Brynmill Park Lake: Tufted Ducks have a brood of 8 newly-fledged young (there were 2 successful pairs there last year).

Singleton Park: Tawny Owls have bred successfully there again, as they seem to do almost every year now.

A follow up re my melanistic Green Woodpecker of 8th Jun. I thought I had it again today when a dark looking Green Pecker came & landed on a post by the dragonfly pond at Cossie, whilst I was sitting on the bench opposite. Hence I got a better shot and I think it’s a different bird, but still with unusually dark plumage for a Green Pecker. I’ve posted both photos here to compare. The second one is clearly a male and does have some green tinges on the upper parts but there’s still a lot of very dark plumage there. Any thoughts? Agree they re diff birds? Top bird today, bottom bird was on the 8th. Comments on FB agree they’re different.

I rec’d an email tonight re a bird someone saw in a street in Ely – Cardiff at 1:05 a.m. Sun morning when he returned home from work. He didn’t know what it was and showed his pal today, who ID’d it and emailed me. Night-heron in a street!! – incredible. It’s prob gone now to find somewhere with water, but I’ve asked for more detail if poss. I would guess nearest water would be R. Ely?

There were 7 adult Gt Crested Grebes present today, including the pair with 1 young. One of the Kingfisher adults was fishing from the horizontal dead tree on E lake, viewed from the main bridge. A Common Whitethroat as doing its full fluttering song flight by the dipping pond.

For the last couple of years I’ve had a white faced Blackbird around the garden which I rather imaginatively christened Whiteface, not sure if this is the same one, lost all it’s neck and head feathers.

An additional bird from yesterday which I forgot to post here, was this melanistic Green Woodpecker which I saw briefly in the ‘snipe paddock’ in the morning. Pretty unusual I think – certainly generated a lot of interest on social media.

Mainly young birds seen today. Juv Blackbird at Lavernock, juv Magpie at Cossie, inquisitive scruffy Mallard, GCG with just 1 young now [were 2].

Great views of several Nightjar on last night’s GBC field trip to Llanwonno on a calm, warm evening with clear skies. Many thanks to John Wilson for leading the trip and to everyone who came along.

At least 29 species were seen or heard on the evening, with the full list being: Grey Heron, Woodpigeon, Tawny Owl, Nightjar, Swift, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Carrion Crow, Raven, Skylark, House Martin, Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler, Blackcap, Whitethroat, Goldcrest, Wren, Blackbird, Song Thrush, Mistle Thrush, Robin, Stonechat, Dunnock, Tree Pipit, Meadow Pipit, Chaffinch, Goldfinch, Linnet, Lesser Redpoll and Reed Bunting.

First fledgling in the garden this year is a Jay.

A family party of at least ten juveniles this evening in the trees alongside the railway line. Sorry,forgot to say Long Tailed Tits.

Cuckoo heard in garden this morning – also yesterday evening though more distant.

Coot with 3 recently-hatched young on the lake.

Latest ringing news HERE

Not a lot on the Outer Head at Mumbles yesterday, but dingy skipper on the wing.

Good numbers of avocets with feeding chicks, together with four black-tailed godwit, redshank, greenshank, a few ringed plover and all the usual suspects. No sign of the curlew sandpiper.

Reed Warbler singing; first (five) House Martins back in traditional breeding location.

Canton Ditches, Leckwith Road: one Reed Warbler singing.
Leckwith Hill area: Grey Wagtails holding territory.

2 Swift and 2 House Martin over W lake and 2 Swallow over E lake. Lesser Whitethroat still singing by W paddock hedgerow. Pretty quiet other than that.

Wet walk across the barrage & back this morning. Wet weather had brought the Swifts down, although not as many as one would hope – I guestimate 30+, some flying across the barrage at head height. Similar with Sand Martins and a few House Martin, a number of the former landing to rest on the pontoons by the environment building. A pair of Ravens were sitting on the railings by the ‘sails’, and there were a number of Pied Wags including juvs.

Finally the house martins have returned, counted 7 today. Also 1 pair of swift, with another pair further down valley in Merthyr Vale. Talking of swifts, did my first survey yesterday evening around Victoria Park, Cardiff – alas no swifts in my two squares, but I did find a nest in an adjacent square, so not a total blank.

15 GBC members attended a mid-week field trip to this delightful area just north of Abergavenny, below the slopes of the Sugarloaf. Cold to start but warming up later. A total of 32 species were seen. The delightful oakwoods were a little quiet with not much bird song but Wood Warbler was heard [and seen by some], plus Common Redstart and 3 Garden Warblers were heard, and one seen – conveniently the song could be compared directly with the several Blackcaps which were also singing. Once up on to the open higher ground we found at least 2 pairs of Stonechat, 2 pairs of Whinchat which showed very well, a couple of Tree Pipits, 10+ Linnet, 3 Buzzards playing in the thermals, lots of Meadow Pipits and a few Skylark. A distant Cuckoo was heard calling, and a distant Red Kite over Abergavenny, was seen by me as we prepared to leave. The list can be seen here. The ‘1’s merely indicate a species was seen – they are not counts.

Update – Forgot that new members Alun & Sue Reynolds heard a Tawny Owl in the woods.