Redshank don’t often stop in Sully Bay (just a few records annually) but two were resting at the water’s edge in calm conditions yesterday morning. Five Canada Geese flew east along the coast before heading inland towards Sully Moors or Cosmeston. A Great Spotted Woodpecker was drumming in trees near Beechwood College and a Goldcrest was singing and Bullfinches feeding along Hayes Road.

Cetti’s Warblers seem well-established on Sully Moors. Three were singing there yesterday including, for the first time for me, one north of the Barry/Dinas Powys road. Other sightings on the moors included singles of Fieldfare and Redwing and two singing Skylarks.

A single Hawfinch was in the trees of the small copse on the left past the dragonfly pond at Cosmeston, as per 2 days ago, at 12:30 today. Flew off but came back again. Seems to like that little group of trees but very nervous, as indeed they always are. Nowt much else to report – car park was more or less completely full – loads of people around E and W lakes.

Red Kite over house 1000 Hrs. Also Blue Tits bringing nesting material into nest box.

A WeBS count delayed from Sun 14th as I had my 2nd Covid jab that day and had nasty after effects on Mon & Tues.
At Green Pt by the Rhymney Est: 600 Redshank with 6 Dunlin in the flock, 42 Pintail offshore, 22 Teal, 9 Shelduck, 16 Oyc, 6 Cormorant, 14 Canadas, and oddly 5 Collared Dove feeding by the water’s edge by Lamby Way.
At the Heliport bay, 22 Turnstone, 2 Oycs, 5 Shelduck and 47 Pintail offshore.

A single singing Chiffchaff on the Ely Trail between Leckwith Rd and Penarth Rd.

A group of six Greenfinches was a surprise here.

Seems that the regular Cetti’s have shifted location down river towards the Bay–haven’t been singing regularly along the Ely (trail) since last late summer.

Moorhen with two tiny juveniles on the pond,also the other parent was on the nest so probably more than two young,will check in the next few days.

Not having visited for ages, we did a complete circuit of the Cardiff Bay Trail this morning, starting at the Penarth end of the barrage. 100’s of Black-headed Gulls in the bay but nothing exciting with them, but a white-headed Cormorant on the inner barrage structure was a very good candidate for the continental sinensis subspieces. After coffee at Coffi by the dock bridge we were more or less halfway round so decided to carry on. After a take out bacon bap overlooking the wetland reserve, there was a Chiffchaff singing by St David’s Hotel and 4 different Cetti’s Warblers were heard. On into Hamadryad Park and two more Cetti’s sang, and a pair of GC Grebes were attending a recently finished nest. Another Cetti was singing just outside by Clarence Embankment, then a further 3 singing on the other side of R. Taff by Channel View. On the The Marl playing field there were 2 Med Gulls – a 2nd cal yr bird with a yellow ring bearing ALPN (thanks to Gareth Stamp – my pix don’t clearly reveal the letters), and a another bird approaching 2ndS plumage.

Single Redwing feasting on Ivy berries 1700 hrs. Earlier (1430) Kestrel over Boverton / Eglwys Brewis traffic light junction.

Blackcap singing regularly on the Ely Trail. First singing Chiffchaff in Canton this morning.

Having thought they had disbursed, it appears the wintering Hawfinches are still at Cosmeston. Graham Smith saw 7 this morning, I’m assuming in the same place as before, in tall trees of Cogan Wood, on the left about 50m past the dragonfly pond. They are sporadic and usually appear in the very tops of the tallest trees, esp the ones with Sycamore keys still visible. Modified annotated map off my blog below.

Black redstart on rocks near end of CC reen. Water pipit to east of Blockhouse, also peregrine, wigeon, pintail, chiffchaff and a splendid peacock (bird not butterfly) on adjacent lane.

Of note, a Chiffchiff. If this is a migrant – it had no pollen horn but I’ve not recorded overwintering birds, this is my earliest ever at this site.

Of the waterbirds, two Goosanders remain, Coots are now breeding and as expected, Little Grebes have now departed.

Canton, Cardiff this morning–singing Blackcap.

Got a year tick this morning in the shape of a Greylag Goose on E. Lake – never thought I’d get a kick out of seeing one of those! Two pairs of Green Woodpeckers seem to be present, with one regularly yaffling near E paddock and aonther by W paddock. A smart male Reed Bunting was by the gate to the conservation area and a Mistle Thrush showed well along the Mile Road.

A bit outdated now but I thought it was still worth a mention, I spotted my first wheatear of the year on March 8th between Monknash and Southerndown. Incidentally it was virtually exactly the same spot I spotted a black redstart back on the 17th of Feb.

It might also be of interest that in a separate confidential location there are peregrines beginning to nest in the same spot they were last year, on the coast. The pair weren’t successful last season so I’m hoping this will be the year! I took some nice shots a couple of days ago of the resident female bringing back a live dunlin to the nest which must have been caught in flight. It was a bit sad to watch for the dunlin but still pretty a spectacular display of the peregrine’s supreme hunting abilities.

I’ve also been quite active on eBird the last couple of months, in particular creating new public hotspots such that sightings can be collated for each birding location to offer more valuable data to users. A few hotspot names have been corrected too with help from the local hotspot reviewer so I’m hoping it will be a slightly more rewarding experience for anyone else that uses the Website.

A pair of Stonechat are back on territory where they bred last year, in the area of the sapling plantation overlooking Sully Brook just outside the southern border of Cogan Wood. The male was singing and display flighting for the female this morning. Not sure I have ever heard the actual song of a Stonechat before in all the years I’ve been birding. Slightly reminscent of Dunnock but more ‘fluty’. Buzzard displaying this morning too.

2-Chiffchaffs in the shrubs between the boardwalk and yacht club,also there a male Greenfinch.11h50

One Little Egret present this morning feeding in stream/pool.

Two Greeen Woodpeckers seen, 1 in far end of E paddock and the other in W paddock near the dragonfly pond. Had my first Sand Martins of the year, with 3 feeding low over W lake, and there was a Chiffchaff feeding low down by the water’s edge on the far side of the W lake ‘bay’. As we left, the now regular Water Rail shot off ito cover in the Sully Brook ditch and sat in its now favoured well hidden position. Pair of GC Grebes were displaying on E lake.

Mediterranean Gull adult transitional winter to breeding plumage Goosander 1 female Lesser B?B Gull 40 Herring Gull 10 Black-headed Gull 40.