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.

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.