Lisvane: The winter-plumage Black-Necked Grebe was still present today, fishing intensively around the floating platform in the NW corner. Also, 7 little grebes, 3 GC grebes, 142 tufties, 6 pochards, 53 coots, 6 mallards, 2 mute swans, etc. A small flock of birders in the car park; Phil Bristow was a year tick, and Graham Powell was a life tick for me.

Llanishen: 9 adult tufties and the 5 tufted ducklings are growing bigger. 1 ad and 1 juv GC grebe (too young to fly, previously found by Phil B) is another notable breeding record for Llanishen. One very small little grebe chick represents the third brood (at least) to have been hatched here this summer. 9 other little grebes around the ever-growing lagoon. 6 coots, 1 mallard, and a juv buzzard mewing in the woods.

Little tern still present this morning and ruff feeding in frothy margin near boat house this morning (found by ND).

4 Garden warbler, 17 blackcap, 16 willow warbler (14 ringed) caught at the marsh this morning.
A bit of a clear out of Acros, and very few sedge warbler present.
Ringed plover calling from Nicholaston Pill first thing.
Sparrowhawk hunting the marsh as usual.
More info here: http://gowerbirdringinggroup.blogspot.co.uk/2014/08/oxwich-marsh-16-august-2014-willow.html

The Little Tern was still present at Kenfig Pool this morning, plunge diving just metres from where we stood, before resting on a fence post. Great to witness the dedication of one of Glamorgan’s finest photographers in the cause of his art 🙂

Looking at the ordinal of the first photo I think I can make out ’29’ from the code on the metal ring on the bird’s right leg, maybe it will help in tracing where it came from?

A Black-necked Grebe on Lisvane Res., found by PB this morning. Still present at 13.20hrs. Also there a male Lesser Spotted Woodpecker in with a passing tit flock and at least 6 Swifts over Llanishen. Record shots on GRC.

Juvenile fulmar still on the ledges. Some fluffy some well feathered.

10 chough, 1 kestrel

Once again the Little Tern was feeding over the Northern Lagoon this morning. Other migrants included four Redshanks going north, three Lapwings north west, three Teal on the pool, a Wheatear on the shore and a very showy Redstart in the SW corner of the pool.

Rhymney Estuary today just after high tide: 300+ Redshank, 1 Little Egret, 1 Knot (still in summer plumage), 1 Curlew, 1 Turnstone, 15 Dunlin and 1 Great Black-backed Gull.

At Rumney Great Wharf on Wednesday afternoon, 6 Black-tailed Godwit flew in from further east but didn’t stay long, and this afternoon there were 7 Ringed Plover on the mud with a Turnstone.

Whimbrel, Dunlin (8), Common Sandpiper (5) and Little Egret on the estuary this morning. Redstart, Spotted Flycatcher and Lesser Whitethroat of note in Pant Norton. Nice scattering of Autumn Lady’s-tresses downstream of the house.

The Little Tern was still at Kenfig Pool this morning roosting on third posts along East Pool Shore. Also a Spotted Flycatcher in the South Pol with a mobile flock of Willow Warblers, Chiffchaffs and Blackcaps, four Little Egrets roosting in the West Pool, two swifts overhead and two Common Sandpipers on the shore.

Small passage of waders, Lapwing [31], Redshank [2], Whimbrel [3], Turnstone [1] & Greenshank [1]. Good numbers of swallows feeding over the spartina & wharf, along with Linnets & Goldfinches. Common Whitethroat, Lesser Whitethroat & Reed Warbler in the reeds/hedgerows. Four GBB Gulls of note. Kestrel, Buzzard & a Hobby hawking over the wharf.
Leps: Clouded Yellow, Small Tortoiseshell, Meadow Brown, Gatekeeper, Common Blue, Small White & Large White.

31 Med gulls and 28 black-headed at Bracelet this morning.

Wheatear and good numbers of willow warbler on the hill.

Arrived at the rivermouth just after a deluge to be greeted by numerous small waders spread out along the beach (Bridgend side). After wading across (needs must) I located a juvenile Little Stint, but this soon flew off with a flock of Ringed Plovers east over the river and out of sight, when flushed by dog walkers. Not possible to accurately count them, but a rough estimate would be 130 Ringed Plovers, 50 Sanderlings and 45 Dunlin. 

2 kingfishers 19 mute swans 60+ black headed gulls 

Barrage south – 100 Black-headed Gulls on the jetty. 1 1st yr Med Gull flying up & down the inner shoreline. GBB Gull adult on outer harbour wall. 2 Common Sandpipers on the outer side of the outer harbour [by Penarth Head beach].

R.Ely mouth by John Bachelor Way – 13 Turnstone on the rocky slope, and 2 Grey Wags, plus 2 GCG on the river. Still some House Martin activity in the housing estate there,

Mix of hirundines over the Bay itself.

In Hamadryad Park ‘pond’, 6 ad.Little Grebes and on the playing fields an Oystercatcher probably the one from Mermaid Quay. In CBWR the Little Grebe pair now showing with 3 quite large young in the second small bay from the boardwalk. 2 Common Sandpiper were on the shoreline and in flight on the barrage coast path by the picnic tables seen from St.David’s Hotel.

 

 

 

Today’s little tern hiding in the froth on the east short of Kenfig Pool late this morning. Nice find by Neil Donaghy.

Must have been a mini arrival of Spotted Flycatchers in the Cardiff area, just seen one in the bushes behind my house! Only the 3rd time I’ve seen one from the house in 19 years.