Llwyn Onn Res.

Llwyn Onn Res midday. 10 Gosanders 3 Drakes, 5 Pochard / 20 Mallard / 4 Cormorants / 9 Common Snipe near hide and 1 Dipper, Red Kite over Shrike site but no Shrike. Bryn Pica 500 Herring Gull and 30 Lesser Black Backed gulls. Also 2 Rred Kites.

Crossbills refound!

2 Crossbills over the small block of forestry near Tir Cook were my first for some 4-5 months. Small number of Redwings in Coed Cefn Fforest, but Great Spot's drumming (2 birds). My first look of the year at the Darren Heronry picked up 7 occupied nests with young already hatched in at least one of the nests.

Had my first frogspawn yesterday at Nelson Bog.

frog spawn

Late news for Thursday, frog spawn in Cwmback . My first for the year and something I have never seen before. A Mistle Thrush in full song in flight. Will still try to learn my left and right for directions to the birds.

Forget Crossbills, where's the Redwings?

BTO Winter Thrush survey at Nelson Bog / Parc Penallta produced the expected decent numbers of Blackbirds and a couple of Song Thrush but again No Redwing or Fieldfare. Highlights were two showy Water Rails - one down to about 2 meters, feeding in the stream just past the football pitch. Willow Tits heard but not seen.

Followed up with a visit to Dowlais - about 40 gulls on Peacocks and a Black-heaed over ASDA Car park - and Rhaslas - 2 SEO's showed well and the young male Hen Harrier drifted to within 20m of me while I was sat in the car. A distant Kestrel and Merlin completed the raptor list.

Crossbills: has any one seen or heard of any lately? Also Hen Harrier male appears to be roosting at Rhaslas for, at least, the last couple of nights.

bits and bobs

Went looking for the gulls again yesterday (16th) but there were NO gull's on Peacocks roof between 2 and 4 pm!. Compensation came in the form of a nice male Mealy Redpoll with 29 Lesser Redpoll. These were feeding in the alders and on the ground between ASDA's and Llwyn Penywern.

Couldn't join the boys on their trip to Devon today, so tried for the Lesser Scaup down Cardiff Bay (dipped) and the Black-throated Diver at Lisvane, which showed well, if distantly.

Shapwick Heath today:

a record shot of Pied-billed Grebe, a tick for Phil & myself. Also of note; Bittern, Marsh Harrier, Great White Egret and Whooper Swan.

Taxi Driver for Rob Gaze

Yesterday after my tribulations in Goa I decided to get back to some normal activity, so I taxied Rob down to Lisvane to see the Black Throated Diver.
We pulled into the car park and were met with two birders looking through scopes, that's looking good we thought and indeed it was. Cracking views for everyone, all be it at the far end of the reservoir, the bird just sitting there preening for 15 minutes and then some action as it started diving looking for food. Things got even better when I got rewarded for my good deed when Rob supplied a Chunky Kit Kat ( Thanks Deb, know it was you really ).
The car park was getting quite full now with fellow birders so we decided to try Canada Road for Waxwings, where we duly dipped. Better to watch Waxwings from your kitchen window.
Nice enjoyable few hours even if I had to put up with Rob's awful puns.

Arrived up Dowlais at 1pm to hunt for the white wingers when I got a call from Mike who was watching the Glauc' on Peacocks roof. I joined him by the slaughterhouse to get excellent views of the bird before it crossed over to the South facing part of the roof. Making my way round to ASDA's car park as I statrted to scan through the gull, most took off for the tip. I hung around to about 3:20pm but didn't get the Glauc again and there was no sign of the Iceland.

Dallas Texas no Dallas Top; killer on the grassy gnoll.

See at 1100 hours today between house calls, just east of Llys Pen y wern pond, behind ASDA's,

First day out so after work called in at Pontstic;

Glaucous gull present at 1550 south end of reservoir with 2 Herring gull and 1 Lesser Black back gull, then flew north.

Glaucous gull stayed remote from rest of small flock with Iceland gull to the south.

Back to basics

1st day out birding since returning from Goa - wandered round Coed Cefn Fforest. highlights were two Woodcock. Great and Blue Tit numbers up from my last visit, two weeks ago and were outnumbering all else until a flock of circa 150 Redwing flew in. No woodpeckers seen - one heard excavating a nest hole, but could I see it!
A quick walk round Taf Bargoed Lakes failed to find any Frog spawn. However the reed beds took to have recovered from their flatening under the heavy snow.