22 species seen on a morning walk including Song Thrush, Mistle Thrush, Redwing and Goosander.
Sully
Walk from Sully cricket field along the coast to Sully sports field and back. 2 [a pair] Stonechat by cricket field. On the sports field – 22 Curlew, 150 Starling, 10 Oycs and 50+ Black-headed Gulls and 1 AdW Med Gull with them which looked like the one that was at Cosmeston the other day from the blackish pattern on the head.
Cosmeston
At Cosmeston this morning an AdW Med Gull was on the W lake posts for a while. a Gt Spotted ‘Pecker was drumming briefly in Cogan Wood near the dragonfly pond and a Green ‘Pecker was calling.
Rhymney Est & Heliport Bay
Delayed WeBS count [from yesterday]. At Green Pt – Rhymney Est – c.800 Redshank, c.2500 Dunlin, 13 Lapwing, 2 Oycs, 11 Teal, 8 Gadwall, 24 Shoveler, 65 Pintail, 90 Shelduck, 1 Jack Snipe.
At Heliport Bay – an exc count of 51 Shoveler, 10 Pintail and 21 Oycs.
Cosmeston
AdW Med Gull on Cosmeston W lake posts just now. Prob now in middle of w lake. GSPecker drumming briefly nr dragonfly pond.
Various sites
Local news from the web today: Slav Greb & Otter at Kenfig Pool; Black Redstart stiil at Caravan site Trecco Bay/Newton Pt; 4 Cattle Egret still Zigzag lane Porthcawl; 3 Jack Snipe Peterston-super-Ely moors; Purple Sand Ogmore rocks and also Newton Pt; Water Pipit and Common Sand Ogmore Est; GW Egret Tirfounder Fields.
Garwnant
Great Grey Shrike showing well in clearance off Cwm Cadlan road.11h00-12-00
Fenrod lake
60 Canada geese 20 mute swan 22 tufted nearly all males ,4 wigeon, 6 pochard, est 150 black h gulls , 2 common gulls, 20 herring
At nearby Swansea vale were 12 Canada geese.
r.Taff western ave. to swalec stadium
jan.23 8-Goosanders 3m,5f along this stretch of the river.11h00-12h45
Cosmeston
Cosmeston. 1 redpoll briefly in alder nr cafe. 1 prob Jack Snipe flushed low & short from hollow nr dragonfly pond, 1 water rail and 2 common snipe in snipe paddock. There were also 2 Gt Spotted Woodpeckers in a tree by the mile road/boardwalk path ‘T’ junction. In addition there was a drake Aythya hybrid – a Pochard x Tufted Duck drake – very smart bird, and a pair of Gt Crested Grebes showing signs of display.
Crickhowell
For those not on Twitter or in any of the closed groups, there were 7 Waxwing this morning in a roadside tree by the zebra crossing at the A40 end of Everest Drive Crickhowell.
Cosmeston
A very smart Pochard x Tufted duck drake hybrid was in the bay at the RH end of W lake this morning. The only other thing of note was a Green Woodpecker in W paddock which flew into an adjacent tree, and another was heard calling.
St. Mellons Business Park
A flock of 40-50 Siskins in alder trees.09h30-10h00
Cosmeston & elsewhere
Pretty quiet this morning, the only thing of real interest, a lone Fieldfare feeding on Hawthorn by E. Lake near the main bridge. The Tufty flock remains at about 100 and Pochard about 15, and the usual Gadwall, GCG and Little Grebes. A few Goldfinch were feeding in the Alders near the cafe but no sign of any Siskin [seen by Wayne Strong yesterday].
Elsewhere in other media/fora male Hen Harrier at Cwm Cadlan yesterday afternoon, and Gt Grey Shrike still in the nearby clearfell, SEO over fields by Saltmarsh Lane, Goldcliff, Gwent, Green Sand, 2 Common Sand, 2 Water Pipit and fishing Otter near Portobello – Ogmore TODAY.
Talygarn Lake
WeBS today. Noticed more birdsong in the woods this time. 3 /5 Cygnets still surviving.
Blackbird , Buzzard , Carrion Crow , Coal Tit , Dunnock , Great Tit , House Sparrow
Little Grebe 7, Magpie , Moorhen 5 , Robin , Teal 14 , Wren , Blue Tit , Canada Goose , Chaffinch Coot , Great Spotted Woodpecker , Grey Heron , Jay , Long-tailed Tit, Mute Swan 5 , Mallard 32, Song Thrush , Woodpigeon 25 species
Kenfig NNR, GBC monthly walk
19/01/2019
It was a dull, drizzly, chilly morning, but 17 folk came along and helped us find 45 species. Pleased to welcome some new folk, hope the weather didn’t put you off.
The highlights were, the Slavonian Grebe, Great White Egret, Redshank, Mistle Thrush, Goldeneye, Wigeon, and half a dozen (at least) Reed Bunting in the car park bushes.
Black-headed Gull , Blue Tit , Canada Goose , Chaffinch, Common Gull , Cormorant ,
Gadwall , Great Black-backed Gull , Great Spotted Woodpecker , Great White Egret , Greylag Goose , House Sparrow, Lesser Black-backed Gull , Long-tailed Tit , Mallard ,
Mistle Thrush 2, Pied Wagtail , Redshank 1, Robin , Song Thrush , Teal , Wigeon , Wren,
Blackbird , Buzzard , Carrion Crow , Collared Dove , Coot , Dunnock , Goldeneye ,
Great Crested Grebe , Great Tit , Grey Heron , Herring Gull , Jackdaw , Little Grebe,
Mediterranean Gull , Magpie, Mute Swan , Pochard , Reed Bunting , Slavonian Grebe , Starling , Tufted Duck , Woodpigeon
With thanks to Strinda Davies , our walk leader.
Cold windy and chilly Barrage.
Was hoping to tick off the final one of the 5 ‘British’ grebes before the end of Jan but no sign of the Cardiff Bay Black-necked this morning along the whole length of the inner barrage shoreline. 2 redhead Goosander were in the bay near the big blue ‘dome’ that was Dr. Who experience. On R. Ely shoreline by Penarth Marina 1 Redshank [usual one with yellow leg ring], and 1 Grey Wag. 60 Cormorant were on the inner barrage ‘jetty’ and 4 Common Gull on the orange floats. Also on Barrage 1 Rock Pipit, several Meadow Pipits in the fenced grass area where the funfair was.
Otter at Ogmore
As reported there was an Otter on the river feeding below Portobella . It spent most of it’s time feeding near the shingle bank. About 12:00pm it moved upstream slowly, fishing as it went. It did not take much notice of people or dogs on the bank. It finally left the river at about 1:30 opposite the boat launch way just downstream from Portobella. It headed across open ground towards the small conifer plantation.
ogmore est
Report of an otter this am. Pm 5 Goosanders, 28 Goldeneye + regulars.
An unusually tame Redshank
Pair of Goldeneye
Kenfig Pool and Porthcawl
There was a successful GBC trip to Kenfig NNR and sites in Porthcawl dodging the showers today. Some or all of 14 participants had these highlights amongst 57 species: At Kenfig Pool – Slavonian Grebe, Gt White Egret, and drake Goldeneye, plus Oystercatcher {unusual by the pool}; at Wilderness Pond – 5 Goosander {3m, 2f} and an AdW Med Gull; at nearby Zigzag Lane – 4 Cattle Egret; and at Newton Point – 2 Purple Sandpiper, 6+ Grey Plover, 1 Sanderling, several Turnstones. Only ‘no’show’ was the recently seen Black Redstart around the Beach Cafe by Rhych Point.
The other recent GBC trip was to Whiteford Point on Gower, where an amazing 34 participants saw 70 species. I couldn’t make that trip but the list can be seen here: Click here
This takes you to a pdf of the list.
