yesterday, Stonechat and Nuthatch, the latter quite uncommon here.

Canada Geese having a non-socially distanced wash & brush up this morning. The male Stonechat of the more or less permanently present pair was in the snipe paddock together with a female Reed Bunting which wasn’t quite so obliging. Our pooch Poppy [on the left] had a great time in her fave puddle [more a pool at the mo], with a playmate she met this morning. There are a huge number of berries around waiting for big flocks of Thrushes, which haven’t materialised yet – just a few Redwing about – these were particularly bright red.

Misty and murky this morning. A lot of thrushes in the snipe paddock, Blackbirds, several Song Thrush and Redwing. Also this Green ‘Pecker reluctant to show its face [also pretty distant]. In amongst about 100 Black-headed Gulls on W lake, this 1st cal yr Common Gull [massive crop as it was in the middle of W lake]. Cogan Wood has some nice colours.

Yesterday morning . Excellent views of a pair of Kingfishers at Clydach vale country park , one landed in a willow not more than 6 mtrs away from the lakeside path and very tolerant of passing people and dogs. I’ve been here 3 times in the last few weeks and seen them every time. Looking brilliant in the autumn sunshine, I’ll try and get some pics next time I’m there. Also a couple of red head Goosander and a Little Grebe amongst the mallards, Coots and Moorhens.

Walked across the barrage and back. Only thing of note was a pair of Goosander, the female being quite close to the innner barrage, fishing – she caught about 3 small fish which I failed to capture due to a hiccup on the camera settings. The drake was a fair way out in the Bay. The only other things of note were abnotu 5 Gt Crested Grebes. I noticed that the string of orange buoys near the barrage sluices, where any Common Gulls used to rest, have gone. Below, the best pix of the redhead Goosander I managed.

During dog walk this a.m. 10 Swallow over E paddock and a Skylark, another Skylark over W paddock and Redwing there, plus a single Redpoll with Goldfinch by the mile rd near the middle entrance to w paddock. Green Woodpecker just outside E paddock nr play area. Buzzard over Cogan Wood harassed by 20+ Jackdaw.

On Lisvane reservoir – visible from the overlook, but can disappear from view for some time – also common gull White fronted goose reported yesterday from llanishen/lisvane res

Roath park 16+ shoveler, 7 teal, 1 drake wigeon seen couple of days ago

Fair movement again this morning over Leckwith/some birds over Canton.

c 22,200 flying ssw in an hour and a quarter with birds still passing in lower numbers later.

First big movement of autumn as usual over Canton/Leckwith. 45.000 birds passing ssw in two and a half hours.

1m-Goosander on the lake this afternoon,a pretty rare sighting at this location.

Dipper flying down river near Leckwith Hill.

It appears there was a Grey Phalarope in Cardiff Bay Wetlands this morning, last seen flying out to middle of the bay. (Per Twitter & Whatsapp).

Tantalisingly close fleeting naked eye views just beyond social distance, of Cettis Wblr along base of reeds in Sully Brook, Cosmeston just beyond the gate by Dovecote field.

V wet couple of days [and more to come!], means that Cosmeston away from the paths is very muddy and slippery at the moment. The recent two Ring-necked Ducks have migrated to Cardiff Bay and there’s only about 15 Tufties present on E lake at the moment, with up to 3 Pochard. Didn’t notice the Goldeneye this morning. The Herring Gull was having a good old shout yesterday and this morning I managed a couple of nice shots of the pair oof Stonechat that have been around, although they are big crops from the originals. There were also a couple of very vocal Bullfinches near the far entrance to Cogan Wood and a Few Redwing in the snipe paddock.

I visited Cosmeston yesterday for the first time properly and even in the stingy, wet weather managed to have a fairly productive session and I even met some other friendly watchers (distanced of course) who gave me some helpful tips. I saw 1 peregrine flying overhead, 1 buzzard being mobbed by crows, 4 great crested grebe, 2 little grebes, heard one green woodpecker overhead, 2 goldcrest, 27 tufted ducks, 1 pochard, 31 redwing and 16 goldfinches.

A few random ones from Cosmeston this a.m. 1 Fly over Peregrine, 1 Gt Spot Woodpecker, a few Redwing, small group of Tufties and 1 Pochard, 3 Little Grebe on E lake 1 GCG.

Brief v wet session this a.m. Max 7 Pochard on E lake and the drake Goldeneye. No sign of either the imm or 1st yr male Ring-necked Ducks, so assume both are in Cardiff Bay with the rest of the prev 90 Tufties that were here.

Last couple of days. Yesterday, the imm Ring-necked Duck was joined by a 1st year male, found by Graham Smith. It was not present this morning although the imm bird was still on E lake as was the drake Goldeneye. Late news rec’d as I type was that the 1st yr Ring-necked had relocated to Cardiff Bay, just off the Ice Rink area. Yesterday at Cossie a pair of Stonechat were on the perimeter of the snipe paddock and a few Redwing were in the trees there, and this morning a male Stonechat was in E Paddock with a few Goldfinch.

Jackdaw with single white feather.

Saw my first Common gull of this autumn this morning, a 2ndW on E lake by the feeding area. The latter had me going for a little while as it had a very pale grey mantle [Ring-billed Gull!] but sadly it’s not. In a short fight it had a broad black terminal tail band. Also pair of Stonechat in the snipe paddock and a Common Sipe flew out of the W lake reeds and headed off high over E lake.