Llwyn-onn site tick

At last yellow wagtail, at least 2 [1ad + 1juv] at northeast Llwyn-onn [Merthyr side]. I've called in a couple of times since last weeks GBC trip casually announced that they had noted them on a site visit but dipped on each occasion. TG however found a couple this a.m. again foraging with pied wagtail and they were still present when I called in this p.m. Site tick for the chief ranger also and he's worked on the site c40 years. Bridge is flooded you'll need wellies to cross at the mo.

Just when you think there gone

Tir Founder fields tonight 3 common Swifts and a couple of sand martins and 1 common swift later over the ynys playing fields in a big flock of house martin and swallows and  just over Hundred gulls on the playing fields and mostly Lesser Black Backed Gulls and 64 and 37 herring Gulls and very low numbers of  juv and it makes you think maybe hot was bad for inland gulls.

Rhaslas

First juvenile dunlin this a.m. plus 2 ringed plover with the usual juv wheatear and pied wagtail, not much else; especially people, shooters, fishermen, bikers, quadists and dog emptiers, hmm lovely.

Return to normal-ish

At Rhaslas; ringed plover present several times during the week with 3 mixed age on the 23rd, a single juv little ringed plover occasionally noted, common sand present most days, a single sanderling on the 20th. TC had a ruff and a flyover yellow wagtail on the 24th. Teal present most days with 4 noted on the 23rd with 5 common snipe feeding along west point [didn't even flush].

Tuesday night moth trap revealed a garden and personal first; a waved umber [unless I'm having a funny tern], usual flight season mid April - June but "very occasionally a partial 2nd generation in July and August in particularly hot summers".

Mike's Gull

Thanks to the never ending hard work of young Mr Hogan, the rest of the crew managed to get a Glamorgan tick back on me, with his finding of the superb 2cy Sabine's Gull. I took a wander up this evening - a few toggers around, but the gull was nicely settled, allowing prolonged views as it fed on flies, etc at the waters edge. It did get up a couple of times to give some great flight views.

Nice find Mike.

Rhaslas

Arrived at the pool c10:00 hours this morning with what I thought was the usual gull flock and some canada geese, oh hum I thought, I'm here, I've got a hang over so just do it. Oh bugger its started to rain, no coat, no hat, I've got to go shopping soaking wet, its got to be Lidl's. A sanderling appeared from the west did a few laps getting higher each time and disappeared to the east, oh hum. A knot of white feathers appeared in among the gull flock, I dismissed it as moult, the rain was filling my spectacles, I was only half way around, oh hum. The knot of white feathers moved, its a bit small for black headed gull I thought, perhaps its been ill, oh jesus, I took 3 long distant shots and it was gone, swallowed by the mixed age lesser black-backed and herring gull flock, oh bugger bugger hum. Now where is my shopping list.

I knew TC would visit lunch time, I sent him a text stating; "strange small gull glimpsed through rain splashed specs" he's recently changed from apple and he can no longer receive my texts, oh hum. I finished my chores and for the first time in months I did not have a bottle with my lunch, my mother asked was I ill, I said no I had to see a man about a bird. I pulled up at Rhaslas, TC was parked in my space, he's lucky I hadn't been drinking. I spot him just off west point, I thread my way through the rush along a path known only to me and a sheep called eric. The phone rings, "I've got a Sab". I told him things would get better towards the end of the month, now where's my bottle opener.

On the night shift

With the forcast for yesterday evening looking good - clear and dry with little wind, I took the opportunity to do the first of my BTO Tawny Owl survey. Expectation was high as my local pair have been quite vocal over the last couple of weeks, with the female calling from across the road as early as 9:15 pm earlier this week.

The survey spot was at the edge of Treharris park, a site where i've recorded Tawny's before. I arrived a bit before 9pm so I sat by the bandstand till it got a bit darker. There were a couple of bats flying around. I initially assumed they would be Pips, but as they flew round I noted 3 different sizes. One or two were tiny and clearly Pips. One looked to be about half as large, and flew with a similar fast, eratic, flight of the Pips. The last species was larger still, I estimated it was about twice the size of the Pips. It's flight was also very different, shallower wing beats with a bit of gliding. Looking at the literature I suspect this may have been a Greater Horseshoe. Must get a decent bat detector!

Alas, despite doing three 10 minute counts, no Tawny Owls were recorded.

Into the garden

A change of scenery this weekend as I swopped, what was to become a wet Wales for hot and, at times blustery, Berlin, as I headed over for the European Athletics Championships. A free day on Friday, plus Saturday afternoon, saw me explore the Tiergarden - the large, semi-wild heavily wooded park in the center of Berlin, famous, at least in birding terms, for it's population of Goshawks, with around 4 pairs nesting annually, making it one of the easiest places to see the species, not that their are that uncommon around here.
I ended with 4 sightings, only one of which was a fly through, the others being more studies of perched birds. All four were juv's, the first was particularly great views as it was young female, perched about 3m up, quite exposed, giving great, and prolonged, views.
Other sightings of note, were some great views of Middle-spotted Woodpeckers (at least 5 seen over Fri and Sat), and Short-toed Treecreepers. There were numerous family parties of Spotted Flycatchers - many feeding on berries, as was two juv Pied Fly's.
I managed a couple of sightings of the white-headed caudatus race of Long-tailed Tit.
Blackcaps aside, warblers were notable by their absence, with chiffy's heard only twice.
With numerous ponds and lakes, I expected dragons and damsels in good number, but I totaled about a dozen Blue-tailed Damselflies, a single common Darter and a couple of Southern Hawkers. Likewise, butterflies were also somewhat scarcer than I expected with only Small and Green-veined Whites being common and a couple of Red Admirals and Speckled Woods the only other species noted.
I did, however pick up one tick, in the shape of Striped Field Mouse Apodemus agrarius, with several seen well in a small damper area.

Another one

Text from TG at 07:12 informed me that a green sand was at Llwyn-onn, opposite the lonesome pine. I called in just after 08:00 and heard it as it was being mobbed by mixed aged pied wagtail, which eventually drove it into the water, thankfully it recovered quickly. This is my 3rd this autumn/ish I'm usually lucky to get 1 every couple of years.

At Rhaslas 3 ringed plover (2 ad + 1 juv) on the 7th but very slow. At Pentwyn still no change except for my first juvenile little grebe at this site on the 7th (I haven't had many adults) and at least 35 house martin this a.m. Only species new in the moth trap is what appears to be Aproaerema anthyllidella, but don't quote me.

Valleys Mute Swans

After the local Swans  at Abercwmoi lake failed, it makes you think what went wrong this year also last years young semm to be left alone now as they did not breed this year. I was planning on going to Cyfarthfa Castle for a concert on Sunday so I had a quick check on the swan on the lake and it was great to see they have breed and had six healthy cygnets. There was also three other adults present and they all same to be getting on with each other also it could be the answer where some of these swans turn up in the Cynon valley are coming from.  Also when I was watching the concert I had a Purple Hairstreak in the oak I was sitting under and when the light went a really big Hawk Moth flew past and it makes you think is there are Convolvulus Hawk Moths about at the moment.

Local stuff

Present surprise at Rhaslas this morning (its been slow) with sanderling in the mizzle and then a 2nd passage green sandpiper dropped in as the mist cleared. At pentwyn reservoir still just common sandpiper (just 4 today) plus usual black headed gull family. Plenty of mud at pentwyn, with no people, as at llwyn-onn, so something interesting may turn up. The north of pentwyn reservoit is now a field of; largely bistort with silver y kicked up every time I visit plus marmalade fly, green leaf-hopper etc etc.