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!

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.