Lol Middleton found an interesting gull on E lake this morning which seems to show characteristics of Caspian Gull although I’m not familiar with the species in early plumage stages. Any thoughts? It wouldn’t abandon the middle of the lake for me so these are the best two cropped pix I could manage.

1 green sandpiper on the E shore of Lisvane Reservoir this evening. Also around the reservoirs over the last few days; 1 common sandpiper, 2-3 kingfishers, 1 sedge warbler, 1,000+ swallows and hundreds of sand martins, 1 swift, 4 teal, 2x broods of GC grebes (including one brood hatched on the new floating platform), c30 little grebes (including youngsters), good counts of 141 coots and 206 tufties, 8 pochard, 19 mallards, 12 Canadas, 2 mute swans, 70 BH gulls, etc.

400+black h gulls 20 redshank 50+ curlew 2 peregrines 1 sparrowhawk a few common sandpipers were in the tidal dock per peter Murray

With Geoff Busby, we caught the dropping high tide this morning which had good numbers of waders out on the sands. A juv peregrine was out on the salt marsh plus whimbrel and med gull. A couple of tree pipit were heard plus a crossbill over.
On the sands good numbers of Dunlin (approx 680), ringed plover( approx 175), sanderling,30 and a knot. Highlights were single juv little stint and little ringed plover which was picked up as it headed off .
On the negative, a dead Barn owl was on the edge of the beach near the marram grass. It was fresh with no obvious wound marks apart from some flattened? Missing feathers off the crown. Don’t know how it met its end as no obvious signs of predation, just a real shame as there doesn’t appear to be that many around .

Spotted Flycatcher this morning at Cosmeston. Feeding in the sheltered area at the south east corner of the Dragonfly Pond. Viewable from the fence line that runs up the centre of the West Paddock.

Many thanks to Strinda Davies for leading this morning’s monthly Glamorgan Bird Club walk at Kenfig. There were twelve participants. In total 43 species with the highlights being Marsh Tit heard near the Reserve Centre feeding station and again near the South Pool Hide, Sparrowhawk, Common Sandpiper and a Chiffchaff watched feeding a juvenile.

Full list:

Black-headed Gull, Blackbird, Blackcap, Blue Tit, Bullfinch, Buzzard, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Chiffchaff, Collared Dove, Common Sandpiper, Coot, Cormorant, Dunnock, Goldcrest, Goldfinch, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Great Tit, Greenfinch, Grey Heron, Herring Gull, House Martin, House Sparrow, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Linnet, Magpie, Mallard, Marsh Tit, Meadow Pipit, Mistle Thrush, Moorhen, Mute Swan, Pied Wagtail, Robin, Sand Martin, Sparrowhawk, Starling, Swallow, Swift, Whitethroat, Willow Warbler, Woodpigeon, Wren

Common redstart and 2 grasshopper warbler among a catch of 114 birds at Oxwich this morning.

Small numbers of tree pipit (2-3) noted.  More info here: http://ow.ly/QXJ6h

2 Lsr Whitethroats among the Reed, Sedge and Cettis Warblers; Water Rail calling.

The high tide this morning produced five Red Knot, three of which were in full breeding plumage, 40 Turnstones, 93 Oystercatchers, two Dunlins and six Curlews in the roost, while offshore 13 Gannets, 23 Kittiwakes, 6 Manx Shearwaters and 2 Sandwich Terns were busy feeding over a shoal not too far offshore from Kenfig Sands.

A juvenile Marsh Harrier flew over the estuary from the Candleston direction at 13:20, before flying along the edge of the golf course and then turning towards the sea, being lost to view behind Pant Norton. First site record for me.

Also Black-tailed Godwit and Dunlin (pictured) at Portobello, plus flocks of small waders along the beach by Black Rocks, but too distant to get to grips with.

A decent selection of waders on the beach over high tide this evening, including three Knot and eight Bar-tailed Godwits, with dozens each of Ringed Plover, Dunlin, Sanderling and Oystercatcher. At least two Whimbrel were on the estuary, while a Little Egret fed on the lower estuary before flying off east. A Greylag Goose was with the building Canada Goose flock, fairly unusual here.

11 Aug: 23 blackcaps, 17 willow warbler and two grasshopper warbler trapped and ringed

12 Aug: mass overnight exodus of warblers apparent.  Very few birds in marsh, but included a lesser whitethroat

3 sandwhich terns by the river mouth 38 redshank 50 + curlew 1 common sandpiper 600+ oyster catchers 2 adult and 2 juv wheatear adult and juv stonechat lots of black h gulls

Pretty quiet. On the reserve – 3 Blackcap by the coast [2 fem 1 m], and a Chiffchaff, and also Comm Whitethroat. Disturbed this moth from the grass – think it’s a Common Carpet;

At Lav Pt, 1 large fem Sparrowhawk, largish flock of House Sparrows near the house incl juvs, 2 fem Blackcap.

A juv Marsh Harrier was busy over the marsh today, at one point being chased by a Heron.

What looked to me at first like a marsh tit landed in a nearby bush (on the cliff path near the ‘sign’). Got a shot off – see

http://andyburnsphotography.zenfolio.com/passerines/h52c9206f#h52c9206f

I was with Lol Middleton but he missed it. 30mins later he picked it up again (or another?) and got a more distant shot. Lol can you post you shot in this thread? Lol was thinking Willow Tit – which has gained a bit of support on the south wales birding facebook site.

It was a very busy morning with lots of willow warblers (at least 20), chiff chaffs, garden warbler, sedge warbler, blackcap, whitethroat, lesser whitethroat, lots of sparrows, linnets, greenfinch, tree pipit, kestrel (first I have seen at Lavernock this year after seeing a pair there in the latter half of last year), dunnocks, great /blue tits, starlings (unusual for Lavernock), swallows, sand martins and a house martin.

The willow warblers were showing very well so managed a few good shots at

http://andyburnsphotography.zenfolio.com/passerines/h52c9206f#h52c920b3

1-Spotted Flycatcher near to where the lodge house used to be.

Escaped bird, wearing Aylmeri anklets. Don’t know if anyone on here is in touch with anyone from the the falconry community. Was there at 07.00 this morning.

Not sure how this is going to work but a follower David Batten has sent me a link to YouTube footage of Goosander fishing on the Ogmore.