male redstart briefly for a few minutes in scrub working its way up the adjacent farmland. Chiffchaff only other migrant

Swallow (1), Sand Martin (15), Cetti’s (two singing), Willow Warbler, one.

3x swallows seen 3rd April about 1400. First of the year for me, seems early this year, and on a pretty cold day too.

Good bird movement this morning.. lots of greenfinch, goldfinch & chaffinch around… Many swallows flying east bizarrely.. no med gulls seen only herring & lbb’s. Several Ravens making a lot of noise..

Canton garden, first one singing today. Yesterday, 7 Blackcaps singing along 500 metre stretch of Ely Trail.

A dipper flew north up the west bank of Llwyn On reservoir to the Taf Fawr inflow yesterday morning. Grey Heron, 2 Snipe, 2 Great Crested Grebe, and a few Mallard, Canada Geese and Lesser Black-backed Gulls were also at the reservoir’s north end. In Coed Taf Fawr a pair of Grey Wagtail was on the Garwnant Fawr, and on a GBC Willow Tit survey square a Willow Tit sang close to the main forestry track. There were Siskin, Nuthatch, Chaffinch, Mistle Thrush and a Great Spotted Woodpecker at the Garwnant Visitor Centre car park.

18 species seen in a walk from Roald Dahl Plass to the barrage and back again including 1 female Wheatear on the barrage, about 20 Sand Martins and 5 Linnets. Also a couple of Wrens , a small flock of Greenfinch and 2 Carrion Crows nest building by the Norwegian Church.

Emma and I found this LRP at about 10.00 after it was flushed by a dog walker from long grass on the Bridgend side of the estuary. It happily fed up and down the little stony shingle ridge just downstream from Portobello island, but was lost to view over the back of there at about 11.15 and we did not see it after that. Also present lots of Mute Swan,  2 Gadwall, 3 Redshank, about 25 Shelduck and a Water Pipit flushed from the same area as the LRP but flew off downstream calling.

Great views of the 5 Garganey that were at Kenfig Pool yesterday. At least one still around today but the mist is limiting visibility.

Lots of butterflies here today Peacock 10 Comma 4 Brimstone 1 several Chiffchaff and Blackcap singing.

A buzzard was in the same tree as the other day [ovberlooking the dipping pond]. I saw one of the Kingfishers exit from the E lake bank by the mile road where they nested last year, and it then alighted in an adjacent overhanging bush for about 5 mins. Possibly nesting already? A Treecreeper was in trees by the boardwalk path/Mile Road junction [3rd time I’ve seen one there]. On W lake I watched a vicious battle initially between 2 ‘pairs’ of Coot, then 2 others joined in. They were going hammer and tongs and it looked as tho’ one of each fighting pair was trying to drown the other. This went on for about 10 minutes! A pair of Greenfinch together behind W lake on the elevated path was an unusual sight these days.

Finally a 2nd cal yr Yellow-legged Gull was on E lake.

The Glamorgan Bird Club had a successful trip to Ham Wall RSPB & Shapwick Heath yesterday, Sun 24th with 22 participants making the journey. Highlights were plenty of booming Bitterns although only 2 lucky folk managed to see one VERY briefly, Marsh Harriers in the air most of the time [with some display], Great White Egrets, an elusive Glossy Ibis, and a pair of Garganey. 61 species were seen in total.

At CBWR this afternoon a Bittern flew across the lagoon, where there were 40+ Great Crested Grebes. many in display mode, and a pair of Goosanders. Both Little Gulls amongst the thousands of mainly Black-headeds out in the Bay, and 5 Sand Martins explored the dockside holes near the former Dr Who Experience building.

A Willow Warbler was at Cosmeston this morning near the bird table [per Jeff Curtis and Graham Smith].

Amazing record on Twitter of 40+ Water Pipit at high tide this morning, with many in summer plumage, plus Wheatear and 2ndS Med Gull.

Late WeBS. Water Pipit at Green Pt Rhymney Est but on Lamby tip side of river mouth. V high tide no waders!

Correction – Redshank [600] were upstream on the grassy river bank by Lamby Way. Also 43 Teal, 4 Shelduck and 2 Oycs.

2 male Wheatears were on the outer barrage rocks near the sails, plus 8 or more Pied Wags [couldn’t find any White Wags]. Over at the ice rink boardwalk the adult winter and the 1st winter Little Gulls were feeding mid bay, although by 4:30 they weren’t doing much flying – could be picked up on the water with concentrated scope work! On the grassy area with some ‘decorative’ rocks outside Cardiff Pointe flats, was the 3rd male Wheatear showing very well. The top two pix were on the barrage and the bottom two were at Cardiff Pointe.

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Wheatear 2 males Sand Martin 4 Chiffchaff singing Cetti’s Warbler 2   Great Crested Grebe 18 Greenfinch 10 Goldfinch 12 Raven 2 lots of gulls feeding.