Appear to be 2 Bittern on the reserve. One flew from the island reed bed at 16:15 and then a second at 16:45. Was watching the area inbetween and didn’t see the first bird fly back. 

Nice to see two broods of Tufted Duck on the reserve this afternoon, one brood of 5 the other 8.

Flock of 26 Whimbrel N over the barrage at 07:20, also 2 ‘flava’ Wagtails E and 2 Wheatear on the grass. Several hundred Sand Martin and 30+ Swift feeding over the Bay with a few Swallow and House Martin mixed in at 08:00. On the barrage rocks 3 Common Sand with another 3 on the banks of the Ely along John Batchelor Way.

A Swift over Schooner Way late morning.

Four Common Sandpiper on the Barrage rocks earlier this morning along with 2 Wheatear and 6 White Wagtails.

Seems there was a minor arrival of Whitethroats today. Numbers have gone from one on Tuesday, three yesterday and a minimum of nine today. Four in Hamadryad Park, two on the Wetland Reserve, two on the barrage path and one at Grangemoor. There was also a Lesser Whitethroat at Grangemoor on the old gas holder site near the mobile phone mast.

Other birds seemingly new in were Sedge Warblers singing from brambles in Hamadryad Park and at Grangemoor. 

Also several Common Sandpipers, with a minimum of six inc. three at Prospect Place. 

Lovely to have the chance to see a Greenshank on the deck in the Bay – normally just fly-overs. This one on the Ely along John Batchelor Way found by Mathew Meehan.

River Ely, Cardiff Bay

River Ely, Cardiff Bay

A male Redstart made a brief appearance in the bushes by the knot sculpture early this morning but eventually performed well in the ash trees there in the late afternoon sunshine. A female Stonechat was also present along with the solitary Reed Warbler.

Bird of the day was Ring-necked Duck found Graham Smith, great to get that on the patch again this year.

The Redstart, Stonechat and record shots of the Ring-necked Duck below.

Cardiff Wetland Reserve

Two Sandwich Tern and a Green Sandpiper through/over the Bay this morning in the fog. The Adult Little Gull and the 2cy Glaucous Gull both present as was the Long-tailed Duck, close to the barrage first thing but on the Wetland Reserve late morning. A pair of Scaup were present off the old ice rink boardwalk – didn’t see any at all yesterday.

Record shot of one of the Sandwich Terns this morning.

The summer plumaged Black-necked Grebe finally (and very briefly) ventured close enough in towards St David’s Hotel to get some shots late pm – there was even decent light too.

Adult Little Gull feeding with Black-headed Gulls mid-bay 09:45. Viewable from barrage or Prospect Place. 

Three Waxwings in trees around the area from 12:00-12:40 when they flew off NE over Techniquest. No berries for them so they were flycatching!

Adult Yellow-legged Gull on the pontoons in front of the Pierhead building 16:30 this afternoon.

Yellow-legged back left with Herring Gull in foreground and Lesser to the right

Good view of the Glaucous Gull from in front of St David’s Hotel as it flew around over the reserve and around the hotel at midday.

Long-tailed Duck with the 8 Scaup today from the barrage and in flight.

Despite the murk and gloom this morning the Bittern left the island reed bed at 07:50 and landed high up in the reeds across the bay facing the boardwalk about 130m away. It stayed there until 08:45 when it finally climbed down the reeds and crept away. Light was terrible but scope views were actually okay once the cloud lifted a bit.

Poor record shot of the bird sitting in the reeds. ISO 3200, 130m and really poor light don’t make for great photos – nor the fact the bird is extremely well camouflaged!

Evening update:
At 16:55 the bird came out of the reed island, did a circuit of the the reserve then landed back in the reeds. I had been down there since 16:00, I’d like to think I didn’t miss it going in but crossing the channel takes seconds so it’s easily missed. Some even grainier flight shots below.

Bittern seen flying across from the big bay into the far end of the reed islands at 16.25

First visit in quite a few days. Long-tailed Duck still present in the same area. Two Black Redstarts around Penarth Marina (ad male and f/imm) and at least 4 Scaup on the wetland reserve. 

Long-tailed Duck still present just east of the sails.

Some photos from this morning in rather nicer light than yesterday.

Long-tailed Duck close in near the sails at 09:55. Still present at 12:30 at least.

Couple of shots – it was very close in at times – shame it wasn’t in a slightly neater plumage.

Very smart juvenile Little Gull from the barrage path just north of the Harbour Authority compound (although last seen feeding out from the sails at 11:30).

Earlier there were 2 Wheatear near the Norwegian Church and a Spotted Flycatcher in the ash tree at the dog-leg in the barrage path near Dr Who