a few migrants around this morning: 1 spotted flycatcher, 4 tree pipit over, 4 willow warbler, 5 chiffchaff, 1 reed bunting. 16 pied\white wagtail with at least 2 seen well to be alba type.

2 grey wagtail an 2 siskin over

Visible migration picked up a bit this morning at Radyr Floodplain: Tree Pipit (4); Meadow Pipit (2); Redstart (1); Reed Warbler (1);  Blackcap (c.20); Chiffchaff (c.8); Willow Warbler (1); Whitethroat (c.10) and Siskin (4). Jays (8) more visible and noisy too.

There was a report of a Black Kite flying north over Radyr towards the A470 at 3pm yesterday (via Twitter: Rare Bird Alert/Roo Perkins).

Also of note, a Greenshank was heard calling high over our back garden in Whitchurch last night. (DJJ/GJJ)

Despite the North breeze, 3 Whinchat ( 1 ad 2 juv) feeding around a patch in the dunes. Approx 150+ hire dines with a good number of House Martin feeding over the new salt marsh. Single Whinchats here last week, and at Rhosilli. Quiet otherwise for migrants.

A Redstart, a Tree Pipit, 8 Whitethroat and a liberal sprinkling of Chiffchaffs and Blackcaps this morning.

Lttle Egret on the island pontoon, 7 Little Grebes with at least one chick being fed by an adult, 2 Kingfishers.

Arctic wind blowing across the bay! V V quiet. Virtually no hirundines – just a few Sand and House Martin. Kingfisher in the old dock by Dr Who and 1 m Linnet and a Pied Wag on the outer rocks.

Whilst waiting outside the airport this am for my son + mates returning bleary-eyed from Amsterdam, thus avoiding the car parking fees (No.7 in the Birder’s 10 Commandments), I was amazed to see a Grey Partridge, the first I’ve seen in Glamorgan since Jan. 2006. There was also a good number of Swallows feeding around the fringes of the airport too.

Quail sighted at the edge of the undergrowth on Cowslip Drive, Penarth this evening. Also female Goosander on the bay opposite Prospect Place.

Unusual feeding frenzy in the garden a moment ago with 12 blue tits and 2 great tits overwhelming the usual starling and sparrows who vacated the feeders as a result.  Simultaneously, 2 Willow Warblers feeding in the nearby bushes.

At Cosmeston yesterday, 9 Mistle Thrush on the grass by car park.

V late post from 26/8, Spotted Flycatcher near canal by Wharf pub (East Bute Dock).

Highlight of a quick walk at Cosmeston this morning was a Kingfisher seen flying across W lake. Also a Little Grebe there for the past few days – not seen  one all summer. A number of very vocal Green ‘Peckers heard. There was also a juv LBB Gull with a bright orange Darvic ring on R leg with the black characters G+T [gin & tonic, mmmm :-)] and a metal ring left leg. It was ringed by Reter Rock who is based in Bristol – am awaiting confirmation of exactly where it was ringed.

The very high tides of the last 2 mornings have left very little beach for the birds to occupy and produced some good wader sightings locally. At Bendrick Rock/Cadoxton Rivermouth a Whimbrel, 3 Dunlin (first time for me at this location), 6 Turnstone and  12 Oystercatcher. Along Sully beach 30 Turnstone (from Burnham Avenue car park), and on Sully Island 101 Oystercatcher, 9 Curlew and 37 Ringed Plover.

Other species of note included a Wheatear on Sully Beach, Kingfisher, Grey Wagtail and Kestrel at Cadoxton rivermouth and a Yellow Wagtail with Pied Wagtails on the playing fields between Sully and Swanbridge.

At Cosmeston Spotted Flycatcher seen on several visits in the last week, all in the area on the west side of the West Paddock.

Whinchat this morning

150+ ringed plovers 30+ dunlin 4 knot 15 curlew 80+ sanderling 1 greenshank 400+ oyster catcher 45 herring gull 1 wheatear and a skylark

A female Marsh Harrier seen over Lavernock point this morning – first spotted by Lol Middleton. It appeared from the north being mobbed by a flock of corvids (incl crows) and moved slowly south out towards Sully Island and beyond when we lost it. It was quite high up and I managed a load of very poor record shots at

http://andyburnsphotography.zenfolio.com/p673293859/h5591c84d#h5591c84d

Not a lot else around other than many swallows and sand martins on the move.

2 Spotted Flycatchers this morning + an autumnal roving flock of Great, Blue, Coal & Long-tailed Tits, Goldcrests, Treecreeper, Nuthatch and Chiffchaffs.

At Radyr Floodplain, a flock of c.30 Siskin flying over was unusual, but there was nothing else of note. (DJJ/GJJ).

A female Eider was at Blackpill at high tide on Friday and Saturday evenings. There were also a couple of Med. Gulls and a Wheatear on Friday.

Here’s a video clip of the Eider: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z4jnNu3o_IU

Last couple of days.  Best birds 2 grasshopper warbler yesterday (adult and 1st winter ringed), 6+ tree pipit today (inc 1 ringed) and c. 2 yesterday.  More info on the ringing blog here: http://gowerbirdringinggroup.blogspot.co.uk/2015/08/oxwich-marsh-29-30-august-2015-pair-of.html

Couple of pictures of the juvenile Black tern found by Alastair Flannagan

A slow start to the autumn, but warmed up a little bit this morning with 4 Tree Pipits, a Spotted Flycatcher and a Redstart.

2 Tree Pipits and 1 Common Swift this morning.