A non bird news reminder. Tues 4th Dec Richard Smith is giving an illustrated talk on a trip to Peru, travelling from the coast south of Lima, over the High Andes and back.

Yellow-legged Gull A pair of Gadwall the first we have seen here also Water Rail 1 Kingfisher 1 Black-headed Gull 163

Well, I know at first sight this might look amusing, I thought so, Coot as a referee and I recon they could do a pretty good job, no nonsense and could spot a dive when it saw it.  However, this poor creature has had this attached to is beak for a week. The staff today made a brave effort to catch him or her but failed to do so. Lets hope that they have better luck tomorrow.

Despite the howling gale and occasional rain, the GBC trip here today was remarkably successful. Myself and 5 other stalwarts were rewarded with 56 species including 3 Avocet, a Spoonbill, 3 Greenshank, 2 Kingfishers, around 200 each of Black-tailed Godwits and Lapwing, plenty of wildfowl, and a Peregrine. However all of these were surpassed by 20 minutes of watching 2 Otters playing around in the pools in front of the Heron’s Wing hide in the Millenium Wetlands – superb. Click here for the full species list.

At the amenities tip late afternoon 32 magpies, 200+ black headed gulls ,150+herring gulls 50 lesser b b gulls ,10 long tailed tits 2 common gulls ,small numbers of jackdaws and carrion crows .a pre roost flock of about 600 jackdaws over Skewen .

VERY wet walk this morning. The only birds of note were a Common Snipe which flushed from the fenced in ‘snipe paddock’, and c.30 Fieldfare which flew out from the canopy of Cogan Wood.

Saturday news: firecrest (male), blackcap, chiffchaff (3)

For the latest ringing group news, see this LINK

23 species seen this morning plus an unidentified grebe. Viewed from St Davids Hotel it was in the reeds in the small bay to the right for only a second before it dived and I couldn’t relocate it. Presumably it went round the corner out of sight. It was the right size for a red-necked grebe but I can’t add any more details I’m afraid. Species seen and definitely identified were BH gull, LBB gull, Herring gull, GBB gull, mallard, moorhen, teal, tufted duck, coot, turnstone, cormorant, mute swan, GC grebe,  little grebe, stonechat, robin, blackbird, wren, Reed bunting, starling, magpie, carrion crow, blue tit.

20 species seen in a walk round Lamby Lake and Rhumney Estuary this afternoon.

BH gull, Common Gull, LBB gull, Herring gull, moorhen, coot, mallard, tufted duck, mute swan, GC grebe, grey heron, canada geese, teal, magpie, carrion crow, woodpigeon, robin, LT tits, Jack Snipe and Redshank.

A lap around the pool this morning in the company of PB yielded excellent views of a Great White Egret, happily feeding in the north pool inlet. The Slavonian Grebe is still present and was feeding in the southern part of the pool.

Snipe numbers at Hendre Lake are up to 30 today.Also 3-Water Rails and a redhead Goosander.15h00-15h30

26 species seen on a pleasant walk this morning from City centre to Blackweir along the Taff as follows

Cormorant, moorhen, mallard, Goosander, herring gull, LBB gull, BH gull, snow geese (4 at taffs mead embankment), dipper, kingfisher, pied wag,  grey wag,  carrion crow, jackdaw, magpie, jay, robin, wren, blackbird, goldfinch, starling, woodpigeon, grey heron, feral pigeon, blue tit, mute swan.

This afternoon at local sites (high tide 1535):
Barry Old Harbour (about 1.5 hours before high tide) – 13 Redshank, 5 Dunlin and 7 Oystercatcher
Sully Island/Beach/Bendrick – 8 Lapwing (on Sully Island), 22 Ringed Plover, 27 Turnstone, 8 Curlew, 46 Oystercatcher

Club member Annie Irving had a ringtail Hen Harrier fly over W paddock at around 1:38 this afternoon, heading south-east over W lake towards Lavernock. Nice one Annie! During my comparatively dull morning visit there were 8 Teal, 3 Pochard and 3 Shoveler on W lake. No activity from the Bittern.

Per Dave Carrington: 2 Whoopers were on the pool this morning but were seen off by the resident Mutes. A Slav Grebe was also present.

Barn Owl ventured into trees at edge of garden from adjacent field at 9:30 last night. Another new garden bird.

15 people went on the Glamorgan Bird Club trip to the above locations today. Highlights were lots of excellent views of Crossbill at Garwnant, plus 3 or 4 Willow Tit, and Red Kite and many other common species. We had brief views of a very flighty Water Pipit on the spillway at Llwyn-on Reservoir, plus a Common Sandpiper on a weir below the spillway and there was a pair of Wigeon on the Res. A cold & windy Rhaslas Pond had 8 Goosander, c.10 each of Wigeon & Tufted Duck, a few Teal, and a single fem Goldeneye. A full list of the 39 species seen can be seen by clicking here.

There were 16 folk on our monthly walk this morning, welcome to some new people.

A cold , damp start  turned into a much brighter day, and we were lucky enough to find 54 species, the highlights being a Woodcock and 5 Snipe over, a Kingfisher, Dunlin and Redshank on the east pool shore, 6 species of Gull,  good views of a Water Rail in front of the hide, and a fly- by of a Little Egret with a very probable Great White Egret.                     Many thanks to Strinda for leading the walk.

Please note that our next monthly walk on 15th December, will include our Christmas celebration, ‘Pies in the hide’, all welcome.

Full list-

Black-headed Gull , Blue Tit , Buzzard , Carrion Crow , Chiffchaff , Common Gull
Cormorant , Dunnock , Gadwall , Great Black-backed Gull , Great Tit , Grey Heron  Herring Gull , Jackdaw , Kingfisher , Lesser Black-backed Gull , Long-tailed Tit , Mallard
Mediterranean Gull , Mute Swan , Pochard , Robin , Skylark , Starling , Tufted Duck
Wigeon , Woodpigeon , Blackbird , Bullfinch , Canada Goose , Chaffinch , Collared Dove , Coot , Dunlin , Feral Pigeon , Goldfinch , Great Spotted Woodpecker , Greenfinch ,  Greylag Goose , House Sparrow , Kestrel , Lapwing , Little Egret , Magpie , Meadow Pipit
Moorhen , Pied Wagtail , Redshank , Shoveler , Snipe, Teal , Water Rail , Woodcock, Wren

 

Report of an Isabelline Shrike S end of W paddock Cosmeston per Graham Smith. Currently lost and being looked for..

Friday 16th November.  Late WeBS count today.

16 species this afternoon, very quiet in the woodland. Lovely Autumn colours,

Blackbird, Carrion Crow , Wren , Jackdaw , Robin , Woodpigeon
Blue Tit , Chaffinch , Great Tit ,
Mallard 33, Mute Swan 6, Teal 20 , Little Grebe 6
Coot 20,  Moorhen 11, Wigeon 2