Got back from Cosmeston this morning to find a Goldfinch on the brick pillar at the entrance to our drive. Kept hovering under the overhang of the topping stone. Grabbed the camera from the car boot and shot off a few shots w/o checking settings. It was apparently grabbing spider webs from under the overhang then puling them apart on the top to get at the little spiders inside. I there were 2, and I think they are nesting somewhere nearby. The pics are more or less in sequence. Click on the thumbnails for the full sized images.

Pretty quiet again. There was a pair of Jays coming down to the edge of Mile Road near the bridge, being unusually confiding, and caught in the act of collecting nest material [it’s not often you can report probable breeding of Jay]. A drake Pochard in W lake bay was a little unexpected at this time of year. In the long narrow meadow by Sully Brook [beyond the Dovecote field gate], there were 2 Common Whitethroats, one of which I managed to grab a shot of in song [pretty hefty crop tho’], and a Lesser Whitethroat was singing there too.

Cardiff Bay late afternoon from W side of the bay just along from Prospect Place/The Watermark flats: 2 Arctic Tern, 3 Common Tern, 1 stunning Ad summer Little Gull, plus 1000+ hirundines over the water, mostly Sand Martin & Swallow 50/50 approx, but with a few [say 30] House Martin, and a lot of Swift as I arrived [c.100] mostly high but as I left starting to fly low over the water.

Whilst sitting in the cafe this morning, a flock of 20+ Black-tailed Godwits flew east over East lake, spotted by Phil Bristow who I was chatting with.

PS only second record for Cosmeston. I saw 1 on 30th Aug 2016 which did a couple of circuits of W lake but then flew W.

Nowt around W paddock due to 2 gentlemen with 6 dogs which they were yelling at to get in the undergrowth and catch a rabbit. The dogs ran through every sq in of cover. V quiet overall, just 1 Swallow seen. Best was 1 Common Sand on the far E lake shore. 1 Comm Whitethroat singing near dipping pond, Reed Wblr singing in E lake reeds. Along the rd by the Med Village 2 Speckled Woods and a Comma. I forgot what I think were 2 Yellow-legged gulls on E lake, an ad and the 3rd cal yr bird that’s been around quite some time. Pr of GC Grebes were ‘dancing’ on E lake and the other pair have a nest on W lake near where the old hide was.

Lesser Whitethroat singing and seen in bushes on LH side about 100m past the dragonfly pond and another heard briefly farther away.

No sign of Wayne Strong’s Woodlark of late yesterday afternoon/early eve. Very quiet really until a Red Kite appeared over Cogan Wood, then 2 then 3 and then 4! They circled and gradually gained height and drifted off to the west. Managed to grab a few shots before they got too high.

Pretty quiet despite the nice weather. A Kingfisher was fishing from a small bush on the far side of W lake [from the Mile Road]. 2 Gt Spotted Woodpeckers present today -1 near the far end of E paddock [heard by Anne] and 1 in the edge of Cogan Wood near the dragonfly pond which was drumming and then seen in flight. Also 2 Buzzard circling over Cogan Wood. Jeff Curtis had a Common Whitethroat in the W paddock hedge at around 8:30. Also seen, 2 Brimstone and 1 Comma.

Had confirmation on Twitter from Peter Howlett that my tern was Arctic. Now 2 present as of 13:00. Thanks Peter!

Called in here on way back from the Rhymney for a quick scan from the Ice Rink boardwalk. Got on to a ‘Commic’ Tern feeding with the BH Gulls. Through my mini scope I kind of convinced myself it a an Arctic although Peter Howlett had seen a def Common y’day and poss also this morning. My impression was of very  clean upper wings, slightly dusky belly making white cheeks stand out, and also impression of different flight – wing beats not so deep, slightly more ‘relaxed’. COuldn’t see enough detail to see bill size or colour.

Delayed WeBS count. V v high tide so Green Pt at the Rhymey Est was nearly all under water. Only birds there were 2 Shelduck, 2 Canadas, 2 Oyc and 1 Mallard. A Common Snipe was at the waters edge towards the Lamby Way rbt. c.600 Redshank were resting on the far bank of the Rhymney halfway along Lamby Way. At Heliport Bay, there was virtually no beach – just 2 Oycs there.

Highlight of a brief visit in the rain this morning, was 15 Swallows sitting in a tree on the mile road between the two lakes, twittering away amongst themselves. An ad Grey Heron was on the far side ot W lake.
Seen recently – 2 Weasels running back & forth across the mile road by the first kissing gate on the RHS that gives access to E paddock; 1 Bank Vole by the ‘witches pool’ – small reedy pool on the RHS as you go up the slope from the dip at the far end of W lake; 1 Water Vole by the dipping pond boardwalk, near the car park.

Nice surprise this morning was a singing Sedge Warbler in the E lake reeds. Couldn’t see it but it was very audible. A Peregrine flew S over Cogan Wood and a Sprawk came in the opposite direction. Coot with chicks in W lake bay and a GC Grebe is sitting on a nest there. Pair of Blackcap seen together in the wooded area near the bird table. 2 adult herons were sitting on the large owl? nest boxes on poles in W lake island, but they flew off. Also at the start of the mile road when I arrived an huge ruccus between a pair of Mistle Thrushes and a Crow. I’m assuming they must have a nest in the area – this was near the wooden bridge.

By the new path past the environment centre this morning: 1 Common Redstart [fem and poss also a male but just a glimpse if it was], 2 Wheatear, and 5-6 phylloscs incl 1 singing Willow Warbler. Near the environment centre, 1 White Wagtail, and on the barrage rocks 4 Linnets. 1 male Grey Wag in the Dr. Who dock. No sign of any Little Gulls in the 100’s of Black-heads.

The 3 Little Gulls found by Matt Meehan yesterday were still present this morning up to 11:45. 2 AdW birds and an imm. Also 1 2ndS Med Gull. Best viewed from around Pendeen House which is more or less on the corner about 200m towards the R. Taff entrance, from Prospect Place.

No sign of the Redstart that my friend Wayne Strong saw yesterday in W. Paddock. There are 3 Gadwall still hanging around in the small bay of W lake [2 drakes and a duck]. Several Blackcaps around the wooded area opposite the wooden bridge by mile road. A 3rd yr Yellow-legged Gull is still around on E lake with the Lesser Black-backs. It has a clean white head, still brown colouration on the flight feathers, but the ‘saddle’, mantle, or upper back is that warm grey colour typical of YLGulls. Quite a few Swallows seen this morning too.

Fairly quiet this morning but several Willow Warblers were singing by the E lake path adjacent the golf course. Also M & F Reed Bunts together in E lake reeds and a pair of GC Grebes ‘dancing’ on E lake.

Wayne Strong and Graham Smith had an interesting aberrant plumaged Willow Warbler which got their pulses racing! Follow this link: https://twitter.com/wmspenarth/status/982939689484156928

Good gathering of hirundines this eve, with c.20 Swallow, 30 Sand Martin and my first House Martin. 2 drake Teal dropped in on W lake. Kingfisher seen briefly and an ad Heron was on the far side of W lake.

Cosmeston late a.m. Best was a surprise first for me at Cossie – a Marsh Harrier circling over W paddock, harassed and eventually chased off by LBBGulls. For once I hadn’t taken the ‘proper’ camera so struggled to get the bridge camera to focus but managed 1 record shot. At least 6 Blackcap noted singing plus Chiffies and a coupe of Willow Warbler. Also had my first Swallows – 3 flew through over W paddock with a lone Sand Martin.

Cossie this morning. Not much to report. A fem type Scaup was sleeping on W lake and there was a drake Shoveler there too. A Peregrine shot through over Cogan Wood. Other than that Chiffie, Willow Warbler and Blackcap singing. Grabbed a couple of shots of a Chiffie, incl in full song, and a Buzzard overlooking W lake. Noted a Coot on a nest on E lake.