Ceri Jones saw a Firecrest at Cosmeston this afternoon on LH side of the main ‘mile road’ path between the lakes beyond the far end of W lake [I guess somewhere just after the bridge].

Highlights from Cossie dog walk this morning: my first Sand Martin of the year briefly over W lake, c.20 Redwing feeding in W paddock with a Mistle Thrush, cracking view of a Cetti’s Warbler [just missed grabbing a shot 😦 ], c.6 Chiffies around the hide area and the middle viewpoint, fly-by Kingfisher from the main bridge, still a few Pochard around, and the Tufted x Scaup hybrid – basically a “Scufty”!  🙂

Pochard

‘Scufty’

A brief look on E lake seemed to show the Lsr Scaup was back although it was distant. However when I got back round to the cafe boardwalk that bird turned out to be the Tufted X Scaup hybrid which is the middle, dusky-sided looking bird in this cropped phone pic. This is the one with the broad black bill nib.

Whilst watching that I scanned again and saw the Lsr Scaup along the shoreline adjacent the golf course, so one assumes it had returned from Lisvane.

Also noted, around 10 Redwing and 2 Fieldfare feeding on the grassy ‘meadow’ by Sully Brook, beyond the dovecote field, and 2 pairs of Bullfinch feeding on buds by the Med Village entrance.

Late WeBS this morning: Rhymney Est [Green Pt] – 500 Redshank, 100 Dunlin, 100 Shelduck, 60 Pintail, 13 Shoveler, 1 Snipe, 1 Heron, plus small nos. of Teal, Oyc, Cormorant etc. At the Heliport there were 27 Turnstone but nothing else [apart from BH Gulls].

The Redpolls reported by Ceri Jones yesterday afternoon were still feeding along the ditch/valley on the RH side of E paddock, in fact there were 4 this morning, feeding in the tree and on the ground. Managed a couple of record shots despite having dog on lead in one hand! A fem Stonechat was in the Snipe paddock near the dragonfly pond, Green ‘Pecker calling from near the golf course. Lesser Scaup was on E lake. Click each image.

Biting off a bud.

2 Black Redstarts were on the roof of the last house [opposite the outer marina lock] as I approached this morning, but then disappeared completely. Probably went into one of the small courtyard gardens there. On return from Cardiff side of the barrage the only rooftop birds were 5 House Sparrows. No sign of any Sand Martins yet by the ‘Dr Who’ dock, where they usually nest in the wall.

Lsr Scaup was on E lake, 1 drake Shoveler on W lake plus a few Gadwall, 2 Grey Herons [1 ad and 1 imm], Little Grebe, 2 pairs of GCG displaying, LTT, Goldcrest, 4-5 male Reed Bunting singing, and 2 Cetti’s heard, 1 by main boardwalk and the other in W lake reeds. 3 Comon Gulls were sitting in line on the W lake posts – see photo.

Bittern and Little Egret flew into W lake this morning per Jeff Curtis. Bittern dropped out of sight into reed bed.

A fresh looking Chiffchaff was working its way down by the central path, 2 pairs of GC Grebes displaying, 3 Gadwall, c.20 Pochard, pair of Mistle Thrush in W paddock and a Green ‘Pecker calling by the golf course.

A few pix of today’s birds: – clockwise from top L – Dunnock, GC Grebs, Reed Bunting, Chiffchaff, Mistle Thrush

Three Goldcrest, 2 by central path and 1 in Cogan Wood, 5 Snipe flushed from the snipe paddock, although all were silent and flew low & short, but I can’t believe they were all Jacks. All only seen briefly from behind so no view of bill. Ad Green ‘Pecker flew from adjacent the snipe paddock. Record shot of Goldcrest below. Just added this – forgot to say one of the Marsh Tits was in the usual place in Cogan Wood.

Decided on a mother’s day walk at Porthcawl by way of a change. Lots of people but Sky Lark and a pair of Stonechat on the common, and an almost full AdS Med Gull was in the field at the back of Rest Bay carpark.

The 2 Marsh Tits were active in Cogan Wood and a male GS ‘Pecker showed [probably the one that was drumming yesterday]. The Lesser Scaup was on E lake but quite mobile and a brief Cetti’s song heard near the main boardwalk.

A Great Spotted Woodpecker was drumming in Cogan Wood this morning. A Sprawk flew over W paddock and the Lesser Scaup was on E lake. Other than that, pretty quiet. Lol Middleton had counted 50 odd Pochard which included, I think, 13 females.

Did the complete 10 km circuit of Cardiff Bay this morning – now knackered! Not much bird-wise except aout 1500 Black-headed Gulls, but of interest there was a colour-ringed Redshank [with a second un-ringed bird] at the mouth of the R. Ely by Penarth Marina with the following credentials:

Upper left leg – orange above a metal ring

Lower left leg – yellow above white

Upper right leg – green above red

Fed up with the wind and rain? Come to KNNR tonight and pretend you’re on the E coast of China in the spring, watching migrants come through! My talk on birding in E China tonight at 7:45 p.m.

Hooray – I finally caught up with the 2 Marsh Tits in Cogan Wood, ironically when I was chatting to someone and not really looking. There were 30 Pochard on W lake of which just 2 were females. The Lsr Scaup was sheltering on E lake in the lee of the central path.

3 Mistle Thrush, 1 Song Thrush and 1 Redwing in W paddock this morning. There seem to be 7 GC Grebes on the lakes. The Lesser Scaup was on E lake, by the reed bed.

An imm Glaucous Gull was reported from Cardiff BaY Wetlands this morning, resting on the perimeter buoys, still present at 13:10.

It’s amazing what sun & blue sky can do! An excellent turnout of 22 folk attended today’s weekday trip – thanks all. Fortunately the Lesser Scaup had decided to return to the lakes after a brief sojourn at CBWR yesterday, and showed well on W lake. Also present there were 5 Shoveler, a few Pochard, 9 Gadwall and the usual Tufties. A Little Egret flew in and landed in a tree by W lake. Whilst discussing the features of Common Gull on the bridge, most of us were rewarded by a 5 second fight view of the Bittern as it moved from one part of the reed bed to the other. A single Snipe flushed from the west paddock and being silent and not ‘towering’, could have been a Jack, although it did fly some distance, but keeping low. Sadly we couldn’t connect with the Marsh Tits in Cogan Wood, despite Lol Middleton having seen them earlier coming down to collect peanuts, and also despite Lol having ‘lent’ me some peanuts! Most of them were snaffled up by a Magpie and a Jay! There were plenty of Long-tailed Tits and a Cetti’s Warbler sang near the cafe and a nice male Siskin was in an Alder near the main boardwalk.

We decided against the planned visit to Cardiff Bay and those that still remained after lunch went down to Swanbridge and had good views of the male Black Redstart.

A Little Egret was the highlight this morning, preening by the W lake reeds, viewed from the viewpoint at the back of the lake, then it flew off to the north with 2 Grey Herons. There were a couple of Siskin by the Med Village boardwalk and a Reed Bunt and a Cetti’s singing there, and the Lsr Scaup was on E lake. Also caught this pair of frogs in flagrante delicto:

Brief windswept dog/family walk this morning of which highlights noted were 4 Shoveler on W lake with 20+ Pochard, the drake Lesser Scaup on E lake sheltering with the Tufties and a party of 6 Long-tailed Tits near the bird table.