This is a reminder that the Club has a Small Grants Scheme for grants of up to £250 for specific projects as detailed on the website – see this link. This reminder is to alert members that the deadline for applications for the next tranche is 30th June 2023. All details are on the website via the link above.

The first is the annual evening visit to Llanwonno to hear and hopefully see Nightjars. This is on Thurs 1st June. I can’t lead this one so Alan Rosney is kindly stepping in. As per usual, meet at 8:30 p.m. in the large dirt car park below the Brynffynon Hotel at ST031956. Bring a torch and insect repellent. Depending on where the birds are it may involve a walk of up to 1/2 mile along the narrow road. No particular need to let us  know in advance.

Then on Sunday 4th we have a trip to the RSPB Dinas reserve, north of Llandovery, hoping for Pied and Spotted Flycatchers, Redstart, Wood Warbler and many other woodland species. It’s quite a drive [75 miles from me] and takes about 2 hrs depending on where you come from. I suggest trying to get there by about 09:30. The reserve car park is at SN787470 about 1/2 mile south of Llyn Brianne reservoir, and is reached via a long winding narrow road running north from Llandovery via Rhandirmwyn. It would be useful to know who is coming on this one. I can offer a lift from St Margaret’s Road, Whitchurch for pick up at 07:30. Also anyone else willing to car share shd be there a bit before that. All plse let me know whether you are going straighgt there or not.

There’s a field trip next weekend, on Sunday 21st to Castell Nos, an upland area of restored peatland above Maerdy. The meet time is 9 a.m. and the location, a layby on the A4233 between Maerdy and Aberdare, Grid Ref. SN 97300 00012, indicated by the red arrow on the map below. NB the layby is on the left going north, and is beyond the “Beyond Lands End” car park iindicated on Google maps, which is to the right of the road..

Details re the trip are on the website here.

Car sharing is possible by meeting at the St Margaret’s Road meeting point in Whitchurch, Cardiff, which is shown on the website page linked above. I can take 3 people. Departure from there will be at 8:15. Others can share share if they wish.

I need to know by email who is coming and whether you intend to go straight there or wish to car share. johndw1948 at gmail dot com

Been away for a few days so apologies for shortish notice. There’s a field trip a week today, on Thurs 11th May to Cwm Claisfer reserve which is just in Powys, south of Llangynidr and north of Rassau, the latter which lies just S of the Heads of the Valleys road. The reserve lies next to the B4560 Llangynidr Road. The meet point is on a right hand downhill haripin bend as indicated by the red arrow in the map. below. The travel time from Cardiff is a bit over an hour depending on traffic. As this is a mid week trip I suggest meeting there at around 10 a.m. The alternative is far too early for me, if I am to avoid the traffic jam that comprises Penarth at commuter time.

The most direct route is up the A470 to Merthyr then along the A465 Heads of the Valleys Rd. You must leave the A465 at the exit which is initially signed Rassau Industrial Estate then Ebbw Vale A4048. At the roundabout at the bottom of the slip road take the second exit which was signed A4281 Rassau as you drove down the slip then at the next v close rbt take the 1st exit, stil for A4281. You then stick on the A4281, going across 1 rbt, then looking for a sign for a left turn for Llangynidr. Turn left and the road bends round left to a T junction. Turn right here and you’re on the Llangynidr Road A4560, which goes all the way to the meet point. You go across some moorland, ignioring any laybys on the left, and the road eventually starts to drop downhill. There’s a left hairpin and then you drop fairly steeply to the RH hairpin where we meet.

Be aware that the walk in the past has involved climbing over a gate to access the downhill track between the trees – I haven’t been there for quite a while but I don’t think there’s a stile onto the track. Maybe Alan who is on this email list, can update if necessary as I’m sure he’s been there much more recently than I. The track goes downhill for about 1/2 mile or so and the return route is back up again. Hoped for species are Redstart, Whinchat, Stonechat, Tree Pipit, Cuckoo, Wood Warbler. Gos has been seen in teh area in the past but it’s a bit late for them to be ‘showy’ now. We might call in to Llangorse Lake afterwards.

As always, let me know if you intend coming. ….  and sorry this is rather long but there was a bit to explain for the benefit of those not familiar with the site.
John Wilson

Members may be interested to note that Peter Lansdown, a previous County Recorder and a member of GBC, will be present and will have copies of his recently publshed book, “Rare and Scarce birds of Eastern Glamorgan” for sale. Peter was co-author of the Birds of Glamorgan. The new book documents all the rare and scarce birds that have occurred in Eastern Glamorgan. With 148 pages, the book has 102 photos (many taken by the late Richard Smith) and covers 140 species. It is priced at £18 (cash or cheque please).

A bit later than I intended but I’ve been away for 10 days and rather busy since I got back late on Monday.

So, there’s a field trip to Goldcliff on the E side of Newport on Tues next week, 25th Apr. Not sure how it happened but this is the same day as the GBC AGM which is in the evening [as per the website]. Hence I’m not going to make this a full day as I have a few things to prepare for the AGM. High tide is at around 10 a.m. so as it’s a weekday I suggest meeting at Goldcliff at around 9 a.m. depending on rush hour traffic.

For those that haven’t been there the Grid Ref is ST356836 and parking is either on the LH verge by the orange arrow in the map below, or there is some parking down the track opposite over a rather sharp hump back bridge, and it will be muddy if it has rained.

As it’s a weekday I hope it won’t be too busy as space is limited in the hides and on the viewing areas. Depending on the response I may have to call a halt to bookings if numbers start to get too high, so it’ll be first come first served. Obv I can’t stop people going of their own accord.

Let me know by email if you intend coming. I can’t offer any lifts as Whithcurch in Cardiff would be a nightmare to get to for me in the morning, but if you’re a Penarthian then let me know. John W

GBC AGM will be held live at Pencoed Rugby Club starting at 7:30 p.m. on Tues 25th April. Full details are in the embedded pdf notice below. The displayed page is scrollable or can be popped out into a new window with the popout button top right. In the popout view the pdf can be downloaded using the down arrow symbol top right. As always, the official business will be followed by one of Alan Rosney’s devilish birdy quizzes. There will also be refreshments.

Important documents: These are documents which we are required by charity rules, to be made available before the AGM itself.

Trustees annual report for 2022-2023 – please click here – this is the annual report which will be given by the Chair of the Trustees, Jean Haslam, at the AGM itself, and which we also have to submit to the Charities Commission.

Treasurer’s draft Annual Statement of Accounts for year ended 31st March 2023: please click here. NB these remain subject to independent examination by the auditor. Once he has done so and signed them off, updated copies will be uploaded and accessible via the same link above..

Biographies/profiles of persons standing for election as trustees: please click here – there are 4 persons – Alan Rosney, Robert Bradshaw, David Hibler and John Western.

Trip cancellation. Sorry to announce that tomorrow’s trip to South Gower is cancelled. Alan has called me to say that the weather forecast is pretty awful and will wipe out most of the day [which looking at the weather sites is definitely the case], so he has rightly decided to cancel it

We know some of you who had booked, will have already heard directly from Alan but this is just in case anyone decided to come at the last minute. John Wilson

There’s a field trip to south Gower next week, on Thursday 16th. This has been listed on the website since last April but for some reason it was dated as Tues 14th on the printed programme cards that some will have received, so apologies for that.
Unfortunately I cannot lead this one as we have workmen in our house all next week and I need to be on hand.

Alan Rosney has kindly agreed to act as leader [alanrosney@gmail.com] – thanks Alan. On the day he would iike someone to act as deputy and will be asking for a volunteer.

The arrangement is to meet at the Oxwich Bay carpark [SS501865] at 10 a.m. It would be helpful if you can let Alan know if you intend coming.

We announce the launch of “Rare and Scarce Birds of Eastern Glamorgan”

Peter Lansdown, co-author of the Birds of Glamorgan, has recently published another book, documenting the rare and scarce birds that have occurred in Eastern Glamorgan. With 148 pages, the book has 102 photos (many taken by the late Richard Smith) and covers 140 species. Peter will be at the next GBC indoor meeting, (next Tuesday at Pencoed Rugby Club – 7:30) selling copies. It is priced at £18 (cash or cheque please). If you cannot attend the meeting then please contact Peter direct . He is at 197, Springwood, Llanedeyrn, Cardiff, CF23 6UG. Email peterlansdown at btinternet dot com. The price including p&p is £21.70, cheques payable to Mr. P. Lansdown.
Front cover and sample text page below.

Another advance notice. There will be a live, in person, indoor meeting on Tues 7th March at 7:30 p.m. at Pencoed Rugby Club (SS961813 – CF35 5PB).
Club member Paul Denning who some of you may know, will be giving an illustrated presentation entitled ‘Living the high life in France’. Paul’s talks are always entertaining and the intriguing title suggests some interesting birds to be seen.
The location is easy to find off J.35 of the M4. Go north [right] on the A473, take 1st exit at the first roundabout and the rugby club is immediately on your left.

Sorry for shortish notice [bit busy], but hot on the heels of our trip last weekend to Ogmore, there’s a trip this coming Sunday 5th Mar to the Forest of Dean. Many will know this is our more or less annual outing to try & see displaying Goshawk, plus Hawfinch, Marsh Tit, Mandarin if you like pretty ducks and other common woodland species.

Meet point will be as usual at the New Fancy View viewpoint car park, about a mile north of Parkend [see attached pdf]. The road leading in to Parkend from the south is the B4234 from Lydney.

We will meet in the car park at 09:30. The post code given is GL15 4HS. Grid Ref SO627095. There’s no need to formally book, but it is usefuil if I know you will be coming. John Wilson – johndw1948 at gmail dot com

There’s a local field trip to Ogmore next Sunday, 26th Feb, the main aim to see Purple Sandpipers, but also any other waders and whatever else may be around of course, including Goldeneye and Goosander on the river. We normally do some initial scanning at Portobello but the parking ‘field’ there is now closed off. Offroad parking opposite at the entrance to Pant Norton is very limited so as we are a group and also as the tide is in from about 10 a.m. to midday I suggest we meet in the main car park at Ogmore-by-Sea.

I will try to get there by about 9 a.m. and I suggest parking at the far [eastern] end which is nearest where the Purple Sands are usually found.

Acc to the Vale Council website, parking charges are £1 for up to 1 hour, then £6 all day, so apparently nothing in between. As I am thinking of then walking upstream by the R., Ogmore towards Portobello so we’ll inevitably be more than 1 hour so be prepared to pay £6, unless you have a disablility badge, then it’s free. Apparently all the machines accept cash or card payment, including contactless. They do not give change for cash payments.

As usual let me know if you intend coming. I’m afraid I can’t offer car sharing unless you’re somewhere convenient west of Penarth. johndw1948 at gmail dot com

There will be a Zoom talk & presentation for members, on Tues 7th Feb starting at 7:30 p.m., when Journalist, Author & Campaigner Tessa Boase will tell us all about the women who founded the RSPB way back in 1889. It should be a fascinating story. Please email me if you wish to join the meeting. John Wilson – johndw1948 at gmail dot com.

There’s a field trip to Chew Valley Lake, S of Bristol, next weekend on Sunday 5th Feb. In order to be able to visit the hides rather than just the public areas by the roadside at Herriot’s Bridge and Heron’s Green, we have to get Bristol Water day permits. Last year we were lucky to bump into a ranger by the laybys who could issue them. I thought we could get permits at Woodford Lodge but it’s not open on winter weekends. I will try & get a group one by phone tomorrow [Thurs 2nd] but if not we rely on bumping into a ranger. The main birds will be wildfowl – there is a female Smew there at the moment.

Heads up – some info just received – there’s now a clean air zone in Bristol with traffic charges [this started in Nov 2022 apparently]. Hence if you come all the way down the Avon Gorge [A4] road the bottom end of this enters the charging zone. There is a route well out of the zone if you come off the M5 at Gordano although it’s a bit more complicated.
On a Sunday it shd take about 1 hr 30 mins so I suggest meeting at the Herriot’s Bridge layby on the A368 at the SE corner of the lake, at 09:30. The permits are £6. See map below.
We can probably arrange car share if there are enough people willing to do so, in which case the meet point is at the bottom end of St Margarets Rd in Whitchurch, Cardiff [see the fielld trips page on the website]. We shd depart there at 8 a.m.
I can’t guarantee enough seats for car share so I really need to know who wishes to have a lift in advance, and also who woiuld be williing to share their car, and I also need to know who intends coming anyway  – so let me know whether you are going straight there or not.

That’s about it – some of the hide access paths can be muddy so wear suitable footwear.

Hi all

Advanced notice that there’s an all day field trip to Whiteford Point on the Gower, followed by a dusk watch for harriers at Llanridian Marsh, on Sunday 15th Jan – i.e. next Sunday.

High tide is at approx 11 a.m. so I’d suggest getting to the Whiteford Beach car park at Cwm Ivy at 09:30 as it’s a long walk. The map below shows the location of the car park [field] which many will be familiar with. Points to note:

1. It could be v muddy, esp the section after the conifer plantation to the point itself, so wear suitable waterproof footwear. The walk is approx 4 km each way:
2. There’s a steep [tarmac] hill immed after the car parking field which is fine at the start, but has to be walked up at the end of the return from Whiteford Point. And I mean steep!:
3. Because this is a westerly location for me, I can’t pick up anyone from St Margaret’s Rd as it’s in the wrong direction:
4. I haven’t been for a couple of years but theI assume  parking field is still a sloping grass field which can be slippery so be judicious as to where and how you park [as long as it’s neatly].

Please let me know if you intend coming. John Wilson

There’s an ‘in person’ indoor meeting on Tues 10th Jan next week, which is an illusfrarted review of 2022 with images of many birds that were seen during the year and no doubt other highlights of  the year. It will start at 7:30 p.m. and will be at Pencoed Rugby Club which is at 31 Felindre Road, Pencoed, CF35 5PB. Come off M4 at J.35, go north on A473 and take 1st exit at the first rbt and the Rugby Club is almost immediately on the left.

I’m currently in Norfolk and will still be on the night so please direct any queries to one of the committee:

Contact GBC

The first outing of the new year will be a simple local trip covering Cosmeston Lakes CP and if time permits, Cardiff Bay, on Mon 2nd January.

I think the easiest option is for all to meet in the car park at Cosmeston at say 9:30 a.m. [to avoid rush hour as the traffic can be a problem].

There is a charge for parking at Cosmeston now, £1 for up to 2 hours or £2 for up to 4 hours and the machines can take contactless payment. I’d think 2 hours shd be adequate but be aware that although it’s free up to 10 a.m. you still need to cover being there after 10 if you arrve at 09:30. It’s only £1.

Current birds around at the moment are a few Pochard, Tufties, around 30 Teal, Redwing Fieldfare and Hawfinch have started to appear again in the last couple of days.

For Cardiff Bay it depends what is around as to where to park. Certainly not in the barrage car park at Penarth [it’s expensive]. Recently there have been Goldeneye and a Scaup off the Ice Rink area, Common Sandpiper & Turnstone by Penarth Marina and of course there’s Bleck Redstarts over by Porth Teigr. There’s fee free parrking for all these localities.

As always, let me know if you intend coming. John Wilson

There will be a visit to Slimbridge WWT on Saturday 10th Dec [this is a revised date from the originally scheduled date of Sun 11th which is an important winterf WeBS count day].
The reserve opens at 09:30 so I suggest trying to get there at around that time, which using Cardiff as a start point, means leaving at around 8 a.m. To car share be at the usual Whitchurch end of St Margaret’s Rd at 8 a.m. and please:
1) email me if you are inteding to come and
2) say whether you will go straight there or wish to car share – I can take 3 passengers.

If you are not a member of WWT, the entry fee is £15 [or £16.50 if you gift aid it].

My email – johndw1948 at gmail dot com [please only email as it’s onerous to try & keep tabs on all modes of communcation].

There’s a Zoom talk next week on Tues 6th Dec, when Mark Eaton of the Rare Birds Breeding Panel will tell us all about the work they do in collecting, analysing, reporting and archiving rare bird breeding records in the UK.

There’s more info on their website here: https://rbbp.org.uk/

The talk will start at 7:30 p.m., with the Zoom room opening about 15 minutes before that. If you would like to ‘attend’, please email me for teh login details – johndw1948 at gmail dot com.