A Lesser Whitethroat singing from bushes just to the north of county hall.

Around The Vile migrants included a tree pipit, numerous wheatears and a willow warbler. Manxies and Sandwich terns off The Worm

Mallard have had a brood on the flash pool opposite Knelston Garage, and there have been shoveler and gadwall using it over the past week. Looks good for a wader.

Two Yellow Wagtails on the grass by the play area this morning at 10.00 and presumably the same male Wheatear still present.

Update at 13:00: this morning’s Yellow Wagtails

2 pair of shelduck in the tidal dock another pair on the bay also there were 5 wheatear 3 little egret 1 common sandpiper male stonechat 2 reed bunting a pair of oyster catchers 2 linnet 2 lapwings over the paper factory 16 sanderling and 200+ oystercatcher on the point a whimbrel was on the Crumlyn burrows side ,also seen were meadow pipit robin dunnock blackbird, magpie carrion crow jackdaw. On the paper factory grounds were 41 rabbits (buzzard heaven) .

A trip to Sker this evening to see if Neils Kentish Plover was still around resulted in the finding of 2 Ringed Plover in much the same spot but unfortunately the only bird with them was a Golden Plover – Ah well. Lots around otherwise with 40+ Wheatear in the fields, 60+ Whimbrel, 20+ Bar Tailed Godwits, 4 Grey Plover and 15 Sanderling.

bits and bobs seen today included 5 Sandwich Terns, 22 Whimbrel, 5 Manx, 1 Gannet, 18 Eider, 910 Oycs, 553 Herring Gulls, Whitethroat, Gropper, Sedge Warbler, Wheatear & Water Rail.

1 Swift among the hirundines around Western Avenue bridge at 15:00.

6 singing male blackcap, 1 female seen. Cracking  pair of bullfinch. 1 willow warbler singing. Countless singing chiff-chaff. Great spotted and green woodpecker. 1 treecreeper.

Possible willow-tit pair on call only. 3 pairs great tit. 3 pairs blue tit. 1 goldcrest. 3 pairs song thrush. More robins than you could shake a tripod at. Plus a pair of jay playing “kiss-chase” in the oaks – presumably courting!

2 cy Iceland Gull flew over heading southeast at about 07.45, no sign in the Bay so must have carried on out into the Channel.

I noted 41 species this morning during the BBS transect survey. A Little Egret, female Teal, male Pheasant and a Grey Heron were at the Watermill and just upriver on the Ewenny, a Lesser Whitethroat was rattling away deep within some bushes, a Dipper was singing and a Kingfisher was calling. There were also calling / singing Nuthatch, Treecreeper, Coal Tit and Jay. Later on upriver along the Ogmore, I was pleased to find a Sand Martin colony with at least 30 birds using a nice large riverbank. A Stock Dove was also present nearby.

The male Yellow Wagtail was indeed a cracker. There were also a few White Wagtails, with some appearing to move on through. There was also one Wheatear, a cracking male, by the play area (where it was yesterday) stuffing itself on leatherjackets.

At one point the Yellow Wag was also in view with a White.

The Wheatear was busy feeding on what looks like leatherjackets.

Belated report from Graham – Common Sandpiper yesterday morning.

A beautiful couple of hours at dawn today, constantly serenaded by Willow Warblers, Chiff Chaffs, and displaying Tree Pipits. No sign of any Cuckoo or Garden Warblers, but a pair of Siskin near the carpark, displaying Skylarks at the top, a single male Stonechat, and a male Sparrowhawk hunting the common.  Also flyovers by a calling Curlew, and a Peregrine with pigeon prey with a female Sparrowhawk in hot pursuit.

Dipped on yesterday’s wheatear which is the story of my spring but spent some time trying to distinguish White from Pied Wagtail and was surprised to come across a gorgeous Yellow Wagtail.

In addition to Ceri’s sightings, Lol and Andy had a Common Redstart in the same area as the Lesser Whitethroat. The latter was still singing when I was there, and the Common Sand was still by W lake. I had a G S Pecker drumming and calling in Cogan Wood and there were 3 Buzzards circling and a couple of Sparrowhawks were seen by Lol & co. 3 Blackcaps were singing near the Med. Village and 2 others seen, and a Cetti’s was singing by the ‘new’ dipping pond.

Singing Lesser Whitethroat at Cosmeston at the north end of the West Lake conservation area. Later a second (or possibly the same bird) on the west side of the Snipe field. Common Sandpiper in the West Lake Bay (last seen flying towards the bridge) and a Little Egret again on the West Lake shore (later flew off over Cogan Wood).

Common Whitethroat singing at Lavernock in the roadside field between the caravan park entrance and the church. House Martins and Swallows over the same field.

At around 7.30 a surprising 6 Common Sandpipers on the outer rocks. Also 5 Wheatear and at least 6 White Wagtails in amongst 12 Pied/Whites along the barrage.

Late morning 2 Whimbrel took off from the base of the outer rocks.

One of the fine adult White Wagtails

Some of the Wheatear were also rather dapper

Common Whitethroat in Hamadryad Park singing from cover around the ‘pond’.
In CBWR, Lsr Scaup, Common Sandpiper, 4-5 singing Reed Warblers and at least 1 Sedge Warbler.

A Kentish Plover was found today at Sker, at 16:55  by Neil Donaghy.

3 Swift over the bay late afternoon along with c.40 Swallow, 20 House Martin and 15 Sand Martin.