sorry for the none sighting

tmtovey – it turns out that BRX isn’t a Cosmeston bird!

it was ringed on 12/02/2012 at Redesmere, Siddington, Cheshire – 210km from where you saw it!

Rich

Hi, Turnstone in winter plumage, granted bad lighting and long shot but stumpy beak and legs. Flock of 6.
Not sure on rarity but Amber status, and 1st for me. Confirmed, thanks.

Other: chiffchaff, peregrine, buzzard, kestrel, stonechat, raven, green wp, shelduck, rock pipit, little grebe, swan, possible carrion crow with albino wings etc

HD Link: Turnstone

9 Purple Sandpipers on beach at base of cliffs (groups of 2 and 7), with 2 Turnstones; 2 Choughs and a Kestrel overhead.

Firecrest still present at 14:30 this afternoon. 50 yards down from the horse crossing on the Merthyr Mawr side.

Also a Chiffchaff present.

A nice crisp morning so decided to spend an hour on my local beach – waders were hard to connect with – other than Oystercatchers(10), Curlew (20) and Turnstone – did get a brief glimpse of one in flight that might have been a Purple Sandpiper but too fast to be sure – Grey Heron being mobbed, Grey Wagtail showing off but no Grey Plover today. A Little Egret dropped in briefly and the Rock Pipits, Pied Wagtail and Linnets made themselves heard. The highlight was this Adult Winter Med Gull – my second of the year already, and having no ring must be a different bird to the one I saw at Cosmeston

No sign of the Bittern this morning, although 3 Snipe, 3 Water Rail (2 of which heard only), 2 kingfisher, 2 Moorhen, 1 Reed Bunting and 2 Buzzards from both hides. Also at least 1 Chiffchaff near the canal, presumably last week’s individual.

While watching a ringtail Hen Harrier on fence post this afternoon a male appeared in binox field of view. Ringtail flew off as male approached, but I stayed with male as it proceeded to hunt over common. Searched for ringtail after male had disappeared but no joy. Other stuff: Red Kite, Kestrel, Buzzard x6, Raven x2.

Bonaparte’s Gull in Cardiff 2014
I am compiling notes on the Bonaparte’s Gull[s] in Cardiff during the period Jan/Mar 2014 for BBRC. I am especially looking for photos in Cardiff Bay. I have some shots from GNS on the foreshore and I have one from LM when he saw it at Cosmeston. I know that several observers saw two adults together in Cardiff Bay on 30th March – did anyone get a photo? Can anyone send me notes with drawings attached of the two, pointing out any differences between them (head pattern esp.). Please email me with any info. Many thanks. DRWG

went for a walk 22/1/15 seen:
(1) Common Gull
 (12) Pochards
(8) Tufted Ducks
(30) Black Headed Gulls
(3) Herring Gulls
(2 – 4) The odd Med Gull
(2) Commorants
(16) Mallards
(1) Song thrush
(16) Canadian Geese
(1) Female Goosander
(4) Mute swans
(1) Greylag goose
(3) Muscovy duck

A Brambling seen in Chaffinch flock this morning.

Cardiff Bay 9am-15pm
Just to backup others reports. Great Northern Diver @ DrWho (juv 1st winter). Black Redstart (male) @ Barrage. Tuft x Poch (xHybrid) @ boardwalk. Kingfisher x2 @ Hamer & board. Kestrel x2 @ NNR. Sparrowhawk @ Drwho. Cetti (call only) @ Penarth s. Shelduck flying over. Flock of 20 Lesser Redpoll all over. 20 Common Gull @ Barrage. 47 species, 3 rares best day in Bay so far!

Edited confirmation: Little Gull @ Barrage, is now confirmed as Black Headed Gull with early summer plumage. Scaup is now listed as a Tufted x Pochard (xHybrid). My reasons: total grey on back with no mottling, extended black marks on beak tip, reddish eyes, brownish hue to head. Cheers, James

HD Links:  Black Redstart Great Northern Diver xHybrid Duck

56 black h gulls 28 mallard 1 heron 3 mute swan 2 ads 1juv 2 moorhen and a surprise a little grebe not seen one here before  also in the woods wren dunnock robin blackbird song thrush chaffinch wood pigeon collard dove

Good turn out for our mid-week visit. Highlights were a very confiding Fieldfare in Cosmeston and In the same tree, a pair of Goldcrests was displaying. A male Pintail was on the West Lake. In Cogan Wood a Marsh Tit showed briefly. In Cardiff Bay the GND was viewed from the barrage and a male Black Redstart was in the marina.

An early reminder … Jeremy Douglas-Jones wrote:

This Friday January 23, it is the turn of Peter Douglas-Jones to present the annual Margaret Price Memorial Quiz.  We meet in the Environment Centre, Pier Street, SA1 1RY at 19.00 for a 19.30 start. This friendly test of your birding knowledge, with something for all of us, is good fun and there will be prizes!

Also the winner gets to set the quiz next year, which where Peter comes in.

Please do join us and have a pleasant evening in good company.

Female in Canton, Cardiff garden this a.m

Spent an hour around the lake today no sign of the poss caspian gull but a pair of goosander and the usual other gulls and wildfowl tried the nearby amenites tip there were about 300 assorted gulls there but their constantly on the move when the rubbish lorries empty if a few birders were to look there it may be with the gulls there also 21 magpies there
Aberavon with bob anderson 30 black h gulls on baglan playing fields 2 adult med gulls by Francos chip shop on the prom 70+sanderling on the beach a rock pipit and 20 linnets

Great Northern Diver present  this am again seeming to favour the north side of the bay between the harbour authority building up to the Norwegian Church. On CBWR the Lsr Scaup and Pintail showed well from the boardwalk, but the hybrid was not seen. In Penarth Marina there were 2 Black Redstart (1m, 1 f) though Graham Smith saw 3 females this morning. Off Hamadryad Park there were 3 Gooseander (2m,1f) and a fem Bullfinch in Grangemoor Park.

I thought I had found a female American Wigeon this morning – I knew there were two types of female Eurasian Wigeon – rufous and grey – but it wasn’t until I got home that I found (courtesy of Steve Madge) that there was an intermediate between the two – now I am not so sure.

As Lol said earlier the GN Diver was showing well in the Bay today…

The Pintail was also sunning itself on the reserve and managed a record shot

The Lesser Scaup and hybrid were also both still there, the hybrid a bit closer than the other day.