Spent a few hours this morning wandering around Cosmeston before the hoardes arrived . Highlights were a handsome male Redstart , on fenceposts lake end of west paddock , a Stock Dove near fenced off area and a Little Egret circling quite high up before flying eastwards . Plenty of common species including at least 2 Willow Warblers , a flock of c50 Goldfinch and a flock of c30 Linnet .

Some passerine activity again, this time along the central west paddock hedgerow this morning with a party of Long-tailed Tits accompanied again by Willow Warbler, Blue Tits, a Greenfinch! , a few Linnets and Goldfinch. The Wren popped up near me by the central viewpoint along the main path. Didn’t realise until I looked at the photo on the computer that in my first shot of it, it had a Harvestman in its beak. Just liked the juv Moorhen pretending to be a skulky rare Crake! And the last one, a Devil’s Coach Horse Beetle {Ocypus olens} a species of rove beetle. Haven’t seen one for ages. Also had 3 Painted Ladies in a brief visit b4 rushing off to the dentist!

A little action today. A party of around 10 Long-tailed Tits, mostly juvs, together with a few Phyllosc warblers including what was at least one Willow Warbler as per photo, plus two Painted Lady butterflies. Many other less too – Meadow Browns, Red Admiral x 4, lots of 6-Spot Burnet moths. Emperor, Common Darter and Black-tailed Skimmer dragons at the dipping pond.

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An imm Blackcap was in bushes beyond the dragonfly pond this morning and there were a few Goldfinch. Dipping pond had ovipositing Emperor, plus Common Darter and Black-tailed Skimmer. Butterflies incl Red Admiral, Gatekeeper, Meadow Brown, Speckled Wood, Common Blue and Small Skipper.

Highlights of a circular walk yesterday from Penderyn via Cwm Cadlan, Moel Penderyn and Cwm Sychryd included Redstart, Wheatear, Raven, Peregrine, Lesser Redpoll, Siskin, 4 Green Woodpecker and at least 2 Stonechat pairs still feeding young.

CBWR

An hour or so around CBWR/Hamadryad Park this morning produced 8 species of warbler , Sedge , Reed , Cettis , Garden , Blackcap , Whitethroat , Willow and Chiffchaff , a couple of Swifts and lots of Sand Martins .

41 species including Several ringed plover at Sker including a pair with chick, turnstone, dunlin, sanderling, kestrel, reed warbler, wheater and whimbrel.

1-Juvenile Cuckoo perched,then flying at western end of lake area.9h40

The first bird saw was a reserve tick for us Pied Flycatcher otherwise very quiet. Southern Hawker and Azure Blue damselfly. Red Admiral Gatekeeper Meadow Brown Large White Common Blue Peacock.

Adult left, fledgling right.

Again pretty quiet for birds. A flock of around 30 Linnet were feeding on the ‘hill’ behind the dragonfly pond, the first I’ve seen at the park for quite some time – they were too skittish for a photo. Also in the same area a group of immature Long-tailed Tits. W lake had a single adult Little Grebe and a few Black-headed Gulls and there were 5 Tufted Duck on E lake. A few pix below including some non-avian wildlife.

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The usual suspects bird-wise. 3 GC Grebes on W lake and an ad Little Grebe. No show by any Water Voles but lots of Emperor dragonflies. Also quite a few of what I think are Meadow Grasshoppers – see pic. Click on each pic for a full sized one. Fab year for flowers too – no in flower is Centaury, Yellow Wort, Common Melilot, Ladies Bedstraw, and lots of Common Fleabane and Wild Parsnip.

Pretty blustery this morning. c.20 Sand Martin, 1 Swift and a few Swallows feeding over W lake, Green ‘Pecker calling from nr Medieval Village, a few butterflies despite the wind – Meadow Brown, 6-Spot Burnet moth x 2, Small Skipper, Ringlet, and 1 Common Blue.

This evening’s GBC/RSPB walk [18th Jul] to see the swift tower and to learn a bit about the project, was well attended with 25 participants, for which thanks folks. We started at the Penarth end and Alan Rosney have a short introduction. Then we walked slowly across to the Cardiff side, and saw a number of Swift which gradually drifted higher and towards upper Penarth. A Raven was on the Bay shoreline. Across the other side we assembled by the tower, which is just beyond the environment building, and Alan talked in more detail about the project and its aims, and how the tower is set up, and also what other actions are being taken to encourage swifts to nest in our area. Afterwards, we went further along to the old Roath Basin dock where the Sand Martin colony was still pretty active. We also saw 2 Peregrines flying past over the channel, and some pretty large gatherings of Starlings [max one was about 100 birds]. Also in the shoreline bushes a Common Whitethroat gave good views as it scolded a tabby cat. An impressive ‘sun dog’ in the clouds, and a stunning sunset concluded a very pleasant evening. 

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A few from a quick visit this morning. A couple of Tufted Duck [not photo’d] were a reminder that autumn is coming soon. There were three ad Little Grebes which was quite interesting. I have only been aware of 1 pair and there was an imm bird the other day. Other than that there an imm Crow ‘playing’ with a bit of old black plastic tubing in E paddock [see pic]. The awful pic was taken 2 days ago when I saw an ad Song Thrush feeding three fully grown young. Unfortunately the camera was on the wrong setting when I grabbed the pic and came out completely under-exposed, but I managed to recover a rather grainy image.

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Don’t forget our evening walk this evening across Cardiff Bay barrage, starting at 7 p.m. at the Penarth end car park, in partnership with RSPB. Basically a walk to introduce folk to the Swift Tower and to get an insight into what’s behind the Swift Project, how it is hoped the tower and other projects will help, and hopefully see a few Swifts and whatever else might be about.

Glamorgan Bird Club had a successful trip to Dare Valley CP yesterday with 20 participants. Typically for July there wasn’t a lot of bird activity but highlights over and above ‘common’ birds were in threes: 3 Peregrines putting on a good show, 3 Kingfishers at the main lake, and 3 Little Grebe families – an Ad and a juv on the main, middle, lake and remarkably 2 ads wit a total of 6 small young on the small upper lake. We had a few brief fly-over Redpoll and Siskin, Blackcap, Chiffchaff and Willow Warbler, Swifts over the distant houses and a good number of House Martins feeding over the lake.

House Sparrow 9th July

Mediterranean Gull 2 ads BP Great Created Grebe 30 one on nest near boardwalk Mute Swan 121 plus several cygnets Black-headed Gull 80 Peregrine 2 Whitethroat 2  Sand Martin 30 also Black-tailed Skimmer 2 Emperor Dragonfly 4. Large White Orange Tip Painted Lady Meadow Brown Downside Dog jumping into the lagoon chasing wildfowl.