Imm Ring-necked Duck still on E lake Cosmeston. Not easy to pick out if asleep and in with 90 Tufties! Was active for a while but too distant for pix. Also drake Goldeneye still, 2 Pochard and an influx of c.200 Canadas!!

Sunday afternoon – lone male Yellowhammer and lone male Stonechat ( a first for me in that area) and a Grey Wagtail on the Colhugh near Eglwys Brewis railway bridge.

News for Cardiffians just rec’d. 3 Bearded Tits were seen at CBWR this morning. Last seen diving into reeds at hotel end.

Bit delayed posting this. Had a walk up the farm track opposite Cosmeston, up to the cooastal fields [which sadly may eventually be covered in tarmac and houses]. First bird was a Sparrowhawk chasing a Magpie, then as I crossed the big field, first one, then two then three Peregrines appeared and patrolled up and down parallel to the coast for about half an hour. A large mixed flock of Goldfinch and Linnet constantly flew up, and a distant Kestrel flew by. Having done a circuit of the field, as I walked back a group of 10 Skylark flew over, then a few Meadow Pipits and also a single Siskin, whose flight call I heard, and a few Chaffinches. Standing at the top corner of the big field I then noticed another raptor coming from inland – a Goshawk! It drifted slowly above the big field with the typical leisurely fairly deep wingbeats [unlike the rapid flick flick of a Sparrowhawk], and walost from view over Lavernock Point. All in all a good session. Below, 2 shots of one of the Perrys, and three of the Gos, one showing how high it was.

Cosmeston late a.m. Drake Goldeneye on E lake near the reeds – thx to Sharon Mullins the ranger for txt. Along the lower Dovecote meadow by Sully Brook, 8 Redwing. 2 Green Peckers, and 1 Gt Spotted Pecker on fence by dipping pond then the uprights of the gazebo.! A few Swallows over.

This morning a Raven cronking overhead accompanied, as it were, by a Chiffchaff singing heartily from the hedgerow ( I have often heard one of the latter in September but never October – and so often this year) This afternoon a lone male Bullfinch in the hedge, although it was calling.

No sign of drake goldeneye on either lake (from earlier this a.m.) – prob scared off by swimming dogs in the small bay. Gone to Cardiff Bay?? E lake had 60 Tufties and a pair of Pochard.

I started the day visiting the Boverton Seawatch Centre where I saw a lone barnacle goose in a field. On the cycle back I spotted some large flocks of linnet – 40-50, mixed with about 15 pied wagtails on the roof of a barn. The fence below the barn was scattered with 6 meadow pipits. Other sightings here included 1 kestrel, 2 buzzards, 30-35 goldfinches.

I later arrived at Llantwit beach hoping to get some more views of an obliging golden plover I had seen last weekend. The tide was in so instead I took a walk along the coast path towards St Donats. Here I had a nice view of a female common scoter which was heading from Llantwit towards St Donats at impressive speed. It took me a minute to make the ID as I don’t think I’ve ever seen one locally before. It would be interesting to know whether anyone else has seen one this year in the Vale and whether they’re regular visitors on this part of the coast.

Very briefly – The three Wigeon were still on W lake, one of which had a vigorous bathe. I had about 12 fly-over Swallows and for the first time in years, actually heard the harsh call of a fly-over Brambling. Didn’t get a good look at it tho’, but these new fangled hearing aids are ace! Also I saw what I believe was a Hornet Mimic Hoverfly, Volucella zonaria – what a huge beast. Sadly I wasn’t quick enough to grab a photo. It was in the wood behind the dragonfly pond. In the pix below the Green Pecker, Mistle Thrush and LTT were from the 13th.

Twenty five Redwings overhead this morning.

Tuesday 13th October: Redwing 6 Mistle Thrush 10 Great Tit 8 Blue Tit 6 Goshawk 1 Song Thrush 2

Cosmeston a.m. 3 Wigeon W lake. Two feeding flocks with LTT, Goldcrest, Coal, Blue & Gt Tits but no Yellow-browed Warblers. Also Green Pecker and Mistle Thr W paddock and 6 Skylark flew over.

5 shoveler and 8 teal among birds on Roath Park lake this afternoon.

A few photos from a stroll along the Sully foreshore on 8th Sep. Highlights were a couple of lingering Wheatear, and amazingly around 20 Greenfinch near the dirt parking area. Also the usual Turnstones [c.20] , 4 Rock Pipits, around 20 Swallows low over the playing field, prompting me to try some flight shots [not v successfully!]. 1 Rock Pip was quite pale and had me going [putative Water Pip, but I don’t think it was]. The Heron was at Cosmeston.

2 Wigeon still on W lake Cosmeston. 30+ Swallows over the upper Dovecote field and 2 House Martin with them, and pr of Stonechat by the sapling plantation, plus Linnet, Mipit, & Goldfinch.

Had a walk round this morning with 2 new GBC members from Penarth. Highlights were a Red Kite high up just SW of Cosmeston being mobbed by 2 Crows. So distant I thought Harrier at first due to the long wings, but eventually got the forked tail. It drifted off in the general direction of Dinas Powis. Good views of Green Woodpecker near the dragonfly pond and a couple of Greenfinch and Song Thrush and a few Goldfinch there. A Stonechat was by the dipping pond and a Buzzard was sitting in a dead tree there too. A few Swallows and House Martins passed overhead.

Paid my first visit here for quite a while having seen a Tweet that Graham Smith had found a Yellow-browed Warbler. Got on to it eventually as it was calling a lot. Very difficult to get a clear view of such an active bird in fairly dense canopy cover. Eventually showed pretty well, even allowing me to get a couple of shots off. There were several Chiffchaffs present too, allowing for comparison of the differing calls. YBW much higher pitched and ‘cleaner’ than Chiffie. Similar in some ways to Coal Tit, a fair flock of which moved through. A Kestrel with a damaged, loose primary was hovering over the coastal field, and eventually perched, and a Sparrowhawk had an aerial set-to with a Magpie. Big flock of Linnet present also. Location of the YBW was at ST 186689 where the farm track from opposite Cosmeston meets the coastal path.

On 1st there was a pair of Stonechat by the snipe paddock, plus a Wren, 20 Goldfinch and a Green Woodpecker flew over W lake. In heavy rain on 2nd there were c.30 Swallows feeding low over the lakes, with about 6 House Martins with them. Today, 3rd, there was a flock of 100+ Goldfinch beyond the snipe paddock, a few Swallows over the lakes, and I heard 2 Cetti’s Warblers, 1 by Sully Brook near the Medieval Village and the other near the dipping pond. Below, some somewhat abstract pix of the Goldfinches today.