Webs and out of the valley

Early start this morning as I was going to Tir Founder Fields hoping to be there for 6.30 to do my Webs count. The  forecast was looking pretty good but as I started  my survey if by magic it started raining and with the cold wind it felt like more like November. The wildfowl was fairly quiet and apart from the young Mute Swans and a couple of Greylag and Canada Geese there was not much to record. There was lots of song from the bushes but it was  mostly warblers, it was nice to see big number of Chiffchaff and Willow Warblers, also Blackcaps. It was also strange not to hear the Cetti Warbler so maybe it's gone, also no sound or.sight of Willow Tit and I am beginning to think maybe they are no more. All finshed by 7.30 and meet up with Phil and he said how does Goldcliff sound and I said if I got to and went of  kicking and screaming. Has we got closer it was a different day down there, the sun was out and it was looking really good. When we got out of the car we could feel there was still a keen wind. On getting too the first hide we saw the Cardiff  birders Jake Gilmore, Phil Bristow and Judd Hunt, it was was nice to catch up. Bird wise there was big numbers of Avocet and Black tailed Godwit and other waders seen were Redshank, Dunlin, Little Ringed Plover, 1 Bar Tailed Godwit, Curlew, Oyercatcher and smaller numbers of ducks and Little Egrets. Next stop was to go to the Red Barn to look for the long staying Glossy Ibis where we spent half hour, it was a nice hide and new to me and Phil. No sign of the Glossy so we decided it was time to move onto the next site which was Uskmouth. Getting there pretty quick, it's great to have two sites fairly close. Has we got out of the car Phil's phone rang and it was Mike and we both thought what's up the Valley and as he come up trumps again. We were not expecting too hear that the Glossy Ibis is showing at Goldcliff and had been found by Graham Powell, he had phoned Jake and he phoned Mike and asked him to phone us, it was great news. We got back pretty quick and got the bird very quickly. Fantastic to have a really good birding grapevine, we would have not seen the Glossy otherwise. Phil said boys the teas and cakes are on him next time and thank you lads for letting us know.  Also at Goldcliff we found this egg, it looks like a goose egg and had hatched out but we saw no sign of any goslings so maybe not.

Got home and had a quick break before starting my next walk with my younger daughter Kathryn. We went over to Nelson and walked the cycle path to the bog and Parc Penallta. I had not walked this area for years and as we got to the train crossing I heard a sound I have not heard since January and with that we had good views of a Willow Tit. It quickly moved through and was the only sighting of the walk, once I could easiler see 5 pairs on this walk, it's not changed and there are still lots of damp areas and rotten trees for them to feed and get nest sites. I will have to come back over on a Sunday morning and walk the path to Ystrad Mynach and have a listen for any singing males. It is a nice walk, great to see so many Marsh Marigolds and Oppostive Leaved Golden Saxifrage. Birding was a bit quiet but could just be time of day. Green Woodpecker, Sparrowhawk and common buzzard the seen this time and also heard moorhen. The site or cyle path was a bit of a dirty hole and we saw lots of dog mess bags and no bins anywhere. Also passed a nice brown leather settee, we could see the gate had been left open and they must have been driving the car or van into dump it. The boardwalk at Parc Penallta was burnt and also had break blanks. I feel that this great site has been left to slip.