I took the attached picture of this ringed curlew at Aberthaw a week ago. Knowing that the BTO is currently ringing curlews I contacted them to let them know. I was surprised when an email arrived and it turned out that the bird had come from further afield…..

“thank you for forwarding this interesting sighting! That’s indeed a bird from our project J he was ringed this year as a breeding bird in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. He successfully reared 2 chick (what was quite amazing because we had nearly no breeding success due to very high predation).”

I celebrated the one year anniversary of moving to the Vale of Glamorgan with the 107th  bird on my new patch (Aberthaw) today – a Curlew Sandpiper. Also a few sanderling, whimbrel, dunlin and turnstone.

Really pleased to get my first ‘self-found’ firecrest today at Aberthaw. The bird was in the bushes immediately below and east (right looking up the hill) of the old works at ST038661. A goldcrest also popped up to provide a comparison. Also a chiffchaff, 9 brent and 40 plus wigeon on the sea.

 

High tide at Aberthaw produced 1 Arctic Skua (which I thought could be a Pom, but thanks to Mark Hipkin for ID help), 15 Golden Plover, 27 Brent Geese, 40+ Wigeon on the sea, ringed plover as well as the usual oystercatchers and turnstones. The snipe areas on the islands on the pool are now under water but I did manage to find a couple of birds hiding away on the reed edges.

Went in search of the Bearded Tits at Cardiff Bay Wetlands Reserve. No luck with them (although reported as being heard) but thanks to Gareth Stamp I met this rare visitor to Cardiff – a Willow Tit. Called frequently and showed quite well in alders in the reedbed, from the gravel path near the boardwalk

Dowitcher showed particularly well this am, along north-west shoreline of Rhaslas Pond.