2 Black Redstarts (ad.m,fem/imm) in Penarth Marina (Plas St. Andrasse) 09:35, and 2 Mistle Thrush hanging around for the last week or so, one singing this morning, another 6 on Hamadryad playing fields.

A male Wigeon was a bit of a surprise Tufted Duck 40 Teal 30. We noticed again that the Black-headed Gulls were associating with Coot to obtain food when they dive and disturb food particles to the surface, the Coot tolerate this behaviour without showing any signs of aggression towards the gulls.

Not a sighting, but a reminder that it’s the Member’s Own meeting tomorrow (6th Dec). A chance for the members to showcase pictures, videos etc. A couple of 10 minute slots are still available – Please contact Paul Denning. Kenfig Reserve Centre at 7:45 p.m.

Very busy off shore with 250 Gannet (approx half of them juveniles and immature birds) far in Bay. There were 5 Pale-bellied and 145 Dark-bellied Brent Geese on the beach and 2 close inshore were 2 Red-breasted Merganser, 2 Razorbill, 3 Ringed Plover and 100 Oystercatcher. A Chough heard earlier in the Burrows flew towards the Farm and Delvid late morning and 8 Lapwing were in Broughton Farm fields.

3 goosander  1 male 2 female 40+ Canada geese 20 mute swan usual tufteds Pochards ,mallards a few coot and moorhen 60 b h gulls 3 common gull herring gulls and l b gulls 15 house sparrows robin dunnock and chaffinch

at the amenities tip large numbers of gulls est counts 400+ herring gull 100 lesser b b gull 100 b h gulls few great b b gulls 20 starlings 10 magpie  60 jackdaw 10 carrion crow

3 Goosander and a Common gull, also a BH gull with metal ring but too far away to read; not so with the BTO ringed Canada goose milling around the grassy banks of the moat (5246721) Have reported.It looked a bit loose but not bothering the bird!

 

Black redstart on the grass, with thanks to Tony  Fisher and Wendy for finding it, good to meet you.

1 female pintail around the islands and several shoveler and teal present.

Further to Gareth’s sightings at the bay. Scaup 2 females associating with lookalike Lesser Scaup and Kingfisher Water Rail  heard.

Lsr Scaup lookalike was among c.165 Tufted Ducks at the far end of the reserve from the boardwalk 10:45. 7 Goosander on Taff Embankment.

A late afternoon search for the bittern from the 2nd hide drew a blank. However a yellow browed warbler was feeding in the trees immediately left of the hide. It showed well for 10 minutes in the same area as the Siberian chiffchaff before flying out of view.

13 Teal, 3 Wigeon and 2 Pochard on W lake, and the usual spread of Tufties. Mistlle Thrush and Green ‘Pecker in W paddock and 4 Goldcrest noted up central path. The buzzard below was sitting on the W paddock hedgerow and had some aggro from a Magpie.

the Black throated diver was in the bay plus one other Diver sp. A male Hen Harrier was on the Vile plus 75 plus chaffinch.all late morning

The Vale council have just announced plans for a possible cable wakeboarding facility on E lake at Cosmeston. I can’t think of anything less suitable for a relatively small lake that has a resident population of up to 60 Mute Swans. some of which nest, occasionally a similar number of Canada Geese, 100’s of Gulls and Coot,  and other wildfowl from autumn through to spring. Not to mention birds such and Reed Warbler, Sedge Warbler, Reed Bunting which nest in the reed bed which no doubt would be disturbed by the wash that wakeboarding creates. If like me you’ve never heard of cable wakeboarding, it’s like normal wakeboarding behind a speedboat except that the participant is pulled along by an overhead cable suspended between two tall gantries.  Thus these structures would grace the shore of E lake somewhere, plus the permanent obstacles in the water such as ramps and other jumps which the users have to negotiate. Please write to the Vale Council planning dept objecting to this proposal. Click here for a link to an article on the Wales Online web site.

There were 11 Teal on W lake and 3 Wigeon [2m 1f] plus a total of 73 Tufties on both lakes, 1 Common Gull on the W lake posts and later the same or different bird at the Swan feeding area on E lake.

Paul Parsons found this Richard’s Pipit today at Nash. It is ranging around the grassy field behind the lighthouse complex.

2 gadwall, 5 shoveler, 7 teal, 4 wigeon and 1 pintail on Cosmeston west lake this morning, along with a very brief flight view of a bittern over the lake.

Common sandpiper in Barry Docks, 14 redshank in Barry Old Harbour and the lesser scaup lookalike hybrid on the Knap lake.

Jack Snipe over the middle of the main reedbed 10:45.

Cardiff Bay Barrage this morning. There were 3 Goosander by the sails [2m 1f] the female being the one from last yr with the damaged right wing [see photo]. Also the Long-tailed Duck was looking good in the bright sunlight.

Little Egret numbers at the island roost have increased today to 20.Still way short of last year’s maximums.