24 Jan 2023 i took a trip to Forest of Dean – number one target was Hawfinches sucess with big tick – My 194 of my British life list – but failed with second Goshawk and Bramblings, the plus was seeing 60 Mandarin ducks and good set Pic’s of Treecreeper

21/1/23 apologies for late posting.

Sixteen folk joined us on the GBC Public Walk this very cold morning – good to meet up with old and new friends. We found 40 species, there were large numbers of wildfowl on the pool, 67 tufted duck! But the highlight of course was the Slavonian Grebe.

Full List-

Canada Goose , Greylag Goose , Mute Swan , Gadwall , Wigeon , Mallard , Teal , Tufted Duck , Goldeneye , Feral Pigeon,  Woodpigeon, Coot , Great Crested Grebe , Slavonian Grebe, Black-headed Gull, Common Gull , Herring Gull , Lesser Black-backed Gull , Cormorant , Sparrowhawk , Buzzard , Great Spotted Woodpecker, Magpie , Jackdaw , Carrion Crow Blue Tit, Great Tit , Cetti’s Warbler, Long-tailed Tit , Goldcrest , Starling , Redwing, Blackbird, Fieldfare , Robin , House Sparrow Dunnock , Pied Wagtail , Chaffinch , Bullfinch

Thanks to Dave Carrington for leading , and many folk for finding and showing us birds in their scopes.

I carried out a rescheduled WeBS count at the Rhymney Estuary this morning [due to high tide being too early on Sunday]. -2 deg when I set out! Main highlight was c.1500 Redshank. Tide was very high with a lot of Green Point under water. Only other waders were 50 Dunlin. Otherwise 23 Teal, 22 Mallard, 13 Shelduck, a solitary drake Pintail, 6 Shoveler, 2 Buzzardss sitting on adjacent pylons, 4 Rock Pipits and a Meadow Pipit. At the Heliport Bay another 14 Pintail, 24 Shoveler and 18 Shelduck. Sun glare made ID-ing wildfowl offshore impossible – all just silhouettes.
Later at Cosmeston at around midday a Little Egret flew over the dipping pond and headed towards the coast.

A wander round this morning produced 31 species. Highlights were 1 Green Woodpecker in E paddock, on W lake around 80 Teal, 150 Tufted Duck [both lakes], 6 Pochard, 2 Gadwall, a Chiffchaff flycatching in Sully Brook by the main entrance near Lavernock Road, plenty of common passerines in Cogan Wood but no show by Marsh Tit although one was seen earlier [Great, Blue & Coal Tits & Nuthatch]. I spent about 30 mins nar the Hawfinch spot but no show today.

11.30 ish. this morning at Cosmeston. 2 Hawfinch flew out of large tree opp the small copse on left past dragonfly pond. 1t landed briefly in tree by the snipe enclosure, then disappeared. Not relocated. There were C.90 Teal W lake and 1 Common Gull on the posts [1st one fr a while]. Finally caught up with the HF after several tries since the beginning of the year. Couple of shots below of a smart Mistle Thrush in the Medieval Village field.

This morning decide to walk on second day snow add to by heavy foot crunching frost, through the woodland made special as the warm of the sun started burn off the frost which rised in a mist among the trees, yes for Coal – Great – Blue Tits – Nuthatches – Great Spotted Woodpecker – Song Thrushes – Chaffinches – Goldfinches – Wren and at the bridge nice to see pair of Dippers the target for year list

Only thing missing was Bird of Prey until driving home across the moor at the back of Masons Arms when right in of my car big Red Kite swoop on a bit of road kill, Wow could do anything as too many car behind, time i turn only Magpie left.

Very very cold this morning. At the fatball feeder in the garden we had our first Blackcap for quite some time, a smart male, plus a few other vistors such as the Robin, a Blackbird, Great and Blue Tits and some Long-tailed Tits. I managed to grab some photos through the kitchen window so the quality not so good.
At Cosmeston some of the paths were treacherous, even those laid to gravel. West lake had 7 Pochard, about 12 Teal, the usual Tufties [about 100 in total on both lakes] and a couple of Gadwall although I suspect more of each of these skulking in the reed edges, especially the Teal.
Slightly irritating to see that a load of money is being spent on resurfacing part of the car park and re-laying kerb stones and a gravel path, yet still the so-called conservation area has obvious open access locations along the west perimeter where people go in to walk dogs, picnic etc etc, despite persistent protestations by myself and others.

Barn Owl flew across road about 1915 Tuesday

Birds of note this morning; 2-Chiffchaffs,6-Bullfinches 3m 3f, 15-Snipe the most i’ve seen here this winter.

Some Photos From above trip, Lovely to see So many enjoying the day. Many Photos taken at distance & heavily cropped. Brilliant day Out. Lovely Looking at the Birds through Scopes. Thanks Bob.

This was a Club trip to a favourite location, and an amazing 21 members attended. A total of 65 species were logged. Highlights at Whiteford after a muddy squelchy slog out there, were c.40 Eider, innumerable Brent Geese, plus Pintail and Wigeon and also 3 Common Scoter which came out of the water and settled on a sandy spit with the Eider to preen and rest. I for one had never seen Scoter out of the water before, One was a smart adult male and some folk who’d never seen one before were able to see the yellow ‘saddle’ on the bill through the scopes. Other wildfowl were huge numbers of Shelduck and a single drake Red-breasted Merganser. Out in the water we found 3 Great Northern Divers and 2 Red-throarted Divers and a very distant Slavonian Grebe. Waders comprised Redshank, Bar-tailed Godwit, Curlew, Knot, Grey Plover, Turnstone and around 100 Ringed Plover on the beach and large numbers of Dunlin.
Some folk had to leave when we retured to the car park and the rest went to the marsh road at Llanrhidian to look for Hen Harrier. We had to split up as parking is limited and we were a large group. A small handful of folk saw a female Hen Harrier and one lucky observer caught brief views of a Barn Owl. A Kingfisher hovered over the saltmarsh and many Little Egrets were coming in to roost, plus a single Great White Egret. All in all a great trip. And we were lucky with the weather!
Click here for the full trip list [not all species were seen by everyone – almost inevitable with such a large group].

West lake had c.80 Tudted Duck, 5 Pochard and a good count of 9 Gadwall. There were 2 pairs of Great Crested Grebe, one individual of which was in almost full breeding plumage.

Sparrowhawk scaring a flock of Siskins, Buzzard mobed by Crows, lots Reed Buntings at Hide 2, but the winner as they say Treecreeper

Lamby Lake, Port Teigr Cardiff Bay. & Channel View Leisure centre.

Lovely to see a few scarce Birds,

Cardiff Bay Ice Rink Greater Scaup was within quite a few Tufty Ducks Close to walk way, Ringed Neck Duck was at Distance to the left hand side. also not far from car park, were a flock of Greenfinches.

Lamby Lake was so choppy Tufty playing Hide & Seek. only a brief visit.

Black Redstart was showing down Port Teigr. along with Mistle Thrush, wagtails & Meadow pipits.

Whopper Swan nice to view at Channel view.

Was nice to see a bit Sunshine, rather than Rain Rain Rain,

Shortish morning visit produced 10 Redwing and 12 Fieldfare feedig on worms on W paddock, plus 4 Mistle Thrush and 6 Greenfinch feeding with them. W lake had just 2 Pochard in a quick check as I rushed to avoid the rain.

on the flood field, also 5 Redshanks – Flock of Teals – 4 Song thrushes – 2 shelduck

Greenfinch singing (seen and heard); 1 male and 2 female Stonechat flitting along the fence together. Female(big) Sparrowhawk gliding over our estate and finally I was welcomed home by at least 10 Long Tailed, 2 Blue, 1 Great and 1 Coal Tit(s) working their way along our railway hedge. Which reminds me …..a couple more rare sightings…..2 Trains!

At WWT Llanelli on the 04 Jan Nice for New Year list

20 folk enjoyed the nice sunny day for the first GBC outing of 2023. We spent 3 hours at Cosmeston, slightly irritated by the loud gunfire due to a local clay pigeon or pheasant shoot, which seemed to have kept some birds away or at least hidden in cover. West lake had the usual Tufties plus 8 Pochard and 6 Gadwall, 4 Great Crested Grebes and 2 Little Grebes and a brief Kingfisher was seen by a few. A small flock of Teal few around [possibly disturbed from a pool hidden in Cogan Wood by the gunfire, but they didn’t drop in]. In Cogan Wood after some patient watching most had views of a Marsh Tit as it dashed in and out to snatch up sunflower hearts deposited in a favourite place. The same location produced Blue, Great and Coal Tits, plus Long-tailed Tit and Nuthatch. West paddock gave us Green Woodpecker but no Hawfinch showed.
Some of us went over to Cardiff Bay by the Ice Rink where we saw the female Scaup and 2 female Goldeneye and a fly-by drake Goosander. After that, round the other side at Porth Teigr, by Roath Basin, we had nice views of the male Black Redstart.
In all we logged 47 species – the full list is here.

Happy new year to all, usual species seen, buzzard,kestrel, common and Jack snipe however a first for me in this area a red grouse FANTASTIC