Apparently the L-t Duck from Cardiff Bay relocated to Cosmeston where it was seen this morning – just noticed the post on the Facebook South Wales Birding page. No doubt driven off by the speeding ribs I mentioned yesterday.

The Long-tailed Duck was very confiding this morning – pity I didn’t have my camera. This morn it was between the sails and the locks end. However the yellow high speed ribs were doing circuits full of screaming girls and insisted on doing high speed water-borne donuts as close as they could to the barrage shoreline and thus the bird, creating waves that were breaking over the wire meshing there. Obviously the LTD is a sea duck so waves wouldn’t bother it but they were coming within 20m of it and when we walked back from the Cardiff end I couldn’t find it. Not much else – couple of Rockits, a Mipit and a Pied Wag.

Bonxie. Off Knab Rock at 08:40.

Made two short flights around the bay (between Blackpill and the Pier) before settling twice on the sea.

Last seen sat on sea at 08:45 (when I left for work). Viewing from platform off the steps above pier, it was sitting on the sea off Verdi’s. Look towards Blackpill (through telescope you can see the Murco Petrol Station) and you will see an orange buoy – it was around this area. Obviously mobile, but it settled twice in much the same place and first seen flying over the same area (with current wind this is quite a sheltered part of the Bay).

4 Gadwall on W lake. 2 Little Grebe on E lake plus 1 Ad Yellow-legged Gull. Otherwise the usual suspects.

In the heavy drizzle this morning – pretty sure I saw the Scaup on W lake that Wayne Strong apparently saw y’day – a very tatty 1st yr bird. Also 2 Gadwall and 4 Pochard plus the usual Tufties. The dark Buzzard that was harassed by a Magpie t’other day, was worming in W paddock. 2 Bullfinch in the band of trees between W lake back path and the adjacent long narrow meadow by Sully Brook.

Still at least one Lapland bunting today. In the final stubble field with 40+ skylarks. Lots of birds on the Vile, with skylark, song thrush and robin all very common, and mixed finch flocks in the taller cover crops.

Offshore 4+ porpoise, 9 gc grebe, eider and a very well spread flock of common scoter (count not possible), a few gannets and auks (those identified were guilliemot).

Long Tailed Duck showing well this morning  in the Scott memorial area.

Not everyone’s (anyone’s?) favourite bird but the  Canada goose i found at Caerphilly moat on 4th Dec was originally ringed at Langorse Lake on 1st July 2007 ( 39km away),3444 days on the run!

Crossing  the river tawe on the way to the Liberty stadium there were 5 goosander under the bridge 4 male 1 female they must have brought me luck as we won sorry Barry  Stewart

3 Chiffchaff along the barrage coast path by Dr.Who.

I’m starting to put together the January GBC newsletter. Any photos gratefully received- preferably taken in East Glam.

Here are links to some live webcams as mentioned and demonstrated on Thursday’s talk. The Ustream sites have adverts pop up and can be less reliable. Don’t forget to allow for time differences. Happy arm chair ticking!

http://cams.allaboutbirds.org/

http://www.ustream.tv/channel/flaco-s-bird-cam

http://www.tomnliz.com/Livecam/Cam_3.html

http://www.wildsafarilive.com/

http://www.ustream.tv/petespond

http://www.ustream.tv/channel/allen-birdcam-2

Party of Long-t Tits along the central path, the one pictured playing peekaboo! Flat Holm gulls F:303 blue [imm LBBG] and F:168 blue {imm Herring Gull] also present. Still a few Redwing about but o/w pretty quiet.

High tide roost: 75+ turnstone, 15 redshank, 1 purple sandpiper… Female eider  & great crested grebe offshore..

Chiffchaff 1 looked like nominate race. Water Rail heard Snipe 3

Rest Bay playing fields held 10 Mediterranean Gulls (9 adult winter and 1 second winter-plumaged birds). The Pink Bay area held approx. 38 Golden Plover, 35 Oystercatcher and 5 Curlew. The Whinchat found by PP was still present feeding in the dunes just to the east of the lifeguard sheds.

2-drake Pochards late afternoon.

Some locally good birds from the hides today. The Bittern was seen briefly by one of the rangers from the second hide, but the bird was absent by the time I got there. 1 Little Egret and 2 female Teal also present, two species that haven’t been seen here for a few years. 11 Snipe is the highest count this winter so far, and 1 Water Rail (heard), 1 Reed Bunting and the 1 Kingfisher were also there.

At high tide this morning there were dunlin 4, sanderling 17, grey plover 5, ringed plover 26, turnstone 5, and redshank 2.

Here’s a record shot of the Black Redstart reported by Jean and Rod yesterday at Sker. The pic was sent to GBC by a member of the public, Tony Fisher, who found it and consulted Jean & Rod who happened to be in the vicinity.