Delayed WeBS from Sunday. A bit misty and very little at Green Pt – just 30 Shelduck, 2 Cormorant, a Little Egret and 1 Redshank! None [Redshanl] in the usual spot. Later found c.250 upstream by Lamby Way plus 6 Teal.

At Lamby Lake a pair of Blackcap and another male singing, 3 Willow Warbler singing, a few Chiffies, 2 Sand Martin over, 3 Cetti’s singing incl 1 seen well but not in view long enough for a pic. ….. just remembered, there was an Orange Tip on the wing.

Apparently no sign of Boney’s Gull early on [per Gareth Stamp]. Am about to go and check myself – it may reappear.

Report just received. A full-hooded Bonaparte’s Gull was seen in Cardiff Bay this afternoon – I have been out all afternoon and the caller did not have my mobile number. Gull was seen by Peter Lansdown [who some of you will know] looking from the boardwalk at Cardiff Bay Wetlands, but it was towards the other side of the bay looking towards Penarth marina or the sailing club – so poss check from the Ice Rink area or even the Penarth Marina road adj the mouth of R. Ely.

4 male Blackcaps this morning incl 2 singing, also Willow Warbler, Cetti’s & Chiffchaff singing, plus 3 different Mistle Thrushes in song. 4 Buzzards circling incl a lot of mewing from one pair. No sign of y’day’s Bittern, which was prob the latest date for a Bittern at Cosmeston. There were 8 GC Grebes y’day.

Three records below of what I think is a 2nd yr type Yellow-legged Gull on E lake this morning.

Bittern was showing well for about 20-30 mins in a small clump of reeds left of the Sand Martin ‘bank’ – this despite a couple with 2 children walking right through the middle of the no access conservation area, going right above where the Bittern was. On E lake Lesser Scaup and hybrid Poch x Tufty and what I think was a 2nd cal yr Yellow-legged Gull but will have to check age (it had the dusky grey mantle but flight feathers & coverts still brownish). Also Swallow, 20-30 Sand Martin, Willow Wblr, Chiffchaff & Cetti’s Wblr singing. Below, three record shots of the Bittern.

Forgot, there was a fem Wheatear in the large field beyond the snipe paddock but disappeared when flushed by a walker.

This was posted on Facebook S. Wales Birding – keep your eyes peeled and don’t get too excited if you see it!

PLEASE HELP: (Day 6) LOST FALCON: (GLAMORGAN AREA SOUTH WALES ) Gyr / Per last seen in the area of Pyle and the A48 road towards Porthcawl. The bird snapped the creance and still has the swivel and 20ft of creance attached to her.
Please call 01656 864631 or 07771796510 if you see her…please share !!!!!!

V quiet in the Bay – just 8 Sand Martins at the Dr Who dock with at least 4 holes being entered.

Highlight tho’ was a large bull Seal in the outer part of the outflow from the barrage sluices. I first spotted what I thought was a seal on our outward walk, out in the channel beneath a large flock of gulls – the latter having brought my attention to it. It obviously then came inshore to the barrage when I saw it on the way back. 3rd time I’ve seen a Seal here – last time was also a large bull which i videoed. Didn’t have either camera with me this time.

Late afternoon walk with Flynn, and what are going down in my book as 2 Willow Warblers by the central path. Neither was singing or calling but pale pinkish legs [yes I know they’re not 100% foolproof], combined with long wings cf nearby Chiffchaff, ‘clean, sleek’ looking plumage and no tail dipping, was good enough for me.

Just noticed on Carms birds a Swift was reported on 26th Mar at Aberthaw cement works by Obs driving by in car.

A pair of Garganey were found on Kenfig Pool this morning, per Neil Donaghy on Twitter.

A little more than the usual this morning. There had been an arrival of hirundines so 50+ Sand Martins were flying around when I arrived although Swallow had been seen earlier. From the bridge, a pair of Shoveler on E lake, 1 Kingfisher, 2 Chiffchaff incl 1 singing. Then in W paddock a male Wheatear and a Mistle Thrush, and a Peregrine and a Raven flew over. The hybrid ‘scufty’ was still on E lake but the Lesser Scaup seems to have departed for Cardiff Bay [see post below], and all the Pochard have gone. The Wheatear was right out in the open so not very approachable, hence pic heavily cropped. Click the pix.

Missed the Goldeneye but then didn’t really check E lake. Pretty quiet otherwise – Cetti’s singing by the main boardwalk, Chiffchaff singing near the bird table, Scaup X Tufty hybrid on W lake. No hirundines. Nice to bump in to my pal Gareth Jenkins, still in winter plumage 🙂

Apologies for non-sighting. Tomorrow’s GBC trip to the Forest of Dean is now cancelled – I have just watched the BBC online forecast and it is still very bad for tomorrow and very poor for the next 2 days. I believe I have contacted by text, everyone who said they were coming, but am posting this everywhere to make sure.

In addition to Ceri’s report, a male Stonechat was on posts by the snipe paddock, 3-4 Sand Martins were feeding fairly high over the main bridge at around 1 o’c. Three Swallows had also been seen but not by me [Wayne Strong & Graham Smith – 1] and Lol Middleton – 2]. The Lsr Scaup and the hybrid were loafing together near the cafe [phone pic]:

4 Sand Martins as per Gareth’s post, no sign of any Wheatear on the barrage – just 1 Rock Pipit and 4 Pied Wags. However what I believe is a ‘new’ Black Redstart, a fem at the far RH end of the old dock opposite the entrance to Dr Who Experience, near the Gloworks building.

The cleared skies seemingly prompted the departure of the Firecrests and most of the Chiffies and Goldcrests this morning, sadly. Graham Smith flushed a Woodcock from the marshy dip in W paddock, near the dragonfly pond. There were still quite a few Redwing around, in the wood by the play area. There was an obliging Goldcrest halfway along the central path. I like the pic below where it seems to be attempting an Irish jig! Click on each pic for a full size one. <later> PS it was nice to be sussed [due to binos, camera & dog] by Mick Lobb, [a name I was familiar with as being active on the birding scene in Glamorgan since before my time here]. Always nice to put a face to a name. Then just afterwards,  the same thing again with a guy whose surname was Brown and is a friend of GBC member Lee Taswell – sorry I forgot your first name if you are reading this!

Went back this afternoon – 2 Firecrests reported. Eventually got on to both birds feeding uncharacteristically very high in the tops of the tall trees about 30m beyond the far end of the main bridge, either side of the path. Also several Goldcrest there and a few Chiffchaffs. Firecrests present until at least 4:30 – one had moved into the small isolated ‘copse’ on the path that leads around the back of E lake. Got some record pix but not v good due to their insisting on staying high up. Below is the best I could manage and that is cropped!

Couldn’t find a Firecrest at Cosmeston this morning, although there were 3 ‘crests’ in the right area, one of which I did manage to ID as a Goldcrest [duh brain remembered his camera but forgot his bins!] – they were mostly high above me so using the lens at 400mm as a ‘scope was no good].
A lone Lesser Redpoll was in the snipe paddock, 20 Redwing and 2 Fieldfare in W paddock, Green ‘Pecker calling, lots of people.

An interesting record from 19th Mar: Mary Gallagher, a GBC member who lives in Porthcawl, opened her curtains to see this strutting along their garden wall: Nice pic Mary!