Aerial activity was very evident today, a Goshawk joining a flock of 26 Ravens tumbling about in a thermal providing two unusual sightings for this site. Buzzards were also evident in the sky along with ant-eating gulls, mostly Black-heads, 479 being counted in this section of the Burry. Little Egrets appear to have increased suddenly, 95 being visible from the bridge alone. Yesterday evening one of the two juvenile Marsh Harriers seen last week was still busy hunting over the saltmarsh (photo here) at Llanrhidian, where counts have included 158 Teal & 117 Greylags. However, it is Penclacwydd that is providing the best wader watching at present, with counts when we were there yesterday including Black-tailed Godwit 584, Knot 537, Greenshank 48, Redshank 213 and Spot-shank 2, though I know Wendell has had bigger counts for most species.

Little Egret present again at lunchtime.c.800/1000 Starlings went up 6.45/7.00am.  Reed,       Sedge and Cettis showing well. Sprawk f/o. Water Rail squealing. 1 White Wag on Plas Taliesin.

2 yellow wagtails, 1white wagtail, 5 wheatears, 8 stonechats, 4 rock pipits, 2 skylarks and a mixed flock of mainly linnets with some goldfinches

Five Chiffchaffs (one singing) 2 Blackcap, two Lesser Redpolls over.

2 Spotted flycatchers around the pond area on Rudry Common over past couple of days also a few  blackcap, whitethroat and lots of Chiffchaff feeding up in the willows.

A Spotted Flycatcher this morning near the south-west corner of the West Paddock at Cosmeston. It was perched in a shrub on the right hand side of the path running up the east side of Cogan Wood, about 30m north of the gate.

Further along the same track at the open area beyond the dragonfly pond, a Feral Pigeon had several feathers removed in flight by an attacking Sparrowhawk, but managed to get away.

Quite a few migrants around the Wetland Reserve/St David’s Hotel this morning – by Bay standards anyway – 20+ phylloscs, mainly Chiffchaff by the look of it, 8 Blackcap, 1 Garden Warbler, 2 Kingfisher (might well have been another two on the barrage side as well), 6 Goldcrest. Highlight for me was out on the Barrage earlier – a Whinchat (first I’ve seen in the Bay), 6 Yellow Wagtails, 5 Grey Wagtail along with 32 Pied Wagtails and at least 1 White.

Silurian Park also had quite a few migrants, best was a Spotted Flycatcher (second this autumn after one on 26/08), 4 Blackcap, 6 Willow Warbler, 4 Chiffchaff, 3 Coal Tit (first around here for a couple of years) plus Siskin and Peregrine overhead.

A very nice morning, calm and sunny:-

2 Sandwich Tern, 2 Gannet, 107 Oystercatcher, 3 Ringed Plover and 2 Turnstone in Broughton Bay. Up to 8 White Wagtail were in and around Broughton yesterday and the caravan park and flew off this afternoon.

Overhead we recorded 5 Tree Pipit, 5 Grey Wagtail, 6+ Siskin, 1 Skylark.

Two Chough repeated yesterday’s routine by flying over to the top of Llanmadoc hill and flying back down early afternoon via Broughton Burrows / Little Broughton.

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