Quiet morning walk

After just coming back from holiday in Gran Canaria and getting to bed at 2 am I thought would have a day off from birdwatching and if by magic I was awake by 7 and I thought do I unpack  or go for a walk. Well because I had still not seen a Cuckoo I decided to go Cwm Cadlan and have another go. First up was a stop by the top cattle grid but it was pretty quiet and all I had was a couple of Stonechat and meadow pipits. I stopped in the pull in half way long where people normally fly tip and went straight up on to the Limestone pavement, there were good numbers of Wheatear and Skylarks. I had a good search for any late Dotterel but sadly no joy. As I came back down I flushed a Green Hairstreak out of the billberry, it's always great to see them and it's been a couple years since the last one. Once back the car I did my good deed and picked up a bag of rubbish. I thought it looked a lot cleaner until I crossed the road and looked down the bank and saw a pile of rubbish. I thought why travel all this way to tip, it would be quicker to take it to the recycling place. Next stop was Cwm Cadlan reserve and look for this cuckoo and no sooner did I get out of the car a cuckoo was calling across road the in the wood above  the Gropper site, I stood there for 10 minutes before it showed. On the reserve there was a couple of Redstart singing and showing really well and also at least two displaying male Tree Pipits. There were loads of butterflies on the wing but mostly Green Veined White and Orange Tips and about half a dozen Peacocks. At this point I was making my way back out when I scanned up towards the limestone and saw a group of people heading up there and I thought they must be Edinburgh awards or ramblers and I got off there just in time. I also had a quick walk to the Marsh Frit site but when I got there I decided not to go in just case I stepped on any basking caterpillars. Also on the reserve I got my first Large Red Damselflies of the year and all too soon it was time for me to go home and do my unpacking. As I walked back I spotted  someone with a scope near my car and for a second I thought I maybe should have checked the net before I left just case there was a good bird up there. As I got back to the gate there were people everywhere and I thought what's been found and then the penny dropped it was the Glamorgan Bird Club trip and for a second I thought there about twenty people here and I don't know any of them. It was great to see so many new up and coming birders but maybe not on my patch at the same time and then I saw two faces I knew Alan Rosney and John Wilson and fair play to these two guys they do a brilliant job and to do it week in and week out. I remember going on club trips with them many years ago and it was nice to meet some new members and all jokes aside great to see them out in the field.

 Dingy skipper was at Robertstown later in the day .