Superficially the 1st yr female Scaup at Cosmeston [and sometimes Cardiff Bay] looks pretty drab at distance, but close up it has some nice warm varied brown tones. #birdingWales #ukbirding #birds

Nice flock of at least 50 Siskin at Cosmeston this morning, adj the golf course. The drab fem Scaup was on E lake near the same path. The Turkey Tail fungi were by Sully Brook. #birdingWales #ukbirding #birds #fungi

51 spp on a @glamorganbirdclub.bsky.social trip to Rumney Gt Wharf this morning. Waders were Grey Plover, Lapwing, Dunlin, Redshank, Curlew & Oyc and an unexpected Woodcock along Cors Crychydd Reen. Some Wigeon & Pintail - lower nos. these days. #birdingWales List: drive.google.com/file/d/1s2zR...

In a brief visit this morning, in the Alder by the dipping pond, a feeding Siskin finally stayed long enough in the open for some half decent shots, plus a Goldfinch. Later, after I had left, @waynestrong.bsky.social found 2 female Pintails on W lake. #birdingWales #ukbirding #birds

Cosmeston dipping pond. Not a Penduline Tit but a cute Blue Tit. #birdingWales #ukbirding #birds

Another dull wet-ish day 🙁 Did catch up with the imm female Scaup at Cosmeston though. #birdingWales #ukbirding #birds

Ventured out in the wind & rain this morning. Pleased to catch up with the wintering Common Sandpiper which has been present since December '25 along the R. Ely embankment by Penarth Marina. Also brief view of fem Black Redstart flitting across the rooftops. #birdingWales  #ukbirding #birds

Goosander in Cardiff Bay on Saturday - remember that lovely sunny day? I counted 21 Goosander spread out around various parts of the Bay and the R. Ely by Penarth. #birdingWales #ukbirding #birds

A smart wintering Black Redstart foraging around the rooftops in Penarth Marina at the moment. #birdingWales #ukbirding #birds

Cosmeston dipping pond. A v elusive foraging Cetti's Wblr and a very obliging Kestrel looking for a meal .... hopefully not one of the local Water Voles! #birdingWales #ukbirding #birds

Rudolf the red-nosed Redwing at Cosmeston late a.m. Quite a few Redwing around the place. W lake had 13 Teal, 10 Gadwall and a drake Pochard. @waynestrong.bsky.social saw 18 and 15 respectively of the former 2 early doors. #birdingWales #ukbirding #birds

Pretty chilly at Cosmeston this morning. A scattering of Redwing & Fieldfare around W paddock and E lake. 4 Gadwall on W lake, 100 Tufties & pr Pochard W lake. There was also an ad Y-l Gull on E. lake. #birdingWales #ukbirding #birds

61 spp seen on a Glamorgan Bird Club trip y'day to a wet Slimbridge WWT. Geese incl big nos. of Barnacles, distant Russian Whitefronts and 2 Snow Geese & 1 Ross's Goose of dubious provenance. Waders incl Little Stint and 13 Ruff. 12 Cranes flying in was a great finale. #birdingWales #ukbirding

Two Black-necked Grebes were on E lake Cosmeston Lakes this morning, found by Graham Smith. They were sheltering from the wind with Tufties, in the lee of the Mile Road. Light was pretty poor but they were nice to see. Last record there was May 2012 - 2 breeding plum birds. #birdingWales #birds

Today a lone Fieldfare was surprisingly tolerant in a Hawthorn by the W lake viewpoint along the Mile Road. I’m sure this is the same bird that we saw on a Glamorgan Bird Club trip last week, and it has laid claim to that Hawthorn for its berries. #birdingWales #ukbirding #birds

V quiet morning at #Cosmeston. No small bird activity to speak of. Thge lakes had c.120 Tufties, 2 drake Pochard on W lake and c.50 Canada Geese. The Song Thrush photo sas takne om Sunday. It was sitting right above me so the pic is 'as taken'. #birdingWales #ukbirding #birds

Led a Glamorgan Bird Club walk around Cosmeston this morning. Bloomin' cold!! 43 species seen incl Siskin, Fieldfare, many Redwing, feeding flock comprising Long-tailed, Coal, Blue and Great Tits, Chiffchaff, Goldcrest, Treecreeper and Yellow-browed Wblr [unfortunately only seen by me 🙄] .....

Turnstone [one of eight] and preening Grey Wagtail near the Norwegian Church, Cardiff Bay, on Saturday 15th. #birdingWales #ukbirding #birds

Caught up with the Red-throated Diver off the Cardiff Bay Barrage this morning. Never very close but just close enough on our return walk after coffee for some half decent. cropped pix. #birdingWales #ukbirding

Couple of imm Kestrels having a bit of a dog fight at Cosmeston Lakes CP this morning in v poor light. Photos are huge crops as they were quite high. Nice to watch tho'. The 1st Kes alighted on the W paddock hedge and was then flushed by the 2nd. I wasn't ready for that! #birdingWales #ukbirding

An arboreal Black-headed Gull at Cosmeston this morning. #birdingWales #ukbirding

This annual slaughter of Dolphins & Pilot Whales takes place in the Faroes annually, as a 'tradition', know as the Grind. They are set to host the 2027 Island Games. Please sign this petition to stop that hosting unless this needless slaughter ends. c.org/N9kkXvDRjj

Cosmeston a.m. Hobby flew over my head from golf course and landed in tree by E lake [with its back to me!]. Immed chased off by Crow Then saw it later v high over W lake and then E paddock. Rubbish photos but v nice to see. Flight pic is a HUGE crop #birdingWales #ukbirding #cosmeston

Recovering from a v nasty fluey cold & cough so v brief slow walk round #Cosmeston this morning. Best was this juv Kestrel hovering over W paddock. There are plenty of Ivy Bees and still good nos. of Migrant Hawkers. The pristine Speckled Wood was near the dipping pond. #birdingWales #ukbirding

Led a GBC trip to Pembrey Dock, Kidwelly, WWT Llanelli on Sun 28th w 21 folk. 64 species! Grey Phal at Kidwelly was the star among 15 spp of wader overall, including Curlew Sands, Ruff, Spotted Redshank & Greenshank. #birdingWales Full rept & link to list here: glamorganbirds.org.uk/category/tri...

My first Clouded Yellow of the autumn at Lavernock NR this morning. I don't rise early enough for vis mig but a small flock of c.10 Siskin flew over as I arrived. Around 40 Goldfinch were feeding in trees by the 1st field. #birdingWales #ukbirding #nature #butterflies

At Cosmeston late a.m.. A Migrant Hawker, a good number of Ivy Bees on Ivy flowers, and the hornet mimic hoverfly Volucella zonaria. Not much bird wise - 2 Chiffies nr the dipping pond, 3 circling Buzzards, 1 fem Sparrowhawk and a flyover Grey Heron from the cafe. #birdingWales #wildlife

Cosmeston . A Wheatear was in the upper Dovecote field, there were 4 or 5 Stonechats around the plantation, plus 1 male Blackcap and 2 Reed Bunts. A Grey Wag was in Sully Brook by the Medieval Village. I got some decent flight pix of a Migrant Hawker by the dipping pond. #birdingWales #ukbirding

There were 4 Stonechats in the grazing area at the far end of W paddock, Cosmeton, on Fri 19th. Yesterday, 21st, there were 2 Wheatear on the outer barrage rocks at Cardiff Bay, and a very flighty Common Sandpiper was along the R. Ely embankment by Penarth Marina. #birdingWales #ukbirding

Found a few butterflies on Buddlehia last week whilst on a weeks break in N. Wales. Quite like this head-on shot of a Painted Lady. #wildlife #butterflys #insects #photography

Nice to find this Migrant Hawker at rest this morning, by the Mile Road at Cosmeston. #wildlife #dragonflies #cosmeston

At Cosmeston this morning. Couple of shots of a juv Dunnock, and 2 big crops of one of 2 Spotted Flycatchers along the W. paddock hedge. There were 22 Canada Geese on W lake and 8 Tufted Ducks. #birdingWales #UKBirding

Four random pix taken at Cosmeston recently. A lone, very small spike of Autumn Ladies Tresses near the play area, my first Volucella zonaria hoverfly this year, in E. paddock, and a smart Speckled Wood. #wildlife #photography

I led a Glamorgan Bird Club trip to Nash Pt & environs this a.m. There were 11 attendees. 39 spp logged including 2 obliging Chough that posed on the roof of a lighthouse building. Also seen, Red Kite, juv Whitethroats, Stonechat fam groups. Full list here: drive.google.com/file/d/1Gy7r...

Usual circuit of Cosmeston this morning. 3 nice juvvie birds posed - a nicely marked Green Woodpecker, with its dad in an adjacent tree, juv Little Grebe, close for once by the main bridge, and an ad sized imm Great Crested Grebe. Also there, was an ad Grey Heron in a tree. #birdingWales #ukbirding

Couple of Kingfishers at Cosmeston this morning, in v small bay of E lake by main bridge. Both have black bills so both male or full plumaged juvs? 2 ad males would be unexpected here. #birdingWales #ukbirding

Cosmeston. A surprise Cuckoo posed in a dead tree in the snipe enclosure this morning. A rubbish photo as it was about 75m away. The last one I saw there was Jun 2020 in the same area. More recently there was 1 at Sully in May 2021 and 1 at Lavernock reserve in June 2023. #birdingWales #ukbirding

Nice to see this nectaring in the garden last night - Old Lady (Mormo maura). Phone pic from back now camera. At Cosmeston today a Hummingbird Hawk Moth (No pic). #moths #wildlife #cosmeston

Nice trio of Pyramidal Orchids at a very humid & oppressive Cosmeston this morning. In E paddock. #cosmeston #Orchids #wildlife

More Cosmeston wildlife! The male Blackbird was 'sunning' in the Medieval Village grounds. I think the moth is a Riband Wave - it flew across the Mile Road between the 2 lakes this morning. Not seen one in fight during the day before. #birdingWales #moths #willdlife #photography #cosmeston

Green Woodies again - different birds. An ad and a juv on the big gate near the Swan sculpture at Cosmeston this morning. I've seen an ad in this location a few times recently so I reckon a pair bred in the copse nearby. #birdinguk #birdingWales #birding #cosmeston

Monday 9th at Cosmeston. A Green Woodpecker was foraging as they do, on the ground near the dragonfly pond. It flew up into a tree and I managed to creep out of view to behind a bush and got some nice shots. They're easily spooked.! #birdingWales #birdinguk #birding

Led a @glamorganbirdclub.bsky.social trip to Ham Wall on Sun 8th. 60 spp logged incl 6+ Hobby, plus Bittern Marsh Harrier , GWE, Blackwit, Redshank, Lapwing, circling White Stork [2 lucky obs]. Huge nos. of Odonata and a Grass Snake. Full bird list here drive.google.com/file/d/1yW0I... #birdingWales

Bad news re Cosmeston. The siting of. the Aquapark on E lake has been given OK'd. This was the huge installation that has been in Cardiff Bay for the prev 3 summers. It is due to open on Sat 5th July and will be there until mid Sep. There's a protest meeting there on Mon 9th June. #cosmeston >>

More Cosmeston wildlife. Pyramidal as well as Common Spotted Orchids out in E paddock, G-c Grebe pr with at least 1 chick on W lake, lots of Dog Rose. Good nos. of Dragonflies incl Emperor & Blk-tailed Skimmer. 4 Spot Chaser shown. #wildlife #cosmeston

Misc wildlife. at #cosmeston The Long-tailed Tit looks a bit tatty -poss raising a brood. The Coot juv was in W lake bay, surrounded by Water Bistort. The hoverfly is “The Footballer” [Helophilus pendulus], and the Four-spotted Chaser dragonfly was at the dipping pond. #birdinWales #wildlife

A new moth for me, albeit taken in France recently, in the middle of the day. V v active so most shots were pretty poor and this is the best of them. It turns out it's a Speckled Yellow, which is apparently quite common in the UK. #wildlife #moths #insects

Cosmeston this morning. No sign of yesterday's colour-ringed Night-heron.Quiet bird-wise all round. Nice to see 1st Comm Spotted Orchid in flower and also the male Broad-bodied Chaser. The Buzzard is a nicely marked bird. Cafe had been broken into overnight .. through the roof!! #wildlife #Cosmeston

Back from a 2 week hol in western France. Not a birding trip specifically but 88 species wasn't bad. The last 2 days at Cosmeston were pretty quiet bird-wise so here's a a few non-birdy ones - [apart from the Buzzard which was circling over the Dovecote field]. #birdingWales

Cosmeston this morning - my 1st Lsr Whitethroat singing nr the dipping pond and a Common Whitethroat singing in the 'snipe paddock'. A Cetti's Wblr was showing briefly by the boardwalk adj the café. W. lake had 6 Sand Martins and a Swallow, and 2 Coot broods. #birdingWales #ukbirding