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.

Cossie – 20-30 Meadow Pipits around the place incl car park and swan feeding area. Scaup still E lake. Flock of c.50 Redwing by golf course. Only 1 Fieldfare seen. 3 buzzards. Also 6 Sand Martin trying to feed low over W lake. 3 Shoveler W lake bay.

Penarth – flock of 30 or so Redwing flew up Westbourne Road and the odd sight of a Meadow Pipit walking along the pavement opp our house.

a.m. 3 Sand Martin desperately trying to catch insects over W lake. Lonesome Stonechat in the middle of W paddock and 2 Mistle Thrush thrush there.

Cossie News from the past couple of days:

Today – 1 male Wheatear in W paddock not far beyond the kissing gate with a Mipit. 1 Kingfisher W lake by the grassy [muddy] beach near the wooden bridge. 2 Teal flew over W paddock and then Cogan Wood. Drake Scaup still present, E lake by the cafe. Green Pecker calling incessantly in Cogan Wood and Nuthatch singing there. Also probably 100+ Frogs in the dipping pond and quite a lot of Toads too – see pix below.

Yesterday a Chiffchaff was flycatching near the dipping pond and the day before 3 Sand Martin over W lake.

A pair ofBuzzards have been active a vocal over the wooded area near the dipping pond.

A Chiffchaff was flycatching near the dipping pond this morning and there was 1 of a pair of Buzzards that has been frequenting and calling in that area in the last few days. A pair of Little Grebe are very active on W lake – lot of whinnying going on. The drake Scaup was apparently still present although I didn’t see it. Graham Smith had 8 Sand Martin early on. A Mistle Thrush was in W paddock. Also of interest there were a lot of Frogs in the dipping pond and also some Toads.

Slow walk round this morning – 3 Sand Martin over W lake and a 2nd cal yr Yellow-legged Gull on E lake. A pair of Buzzards were very active over the E lake boardwalk area. Pr of Little Grebe whinnying on W lake.

Managed a slow walk round this morning. Highlights – drake Gt Scaup still present, in W lake ‘bay’ seen from the bridge, Med Gull seen by Jeff Curtis, an ad Yell-legged Gull in middle of E lake and pr Gt Crested Grebe displaying.

My first visit, after getting back from a mega trip to Guatemala at 12:30 a.m. today! Highlights were a drake Greater Scaup on E lake, a male Stonechat on the snipe paddock fencing and a single Snipe seen briefly there.

A nice sight this morning was a Merlin which flew overhead over W paddock heading towards E paddock and the golf course. The Bullfinches were still in the same place as the other day, this time with 3 Goldfinch, all feeding on the ground at the far end of W paddock. A Common Snipe flew around the snipe paddock.

At Cossie this morning 1 Kingfisher across W lake, 1 Mistle Thrush W paddock and 3 Bullfinch at RH far end of W paddock feeding on the ground, 2 Buzzard over Cogan Wood, 1 Greylag Goose W lake, and Gareth [The Tax] Jenkins by the cafe!

Goldcliff p.m. – low tide and first hide only – 3 Greenshank, 2 Spotted Redshank, 5 Common Redshank, 3 Little Egret, 1 fem Marsh Harrier, 1 Kes, c200 Lapwing, 2 Snipe, 3 Stonechat plus Teal & Shoveler. Of interest was that one of the Common Snipe was bouncing up & down just like a Jack Snipe, but it was definitely a Common as it showed its bill fully. Never seen a Common Snipe do this.

A drake Scaup reported on the lake this morning [Bob Mitchell].

Saw the male G S Woodpecker on Cogan Wood again this morning, but no luck with Marsh Tit.

The fem type Black Redstart was flycatching at 4:45 p.m. and onwards at Penarth Marina his aft. Seemed to concentrate on the roofs of the houses around the small ‘private’ square that faces on to the marina.

A kingfisher flew across W lake this morning and landed in a tree by the middle viewpoint. Otherwise much the same as recently. Pochard number around 25 or so, many hiding in the reed edges.