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

Raven, long tailed tits, red kite, gold crest, peregrine and 10 wigeon (M) on upper reservoir.

First thing I noticed is that E. lake appears to have acquired the entire Canada Goose population of E Glam – I counted 280!

There were at least 100 Redwing around the park this morning, mainly in the trees around the bird table and the W. paddock hedgerow and the edge of Cogan Wood by the dragonfly pond. Also 30+ Fieldfare mainly in the latter location, plus 10+ Blackbird and a few Song Thrushes, all feeding on hawthorn. There were 2 Reed Bunts in the W paddock hedge and a Snipe flushed from the boggy area by the sunken copse behind the dragonfly pond. Around the ‘T’ junction of the path from the boardwalk and mile road [central path] there was a feeding flock mainly consisting of Long-t Tits [c.15], plus Gt Tit, Blue Tit and Coal Tit, plus 2 Nuthatch, a Treecreeper and a few Chaffinch. No sign of the Bittern but the rangers were doing some work behind the RH end of the W lake reed bed using a rotary cultivator. Tufties number about 50, 4 GCG, 1 Little Grebe and a Green ‘Pecker in W paddock. ….. just remembered – a Water Rail ran under the main boardwalk as I returned.

A drake mandarin with 7 mallards in the river by cadaxton saltmarsh also 50 b h gulls seen from the viewing area by morrisons

Delayed WeBS this morning at Green Point: c.500 Shelduck, 800 Dunlin, 500 Redshank, 2 Cormorant, 10 Mallard, 5 Canadas, 60 Pintail, 10 Shoveler, and 20 Teal.

Snipe numbers building up as winter approaches.13-Snipe on the island this morning,also a flock of 50+ Fieldfares flew over.11h00

At the far end of east paddock, where it is very muddy, and just before the heavens opened this morning, there were at least 30 Redwing feeding in the many berry trees there [in the fenced in area], with a Song Thrush and at least 8 Blackbirds. Did quickly check for the Ring Ouzel in W paddock but it was chucking it down so I didn’t look too hard or long.

St. Bride’s Major. In field opposite pond. 7/11/18.

Between 15.30-17.00hrs

Ring Ouzel still in central hedgerow of West Paddock. At least 25 Redwings moving through. Kingfisher was on East Lake, Cetti singing on boardwalk.

 

From the closed Whatsapp group – the Ring Ouzel apparently showed again this afternoon  – was nowhere to be seen in my walk this morning although c. 20 Redwing were flying around. Also this morning there seemed to be just 1 single fem Shoveler left on W lake unless the 4 drakes of yesterday [2 full plumage, 2 eclipse] were skulking in the reeds. I didn’t have time to check the gulls for an ad Yellow-legged that David Rich saw yesterday afternoon, which had creamy rather than yellow legs.

Just a reminder about this evening’s GBC indoor meeting when David Rich will be giving an illustrated talk on a trip to the Falklands Islands. Shd be very interesting. Starts 7:45 p.m. prompt.

On Monday 5th November, a quick walk around , the highlights being 2 Kingfishers,        Snipe-2 ,  a Dipper and a Grey wagtail in the Taff by the footbridge to the station.

Plus-     Buzzard , Chaffinch , Dunnock , Great Tit, Jackdaw , Magpie , Moorhen Woodpigeon , Blue Tit,  Carrion Crow , Great Spotted Woodpecker , Grey Heron
Jay, Long-tailed Tit,  Mallard , Robin , Starling , Wren

On Monday 5th Nov. Rod saw a Bittern , it flew from in front of the the ‘hide’, across the West lake into the reed bed. He also managed to find the Ring Ouzel.

On Sunday 4th November-

Blackbird , Buzzard , Chaffinch , Coot ,Goldfinch 20+flock , Jackdaw , Little Grebe ,
Moorhen , Starling,  2 Wigeon, Wren,  Blue Tit,  Carrion Crow,  Coal Tit, Dunnock ,
Great Tit , Jay, Long-tailed Tit , Mallard , Robin , Teal 18+, Woodpigeon,  Magpie

Ring Ouzel still in the West Paddock at Cosmeston earlier this morning, in the shallow valley between the dragonfly pond and the fenced area (snipe field) to the north. On the lakes 5 Shoveler, 2 drake Pochard and the Aythya hybrid.

Yesterday afternoon a male Brambling with Chaffinch flock in tree along St Mary’s Well Bay Road between the disused railway bridge and the caravan site. The flock was mobile over the fields and hedgerows east of the road. Fieldfare and Redwing there too.

On Sully beach yesterday afternoon a single Grey Plover close to the water’s edge between the sailing club slipway and Burnham Avenue beach car park. My first there this autumn.

Male Ring Ouzel still at Cosmeston W. Paddock this morning. 2 Arctic Skuas d/c off Nash Pt plus Guillemots and 3 Porpoise.

Mid morning/early afternoon visit on Saturday. Several small groups of Crossbill, mostly in flight and typically 2-6 birds. Excellent views of perched adult male Crossbill. Twenty four species in total including a Sparrowhawk, 3 Nuthatch, 3 Jay, 3 Siskin, 2 Mistle Thrush, 3 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 1 Goldcrest, a Pheasant and a large mixed flock of Blue, Coal, Great and Long-tailed Tits.