Late news from y’day. A Waxwing was seen briefly from a car, in Morganstown adjacent to the main road through. Obs did a U-turn but bird had flown.

54 species seen on the GBC trip with 20 participants today. 3-4 Purple Sands eventually seen on the foreshore rocks at Ogmore-by-Sea, and the Dartford Warbler showed briefly but well, a couple of times, in the gorse behind the toilet block at Dunraven. There were 7 Goldeneye at Portobello and a pair pf Goosander up towards the water treatment works bridge. Other wildfowl were Mallard, Teal, Wigeon [1 fem], Pintail [1 drake], Gadwall and Shelduck, the latter 4 near the river mouth.

3 of us stopped by at Ty’n-y-Caeau Farm on the way back East and had a couple of Yellowhammer on the hedgerow and a fly-over Redwing.

Adult male Black Redstart at Plas Taliesin, 7 Scaup and the Long-Tailed Duck off boardwalk at old ice rink site.

One more from my visit to the Bay on Monday.  This bird is not shy!  It would be great if it stuck around for a while longer while the plumage develops.

Happy New Year everyone.  Here’s a few shots of the Cardiff Bay Scaups, taken on Monday…

A chilly day started at Pwll-y-waun with a pair of Shoveler, Grey Heron, Coot and Moorhen. A flock of Curlew (42) flew over and landed in Manor Farm fields accompanied by a Bar-tailed Godwit (see pic) which was still present until 1pm at least feeding further back towards the paddocks. Emma and I moved to Salt lake car park and seafront area where we saw 2 Great Northern Diver flying high over the sea, 2 Red-throated Diver, 10+ Common Scoter, 1 Guillemot, 16+ Turnstone, several Common Gull, 2 GBB Gull and a Rock Pipit. Rest Bay held 2 adult winter plumaged Mediterranean Gull including one pictured at the Car Park lawns. Wilderness Pool held 3 Cormorant, 1 Grey Heron, the usual Mallard, Coot, Moorhen and Canada Geese, a superb drake and 3 female and there were also several Goldcrest. As we headed home at about 1055h I spotted a Waxwing sitting on top of a hawthorn bush at approx. SS833778, however when we retraced our route it had disappeared. Despite a thorough search of the main road area (MSC/NPR) (plenty of rose hip and hawthorn berries in that spot lower down) there was no further sign by 1215h, though AB was on site by then and was going to try the local Newton gardens.

2 Siberian type chiffchaffs present this morning on the wetland reserve but very mobile. Neither bird called during the period I was there.

Yesterday afternoon the 1st winter glaucous gull dropped in at 1559 for a very quick bathe before flying out onto the estuary.

35 Scaup (the largest flock I have ever seen in the Burry) floated down channel past Dalton’s Point on this morning’s falling tide (SS5396). Counts of other species seen in the Wernffrwd-Dalton’s Point section of the Burry included: 1 Common Scoter, 1 Great Northern Diver, 319 Dark-bellied Brent, 1 Pale-bellied Brent, 1 Green Sandpiper, 2 Great White Egret, 4 Greenshank, 121 Shoveler, 336 Wigeon, 460 Dunlin, 625 Black-tailed Godwit, 83 Bar-tailed Godwit and 2300 Knot. In the Afon Lliw e. of Waun Road (SS581972) were 1 Goosander, 1 Kingfisher and 2 Dipper. Finally I heard from Kaz & Andy  Wilkinson that they saw 2 ring-tail Hen Harrier by the causeway at Weobley.

Eventually found the L-t Duck over by Prospect Place with the 7 Scaup and Tufties there [having yomped along the barrage & back!]. Black redstart didn’t show in Penarth Marina, but Grey Wag, 2 Redshank and 2 Turnstone on the outer rocks by R. Ely. Thx to the couple from London who put me on to the LTD from the Prospect PL boardwalk [I had seen it briefly on arrival but could not relocate after a guy walking along the rocks by the waters edge had pushed all the ducks a way offshore] – then asked me if there was anything of interest and had I seen any rats!!??!!. The LTD eventually flew off right back to the S end of the barrage – I hope the London couple got a closer look when they got back round there.

This is a question as a post… can someone tell me where the lapwing area is as i want to try and track down the snow bunting but not aure where to look. Thanks Hannah

Grey wagtail, Goldcrest and Long Tailed Tits.

1 fem/juv Hen Harrier, 2 Red Kites, 2 Kestrel, 2 Chough. On Rhossili Beach, Burry Holm end, Sanderling, Oystercatcher, 10 Ringed Plover and 2 Crows dropping shells onto the beach. 1 Chiffchaff on edge of Llangenith Moors.

I have had a report of a Dartford Warbler showing well this morning in gorse by the car park, from Kevin Hughes.

Incredibly busy – gave up waiting for coffee after our walk – not so surprising with a nice sunny day after a day of non-stop rain! Species list during a 45 min walk – LBB Gull, Herring Gull, B-h Gull, 1 Common Gull, GCG, 2 Little Grebe, 3 Cormorant, Coot, Moorhen, Water Rail heard, 14 Pochard, 80 Tufties, Mallard, Mute Swan, Canada Goose, Crow, Magpie, Blackbird, Blue Tit, Great Tit, LTT, Nuthatch, Chaffinch, Bullfinch [1 fem], Robin, Dunnock, Reed Bunting, Goldfinch, Wood Pigeon. 29 Species.

9 purple sandpiper on Sedger’s Bank at high tide, along with 10 shag, 5 curlew and small flocks of turnstone and ringed plover (18+). Common scoter flocks moving west just after dawn.

Great northern diver and red-throated diver in Oxwich Bay, along with 6 mute swans (the family group of 2 ads and 4 1st winters that flew to the sea from the marsh). Sanderling present on beach but no count possible.

Kingfisher and 4 shoveler on the South Pond.

This morning – LTD and scaup all together on the penarth side of the barrage near sails, have a nice record shot of them all in one frame. Black redstarts in Plas Taliesin.

Sightings today included Pale-bellied Brent Goose (two), Pintail, Wigeon, Goldeneye (three), Goosander (three), Little Egret, Water Rail, Purple Sandpiper (six), Sanderling, Common Sandpiper, Turnstone (21), Tawny Owl, Kingfisher and Dipper (singing).

fem snow bunting was along the edge of the dunes by the fenced-off lapwing area.

at least 64 grey plover, may have been an extra 52 which were on the sands at start of the walk, but not sure of duplication. around 75 curlew, 120+ dunlin, 64 ringed plover, 12 sanderling, 38 eider.

GN diver off salthouse point, crofty y’day and fem RB merganser by loughor bridge,

both higher up the estuary than usual

Late posting for yesterday.  A (female?) peregrine seemingly indecisive over whether to roost in the north or east stand rafters provided a welcome distraction from the football yesterday afternoon, flying from one to the other between 4:30 and 4:45.

A Bittern flew across the west lake reeds at Cosmeston at 1635 today, landing in the reedbed edge behind the posts. A drake Pintail was present on the west lake.

Earlier in the afternoon at Kenfig there were plenty of birds on the pool including drake Scaup, drake Goldeneye, Wigeon, Teal, Shoveler, Pochard, Tufted Duck, Gadwall, Mallard, Coot, Cormorant and Great Crested Grebe.