A ringing session on Wednesday resulted in a female brambling, 3 snipe, a stonechat, a blackcap and a kingfisher.  More here: http://ow.ly/DZmtW

Would all observers please note that there is no public access to Llanishen reservoir. There is a small authorised group who are allowed access to monitor wildfowl and carry our WeBS counts and Rob Thomas is one of that group. This access was specially negotiated with Celsa and the security people, and NRW. Any other access is not allowed and anyone doing so will be trespassing. The dog walkers get through a hole in the fence and are trespassing, and also risk disturbing the birds that do turn up there . The security people are authorised to request anyone other than those authorised, to leave immediately. Basically, it is impossible to view Llanishen Res without trespassing. Lisvane is still OK and as I understand it, you can view it from the car park. We would therefore ask that people do not attempt to get in to view Llanishen Res otherwise you will be jeopardising the limited access that has been negotiated. Obviously this is frustrating when a good bird turns up but this is the situation.

A long-tailed duck was a nice surprise this morning, associating with 14 tufties and the female goldeneye on the main lagoon. Also 3 shovellers, 1 teal, 12 mallards, 3 little grebes, 1 moorhen, 4 coots and a heron.

The Lesser Scaup was at Cardiff Bay Wetland Reserve again this afternoon, viewable from the boardwalk. Yesterday early morning at the same location, a Cetti’s Warbler and two Water Rail showed briefly, a Kingfisher flew across open water into the reedbed, and a small flock of Linnet and Goldfinch were feeding in the flower bed just up from the boardwalk.

At Nelson Wern late morning yesterday species included Willow Tit, Treecreeper, Green and Great Spotted Woodpecker, Siskin and Raven.

Two Lapwings being harassed by crows. Not seen Lapwing up here for several years.

A “V” formation of six Swans flew east over Pontypridd Town Centre at eight o’clock this morning. I didn’t have any optics with me at the time but the shortness of neck and general size gave me the impression that they may well have been Bewick’s.

At least 1 ad.male Black Redstart with pronounced white wing-bars showed quite well, but still elusive and mobile, on the roof tops from Lock Cottage along Plas Taliesin as far as Plas St. Andresse from both the front and rear sides of the road. 5 Common Gulls.

Good nos. of Redwing and Fieldfare [the latter my first of the year], flying around this morning – poss 110 & 50 respectively but too spread out to be accurate. Also Kingfisher flew across E lake from the sluice towards the boardwalk. Lol Middleton saw what was probably a Jack Snipe in flight near W lake.

2 male goosander in the river tawe at the nearby amenites tip 15 magpies and 100s of gulls mostly herrings and lesser b backs a few commons amongst them lots of black headeds on Fenrod lake

Tony Messinger reported seeing a bittern (6 times) and an otter feeding for about an hour today. Coot numbers reached a two-month high of 3 birds. No diving ducks were seen again.

A Little Egret in a tree by W lake ‘island’ and a Grey Heron, obviously intending to roost. Around 5000 Starlings gathered and swirled around for several minutes, but not a proper murmuration, and decided against dropping in and eventually headed off NE [to Cardiff Bay?]. Mad panic at one point as a male Sparrowhawk swooped into the flock [unsuccessfully].

The fem. Black Redstart of Monday has been replaced  on Tuesday by an ad. male, as  happened exactly last year. It  showed well yesterday mainly from Llwyn Passat but today was much more elusive, showing briefly  on the roof tops in Plas St. Andresse and from around both the north and south sides of  Plas Taliesin at about 12.45-1.10pm.

Brent Goose on the beach heading towards Penarth. No sign of Black Redstart.

Good passage of Woodpigeons over this morning. Had meant to go elsewhere to watch but they were already going over when I looked out of the house at 07:15 so just got to the nearest place with a decent clear horizon. Logged 116,600 between 07:15-10:30 with main passage being between 07:30-09:30. Early on the flocks were overhead or even out over the channel a little but by 08:00 or so most of the flocks were north of me and passing over the city centre, nearly all birds moving SW.

Lots of finches moving first thing over the hill.  A party of chaffinch in the sycamores next to the road past Bracelet including a very vocal female brambling.

On the hill a blackcap (f) and a lot of parties of foraging tits / crests.

GND seems to have disappeared, as haven’t seen it off the pier for the past 2 days.  An eider (f) was off Knab Rock yesterday am.

SSW movement this morning from dawn and tailing off after 9am. c20,000 in two hours over Leckwith.

The (or another? ) YBW was calling from the edge of Norton Wood this afternoon and 2 Ring Ouzels were feeding on berries in Pant Norton. Chiffchaff and Blackcap at Merthyr Mawr this morning.

Penarth Marina area – ad male Black Redstart seen briefly on roofs of houses that face on to Cardiff Bay at Plas St Andresse. Also 1 Tursntone, 1 Grey Wag and 1 Rock Pipit on the rocky shore there. 60 Coot in the R. Ely there.

Barrage south – 1 GBB Gull, 1 2nd cal yr Med Gull, 2 Common Gulls; mid barrage – 2 Rock Pipit, 2 Pied Wag;

Barrage north/docks – 1 Raven on a lamp post in the docks area

GBC indoor meeting – Cate Barrow – birding in Finland – 07:45 p.m.

a massive 130 Canadas on W lake this morning. 4 Green ‘Peckers seen around the W paddock area, and a Mistle Thrush, and a few Redwing at the back of W lake. A pair of winter plumage GCGs were doing the display dance by the main bridge. o/w pretty quiet.