Sully Island high tide roost at sunrise today included 94 Oystercatcher, 23 Dunlin and 9 Ringed Plover. On Sully beach (near Burnham Avenue car park) just after high tide 65 Turnstone, a high count here.

In Barry, 5 Cetti’s Warbler at Cadoxton Ponds and at the Docks singing Skylark, a hunting Kestrel and an overwintering Common Sandpiper.

It’s amazing what sun & blue sky can do! An excellent turnout of 22 folk attended today’s weekday trip – thanks all. Fortunately the Lesser Scaup had decided to return to the lakes after a brief sojourn at CBWR yesterday, and showed well on W lake. Also present there were 5 Shoveler, a few Pochard, 9 Gadwall and the usual Tufties. A Little Egret flew in and landed in a tree by W lake. Whilst discussing the features of Common Gull on the bridge, most of us were rewarded by a 5 second fight view of the Bittern as it moved from one part of the reed bed to the other. A single Snipe flushed from the west paddock and being silent and not ‘towering’, could have been a Jack, although it did fly some distance, but keeping low. Sadly we couldn’t connect with the Marsh Tits in Cogan Wood, despite Lol Middleton having seen them earlier coming down to collect peanuts, and also despite Lol having ‘lent’ me some peanuts! Most of them were snaffled up by a Magpie and a Jay! There were plenty of Long-tailed Tits and a Cetti’s Warbler sang near the cafe and a nice male Siskin was in an Alder near the main boardwalk.

We decided against the planned visit to Cardiff Bay and those that still remained after lunch went down to Swanbridge and had good views of the male Black Redstart.

 

Black Redstart still at Swanbridge this afternoon at the house opposite JCB between 3.45 and 4.30, very mobile.

Dodgy record shot of the female mandarin duck found by Owain Gabb yesterday

 

Lsr Scaup and Chiffchaff from the boardwalk.

A Little Egret was the highlight this morning, preening by the W lake reeds, viewed from the viewpoint at the back of the lake, then it flew off to the north with 2 Grey Herons. There were a couple of Siskin by the Med Village boardwalk and a Reed Bunt and a Cetti’s singing there, and the Lsr Scaup was on E lake. Also caught this pair of frogs in flagrante delicto:

A female mandarin this morning amongst modest numbers of teal, mallard, gadwall and little grebe
A bittern reported on 14/02
Small build up of GC grebe on the sea (5)

A Black Redstart was again on Swanbridge beach this morning – at the St Mary’s Well Bay Road end of the Captain’s Wife car park.

Also this morning an adult Mediterranean Gull moving into summer plumage was on the water at the western end of Barry Docks.

In afternoon, in addition to John’s post, 280 Black-headed Gulls, 1 Fieldfare and 2 Marsh Tits in Cogan Wood, haven’t seen them since 10 January.

I had a very strange bird on my garden feeders this afternoon. (typically, it flew off as I went to get my camera). It came in with a group of Siskins and Greenfinches. It was larger than the Siskins and slightly smaller than the Greenfinches. The head was black, albeit very scruffy. My only thought was an escapee – Black-headed Greenfinch perhaps? Does any one know if they are kept as cage birds?

Brief windswept dog/family walk this morning of which highlights noted were 4 Shoveler on W lake with 20+ Pochard, the drake Lesser Scaup on E lake sheltering with the Tufties and a party of 6 Long-tailed Tits near the bird table.

Long staying med gull E825 still in Bracelet Bay car park this morning..

Initially ringed in Antwerp 6/2006 as 3K80

And first seen in Mumbles by the late Barry Weston in October 2008

It was re-ringed as E825 in May 2012 and has continued to over winter in Mumbles ever since..

Based on the history it will be returning to Belgium within the next 2 weeks..

Many thanks to Strinda Davies for leading this morning’s Glamorgan Bird Club monthly walk at Kenfig. An enjoyable couple of hours birding despite weather conditions which started wet and breezy and then deteriorated. In total we saw or heard some 35 species and the highlights were a distant drake Scaup (good find by Tate Lloyd), several Goldeneye, 2 Great Black-backed Gulls and a Sparrowhawk.

Full species list: Tufted Duck, Pochard, Scaup, Mallard, Gadwall, Goldeneye, Wigeon, Canada Goose, Mute Swan, Great Black-backed Gull, Herring Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Great Crested Grebe, Coot, Cormorant, Water Rail, Goldcrest, Robin, Blackbird, Song Thrush, Starling, Wren, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Long-tailed Tit, Bullfinch, Greenfinch, Chaffinch, Collared Dove, Woodpigeon, Magpie, Carrion Crow, House Sparrow, Cetti’s Warbler, Sparrowhawk

Best of this morning – flock of c.80 Redwing over W. Paddock and 1 Common Snipe from the snipe paddock. No sign of Lesser Scaup.

Couple of nice surprises in town today.  A small group of 6 Siskin feeding in Sully Terrace whilst we were walking up to the town centre for a coffee, then on the way back about 6 Redwing in Victoria Square, plus a Nuthatch calling. First time I’ve seen Siskin in the town.

Two red-headed Goosanders on the moat this morning

31-Little Egrets flew from the island roost at first light.

Firecrest has been reported here this morning along the east boundary path with roving tit flock {TF}.

Firecrest in the trees near the entrance ramp off N Road at about 10:30, last seen near the canal.

Managed a record shot before it flew off.