Alba Wagtail Roath Park lake 20th January 2016. Alba yarrellii or Alba alba what’s your 10p on? I think despite the Aa appearance it is probably yarrellii as the mantle has faint markings but, I would not bet too much on it!

A male Brambling in BP and a Firecrest were the highlights of our walk. Record shot of Firecrest

Red Kite initially with Buzzard moved slowly north. Kingfisher 1 Lots and lots of Coal Tits. No warblers. Common Darter 6 including a pair in the process of ovipositing. MJ &JPP

Chough 7 (poss 9) Peregrine 2 Kestrel 4 Sparrowhawk 1 Buzzard 2 Herring Gull a conservative estimate of 600 on the ploughed fields. Wheatear 2 Rock Pipit 10 Meadow Pipit 10 Teal 12 and Wigeon 4 athe the Watermill Little Egret 1 Portobello. Butterflies: clouded Yellow 1 Red Admiral 1 Painted lady 1 Large White 12 Small White 1

Sparrowhawk 1 Linnet 4 Green Woodpecker 2 (I Juv) Sandmartin 2 Swallow 20 House Martin 10 Oystercatcher 6 Rock Pipit 1

Butterflies: Holly Blue 4 Common Blue 2 Comma 3 Painted Lady 1 Red Admiral 2 Large White 6 Speckled Wood 8 Grayling 1 Gatekeeper 12

 

Blackcap 5 Willow warbler 1 Chiffchaff 3 Linnet 2 Great Spotted Woodpecker 1 Raven 1 Bullfinch 1 Butterflies: Ringlet Speckled Wood Meadow Brown and not a single dragonfly.

A short visit this afternoon produced a Hobby. Nothing else of note showing in very windy conditions.

Ring Ouzel 1 Tree Pipit 1 Meadow Pipit 10 Raven 2 Red Kite 1 Buzzard 1 Peregrine 1 Stonechat 3 Wheatear 1 in the woods below Pied Flycatcher 2 Willow Warbler 4 Blackcap 3 Chiffchaff 1

Dunnock 18 mostly singing males Carrion Crow 70 loose flock in ploughed  field Rook 3 Buzzard 1 Greenfinch 6 Chiffchaff 2

Black Redstart 1 (male) Kingfisher 1 Grey Wagtail 1 Pied Wagtail 1  Common Gull 1 Cormorant 16 many in BP Great Crested Grebe 1 Redshank 4

 

Blackcap 2 females Black Redstart 1 male Turnstone 8 Redshank 3  Kingfisher 1 Great B/B Gull 1 Common Gull 1

Little Grebe 1 Great Crested Grebe 1

13th December

Adult Yellow-legged Gull at the lake and 4 un-crippling views of Hawfinch and the forest.

Raven 2 Red Kite 3 Buzzard 4 Stonechat 1 Green Woodpecker 1 biggest surprise was a Peacock Butterfly at 1000f above sea level in November just!

Lesser Scaup 1 drake with 148 Tufted Ducks Kingfisher 1 Kestrel Water Rail heard Turnstone 4 Linnet 40 Rock Pipit 1 Gulls Greater B/B 4 Lesser B/B Herring and Black-headed.

Swallow 8 heading SW Greenfinch flock of 40 Linnet 20 Grey Wagtail 2 Grey Heron 1 in field near church

Hobby chasing the hirundines lots passing through. And a Wheatear perched on a hay bail in the middle of a field.

Not many birds at the reserve today but a juvenile Green Woodpecker fed outside the north hide for 40 minutes.