22nd March: Willow Warbler 1 Chiffchaff 3 Cetti’s Warbler 3 Great Crested Grebe 1

Ring-necked Duck 2 Pochard 2 Gadwall 3 Tufted Duck 53 Great Crested Grebe 3 Little Grebe 10 Common Sandpiper 1 Chiffchaff 2 mixed flock of Herring and Lesser Black-backed Gulls 70 Black-headed Gull 8

Common Sandpiper 1 Ringed- neck Duck male and female Tufted Duck 69 Great Crested Grebe 2 pair displaying Grey Heron 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker drumming Mistle Thrush 2 Song Thrush 1 singing Grey Wagtail 2

The is a huge area of flooding at the watermill and nearby fields we saw

Grey Heron 4 Little Egret 2 Mallard 26 Teal 59 Wigeon 46 Shelduck 3 Canada Goose 50 Mute Swan 3 Moorhen 2 Curlew 33 Herring Gull 28 Black-headed Gull 2Gret Spotted WP 1Carrion Crow 12 Song thrush 1 Pied Wagtail 4 at Portobello Goldeneye 5 unusually no gulls.

Great Northern Diver 2 Common Sandpiper 1 Ring-necked Duck 1 female Little Egret 1 Little Grebe 12 . Santa Claus on a speed boat was a lifer!

Caerphilly Castle Moat

This morning 1st December 2023 Goosander 4 Teal 1 Grey Heron 1

Goosander 4 Teal 1 drake

There was a very large flock of Herring Gulls on 10th October in the portobello area between 650 and 800. on the 9th at Roath Park a first year Yellow-legged Gull.

This year the vegetation around the moat has not been hacked back. And Yesterday 24th Sep we saw a Stonechat which is the first time we have recorded this species there. Alan Rosney who carries out the WeBS says he has never seen one there. Also present two Kingfishers the Shelduck and two ringed LBB Gulls details of which have been submitted.

Small red-eyed Damselfly also Common Blue Damselfly + Emperor 4 Broad-bodied Chaser 6, Mute Swan 88 Great Crested Grebe 1

Wednesday am. Redstart 1 juv Tree Pipit 2 Jay 3 Curlew heard

Dragonflies: Emperor 2BroadBodied Chaser 6 Four Spot Chaser 4 Golden Ringed Dragonfly 3 Large Red Damselfly 1 Azure Blue Damselfly 10 Beautiful Demoiselle 1

Spotted Flycatcher

Walking into town, noticed all the birds up over the castle then saw the cause of the panic a Goshawk. Also Sand Martins and a Goosander.

Willow Warbler 3 Chiffchaff 1 Sand Martin 20 Goosander 3

At least 10 Sand Martins this morning.

January 28th. A Common Gull was the first we have seen here, along with three colour ringed LBBG’s two of which were ringed on Flat Holm. Also, Goosander 9 two drakes Kingfisher 1 Mute Swan 2 and the long stayer Shelduck.

A leucitic Black-headed Gull bill and primary colour normal wings and mantle snow white. A Ringed-neck Parakeet was making its presence known by calling continuously. Also, Water Rail Great Crested Grebe and 14 Tufted Ducks

Stock Dove 2 Tree Creeper 2 Chiffchaff 1 Green Woodpecker 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker 1 Redwing 10 Song Thrush 2 Goosander 1 Also a late Migrant Hawker. All seen whilst cyclist used us to practice their slalom skills.

still Blackcap and Chiffchaff singing. Redstart male Raven 8 Green Woodpecker 1 Butterflies: Meadow Brown 10 Ringlet 20 Gatekeeper 12 Comma 1 Large White 4 Dragonflies: Four-spot chaser 1 Emperor 2 Broad-bodied Chaser 2 Emerald Damselfly 10 Azure Blue 8 Pics immature male Broad-bodied Chaser.

A Hobby few over Caerphilly Castle last evening chasing the Sand Martin a flock of 40. Also Kingfisher and two Ravens and two Swifts. The ‘Wild Meadow’ is doing much better this year and it looks like they have prepared other flower beds.