In case anyone missed this in the comments on my post yesterday. I met a guy who, seeing I was a birder told me about building plans for the site of the old Hamadryad hospital. I’m assuming it’s the same person, who has found our site and commented. It’s yet another area of greenery being removed for the sake of it. I have seen good numbers of Greenfinch using these trees as a roost in the winter. Anyway here’s what he posted: feel free to respond or submit objections.

Good morning bird watchers. Great to see you round our place! Not sure if you’re aware, but Cardiff Council are looking to overturn preservation orders on the trees behind Hamadryad hospital, clear the site of all greenery and build 75 properties there. There is significant opposition by local residents, and we’re in the process of submitting objections. If you could let us know of any sightings of rare species in the area, we could incorporate those into our objections as well. We’ve got a Facebook pagehttps://www.facebook.com/SouthDocksButetown?ref=hl and a Twitter account https://twitter.com/SouthDocks. We’d appreciate any help you could offer. Many thanks, and happy spotting. Iwan (On behalf of South Docks Residents)

With Will W-D.
2 Whinchat, 4+ Stonechat,  9+ Wheatear, 1 Blackcap, 11+ Chough.
Few Buzzard, 1 Kestrel, 1 Sparrowhawk.
Large random movement of Meadow Pipits & a few Skylarks & Swallows.

16+ wheatear on ty talwyn and lots of pipit movement, kenfig – 6 wheatear on morfa tip, lots of warblers in scrub, many blackcap feeding on the blackberries, again lots of pipit movement and 2 clouded yellow butterfly on the wing

Once again treated to a view of 8 Chough from my breakfast table and later their antics as they moved around Twlc Point and Little Broughton with the Jackdaws including Kestrel evasion tactics! Despite overnight rain and a ENE wind, little to shout about in the thick scrub around the farm and then up at the Burrows. Mainly Grey and Pied Wagtail, 1 Song Thrush, 6+ Blackbirds and 5 Long-tailed tits, 2 Chiffchaffs and a few Goldcrests new in. Llangennith Burrows held 1 Reed Warbler and 1 Cetti’s Warbler and 2 Chiffchaff. A Wheatear of the Greenland race has also been around but not this morning.

Yesterday Sandwich Tern flocks roosting on the beaches numbered 14 at Burry Holms, 13 at Broughton and 16 at Whiteford. 3 Gannets and 23 Common Scoter were off Burry Holms early on. Again very few migrants perhaps Mistle Thrush and what was a probable Redwing (not calling). A Spotted Flycatcher has been lingering around the farm buildings at Broughton. A walk up to Whiteford and back was enlivened by a cracking autumn male Wheatear, 300 House Martins massing at Prissen’s Tor and moving off to feed at Whiteford. The High tide on the rocks at the western side of Whiteford Point produced 1 Grey Heron, 2 Little Egret, max 1200 Oystercatcher, 45 Ringed Plover, 150 Dunlin, 6 Sanderling 1 Curlew Sandpiper, 87 Turnstone, 20 Curlew. Many waders spread out back towards Broughton when flushed by the tide and then “fishermen”.

Good long plod around Rhossili,Mewslade first thing produced 8 raven and numerous carrion crow probably enjoying the number of dead rabbits (myxomatosis?).5 whinchat was good for the vile, only 3 wheatear, and only 3 more wheatear up on the down.12 stonechat showed signs of a small influx from elsewhere.fair numbers of meadow pipit and linnet.
Mewslade valley had around 8 blackcap, a few chiffchaff,4 stonechat, 1 white throat,3 song thrush,5 blackbird.more blue tit,great tit around in the valley.
Pen clawed pill had 1 juv curlew sandpiper , 2 green shank and 1 common sandpiper.4 commic tern were off salt house point.

From Facebook [which some people don’t use and therefore miss news] per Steve Howcroft:

Hayes point. 2 blackcap .2 whitethroat .1 wheatear. Plenty of swallows and house martins .
Lavernock. Vis mig quite good plenty of mipits a dozen or so skylarks linnets and phylloscs also stonechat and 17 jays. Spot fly seen earlier by Wayne strong and lol Middleton.

Nice little session at these two this morning. Probably counts as a ‘fall’ of passerines, but not up to E coast standards!

Hamadryad – Chiffchaff 10+ in trees around the pool, also 2 Little Grebe and 4 Tufted Duck, and 12 Goldfinch

CBWR – 10+ Reed Bunting in bushes by the ‘mountain’, 3 Whitethroat, 2 Blackcap {m + f}, 20+ Chiffchaff, 2 Wheatear, 1 fem/imm Redstart, 1 Reed Warbler, 4+ Cetti’s calling, Lesser Scaup drake [distant], 11 Wigeon, 70 Canada Geese, 8 Little Grebe, 21 Gt Crested Grebe.

Plus this odd hybrid? Pposs has been reported b4 but can’t remember if anyone suggested it’s ID.

Two Sandwich terns and 3 common terns were hanging around the point and beach this morning. A shag was feeding off the point and a few whinchats were mixed in with the many wheatears, stonechats and meadow pipits.

Chiffchaff and a Goldcrest in the church yard. Vis mig albeit of just Swallows and Mipits. The latter around 50 per min perhaps more, for a couple of hours at least. Meadow Pipits not so many but a couple of flocks of 30 flew over and 100 flew up from the N end of the big stubble field. 1 Kes and 1 Buzzard, and a few House Martins with the Swallows.

Good number of migrants around today with 6 species of warbler seen in or just outside the garden. Totals:
Chiffchaff c.20
Blackcap minimum 7
Willow Warbler 4
Garden Warbler 1
Common Whitethroat 1
Lesser Whitethroat 1

Teal seem to be popping up everywhere at the moment; five were on Roath Park Lake this afternoon. Also, about 1,000 wood pigeons on the move over Pontprennau this morning.

An immature male Merlin chasing Meadow Pipits and Linnets this morning.

On the barrage 2 Wheatear. In the reserve Lsr Scaup, 8 Wigeon, 2 Shoveler, 2 Teal, 76 Tufted Duck, 24 GC Grebe, c.80+ Canada Goose. Clouded yellow, Small tortoiseshell, Red admiral.

Four Juv. Curlew Sands still present, about 300m downstream from the house.

A black-tailed godwit flew up from rocks between Sker and Pink Bay, over my head and away overland towards Porthcawl mid-morning. Five whinchat were on a wire fence near Sker Pool and there were a handful of yellow wagtails among the cattle and on the Royal Porthcawl Golf Club. Lots of meadow pipits seemingly everywhere!

On Sunday 12th October GBC will be hosting a birding event at Kenfig. (10 a.m. – 4 p.m.) Please come along. There will be ringing demonstrations, bird walks, book sales plus Mrs Wilson’s exceedingly good cakes.This year we’re targeting younger birders. There will however be plenty of activities to suit all ages.
P.S. The first ringing session will be down by the pool, starting at dawn. If you wish to see the team in action, please be there by 7.30 a.m. There will be another ringing session near the centre in the afternoon.

Loads of visible migration this morning, especially Swallows, Pipits and Larks. There were 3 Med Gulls in with the Black-headed flock (2 x adult, 1 x 2nd yr), 3 Yellow Wags flew over. Whinchat on fence line. Large mobile Linnet flock (50+) plus Stonechat and Whitethroat. On shoreline there were 18 Oystercatchers and a single Curlew.

Redstart in back garden in Clive Crescent yesterday afternoon.

Lisvane: An eclipse male teal was on the floating platform, a big roost of 185 LBB gulls, 7 pochards, 67 tufties, 57 coots, 12 little grebes and 2 GC grebes, 3 cormorants, 3 mallards and 10 Canadas. 2 ravens and some very vocal tawny owls around Coed y Felin at dusk.

Llanishen: 7 snipe calling and in flight were the first of the winter here. Male gadwall still present, with 2 shoveller, 3 teal, 3 pochards, 6 tufties, 7 mallards, 6 little grebes, 13 coots, ad and juv GC grebes, 1 heron and a meadow pipit. Buzzard, jay, blackcap, chiffchaff, linnet, grey and pied wags, etc.

Hobby chasing the hirundines lots passing through. And a Wheatear perched on a hay bail in the middle of a field.