Three Goosander including one drake on 27th October.

And found Bearded Tits at RSPB Newport on Sunday 27 Oct 2024 after 3 years looking

A few random images from Cosmeston visits recently. The display dancing GCGs were a bit of a surprise. The lone Siskin was by the Mile Road near the E paddock kissing gate on 14th. Oct. The Long-tailed Tit was in a party of around 15 this morning [25 Oct] which was accompanied by a Goldcrest. The images are individually captioned where necessary.

A few bits & bobs from reccent days.
11th Oct at Lavernock – a brief visit for a change of scene. Very muddy. A female Blackcap was in trees behind the gun emplacements, and there were 2 Chiffchaffs, 2 Jay and a few Skylarks overhead.
13th Oct at Cosmeston – There were c.20 Swallows over W lake and 30 Tufted Duck there, and also 80 Black-headed Gulls also on W lake.
14th Oct at Cosmeston – a single Siskin by the Mile Road was the first I’d seen in the park for a while – probably since last winter.
18th Oct at Cosmeston – A feeding party of Long-tailed Tits just had a Goldcrest with them. Also noted were 1 Meadow Pipit, a Sparrowhawk that flew through W. paddock, 2 Skylark overhead, a pair of Great Crested Grebes were displaying and Cetti’s Warbler heard.
Yesterday 23rd Oct at Lavernock reserve – still failed on trying to find Yellow-browed Warbler that had been seen 2 days ago. A Long-tailed Tit feeding party just had a couple of accompanying Chiffchaffs. Three Bullfinches flew around calling and 2 Jay and 2 Mistle Thrushes were active. I heard both Green and Great Spotted Woodpeckers. Yesterday there were 3 separate Cetti’s Warblers calling in the E lake reeds area.

Small movement to ssw again this morning over Canton, Cardiff. 1800 in half an hour. Plus 40 Redwing.

Small movement ssw today after the mist lifted, 1015 counted in thirty minutes over Canton, Cardiff at mid-day.

This weekend saw a successful and enjoyable GBC stay at Portland Bird Observatory with 13 folk staying in the ‘Obs’ and 3 others joining us independently. 89 species were logged, highlights undoubtedly being the 2 Red-breasted Flycatchers, a Yellow-browed Warbler & a Firecrest, albeit ‘in the hand’, Hobby, migrating Balearic Shearwaters plus innumerable Gannets of all ages, & Kittiwake & auks. Corn Buntings at Maiden Castle and a good selection of waders at Ferrybridge plus a roost of 80+ Mediterranean Gulls. Lodmoor RSPB reserve in Weymouth gave us glimpses of Bearded Tit. Click here for the full list and info. Thanks for Prof Peter Morgan of Cardiff for the seawatching pic.

The Black Tern is still feeding on Lisvane, also a Common Sandpiper.

Midday-ish today. New arrivals were 10 Teal on west lake, together with around 30 Tufted Duck, 2 drake Pochard and a lone eclipse Wigeon. The Heron was in the favoured tree near the main bridge. Annoyingly there were 3 men fishing with hand lines, including the 2 pictured on the kayak launching platform on E lake. The other guy spent some time along the far shore of W lake in the conservation area, and then moved round to the shoreline of E lake. There’s no fishing allowed but there’s no signage to say so!

At RSPB Minsmere i was lucky to spent at least a hour with 30 to 40 Bearded Tits singing, that alone amazing – trying to catch the speedy birds on top of the reed heads who seem to known when they in focus, time to go flying but capture few images of they airborne made my trip

Eating Grasshopper

1-Black Tern showing well this afternoon.

6 of us braved the dire weather forecast to take part on the Walk for Women on Sunday morning, meeting at Forage Farm cafe and farmshop, near Cowbridge. We managed to find 22 species between us before torrential rain made it sensible to turn back before halfway. Hot drinks and snacks in the outside yurt were very welcome! The highlights were – a Hobby, a constant stream of migrating Swallows with a Yellow Wagtail amongst them, several Mistle Thrush and Raven.

Full List- Woodpigeon, Dunnock, Blackbird, Carrion Crow,

Woodpigeon, Dunnock, Blackbird, Carrion Crow, Robin, Magpie, Buzzard, Swallow, Yellow Wagtail, Greenfinch, Herring Gull, Meadow Pipit, Rook, Song Thrush, Mistle Thrush, Hobby, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Jackdaw, Chiff Chaff, Raven Great Tit, Wren

Thanks for coming, hope you’ve dried out!

Strinda, Jenna and Jean

I’ve just heard a Chiffchaff singing in Wigfach, rather odd but not unusual this time of year apparently.

13 of us took a gamble on the weather this morning, and were rewarded with some excellent sightings! Great to meet old and new friends.

We went down to the sea at Sker Point, then across the dunes on many small paths to the hide . 47 species were found between us, the highlights being an OSPREY!! flying east along the coast, a Hobby chasing dragonflies over the pool, 50+ swallows throughout the morning-also flying east, a Whinchat and couple of Wheatear.

Many thanks to Dave Carrington for leading, and several other experts who helped us all .

Full List

Greylag Goose, Mute Swan, Wigeon , Mallard , Teal , Woodpigeon , Collared Dove , Coot , Great Crested Grebe , Golden Plover , Curlew , Turnstone , Black-headed Gull , Herring Gull , Lesser Black-backed Gull , Osprey , Red Kite , Kingfisher Great Spotted Woodpecker , Kestrel , Hobby , Jay , Magpie , Jackdaw , Carrion Crow , Raven , Great Tit , Skylark, Swallow , House Martin , Cetti’s Warbler , Whitethroat, Wren, Starling , Song Thrush , Blackbird, Robin , Whinchat , Stonechat , Wheatear , Dunnock , Pied Wagtail , Rock Pipit , Bullfinch , Linnet , Goldfinch , Reed Bunting 

Countless numbers of Swallows are moving through Wigfach today. A constant stream of birds in small and large groups, sometimes congregating into flocks of 100- 200, especially to feed over the unmown hay meadows, sweeping so close over my head I can hear their beaks snap shut as they catch insects. An unforgettable sight.

Cosmeston this morning. A single Whinchat was in the plantation above Sully Brook, together with 2 Stonechat. No pix of these – too distant and flighty. A couple of smart Starlings were feeding on blackberries near the Medieval dovecote. Elsewhere the vocal Buzzard was circling and a Flat Holm ringed juv LBBG [F:F76 blue] was by E lake. At the dipping pond there are still some very small punk – plumaged Moorhen chicks. It seems that a single pair there have had 3 or poss 4 broods this year.

Having missed a lot of migrant activity over the weekend as I was away, I was pleased to catch up with Whinchat [3 of them] at Cosmeston this afternoon, plus a first winter male Redstart, a plumage I’ve not seen before. Superficially it looks like a Stonechat, but the greyish head & mantle, dark smudgy cheeks and rufous ‘springy’ tail are good pointers [although the tail is not well shown in the two px I managed to shoot before it dropped out of view]. The birds were in the sapling plantation above Sully Brook. There were also c.20 Linnet in a tree by the brook.

Dozens of Swallows over my place of work in Wigfach, Porthcawl at the moment. I’m not sure if they are just our breeding pairs & this years juveniles or it’s a group moving through. We’ve had at least a couple of pairs raising raising possibly 3 broods each, the last brood in my workshop have just taken their first flight. I’ll miss their swirling around and twittering calls. I’ll have a better idea how many we’ve had when I check the empty nests and start the clean up operation !

Not much of interest for me of late although others [who get up earlier than I do!], have had Spotted Flycatcher and Redstart. Yesterday there were no less than 6 ‘Spot Flys’ at the far end of East Paddock! I did catch up with a rather elusive Whinchat by the tree plantation above Sully Brook, on 31st Aug. The only interest this morning was the Grey Heron sitting quite peacefully in a tree near the main bridge, until another arrived and set it off squawking and eventually chasing the intruder off. Other interest yesterday were 5 Tufted Ducks, all in eclipse plumage.