A brilliant morning at Strumble Head with my birding buddy Brian Southern. c30 Sabine's gulls C30 Arctic skua 12 Bonxie 1 Pom WWBT juvenile 12 Black tern Leach's 3 Balearic 2 Sooty 3 Little gull Sunfish

I took advantage of the new improved hourly T5 Haverfordwest to Cardigan bus service this morning using my bus pass. Best birds were juv Little Stint, juv Curlew Sandpiper and an Osprey. There were good numbers of commoner wader species too and the Osprey put on a fantastic show.

An excellent cycle around St.Davids Wood Sandpiper, juv Spotted Redshank, juv Ruff, and 2 Ringed Plover Dowrog pool. At Trefeiddan juv Marsh Harrier. Red Admirals were widespread, 1 Painted Lady and 3 Migrant Hawkers and several Common Darters.

A search of the willows on the Neath Canal around Neath was unsuccessful for Wiillow Emerald. 15 Migrant Hawkers, 2 Southern Hawkers, 2 Golden-ringed Dragonfly and 1 Blue-tailed Damselfly.

Southern Emerald, Lestes barbarus, Canvey Island, Essex

Louise and I did a 30-mile cycle from Newport around the Gwent Levels. Great Egret was the best bird seen with plenty of Migrant Hawkers, Common Darters on the wing and a Clouded Yellow was nice to see.

Great White Egret RSPB Newport Wetlands. I remember when these were rare and having to write a BBRC description for one i found at Newport, Pembrokeshire.

Some recent photos

The best bird of the day was this Whinchat at Goldcliff NR. There was a time when i would have gone twitching this Black-winged Kite, but these days, that sort of thing holds little interest for me. I got far more of a buzz finding two Willow Emeralds.

I found the second Willow Emerald for Gwent at Monk's Ditch, Goldcliff.

A successful trip to the Welsh Wildlife Centre, Cilgerran for Brown Hairstreak with 4 seen.

A trip today to Maesteg Ponds for Black Darter and Common Hawker by train and bike. 10 Black Darters,3 male Common Hawkers, 6 Keeled Skimmers, 1 male Southern Hawker, and plenty of Emerald Damselflies and Common Darters. 🚂🚴

This afternoon i visited the famous ditch on Canvey Island by train and folding bike. 10 Southern Migrant Hawkers, 2 Southern Emeralds, 8 Willow Emeralds and lots of Ruddy Darters. I failed to locate any Scarce Emeralds so i will try again tomorrow morning before heading back to Pembrokeshire.

This morning at the Neath Canal, 2 Southern Hawkers. Otherwise, it was pretty quiet.

Another trip here by train and folding bike was not as rewarding as my last visit. 1 Lesser Emperor from the South Hide several Ruddy Darters, fewer Black-tailed Skimmers, Common Darters were numerous and quite a few Emperors. A Grayling was a new butterfly for the year.

Strumble Head 05.45 - 12.00 3 adult Sabine's Gulls, 4 Cory's Shearwater, 1 Sooty Shearwater, 6 Storm Petrels, 1 Arctic Skua and c200 Whimbrel were highlights from an excellent morning at Strumble.

BoC shot of a Mandarin i found this afternoon on the lake at Withybush Woods, Haverfordwest. They are not regular here.

Superb trip to one of my favourite places 😊

Red-veined Darter Kenfig NNR

At least two Red-veined Darters on the eastern shore at Kenfig NNR

Another pic

I found this Norfolk Hawker or Green-eyed Hawker at Kenfig NNR today, which was the first record for Glamorgan.

St. Davids today. Several Small Red Damselflies Dowrog Common. 1 Common Sandpiper, 4 Tufted Ducks, and 5 Barnacle Geese Ivor's Pond.

When in Cardiff it is a must for me to go for a Thali. Chai Street and the Vegetarian Food Studio both do excellent Thalis.

A trip today to Waun y Pound ponds, Ebbw Vale by train and bike for Brown Hawker was successful with 5 seen and 2 Common Hawkers. Brown Hawker doesn't occur in Pembrokeshire. I checked Cardiff Bay Wetlands for Lesser Emperor and drew a blank there.

I found two White-letter Hairstreaks this afternoon in Haverfordwest at a different site to the usual one of Withybush Wood.

Wildflowers Marloes Mere

A trip down to Marloes today on the fflesci bus with my folding bike. The highlight was a stunning male Ruff that dropped in briefly in front of the Britton Hide, Marloes Mere. Otherwise, common Odonata species, common butterfly species & stunning displays of wildflowers.

Red-veined Darter

5 male Scarlet Darters. male Lesser Emperor, 4 Red-veined Darters, Hobby, and 3 Egyptian Geese over - Crossways, Dorset.

A trip to Crossways, Dorset today. 8 Scarlet Darters and 3 Red-veined Darters were the highlights.

I couldn't find any Lesser Butterfly Orchids. The Dowrog pool had plenty of Small Red Damselflies.

New Schwable Marathon Plus tyres fitted after my back tyre exploded at Ivor's Pond, St. Davids. A trip out to the Dowrog Common, St.Davids to look for Lesser Butterfly Orchid. 🚌 🚴

4 White Admirals and my first 2 Marbled Whites of the year at Slade Woods, Gwent.

Young Dipper

Some pics from my recent travels by bike/bus/train in Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire

I caught the train to Carmarthen and then a bus along the Towy Valley for a cycle. 1 Little-Ringed Plover, Common Sandpiper, and a Goosander with young.

Yesterday i caught a bus to Canaston Bridge and then cycled to Minwear Wood. I was disappointed not to have any Wood Warblers for a second year! Compensation was had by a lovely Tree Pipit and several Garden Warblers singing. #birdingWales #birdbybike #LowCarbonBirding

I caught the bus from Haverfordwest to Egwlyswrw and then cycled to Pengelli Forest. 5 Pied Flycatchers showed really well as they fed young in nestboxes. #LowCarbonBirding #birdingbybike

A Cuckoo was the best bird today at the Dowrog Common. 15 Painted Ladies, 17 Red Admirals, 2 Hairy Dragonflies and my first Beautiful Demoiselle of the year were the best insects seen. 🚌 🚴‍♂️

I am on the wrong side of the country. Everything is happening back home in Wales. I will be back on the folding bike around my patch of St. Davids from Tuesday. With southerly winds forecast a Bee-eater would be nice. In the meantime, it is still very quiet on Portland 😏

4 Hobby, 2 Marsh Harriers and 1 Common Tern Radipole RSPB. 1 Scarce Blue-tailed Damselfly Portland.

Birding is quiet. At Tout Quarry male Adonis Blue, Wall Browns, Common Blues,1 Small Blue and a Dingy Skipper.

Yesterday around Portland was hard going. male Redstart at Reap Lane, Arctic Skua past the Bill, lots of Little Terns Ferrybridge and 7 Whimbrel and 2 Barwit. 10 Manx Shearwater past Chesil Cove. @portlandbirdobs.bsky.social