Llanrhidian marsh road had 1 lesser white throat at the village end, a comm. redstart was singing from some oak trees within farm fields.unfortunately , couldn’t  get views of it. Can’t say I’ve  heard one singing on Gower before.

At Allt Y  Graban, pontlliw ,  1 pair of garden warbler  both birds sounding slightly agitated. One further singing male further up the road

Here’s a couple of shots of the Marsh Harrier which I aged as sub-adult male.It was only around for 10 mins before disappearing….it’d be nice if it stuck around.

Although the weather looked good , not many migrants around. 1 Grasshopper warbler and a few chiffchaff , plus 9 wheatear . A   pair of wheatear were getting it on around the lower slopes.  

  Skylark an stonechat no.s seemed fairly normal , only other bird of note was 2 cy Iceland gull

Last photo shows the 2 gulls looking at the subalpine warbler which showed whilst i was not looking….if only!

1 long tailed duck in the bay , just off the Worm, but quite distant.More migrants around today with a steady stream of swallows from SE 1 house martin and 6 sand martin. Spooked 1 tree pipit from just below the coastguard look-out.Slight increase in wheatear numbers, 5 in all.Also , 1 white wagtail. At least 6 skylark singing. Much more spring-like than this time the last 2 years!

I took these shots at Broughton last weekend,and only just getting around to looking at them on the screen,i’m still not sure as to it.

Possibly an odd looking,heavily worn herring gull,but  it looked bigger than surrounding Herring gulls,larger bi-coloured bill,pale tail,pale brown tertials and primaries.Glauc\Herring cross??

2 little ringed plover plus 18 teal on sat evenings high tide

a couple of pics from yesterday.The first was the bird at Broughton (same as Barry ,so Kumliens ).The other was near the Holmes.After checking the pic on the computer,could see it was  different to the Broughton bird,so 2cy Iceland.Glauc seen briefly in flight,then on the sea as it drifted beyond the cliffs with the incoming tide (toward Broughton).hundreds of gulls were loafing on the water between Broughton and the Holmes,difficult to view most because of the conditions.

A few moribund,and 1 dead Kittiwake.

2 greenshank at penclawdd.

Thayers type gull(juv),and poss. juv.\1st winter american herring gull on the beach by Burry Holmes around 9.00am.Apololgies for late news,hectic day,and wanted to get some photos checked out.See GRC site for pics.

tutt head sat. am

6 RT Diver west, 1 GN Diver landed on sea , steady  stream of auks and kittiwakes  , all west.

whitford sands sunday ,

approx 590 sanderling which seems a good count for down here.Also, 24 black tailed gowit,32 ringed plover on beach;pretty stotmy ,otherwise

3 little grebe and 1 grey plover were in the pill this afternoon,pretty unusual for this place.Spooked up from the saltmarsh were approx 350+ mainly wigeon from male birds flying around,and out into the gloom.they were roughly 500m+ on a line from  peclawdd chippy to loughor bridge-

fem. brambling in the back garden also.

with Geoff Busby, snow bunting put up from the beach and seen flying off toward broughton.approx. 35 common gull ,16 herring gull and 4 GBB gull.pre roost flocks of approx 80 mixed sanderling\dunlin,distant flock of knot and thousands of oycs.everything quite mobile as the tide pushed up.Tried out at weobley,but 1 peregrine,so most other species V. distant.

 No Lap buntings seen or heard,so does make me wonder whether yesterdays fly-over was a misidentified snow bunt. call??

5 slavonian grebe close in on the high tide at wernffrwd. At Landimore, 1 lapland bunting heard calling in flight with skylark out on the edge of the saltmarsh.unfortunatley, most of the wildfowl were pretty distant while i was there.

the spotted redshank was still around with 2 greenshank and loafing gulls at penclawdd.

Nicholston end of Oxwich bay had approx. 720 common gull plus only several black headed and herring.Approx. 200 larger gull sp. were distant at three cliffs.Like Owain , i was fortunate to hear the GN Diver call briefly (which was relatively close in around 09:00).Only 2 GC grebe plus the scoter flock was too distant.

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sat am at salthouse: approx. 165 DB brent , 140 curlew , 45 bar-wit , 40 grey plover , 250 dunlin , 

230 shoveler , 150 wigeon , 90 pintail , 30 redshank , 2 RB merganser , 4 goldeneye(3m/1f) , 

penclawdd this morn: 1 spotted redshank

seawatch from approx 11.00 to 12.20

mini skua fest with 1 great, 3 arctic ( 2 dark,1 light ) and 1 dark  pomarine skua.1 great northen diver also.raft of 18 comm. scoter ( 2 male. rest fem\imm.).

 approx.90 kittiwake either on sea ( until bonxie put them up) or in flight…about 50% 1st years. 8 gannet, approx 65 auk again on sea or in flight.of those close enough to i.d 12 razorbill,8 guillemot.approx 20 herring gull and 2 GBB gull. all in flight heading west.more passge occuring,but distant.

overton to paviland : llareggub…

pretty quiet in the valley,with only 4 goldcrest,a couple of fly-over redwing,and best bird,1 first winter ring ouzel.only other birds dotted around were a few robin,dunnock,blue tit and stonechat.quite a few red admiral around plus a few painted lady.

late afternoon on the saltmarsh had, 3 juv littlestint,1 juv curlew sand, 10 wheatear,approx.165 golden plover.dunlin and ringed plover no.s low as they were spread out around the sands.only a few meadow pipit today.

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