65 goldcrest, 2 firecrest and 16 chiffchaff were among 119 birds captured for ringing on the marsh over the last two days.  More info and photos: http://gowerbirdringinggroup.blogspot.co.uk/2015/10/oxwich-marsh-9-10-october-2015-crests.html

Also some redwing over just before dawn

Two Goshawks went over just as I was leaving – originally saw one and expected it to be a Buzzard as it came in high over the channel, travelling north, pestered by a much smaller Carrion Crow – soon saw the long tail and different profile and realised it was a Goshawk. Then noticed a 2nd identical bird travelling in parallel with it but much higher – never seen that before? – left it too late to get a photo and couldn’t get it to focus on the dot in the sky 🙂 also kestrel, peregrine, sparrowhawk (2), chiff-chaff (2), blackcap, skylark (7), linnet (100), Goldfinch (50), Swallow (200) House martin (10), Meadow pipit, chaffinch, jay etc

Fairly quiet around the lake with a few Chiffchaffs & Blackcaps present, 40+ Blackbirds on the hawthorn berries, 6 Siskin in the alders, reed bunting & Water Rail. Cors reen, few LTT & Chiffchaffs otherwise rather bird-less!

Migrant Hawkers & Common Darters still on lake margins.

Firecrest (male) at Oxwich this morning.  10+ chiff and 20+ goldcrest.

Also lesser redpolls, siskin flocks etc

Chough 7 (poss 9) Peregrine 2 Kestrel 4 Sparrowhawk 1 Buzzard 2 Herring Gull a conservative estimate of 600 on the ploughed fields. Wheatear 2 Rock Pipit 10 Meadow Pipit 10 Teal 12 and Wigeon 4 athe the Watermill Little Egret 1 Portobello. Butterflies: clouded Yellow 1 Red Admiral 1 Painted lady 1 Large White 12 Small White 1

Good viz-mig this am with plenty of birds overhead & in the bushes/fields. The highlight was a Willow Tit in with a small tit flock which also included a GS pecker. Also seen was a late Garden Wbr. with Chiffchaffs around the water treatment works at the bottom field of the caravan park (view from entrance stile). Lots of hirundines (Swallow c1000 & HM c300), Chiffchaff (26), Blackcap (9), Sky Lark (31), Stonechat (2), Buzzard (8) & Raven (3). Leps: Red Ads (2), Comma (2) & a Vapourer. Nice to meet Lol & Ceri there.

This morning at Cosmeston 2 male Bullfinch (at Dragonfly pond), 1 Cetti’s Warbler (cafe reedbed), 4 Goldcrest (3 along the path between the lakes), 2 Green and 2 Great Spotted Woodpeckers, Grey Wagtail (SE corner of West Lake), House Martins and Swallows over the West Lake, Jay, Meadow Pipit and Skylark at the West Paddock, Water Rail in the West lake reedbed and a Wigeon on the East Lake.

this morning: c.180 Canada Geese – they’re taking the place over! 18 Gt Crested Grebe and 6 Little Grebe.

Hobby still at Lavernock Point late this morning. Kestrel also present, along with Siskin, Skylark, Chiffchaff, Meadow Pipit, Jay and a few Swallow.

Hobby hunting over w lake, 15 redwing flew over, male blackcap in south meadow.

Don’t forget it is our first indoor meeting of the season tonight, Kenfig Reserve Centre 7.45 p.m.. John Wilson will be giving a presentation on Sri Lanka – endemic birds & culture.

Highlight today was a Hobby doing a full aerobatic routine for about 5 minutes. Peregrine and a female Kestrel completed a falcon trio. Swallows were well down – max of 50 with only 5 House Martins but 4 very vocal chiff-chaffs, 4 skylarks, a Blackcap, Green Woodpecker, a Mistle thrush and 7 pied wagtails were the only others of note.

Small feeding flock along the central path had c.10 Long-t Tit with a couple of Chiffchaff and a Goldcrest, and 2 more Chiffies in scrub beyond the dragonfly pond. Also a couple of Song Thrush there and 20 Goldfinch. O/W pretty quiet.

One singing briefly near Penarth Road River Bridge early a.m. Great Spotted Pecker in garden.

Around the N Cardiff reservoirs and Roath Park Lake over the weekend: 1 male Red-crested pochard, 5 wigeon, 10 shoveller, 6 teal, 2 snipe, 1 kingfisher and the regulars.

1 redwing over Llanishen at dusk on 1st Sept.

9am: 2 Goshawks slowly drifting south towards Cardiff Bay.

In a cold stiff easterly. 22 Wigeon offshore by the mouth of R. Thaw. 8 Oyc and 16 Turnstone on the beach and 2 Rock Pipits. Pair of Stonechat, 4 Siskin, 40 Linnet, 30 Goldfinch, 1 Buzzard and a pair of Little Grebe on the lagoon.

The first Wigeon of the autumn seen from the boardwalk.

2 late reed warblers, a whitethroat and small parties of lesser redpoll present.

A ringing session resulted in over 200 birds.  More information and photos here: http://gowerbirdringinggroup.blogspot.co.uk/2015/10/oxwich-marsh-3-october-catch-of-200.html

1prob 2 fire crest near the NT lodge at Cwm ivy. The first watched for a short while, prob 2nd further on though the large numbers of crests were very mobile , but most likely a second. Fairly quiet otherwise