The first 2 Yellow Wagtails of autumn – with the cattle this morning and 4 Whimbrel on the rocks. Typical July fayre at Ogmore recently – Green Sandpiper (19th), 8 Common Sands, 3 Little Egrets and 2 Redshank.

A quail was calling from the large weedy field at Sker early this morning. Heard again by DGC at 0845 at the same time as the farmer started mowing the field!

7 Sandwich Terns off the point this morning. 2 juv Wheatear, Golden Plover also seen along with 20+ Sand Martin and a few Swifts heading east.

7 Common Sandpipers around Portobello this afternoon.

My annual (ish) jaunt to Worms Head for Puffins was a reasonable success with up to 4 birds present. One flyby not long after I arrived then 20 mins later 3 together with the auks below the breeding ledges. Other notables were 500+ Manxies feeding off the outer head and a few Swifts flew over – leaving already?. A Redshank and a Humming bird Hawkmoth were seen on the inner head on the way back.

 

Hooded Crow – view from the footpath between the Royal Porthcawl GC and the fields. This morning it was in the largest field just past the small pond. 

In addition to the Garganey this afternoon a Cuckoo was calling from Norton Wood .  It was still calling occasionally this evening.

4 Whimbrel were opposite Portobello and yesterday 6 Common Sand and 9 Goosander were on the lower reaches of the river.

Grasshopper Warbler reeling at the Newton end and 25 Sand Martin and a Swallow over the slacks.

No sign of any Great Spotted Cuckoos but a single Sand Martin and 4 Chiffchaffs at the slacks.  200+ Common Gulls were notable at the Ogmore Rivermouth and a male Peregrine was enjoying a Black headed Gull on Portobello.   

A calling Richards Pipit bounding over the point was an unexpected highlight this morning. Unfortunately it flew on out over the bay towards Swansea. Not much else noted – 500+ Starling heading east and 200+ Woodpigeon east along with a few Siskins and a Brambling.

A very vocal flock of 22 Crossbills flew east and 150+ Skylarks heading west this morning.

A heavy passage of Meadow Pipits was noted this morning with hundreds going over and hundreds more around the lighthouse buildings and in the fields. Also present were Yellow Wagtails (3), alba Wags (30+), Reed Buntings (5) and Stonechats (8).  2 Spotted Flycatchers, 6 Blackcaps and 5 Chiffchaffs were in the valley.

Todays entertainment at an otherwise quiet estuary was provided by a rather early juv female Merlin trying to catch a Kingfisher on the lower estuary.

The Kingfisher would land on the riverbank and the Merlin would approach at speed. At the appropriate moment the Kingfisher would casually drop into the water and immediately pop back onto the bank apparently unimpressed by the young birds efforts. After about 8 attempts from various heights, angles and directions, with the Kingfisher seemingly leaving it later and later to pop into the water just to wind her up, it dawned on the Merlin that she was not going to enjoy Kingfisher for breakfast and headed off towards Ogmore By Sea to try her luck with something a little less savvy.

The only other bird of note was a Reed Warbler singing from a thicket at Merthyr Mawr!

50+ Yellow Wagtails in the fields this morning plus 6 Wheatear and 3 White Wagtails around the point.

Redstart and Lesser Whitethroat at Merthyr Mawr.

16 Yellow Wagtails and 6 Tree Pipits over. Plenty of  Blackcaps, Chiffs , Willow Warblers and Whitethroats ( one in full song ) in the bushes plus single Lesser Whitethroat and Spotted Flycatcher.

Late news for yesterday – A Red Kite was over the salt marsh on the Bridgend side being constantly mobbed by a Curlew before drifting off over Ogmore.  A Clouded Yellow at Merthyr Mawr this morning.