13 Teal, 3 Wigeon and 2 Pochard on W lake, and the usual spread of Tufties. Mistlle Thrush and Green ‘Pecker in W paddock and 4 Goldcrest noted up central path. The buzzard below was sitting on the W paddock hedgerow and had some aggro from a Magpie.

The Vale council have just announced plans for a possible cable wakeboarding facility on E lake at Cosmeston. I can’t think of anything less suitable for a relatively small lake that has a resident population of up to 60 Mute Swans. some of which nest, occasionally a similar number of Canada Geese, 100’s of Gulls and Coot,  and other wildfowl from autumn through to spring. Not to mention birds such and Reed Warbler, Sedge Warbler, Reed Bunting which nest in the reed bed which no doubt would be disturbed by the wash that wakeboarding creates. If like me you’ve never heard of cable wakeboarding, it’s like normal wakeboarding behind a speedboat except that the participant is pulled along by an overhead cable suspended between two tall gantries.  Thus these structures would grace the shore of E lake somewhere, plus the permanent obstacles in the water such as ramps and other jumps which the users have to negotiate. Please write to the Vale Council planning dept objecting to this proposal. Click here for a link to an article on the Wales Online web site.

There were 11 Teal on W lake and 3 Wigeon [2m 1f] plus a total of 73 Tufties on both lakes, 1 Common Gull on the W lake posts and later the same or different bird at the Swan feeding area on E lake.

Cardiff Bay Barrage this morning. There were 3 Goosander by the sails [2m 1f] the female being the one from last yr with the damaged right wing [see photo]. Also the Long-tailed Duck was looking good in the bright sunlight.

Long-t Duck reported as still present today per Amy Schwartz on South Wales Birding FB page.

Only highlights this morning were a pair of Wigeon on W lake and a single fem Teal. Plenty of Redwing around and 20 or so Fieldfare, 3 Jays seen carrying acorns and a Buzzard was over Cogan Wood.

Probably the best night so far for starlings at Cosmeston – I would guess twice the number I saw the other evening. Therwere 2-3 Sparrowhawks in attendance! Pic is just off my phone and shows part of the flock. Show ended at around 4:25. Viewed from the bridge.

A Yellow-browed Warbler was seen briefly at Cosmeston late morning this morning. It was not vocal but a Chiffchaff was calling at the same time. It was in ivy looking from the beginning of the boardwalk that leads off the car park, looking towards E lake (per Alex Bevan). There were loads of Redwing and Fieldfare all over the park. A Bittern was seen over W lake reeds yesterday eve (per Graham Smith).

1 v smart ad male Black Redstart on roofs at Penarth Marina this a.m., and another bird v briefly [roofs of small square facing the marina basin]. 1 Grey Wag and 1 Turnstone by the R. Ely mouth there.

Old Ice Rink car park/Prospect Place – 2 Little Grebe, 2 GC Grebe, 120 Coot, 12 Tufted Duck.

The Lesser Scaup was reported at Cosmeston this morning, and it had also been logged at The Knap lake, Barry.

Caught up with the Grey Phal found by Maxine Levett at Aberthaw y’day, then went to Cardiff Bay for the L-t Duck. Also a few Rock Pipits there.

A Grey Phalarope was found and photographed on E Aberthaw pool today, by Maxine Levett. I have her permission to post the photo here.

A Bittern was seen at Cosmeston this morning, first in the W lake main reeds then across the ‘bay’ into the reeds to the L of the hide [per Graham Smith]. Nice one Graham. Hope it stays.

Single Treecreeper and Goldcrest by the central path. Fem Shoveler on E lake, 84 Tufties in total, could only see 3 Pochard on W lake, 1 Green ‘Pecker and only 4 Redwing seen by W paddock [there have been up to 50]. A Common Darter seemed a bit late, and a Red Admiral was in the sun by E lake.

The 2015 Bird Reports to be posted, are now at my local post office for postage labels to be printed and applied. They shd go out either tomorrow or Monday. Penarth ones nearby to me, were hand delivered his afternoon. Postage is not cheap these days, at £1.54 per copy!

I’m pleased to announce that we are now in possession of 320 copies of the 2015 Bird Report. 🙂 Those who came to last night’s talk were able to take theirs away with them [saving a little bit at least on the increasingly expensive postage]. Everyone else please be patient whilst the remainder are stuffed in envelopes and labelled, before my kind local postmaster works thro’ them to add postage labels.  PS Thanks to Alan Rosney for collecting them.

Lavernock – a Short-eared Owl came in off the sea this morning – per Jeff Curtis.

Cosmeston – couldn’t connect with the YBW. Around 30-40 Redwing flying around over W paddock plus 2 Green Woodpeckers there, and 6 Long-t Tits plus a Chiffchaff and a Goldcrest in the hedge by the children’s play area.

News reported to me by email – 3 Red Kites were seen over Heol-y-Cyw on 27th Oct. Also there were 6 Grey Partridge in Llanmaes on 26th Oct.

8 Reed Buntings in reeds by the new dipping pool boardwalk, 6 juv Wood Pigeon in a tree there and 2 Jay over, 70 Canadas on W lake, 6 Pochard [5m 1f], 1 Wigeon and 30 Tufties on W lake, and 2 Herons, 1 on E lake near the bridge and 1 by W lake posts. Flock of LT Tits near the bird table.

3 p.m. this afternoon I was out in the garden, when alerted by a high pitched strident call, heard only Sunday on the GBC Portland trip. Ran inside to get my bins and was soon on to a Yellow-browed Warbler feeding with Chiffchaff in the trees that overhang the old railway line which is now a public path. Didn’t appear to stay long – I lost it in the canopy fairly quickly although the Chiffie was still around 30 mins later.