Not been birding myself today, but Lol Middleton had a 1st Kittiwake and a Gannet off Lavernock Pt this morning, and a 1st Med Gull at Cosmeston. Black Redstart still at Penarth Marina per Gareth Pryce.

I try & transfer news to here as there are quite a number of people who do not use Facebook, so a plea to post here too if you can.

Main bird of note was a fem Goldeneye on W lake, in the small bay with the posts. There were 20 Tufted Duck in total but only 2 Pochard. Plenty of Redwing and a few Fieldfare flying around.

Very dull & dismal this a.m.. CBWR just produced 1 fem Goldeneye of interest, and a Cetti’s singing briefly. No sign of Lsr Scaup or RND, either here or by the road bridge in Hamadryad Park.

Pochard are now up to 9. Many Redwing & Fieldfare flying around and 20 or so of the former in trees near the bird table. Great Tit, Blue Tit, Coal Tit, Nuthatch, Chaffinch and Goldcrest in Cogan Wood by the feeding log, but no sign of the Marsh Tit there, seen recently by Paul Denning.

Dedicated vis-miggers were out early this morning but I haven’t seen any reports as yet. At Lavernock reserve there were many Fieldfare and Redwing going over and in the trees, and I met Graham Smith who had counted something like 1000 Chaffinch going over, together with Brambling. I heard a few Brambling calling and there were a number of Goldcrest about. In Rowlands Well fields there was a flock of 1500-2000 Linnet and the far hedgerow there had many Chaffinch dropping down to feed, and I did manage to see a few Brambling. Lol Middleton had a single Swallow at Lavernock Point, plus Peregrine, Kestrel, Sprawk and both winter thrushes, and a possible Wood Lark. As Lol & I left a Merlin shot through along the cliff line. There were put to 6 Goldcrest around the Church area. Graham Smith also had a pair of Goosander fly over the reserve, and a flock of Golden Plover.

At Cosmeston there were 4 Pochard on W lake and 2 Little Grebe were out in the open. Plenty of Redwing a Fieldfare there too, and I flushed a Jack Snipe as I walked past the ‘snipe paddock’.

pretty quiet this morning. Highlights were 2 Swallows heading west, and 2 very active Green ‘Peckers, and a Lesser B-b Gull 1st yr with blue darvic left leg with characters in white F.281 which I think is a Flat Holm bird.

no sight or sound of YBW at recently reported location but 4 Chiffchaff and a male Blackcap there [mid-late afternoon].

delayed WeBS: highlights – 1000 Redshank, 100 Dunlin, 220 Shelduck. 40 Pintail, 7 Shoveler, 7 Teal, male Stonechat, 3 ad GBB Gulls. At the Heliport, 10 Turnstone, 2 Curlew, 7 Oyc,  24 Shelduck.

3 avocet reported there this morning per Neil Donaghy. Prob still on the reserve in slacks or saltmarsh.

YB Wblr still reported as present today, 200m beyond the sailing centre building by the picnic tables – per BirdGuides.

Reserve: 20 Goldfinch, 2 Jay, Linnet 200 [in Rowlands Well stubble field], Red Kite  circling distantly [prob over Cosmeston], Redwing 1 f/o, 1 Kestrel, 2 Stonechat by the sea watch shelter [first I’ve seen on the reserve for ages], and Speckled Woods and war was prob a fem Migrant Hawker;

Lavernock Pt: 2 Sprawk [1f 1m], 6 Buzzard, 1 Kestrel, 4 Sky Lark, 2 Chiffchaff by the church, 50 Linnet, 4 Chaffinch, 2 Mipit f/o, 3 Long-t Tit, Swallows and a House Martin.

Yellow browed warbler reported again this morning just S of the reserve centre building.

this morning: c.180 Canada Geese – they’re taking the place over! 18 Gt Crested Grebe and 6 Little Grebe.

Hobby hunting over w lake, 15 redwing flew over, male blackcap in south meadow.

Small feeding flock along the central path had c.10 Long-t Tit with a couple of Chiffchaff and a Goldcrest, and 2 more Chiffies in scrub beyond the dragonfly pond. Also a couple of Song Thrush there and 20 Goldfinch. O/W pretty quiet.

In a cold stiff easterly. 22 Wigeon offshore by the mouth of R. Thaw. 8 Oyc and 16 Turnstone on the beach and 2 Rock Pipits. Pair of Stonechat, 4 Siskin, 40 Linnet, 30 Goldfinch, 1 Buzzard and a pair of Little Grebe on the lagoon.

Hobby showing well at knnr south pool

Vis mig also at Lavernock although I was a little late arriving so didn’t do a count. However many Meadow Pipits were flying over together with Chaffinch and Swallow. David Gilmore was already there so no doubt he will put up some totals. In two stubble fields adjacent to the Lavernock reserve entrance and behind the house along the road, there was a total of around 1000 Linnet. No birds in the stubble at Rowlands Well fields tho’. Also at Lav. Pt, Sparrowhawk, Kestrel, 20 Goldfinch and a few Skylark and also a few Chiffchaff by the church.

Highlights this morning: 2 Red Kites over the edge of Cogan Wood by the dragonfly pond, then drifted off S. Also 1 Buzzard there, and a fly-over G S Woodpecker. There appeared to have been a small ‘fall’ of Meadow Pipits with around 40 in total, most of which were in the large field behind the play park, with about 20 Goldfinch. Green ‘Pecker vocal there too. 2 Little Grebe on W lake and a few Swallows going over.

The cafe is closed now until Monday, for refurbishment before new management takes over.

Just a heads up that the first GBC indoor meet of 2015 is Tues week Tues 6th Oct. I’ll be giving a presentation on a trip a few of us did to Sri Lanka in March 2014. It’s a cracker! Lots of endemics!