Great Northern Diver showed well from the Barrage by the fish pass for awhile around midday. Close enough to get a record shot.

Great Northern Diver close to the Cardiff Yacht club moorings c.10:00 (seen from the Barrage side but not seen later on around midday from the boardwalk). Also male Goosander (female seen yesterday afternoon). Lesser Scaup and an odd hybrid (perhaps TuftedxPochard?) also on the reserve.

 
A couple of record shots of the hybrid on CBWR this morning (Lesser Scaup in the background of the shot on right).

Beautiful light on the wharf this afternoon. Birds of note: 230 Pintail, 40 Shelduck, 30 Shoveler, 150 Lapwing, 200 Redshank, 600 Dunlin and 1 Cetti’s Warbler.

Slightly surprised to see 18 Bullfinch around Grangemoor Park this morning inc. groups of 6, 5 and 3 plus another couple of pairs.

Both adult male Black Redstarts showing very well in the marina area. Also adult Mediterranean Gull on the wetland reserve with a Polish colour-ring – awaiting ringing details.

The adult male Black Redstart was extremely obliging this morning and in glorious sunshine, seemed completely unconcerned by me clicking away a mere 5-6m from it. More photos here

Very obliging Kingfisher and Water Rail from the boardwalk this morning – or rather on the boardwalk in the case of the Kingfisher! More photos here.

2 Swallows west over the car park at the Barrage. Also a 2nd winter Med Gull on the pontoon at Channel View slip – which has no feet, just two stumps.

Kingfishers showing very well around the boardwalk in the wetland reserve this morning, at least 3 birds – and a Water Rail creeping around right next to the boardwalk but just in the bushes.

Good passage of Woodpigeons over this morning. Had meant to go elsewhere to watch but they were already going over when I looked out of the house at 07:15 so just got to the nearest place with a decent clear horizon. Logged 116,600 between 07:15-10:30 with main passage being between 07:30-09:30. Early on the flocks were overhead or even out over the channel a little but by 08:00 or so most of the flocks were north of me and passing over the city centre, nearly all birds moving SW.

Small movement of c.4,800 Wood Pigeons this morning heading west seen from my house 08.30-10.00

There’s been quite a few comments over the last year or so about ditches needing to be cleared of reed – well the clearance has started!

Two Bearded Tit in the centre of the reserve yesterday afternoon (per James Vafidis).

Lesser Scaup was very obliging this morning and quite close in to the St David’s Hotel boardwalk, managed to get a few shots for the record. Also a quite obliging Cetti’s just off the CBWR boardwalk.

Select counts from a circuit of the bay this morning:
Coot 420
Moorhen 36
Little Grebe 31
GC Grebe 41
Canada Goose 210
Mute Swan 110
Widgeon 17
Teal 5
Cormorant 74
Chiffchaff 27
Blackcap 7
Garden Warbler 1
Robin 41
Pied Wagtail 29

Good number of migrants around today with 6 species of warbler seen in or just outside the garden. Totals:
Chiffchaff c.20
Blackcap minimum 7
Willow Warbler 4
Garden Warbler 1
Common Whitethroat 1
Lesser Whitethroat 1

Heavy passage of hirundines over the bay again this morning. Mainly Swallows but also good numbers of House Martins and a few Sand Martins. Saw perhaps c.6,000 Swallow, c.800 House Martin and 100 Sand Martin heading east between 9:00-10:30

Large number of hirundines over the Bay this morning as well as birds passing through. most of the birds hanging around the Bay were House Martins while the birds passing through were largely Swallows. Rough estimate of c.1,500 House Martin and 500 Swallow.

Good passage of Swallows heading east along the barrage and across the bay this morning. Only spent a short time counting but saw 800+ in less than an hour.

Must have been a mini arrival of Spotted Flycatchers in the Cardiff area, just seen one in the bushes behind my house! Only the 3rd time I’ve seen one from the house in 19 years.

Marsh Harrier very high over the wetlands reserve at 09:30, drifted off to the north.

Quite  a few migrants in the bushes as well, including a Garden Warbler

Red-crested Pochard present until  at least 10:00, outside the reserve along east fringe of vegetation between the floating barrier and St David’s Hotel. Visible, albeit distantly, from by the first picnic benches on the barrage walk just past the drydock.