A nice frosty juvenile Arctic tern flew close in up channel at high tide this morning. A bar-tailed godwit and a good count of 83 turnstones were also of note.

Lots of temporary pools following the heavy showers, being enjoyed by c35 mallards, 1 shoveller, 1 wigeon, 2 teal, 1+ water rail, 21 tufties, 2 pochard, 21 tufties, c8 little grebes, 1 GC grebe, c10 coots, 2 moorhens and 2 herons. 1 skylark over, was my first of the autumn here,

There’s been quite a few comments over the last year or so about ditches needing to be cleared of reed – well the clearance has started!

A Marsh Tit made two brief visits to the carved dragon in Cogan Wood this morning. A Jay is also feeding there regularly, along with a Nuthatch and Coal Tit. A few days ago there was a rat and a squirrel on the carved dragon! Elsewhere at Cosmeston this morning a Treecreeper just north of the bridge, a Grey Wagtail where the West Lake outlet stream joins Sully Brook, Green and Great Spotted Woodpeckers, several Chiffchaff and a steady flow of Swallows heading south in ones and twos.

A female Pochard was with a group of Coot and a Tufted Duck just off the Cardiff Bay Ice Rink boardwalk early this afternoon. Approaching high tide at Bendrick Rock this evening there were 19 Oystercatcher, 6 Ringed Plover and a Turnstone, all hunkered down against the strong wind.

Yesterday mid-afternoon the Lesser Scaup was again just off the St Davids Hotel boardwalk at the east end of Cardiff Bay wetland reserve. There was a Shoveler and a few Teal and Wigeon in the reserve.

I have just witnessed Gull behaviour i haven’t seen before.A flock of 20 or so Black Headed Gulls appeared to be flying around and hovering over lake-side trees laden with berries.I was 200yds. away with just bins.They seemed to be actually taking berries,but couldn’t be certain.On reaching my car i got my scope out and eating berries was exactly what they were doing.Has anyone else seen or heard of this kind of behaviour?

The Glamorgan Bird Club first indoor meeting of this autumn/winter period is tonight 7:45 p.m. at Kenfig Nature Reserve Centre. A stills and video presentation by Paul Bowden on the little known [at least bird wise for most of us] Nakhchivan Autonomous Region of Azerbaijan, and the Lesser Caucasus Mountains. Should be good.

ON Sept 30th my friend and i were at sandwell valley park farm and on the pond at the back of the farm there were some mallards ferreting in the blanket weed . some dragonflies were flying about and suddenly one mallard jumped up out of the water and tried to catch one. he missed but we had never seen this happen before . is it usual for mallards to eat dragonflies ?

Lavernock this morning:

Reserve: 50 Goldfinch feeding on dead Scabious heads, 1 Jay, 1 Chiffchaff, 1 Kestrel.

Lavernock Pt and fields: 3 Stonechat in the coastal paddock by the house, plus 2 Reed Bunting, 30 Linnet, 2 Jays over, 1 Sprawk, 1 Buzzard, several Chiffchaff by Church House. Also a fair few Swallows and House Martins overhead.

A roving flock of  c.100 birds contained Blue, Great and Long tailed Tit – a few Nuthatch and Treecreeper – several Goldcrest and at least one Firecrest..

Nine Choughs present this afternoon, including the resident colour-ringed pair.

2 Redwings flew in to roost at Singleton Park this evening – first I’ve seen this year.

Raft of 45 Teal at the mouth of the Thaw, flocks of Ringed Plover and Turnstone amongst the Oycs, three Stonechat, one Barwit, two Wheatear one Snipe and three Clouded Yellow

11.00 to 13.00 Jay 5, only 2 chough, peregrine, 2 ravens, and 3 clouded yellow. The highlight was a juvenile hobby sitting on a telegraph pole on the way back to Bridgend.

7 chough the highlight , also a few chiffchaff around the seaward end of the valley , 2 kestrel,fulmar ,plenty of mipits ,skylark and linnet in the fields.3 clouded yellow .1-3pm.

A grasshopper warbler this morning (juvenile carrying no fat).  No blackcaps but lots of chiffchaff and goldcrest.

Lots of skylark, meadow pipit and the odd grey wagtail over.  Some passage of hirundines including a few large mixed flocks of swallows and martins

More info re: ringing totals here: http://gowerbirdringinggroup.blogspot.co.uk/2014/10/oxwich-marsh-6-october-late-gropper.html

A few snippets from the last few days: Roath Park Lake 2/10, 2 shoveller and 2 teal. 3/10, 1 shoveller and 1 teal.

Llanishen Res. 3/10: 1 shoveller, 4 wigeon, 1 teal, 26 tufties, 3 pochards, 1 mallard, c16 coots, 4 moorhans, 1 snipe, 4 meadow pipits, 8 linnets, 6 swallows,

Little of note late afternoon other than  3 kestrels together over the top of the mountain and away towards the Ridgeway.

Great to see a party of eight Chough on the Heritage Coast this afternoon. Sadly it was the first Saturday list for many months without a single Swallow seen, not even a late straggler today.

Sorry for non-sighting post. I posted the GBC October newsletter yesterday. (apologies for the errors that crept in. I was rushing to get it out before the Big Birding Day) The GBC winter programme begins on Tuesday at Kenfig (7.45 p.m.) Paul Bowden will be giving a talk on his visit to Nakhchivan Autonomous Region (I’ll be there, chiefly to find out where it is!) Next weekend it is the Big Birding Day at Kenfig – Sunday 12th October, starting at 10 a.m. (unless you’re going to watch the ringers at work – they start at 7.30 a.m.)