Saw my first swift of 2014 over Cardiff Riding School this evening. About a dozen swallows are back a the site.

Earlier today on the Taff between western avenue and canton bridge – four goosander in two pairs, and two common sandpipers.

H i , I  saw my first swallow today in a field near Aldridge , west midlands as I was on the bus going to my parents !.   The field has horses in it and quite a lot of birds frequent the field. Good view of the swallow flying past .

I  watched  2  Buzzards circle overhead at beginning of the week over the flats where I  live and saw 1 Peregrine on Walsall town hall tower.

A couple of weeks ago I watched  Peregrine flying near ST Peter`s church , Wolverhampton, chasing an unidentified bird but plenty of squawking going on ! I  was going home from Wolverhampton university when this happened.

A female ring ouzel was seen by visiting birders at about 3pm. It was seen from the southern permissive bridleway. The bird was flying about a bit but the observers said it did not leave the general area. I went down after 4pm and searched with no luck.

Highlights from this morning’s guided walk were lesser whitethroat, reed warbler and an early swift.

1 Lsr Whitethroat just over the boundary wall of IKEA singing and showing briefly 7.15-7.45am. Bullfinch in Grangemoor Park same location as before 20m east of the thick chimney stack.
In Hamadryad/CBWR 41 Tufted Duck and at least 5 Reed Warblers but appears to be no Sedge Warblers.

a.m. 5 Tufties on W lake. 1 House Martin briefly. Reed Warbler and Cettis singing in E lake reeds. o/w too many people and rubbish left everywhere, including plastic bottles thrown into the new pools

At 7:30 this evening a 2cy Franklin’s Gull flew across from Penclacwydd and landed in the middle of the estuary on the incoming tide. I then met up with Rob Taylor at Dalton’s Point where we quickly relocated the bird, but it took off almost immediately and went round the corner towards Wernffrwd. From the church Rob eventually relocated the bird on the edge of the marsh and Neil Edwards, Mark Hipkin & Rob Jones managed to see the bird in before the light faded. It was last seen flying back up the estuary with a small group of Black-heads around 8:30 – bit of mad hour – well done Mark and Rob for getting there so quickly!

Assuming it’s there tomorrow it’s likely to be with the Black-heads, so could be anywhere in the upper section of the estuary between Loughor Bridge and Wernffrwd, or at WWT where most of the Black-heads commute to and from. The light will be excellent for the first few hours, but the haze will make things very difficult from about 10 onwards. I have the usual rubbish record shots which I’ll put on the GRC later, assuming I don’t fall asleep in the bath with my bottle of wine…fingers crossed for tomorrow.

Otter video from this morning HERE

Common Sandpiper this morning.

Kingfisher, Tufted duck (unusual for site) – drake, greylag (6), whitethroat, cuckoo, 30+ siskin, grasshopper warbler reeling.

2 House Martins by the houses in Penarth Portway, 5 Turnstone on R.Ely shoreline plus a first year Med Gull there. 2 Wheatear on barrage rocks.

 

2 lapwings and a grey heron were on the new scrapes at 7:30 this morning. Also a pair of moorhens have 3 chicks in the pool in front of the visitor centre.

 

2 Dippers, 1 Green Pecker.

In addition to Dave’s sightings [though I only saw 1 Whimbrel ] – also 4 Ringed Plovers about half an hour before high tide, an adult Gannet up channel and 2 Shelducks down channel. A Tree Pipit was in the southern dunes at Kenfig Pool, 14 Wheatears, 13 Stonechats and 70 singing Willow Warblers around pool/ southern dunes and alder wood.

11:45 an imm Red Kite flew from the west, low across the cliff top mini golf and headed out over the channel.

2 Wheatear (m+f) on the rocks at the southern end of the barrage.
1 Common Sandpiper at Ely river-mouth.
In Grangemoor Park, at least 1 Lsr Whitethroat called briefly by the north-west entrance.
2 Common Whitethroat still present and 1 m. Bullfinch.

19 purple sandpiper, 15 turnstone, 8 whimbrel, 7 oystercatcher, 2 grey plover and a dunlin at high tide this morning. A drake common scoter flew down channel. No sign of yesterday’s 11 bar-tailed godwit.

Reed, sedge and grasshopper warblers all present this morning.
Also 9 gadwall (3f) and 2 snipe.
A wheatear on one of the bunds was unusual.
4 Sandwich terns in the bay

Tree pipit singing on the edge of Clyne Common near Pwll-y-Froga Farm (Blackhills Lane) this evening.
6 wheatear on the edge of golf course (5 male).
3 snipe flushed from wet ground near Broadley Farm.
[3 snipe also noted at Oxwich Marsh last night – but no reed or sedge warblers heard]

per Marlay John & Ken – two male Ring Ouzels right down near the path about 50m beyond the stile thro’ the stone wall this morning. Also Marsh Tit nest building in the youth hostel wood across the road.