhere with water, but I’ve asked for more detail if poss. I would guess nearest water would be R. Ely?

There were 7 adult Gt Crested Grebes present today, including the pair with 1 young. One of the Kingfisher adults was fishing from the horizontal dead tree on E lake, viewed from the main bridge. A Common Whitethroat as doing its full fluttering song flight by the dipping pond.

An additional bird from yesterday which I forgot to post here, was this melanistic Green Woodpecker which I saw briefly in the ‘snipe paddock’ in the morning. Pretty unusual I think – certainly generated a lot of interest on social media.

Mainly young birds seen today. Juv Blackbird at Lavernock, juv Magpie at Cossie, inquisitive scruffy Mallard, GCG with just 1 young now [were 2].

2 Swift and 2 House Martin over W lake and 2 Swallow over E lake. Lesser Whitethroat still singing by W paddock hedgerow. Pretty quiet other than that.

Wet walk across the barrage & back this morning. Wet weather had brought the Swifts down, although not as many as one would hope – I guestimate 30+, some flying across the barrage at head height. Similar with Sand Martins and a few House Martin, a number of the former landing to rest on the pontoons by the environment building. A pair of Ravens were sitting on the railings by the ‘sails’, and there were a number of Pied Wags including juvs.

15 GBC members attended a mid-week field trip to this delightful area just north of Abergavenny, below the slopes of the Sugarloaf. Cold to start but warming up later. A total of 32 species were seen. The delightful oakwoods were a little quiet with not much bird song but Wood Warbler was heard [and seen by some], plus Common Redstart and 3 Garden Warblers were heard, and one seen – conveniently the song could be compared directly with the several Blackcaps which were also singing. Once up on to the open higher ground we found at least 2 pairs of Stonechat, 2 pairs of Whinchat which showed very well, a couple of Tree Pipits, 10+ Linnet, 3 Buzzards playing in the thermals, lots of Meadow Pipits and a few Skylark. A distant Cuckoo was heard calling, and a distant Red Kite over Abergavenny, was seen by me as we prepared to leave. The list can be seen here. The ‘1’s merely indicate a species was seen – they are not counts.

Update – Forgot that new members Alun & Sue Reynolds heard a Tawny Owl in the woods.

My first visit here for the GBC Willow Tit survey [in fact first time ever]. SAdly no Willow Tit this time. Only tits seen were 3 Coal Tit. The small lake had 2 pairs of Mallard with 9 and 5 ducklings, 1 ad Little Grebe, 2 Coot, a pair of Teal asleep at the edge. Passerines comprised, inter alia, 4 singing Blackcap, 6+ Blackbirds, pr of Dunnock displaying and another carrying food, and singing Whitethroat. Leps comprised Orange Tip Small Tort and Speckled Wood. An interesting little reserve tucked away by the railway line.

At Lavernock reserve: 4 Magpie, 7 Blackbird, 4 Woodpigeon, 2 Blackcap, 4 House Sparrow, 1 Chiffchaff, Dunnock, 3 Robin, 10 Jackdaw, Wren, 2 Crow, 2 Swallow. Then Leps were – 3 Orangetip, 2 Speckled Wood, 4 Holly Blue, 1 Brimstone, 2 Large White. Finally I saw 1 Early Purple Orchid in flower in the wood and there were a few nice patches of Cowslips. At Cosmeston it was pretty quiet – distinct lack of birdsong everywhere. A Moorhen pair have 3 small chicks in the green weedy pool at the start of the Med. Village boardwalk. The Mallard pair on the dipping pond are down to 1 duckling out of an original 6. A Common Blue Damselfly there. 2 Greylags on W lake and 1 Tufty lingering. A Lesser Whitethroat was singing in the W paddock hedgerow.

An adult Grey Heron was on the far side of W lake. A Lesser Whitethroat was singing and seen briefly by the high level path that runs behind the far side of W lake and a Common Whitethroat seems to have territory by the dipping pond – the photo below is of that individual. A pair of Mallards were on the dipping pool 2 days ago with 6 small ducklings – this morning they were already down to two [mum + 1 below]. I wonder what’s taking them. In the band of trees between the dragonfly pond and Cogan Wood proper, there a a lot of Common Spotted Orchid leaf bracts so it will be a really good show in there when they finally produce flower spikes.