Of note this morning, a pair of over-wintering Stonechat (the first we’ve had here, they normally just pass through in the autumn) and a Woodcock.

Emma and I celebrated the 16th anniversary of when we first met by venturing out for a few hours this morning. The highlight was a total of 10 Mediterranean Gulls at a variety of locations:- 1 first-winter at the western-most Wilderness Pool, Porthcawl, 1 first-winter at salt lake car park, Porthcawl, 6 adult and 1 first winter on rocks just south of Hutchwns Point, Porthcawl and finally an adult winter at Portobello island, Ogmore estuary.

At the eastern Pool nearer Newton: there were 2 pairs of Shoveler. At the western Wilderness pool a female Common Pochard, a pair of Shoveler and a Great Spotted Woodpecker. There was just 1 Little Egret and 5 Moorhen on the flood at The Watermill (Ogmore est). A bit busier at Portobello island – a male and 3 female Goosander, several Goldeneye and 6+ Teal.

A Dark-bellied Brent Goose flying off towards Pothcawl from the rivermouth was one of 56 species recorded in the locale today.

Arrived at Cardiff Bay Wetland Reserve this morning just in time to see several thousand Starlings leaving the reedbed. An impressive sight and noise! Other highlights here: hunting Kestrel, calling Kingfisher, a Common Snipe launching from one of the wildflower beds and multiple squealing Water Rail.

Elsewhere in Cardiff Bay the Lesser Scaup was on the west side 100m down from the road bridge just after 10am. There were 12 Common Gulls at the orange buoys near the barrage, and at least 1 Black Redstart (quite possibly up to 3 more but only got fleeting view of these) at Plas Taliesin/Llwyn Passat in Penarth Marina. A pair of Raven flew into the Bay from Penarth Head, and there were 3 Great Black-backed Gulls on the mud outside the Barrage.

At Cosmeston this afternoon a very showy Water Rail right at the start of the reedbed boardwalk. A Gadwall pair and 20 Pochard were on the West Lake, and a Common Gull was on the posts.

A circuit of Kenfig Pool produced a Siberian Chiffchaff in the West Pool bushes with three Common Chiffchaffs and a Jack Snipe of note again in the East Pool Marsh. Two Goldeneye were briefly on the pool, but otherwise fairly quiet.

Roath Park Lake: 3 male shovellers, 4 common gulls.

in the last light of 2014, at Lisvane: 8 shovellers (2M + 6F), 1 common snipe, 81 tufties, 28 pochard, 34 Canadas, 14 mallards, 38 coots, 1 heron, 4 GC grebes, 10 little grebes, 8 cormorants, etc. Nearby, 1 male blackcap.

Happy New Year to all the Glamorgan birders!

2 male Blackcaps in our garden.

The highlight of the morning was the breakfast at Cariad’s, oh and the Greenshank that was in the pill just off the car park! Happy New Year to all Birders – may 2015 be good for you. Best wishes, Mike, Emma and family. 🙂

30 curlew on Royal Ashley G.C. with a lot of oycs + 2 mistle thrushes

12 med gulls in Bracelet Bay loafing in the surf

My first Dunlin this winter in West Cross with 7 turnstones & a redshank

Lots of common gulls mixed in with the usual herring & BH’s…..

Finished the year with nice views of Bittern and flushed a Jack Snipe twice in the East Pool marsh. Wildfowl counts on the increase with 7 Tufted Ducks, 13 Coot, 8 Gadwall, 16 Teal and a female Pintail, while a flock of around 20 grey geese flew over North Cornelly over the car but remained unidentified.

Highlight of this morning was a male pintail.
http://andyburnsphotography.zenfolio.com/waterfowl/h1e75b45a#h1e75b45a
Now I know Peter is seeing hundreds over at RGW but this is only the second I have seen at Cossie this year (the first was a pair last Jan). This one flew over the east lake and then half an hour later was seen flying over the west lake. I was there a couple of hours but didnt see it on the water at all. It must have flown back to RGW. Maybe he will bring his friends over tomorrow.
Also 3 male shovelers on the west lake and 30 pochards (18 males and I suspect 12 females – but female ducks are a mystery to me!!). All the other usual suspects present except the resident adult YLG which didnt seem to be about today.

A Bittern was seen from hide2 (the one without a door) at Forest Farm this afternoon. It flew in at 15:20 and stayed in view for a couple of minutes before disappearing into the reeds. It wasn`t seen again when I left at 16:15. Also snipe, jay, kingfisher, water rail, moorhen and reed bunting(and a fox). In the trees by the path leading to the hide were 2 goldcrests and just by the entrance gate to the hide was a chiffchaff.

Beautiful light on the wharf this afternoon. Birds of note: 230 Pintail, 40 Shelduck, 30 Shoveler, 150 Lapwing, 200 Redshank, 600 Dunlin and 1 Cetti’s Warbler.

Slightly surprised to see 18 Bullfinch around Grangemoor Park this morning inc. groups of 6, 5 and 3 plus another couple of pairs.

Male Blackcap in the garden this afternoon feasting on Pyracantha berries

Roath Park Lake: 6 teal, 3 shovellers, 7 little grebes, 2 common gulls.

Lisvane at dusk: 1 common snipe, 94 tufties, 20 pochard, 8 mallard, 47 coots, 15 Canadas, etc.

Blackcap 2 females Black Redstart 1 male Turnstone 8 Redshank 3  Kingfisher 1 Great B/B Gull 1 Common Gull 1

Little Grebe 1 Great Crested Grebe 1

2 Woodcock this morning.

2 Redshank on the rocky bay shoreline, only 1 Turnstone, and 1 Grey Wag. Only 1 Common Gull with all the Black-headed on the internal jetty. 1 GBB Gull on the yacht club jetties and 1 by the outer harbour. Saw one rooftop Black Redstart on the way back to the car.

Yesterday morning, a probable Jack Snipe in the reeds in Hamadryad  ‘pond’.