I’ve had a fantastic couple of days watching a pair of peregrine falcons on the heritage coast tending to their nest. Yesterday I had a fantastic view of one of the parents catching a pigeon, taking it back to the cliff to have his share, then hand it over (in flight!) to the female who brought it back into the nest. They are extremely vocal and it is not often that the nest site isn’t occupied by at least one parent. It has taken me a couple of weeks to locate the nest after following peregrines around but of course I will not be sharing the actual location for obvious reasons.

Three ravens, who were until very recently still being fed by their parents in the nest, have finally fledged but are sticking together as a group of three. They are very inquisitive and will walk up fairly close to me if I sit still on the ground. They are truly fascinating to watch.

Another beautiful morning for local walk. Fem. Grey wagtail feeding young in river plus 12+ Sandmartins around colony. 10+ Swifts over town centre. Up on top the 3 Lapwings are still in the field, no chicks seen but they’d be very difficult to pick out against bare earth. Excellent views of Peregrine lazily soaring just below Penrhiwgwint farm.

5 Swifts heard and seen high above Llantwit Church tower. Nice to see our first Glamorganshire hare about 3 miles west of Llantwit.

Unusual sighting this morning. A male Reed Bunting was feeding in my garden. I have seen one occasionally in winter. The fact that I saw a female a couple of weeks ago might indicate breeding. There doesn’t appear to be suitable habitat nearby though.

Walk from home before breakfast  rewarded with blackcap, whitethroat, willow w, chiffchaff, cettis w, reed warbler, and garden warbler.  The last is especially pleasing as it is the first one I have seen at Forest farm and brings my no car/shutdown list to 82

On 19th there were 2 juv Mistle Thrushes near the dragonfly pond. Ads were frequenting this area earlier in the year so I suspect they have bred poss in the edge of Cogan Wood. Also 1 Buzzard over.
On 20th E lake had 11 Canada Geese.
Finally I have now received confirmation that the Stonechat breeding success is the first recorded breeding of this species at Cosmeston. Also to update the record, they were in fact first discovered by local birder Graham Smith, so well done Graham.

Red kite low over fields this afternoon. (Strictly speaking just out of East Glam area)

There were around 10 Swifts flying around this morning, so I experimented trying to get some flight images. Other birds this morning were a male Stonechat feeding 2 juvs near Cogan Wood. I was alerted to their presence yesterday by my friend Wayne Strong. Couldn’t find them y’day but succeeded this morning. Am currently making enquiries as to whether this is a first for the site. Also in the same area, 2 Linnets, unusual at Cosmeston in the summer, a Reed Warbler seen singing in the reeds by the adjacent Sully Brook and a Common Whitethroat there too. Leps seen were Common Blue, Dingy Skipper and Brimstone.

Spotted in the farmland during hay cutting in Walterston 17/5/2020

Sighted in St Andrews Major May 5 2020

I first saw this bizarre looking female albino pheasant in late December. Then I recorded it a of couple of times on trail cameras in late April and have now regularly see it walking in a field, now in the company of a mate. I’m quite surprised it’s survived this long as it stands out from a mile away. On the subject of strangely pigmented birds, on way to Llandough from St Mary Church I almost always see a leucistic male blackbird which has an almost completely bald head. It is usually singing from the hedge or telegraph pole in plain sight.

Cosmeston this morning. A Small Copper butterfly was very nice, and a pair of Hairy Dragonflies were over the dragonfly pond plus a Large Red Damselfly nearby. At the main bridge I saw a first, then a second Kingfisher whizz round into the small adjacent inlet on the E. lake side. I crept round and found them sitting in the shade over the water, and then noticed a third. They were in deep shadow but I took a couple of photos with the cam zoomed out to 600mm, and they are young birds, so the pair have had three young this year! I saw one adult carrying a fish a couple of weeks ago. One pic shows all three birds almost as taken [small crop] and the second, the two sitting together – much bigger crop. Also 2 Swift feeding over W lake, and the 4 GC Grebe chicks still doing well. Finally the park is now officially re-opened to pedestrians and cycles. Quite rightly the car park remains closed. The boardwalks are closed as they are too narrow for safe spacing.
Also a nice Dog Rose from the othe day.

2 Jays, 1 Sparrowhawk having a right old barney with a Crow, 20-30 Sand Martin, 3 House Martin and 2 Swift, 2 Goldfinch, 4 GC Grebe chicks growing well, several Blackcap singing and other usual suspects. Mute Swans still staying away, although 6 present today and a couple of Canadas.

Complete list of 23 species. Common Whitethroat 1, Dunnock 1, Blue Tit 1, Blackbird 1, Jackdaw 20, Carrion Crow 4, Magpie, LBBG Gull, Herring Gull, Coot with young, Little Grebe 2 ads, GC Grebe 2 [just the pair on a nest – couldn’t see the ad with 4 chicks], Reed Bunting 1m, Cormorant 1, Mute Swan 3 [no-one to feed them so I guess they’ve all gone to the Bay or Knap Lake], Canada Goose 3, Buzzard 1, Sand Martin 10, House Martin 1, Swallow, Woodpigeon, Feral Pigeon, Robin [heard only].
On the way home, Lesser Whitethroat singing in trees to the right of the entrance to Glamorganshire Golf Club.

Along the coastal path by Sully sports grounds there were 3 Whimbrel, and there were 9 Oystercatcher initially on Sully Island beach but then flew along by Sully Bay as the tide began to fall.

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My only one of the year so far.

Grangemoor Park: Lesser Whitethroat singing well.

Ely River Trail between Penarth Road and Leckwith Road : Reed Warblers singing at two sites; Cettis Warbler as usual.

Red Kite over the estate Saturday 1120 and also this morning (Monday)1000. Also on cycle ride to and from Aston Martin Sat. afternoon :- 1 Yellowhammer heard, 1 Willow Warbler heard, 1 Whitethroat seen and heard. Sorry about late posting computer down but fixed now.

An unusual find this afternoon, I found what looks to me like the remains of a Red Legged Partridge. (Unfortunately the head was missing ) I’ve absolutely no idea how it got up here at the top of the Rhondda Fach? Probably a victim of a local Peregrine. The last Red leg I’ve seen was over 20 years ago outside Morganstown.

Highlights from this morning. Nice close view of the GCG family. 20-30 Swallow, 3 House Martin, 6 Sand Martin, 2 Swift, more hirundines much higher up, 2nd GCG pr on nest and a further pair. Green Pecker and Lesser Whitethroat heard.