19/03/25 Osprey overhead at 14:45 flying North.

We had a successful trip to the Forest of Dean on Sat 8th, with 20 participants. Unlike the last two years we succeeded with seeing Goshawk from New Fancy View – just the 1 bird but it was worth it. We also had a Red Kite there. We also scored with a few Hawfinch in Parkend, and a couple of Marsh Tits at Cannop Ponds. The inevitable Mandarins featured there too, plus some smart Siskins and a pair of Goosander. No pix of the Gos or Hawfinch from me, but a few of other species seen. are shown below. John Wilson.

We noted 45 species – click here for the list. In addition we had Long-tailed Tit, Jay, Cormorant and Teal.

Birds singing daily (up to four individuals) Sanatorium Park and along Ely Trail.

First locally singing Chiffchaff in Sanatorium Park, Canton on 2nd March and another this morning.

Little Egret very confiding bird three colour ringed birds, Coot C218 green ring black lettering, Lesser B/B Gull K=V red ring black lettering and Black-headed Gul 9RK white ring black lettering. I have submitted this bird previously but have not received any feedback. Also Raven 4 Teal 3 not little Grebe which is unusual.

We had a well attanded walk [18 participants] around Cosmeston this morning. It was nice to welcome a couple of new members. It was hard work but we managed a fairly respectable 37 species. Highlights at the start were a Water Rail and 2 Redpolls at the dipping pond and an adult Mediterranean Gull by E. lake. Minuses were dipping on Marsh Tit in Cogan Wood, and no Yellow-legged Gull. A highlight at the end was a flock of c.20 Siskins feeding in Alder by the golf course. Photos below include some I grabbed of a pretty viscious fight between Great Crested Grebes, caused by 2 pairs displaying within a few feet of each other. Robin, Great Tit and Blue Tit fed from my hand in Cogan Wood. Click here for the full list.

Yesterday morning [Sat 15th Feb] was the monthly walk at Kenfig NNR. There were just 9 participants and it did start a little damp, but 39 species were seen, highlights being the long-staying American Wigeon and a Great White Egret. Here’s the full list: click here

A rather chilly walk this morning, arranged with the Restore the Thaw project folk with myself, Alan Rosney and Barrie Gardiner from GBC acting as leaders. We explored around The Leys at Gileston then walked to E. Aberthaw and back. That path in front of the Power Station seems endless!! The chill wind meant small birds were keeping hidden but we saw 35 species with highlights being a pair of Peregrines chasing feral pigeons, a sizeable flock of Wigeon at the R. Thaw mouth, 2 Bar-tailed Godwits, Oystercatchers, Stonechats at The Leys, Goldfinches & Linnets. A couple of lucky folk saw a Black Redstart – kindly shown to them by GBC members Martin Bell and Ai-Lin Kee who happened to be there independently.
The full list is here.

Nothing too exciting. An adult Yellow-legged Gull was on E lake, Cosmeston this morning – actually more like midday. The 1st YLG I’ve seen there in ages. Mid lake so pix are huge crops. In the two ‘groups” it’s the nearest bird. Note mid, warm gery of upper parts in comparison to the dark slate gry of Lesser Black-backs present and the silvery grey on the couple of Herring Gulls present.

I edit serial of photes of Hovering Kingfisher while standing on stone fort

A few from the last few days or so. A. trip over to The Knap lake Barry recently, just for a stroll, produced a familiar Tufted x Pochard hybrid. At Cosmeston the Little Grebes are now in breeding plumage and have started whinnying [and the Great Cresteds have been displaying too]. Only my second Common Gull of this winter was on E lake the other day, on a calm day when the water produced a nice pattern around the bird. This morning on a walk through Cogan Wood I spotted a load of Redwing in an adjacent field, guessing about 100 in all – the most I’ve seen this winter. Birds were coming down for seed as usual, including a Marsh Tit.

An large party of 24 of us had a trip to Rumney Great Wharf starting at 9 this morning. After a chilly 4 hrs we had totted up 52 species [there’s a link to the list below]. Leaving the Parc Tredelerch carpark we walked to Cors Crychydd Reen and then followed the reen up to the sea wall. The tide was v v high but when it started to fall we began to see things more easily. The main waders were Dunlin, Knot and Grey Plover, and fly-by flocks of Black-tailed Godwits. Start bird as we walked back, was a female Marsh Harrier. Click here for the list. There’s a fuller report on the trip repots page – https://glamorganbirds.org.uk/category/trip-reports/.

I dropped down to the Bay on Weds to try & see the pair of Scaup only to find they had absconded! Wandering round to the Prospect Place area it was nice to see 7 Goosander [6 fems and 1 male]. A few of then hopped up onto the floating pontoon there to rest & preen – and have a go at some of the gulls already in residence! The male was particularly smart. it was rather alarming to see a Herring Gull flying around with a blue streamer of rubbish – it flew quite freely but there’s always the danger of getting it tangled when it lands.

The water levels have lowered as the is maintenance work being carried out this does not seem to both ethe birds. Teal 20 most we have seen here Pochard 1 Shoveler 7 Little egret 1 Tufted Duck 80 Coot lots Moorhen 12 Herring Lesser Black-backed and Black-headed Gulls one of the latter colour ringed. And a small flock of Long-tailed Tits feeding in a tree close by.

This afternoon at Parc Slip there was a kingfisher on the wetlands pool. It was sometimes on the post on the right in the water from the hide nearest the centre.

There were at least 6 lapwing on the island and other birds on the water were a little grebe, tufted duck, wigeon, mallard, coot and a moorhen.There was also a male stonechat on the scrapes.

Nice sunny walk at Cosmeston this morning. E. lake was dead calm, hence I got a nice Great Crested Grebe reflection. A Marsh Tit plus Coal, Great, Blue and Long-tailed Tits , and a Nuthatch, were coming to seed on a gate by the S. end of Cogan Wood. I managed to get one shot of the Marsh Tit without any seed in the image. There was a Common Gull on the W. lake posts and I was told of 2 poss 3 on the kayak launching ‘dock’ on E. lake. Other than that, the usual Tufties and Pochard were on W. lake and more Tufties on E. lake.

A few photos from Cosmeston in the last few days. The Common Gull was the first one I’d seen there for quite a while. Water Rails have been quite vocal for the last couple of weeks, but the one sneaking round the edge of the dipping pond was the first I’d actually seen. The Wren actually kept still for a while so I managed to get some nice shots – it was foraging around in Sully Brook near the Medieval Village. The Water Vole showed this morning, feeding quietly amongst the vegetation at the edge of the dipping pond. Finally, the Cogan Wood Marsh Tit was coming down for food for 4 photographers already there when I arrived. It never stays long – it’s a bit smash & grab with the food. The only shot I got was taken one-handed on full zoom as I had the dog on a short lead in the other hand! She was very patient and laid quietly on the ground.

Today a bit of “Homer Simpson style of Birdwatching” that from warm of car that good and snack at hand that bad

Finally Birds come to you

We had an excellent bird walk this morning, 22 folk came, including some new folk – welcome!- and saw or heard 57 species between us the most I’ve ever recorded for a Saturday Kenfig walk! We went to Sker to catch the falling tide, then to the pool. The highlights were – a Great White Egret, a Purple Sandpiper, and John spotted a Bittern flying towards us giving everyone great views.

Full List – Canada Goose, Greylag Goose, Mute Swan , Shoveler , Gadwall , Wigeon, American Wigeon, Mallard , Teal , Pochard , Tufted Duck Goldeneye , Goosander , Feral Pigeon , Woodpigeon, Collared Dove , Water Rail , Moorhen, Coot , Great Crested Grebe , Golden Plover , Ringed Plover, Curlew , Turnstone, Purple Sandpiper , Black-headed Gull , Common Gull , Herring Gull , Great Black-backed Gull , Cormorant , Bittern , Great White Egret , Grey Heron , Sparrowhawk , Kingfisher , Kestrel , Jay,  Magpie, Jackdaw , Carrion Crow , Blue Tit , Great Tit , Long-tailed Tit , Wren , Starling , Song Thrush , Mistle Thrush , Blackbird , Robin , Stonechat , House Sparrow, Dunnock , Meadow Pipit, Rock Pipit, Chaffinch, Bullfinch, Pied Wagtail

With thanks to John Western and John Wilson for leading, also to folks who helped with ID , and of course everyone else for coming along. Jean Haslam

We had a very successful monthly walk at KNNR this morning in the very dull conditions. I didn’t do a proper head count but I think there were just short of 20 folk. We went straight to Sker Pt, finding Stonechats on the way. At Sker I managed to wheedle out 4 Purple Sandpipers, one of which showed very nicely for some. Also there, were c.10 Curlew, 4 Golden Plover, 4 Turnstone, 7 Ringed Plover and 2 Grey Herons. Surprisingly there were no Oycs. Back at Kenfig Pool, careful scanning eventually gave us the 1st yr drake American WIgeon along with a good number of [Eurasian] Wigeon, Gadwall, Shoveler and a few Teal, Tufted Duck, Pochard and a few Goldeneye, including 2 drakes. A Great White Egret lurked in the western reeds. I was getting tired and about to leave, but had another scan and there, out of the far reed fringe, a Bittern burst out and was suddenly flying towards us in the hide. I called it and thankfully everyone got on it, as it flew across the pool and dropped into the western reeds. A bonus bird! 2nd Edit: species count updated from 49 t0 57 Here’s the list, which I’ll keep up to date with any ‘extras’.