Lovely walk early this morning, so many birds made it a joy. Mistle and song thrush singing, blackbirds a plenty, usual woodland and scrubbland birds including 2 ,presumably male, tree creepers having a right old scrap, chiffchaffs,willow warblers, blackcaps & Whitethroats. Tawny owl hooting (at 8.15!), a Cuckoo calling in the distance, Buzzard ,Jay,Raven & Rooks and 3 male Bullfinch that alighted on a tree together and flew off together. Also a male Great spotted woodpecker harassing a Green Woody. The Greens nest hole was literally a couple of mtrs below the G.S.Woody so not a lot of “love thy neighbour” !

A handful of common birds on a pleasant stroll through Windsor Gardens overlooking the channel.

Whitethroat numbers now building up, with 4 or 5 singing – but a pleasant surprise was a Lesser Whitethroat singing loudly right above our heads at the north end of the Common. Good to hear Green Woodpeckers in at least 3 different areas (they have become very scarce in this area) and hear one lone Goldcrest singing, our first anywhere locally in months ! The Redstart was singing again only 3-400mtrs away north of Beddau Rugby Club, a location we have never suspected before – in complete contrast to 2 days ago at our closest known location, Caerau Llantrisant, where we drew a complete blank on Redstart (or, indeed, anything else – mind you, it was a mid-day “exercise walk”

Tawny Owl calling 4am

Popped out onto the patio this afternoon and there were 2 Kestrels soaring together above. Not sure if they were a pair as they were roughly the same size and colour. Earlier a Willow warbler singing nearby.

Cuckoo heard calling briefly just after 7pm. A little distant, somewhere in upland above Cefn Carfen Road.

7 am 24.4.20

6 whimbrel resting up at water’s edge

We notice that an Osprey was reported and photographed on the same morning, over Nantyffyllon, approx. 13.3 miles (as the Osprey flies) to the west-north-west of “our” bird – same bird ? – or 2 birds as part of a late migration movement ??

On one of our exercise walks, from the house in Beddau, at approx. 0645, amazed to see an OSPREY flying slowly but steadily, exactly north, at perhaps twice tall tree height, over the Common – possibly en route from overnight local water roost (Hensol Lake ??) towards potential breeding site in Mid-Wales or even Scotland.

Another 37 species joined it on our complete list as submitted to Birdtrack – included Raven carrying food for young, Stock Dove singing, Redstart singing (a first for us in this vicinity) – other summer  visitors included several Whitethroats (at last), lots of Willow Warblers and Blackcaps, several low-flying Swallows (again, at last).

First Reed Warbler in usual location; two Cetti’s singing.

Male Hen Harrier seen again on Wednesday 22nd April.

Male Hen Harrier seen on Monday 20th April flying. Lots of Skylarks, Stonechats, Wheatears, Meadow Pipit and Buzzards.

I had an email from a member of the public to say that there’s been a Pere around the apartments at Victoria Wharf which is by the R. Ely before it enters Cardiff Bay, near the White Water centre. It’s obviously using the roofs of the apartments as a lookout. Pic with the email:

Plenty of Swallows around Lower Cosmeston Farm. Blackcaps in the nature reserve and Brimstone, Peacock, Comma, Speckled Wood but o/w pretty quiet bird-wise but it was early afternoon.
Lavernock – Penarth coast path, more Blackcaps, 1 Chiffchaff, 1 Lesser Whitethroat, Dunnock, Blackbird, Robin, House Sparrow.

Yesterday 10 am,Single Red Kite SE of Pendoylan. As a sub contractor to Welsh Water I’m either working at their sites or driving between them, hence the wide variation in localities. Apologies to all those in lock down and those who can’t get out to their favourite birding spots, hopefully it won’t be long before we can all get out and about.

Two singing, Sanatorium Park.

Two singing, Sanatorium Park.

Single Red kite above Telemast (Gilfach farm) this morning. They really are becoming an almost common sight these days.

Single Red Kite over Penrhiwgwint, a pair of Stonechats, several singing Skylarks & Meadow Pipit. As we got up on the plateau I scanned a scoured field and picked out a Lapwing keeping a wary eye on a Buzzard perched on a nearby stone wall. 20 yards away was , I presume, the female, stock still and possibly on eggs/young. If this is a breeding pair, its the first I’ve seen on this hill since the ’80s. Further sightings include 8+Willow warbler, 1× Whitethroat, Crossbill, 2×Swallow, 1× Reed Bunting, 8+ Sand Martin

C.40 Swallows and 2 House Martin at Cosmeston this a.m. 10 at a time of the Swallows were perching in a tree overhanging W lake in between bouts of feeding flight. Also Green Pecker, Chiffchaff and plenty of Blackcap.