Great Northern Diver on the west side of the bay this afternoon at high tide.

There was a singing Lesser Whitethroat in bushes at the top of the valley leading to Long Hole Cliff; also a pair of Wheatears at the bottom of the same valley, this afternoon at 3pm.

(Late news Thursday – 6 Whimbrel on the beach at Port Eynon, but flew off towards Horton as soon as seen).

 

The Red-breasted Merganser is still present in the bay today, and there is also a single Common Scoter just off Sedger’s Bank.

Great Northern Diver currently (11:45) in Port Eynon bay, near the Salthouse/Youth Hostel. Also 5 Brent Geese, Curlew and several Ringed Plover (ie the usual crew).

Edit – went for a walk later in the day (3:15), and the diver had disappeared, to be replaced by a Merganser (rather distant pic as I didn’t have my big lens this time)

Seems to be an annual occurrence now when I’m here in the winter, but there were 3 Brent Geese in the bay at Port Eynon at 11. They flew off west as the tide came up.

Also, a single Common Scoter out in the sea just off the rocks nearer the point

Currently a flock of approx 50 Sandwich Tern, which have been present for at least 90 mins, and 15 Ruff, which have appeared in the last 30 mins, all at the end of the boat launch lane.

Dave Morris

 

This afternoon around 4pm, a Whimbrel feeding in the weed on the strand line.

Dave Morris

A quick walk on the beach just now (12 noon) down the boat launching lane, in spite of the wind, and the lifeguards’ board describing conditions as “very wet very windy very miserable”, there were at least 2 Mediterranean Gulls and 1 Sandwich Tern associating with a larger group of mainly Black-headed Gulls.

Dave Morris

 

This afternoon, two brief views of a bird as it flew away from me – 90% sure it was a Black Redstart, dark back, red tail, but I got no view of the front of the bird.
It was initially seen on the upper path that runs from Bendrick Drive to Pobbles, just before the gorse ends and the path skims the edge of the golf course (google maps gives me 51.571121, -4.100496).

Dave Morris

Two Great Northern Divers in the bay this afternoon, presumably sheltering from the earlier weather. 12 Brent Geese and 3 Med Gulls still present at lunchtime.

11 Brent Geese on the beach now. Also at least 3 Mediterranean Gulls near them, in with Black-headed, although the gull flock is mobile with the tide coming in.

Whilst talking a walk in the sunshine this morning, a single Brent Goose flew in to the bay and landed on the beach. It had disappeared by the time I returned from my walk though; there are quite a few people and dogs around. Also a single Curlew and the seemingly regular Little Egret.

Stopped off for a quick look at Penclawdd at lunchtime (pulled up in the layby just west of the village). Around 200 Black-tailed Godwit were the main attraction, with 50-odd Dunlin, a handful of Redshank and 4 Pintails on the water. Inclement weather prevented further viewing.

Not too many birds around this afternoon, due to both the wind and people, and nothing so exciting as my last post on here two years ago (!) but there were two Curlew below the old lifeboat house, plus quite a few Rock Pipits feeding in the stranded seaweed. Also 2 Oystercatcher and single Common and Great Black-backed Gulls. The seemingly regular Little Egret was there this morning.

In spite of the weather I had to get out to get the year list underway.  There are several Turnstones, and handful of Ringed Plover and a couple of Oystercatchers making the most of whatever was washed up last night, plus Rock Pipit, Stonechat, and a few gulls and corvids.

Happy new year to all, and hopefully, I’ll be back in the summer.

 

 

4 Brent Geese on the sea, in the lee of Sedgers – departed as the tide rose.

Also, a Black Guillemot at the edge of the sea at high-tide, just below the Youth Hostel.  However, within 10 minutes of the sighting, the bird was attacked by two juvenile Herring/LBB Gulls, and last seen floating upside-down (so believed killed) out in the centre of the bay.

A quick look around Port Eynon beach at pretty much high tide – 2 Curlew, 2 Turnstone, 1 Dunlin, 1 Little Egret, approx 20-25 Ringed Plover and a small supporting cast of Oystercatcher, Rock Pipit, and BH, Herring and LBB Gulls.