There were 213 Black-headed Gulls with 36 Herring Gull and 3 adult winter-plumaged  Mediterranean Gulls roosting at puddles in the Salt lake car park. There were 30 Turnstone, 1 Oystercatcher  and a Rock Pipit on lawns at Irongate Point with another adult Med Gull nearby. The Wilderness Pool held a Little Grebe (my first record for this site), 3 Cormorant, adult and juvenile Grey Herons, 3 pairs of Shoveler, 1 Pochard, 1 drake and 4 female Goosander and finally 20 Goldfinch feeding in the alder trees. Approximately 200 Black-headed Gull flew from puddles in Manor Farm over to Pwll-y-waun Pool.

There was a Chough between the green lifeguard cabins and Sker yesterday, before being flushed by walkers up towards Sker. A couple who were nearby managed to photograph it and show me the rings on its legs, confirming for me that the juvenile female Anglesey bird is still around. There were 45 Common Gull and at least 800 Golden Plover in Sker Farm fields though I feel there may have been more than this as two microlight aircraft flew low over and the flock splintered with quite a few heading off toward the beaches and rocks of Rest Bay. Worth checking out as who knows what may be in with them?! The coastline had small numbers of waders Oystercatcher (40), Turnstone (16), Redshank (1) and Curlew (26) and a Shelduck flew over, whereas the farm cattle feeding areas held several Blackbird, Song Thrush and Mistle Thrush.

A Purple Sandpiper was with a flock of Turnstone on the rocks off Lock’s Common at high tide this morning (record shot). Nearby the Gull roost on rocks off West Park Drive to the south of Lock’s Common, there were 275 Black-headed Gull, 2 Common Gull and 5 Mediterranean Gull (4 adult winter / 1 second winter).

Early on, there were 4 adult winter Mediterranean Gulls resting on rocks just south of Lock’s Common. Late morning, there were still 11 Goosander (3 drake / 8 female) at the Wilderness Pool (12 yesterday with 4 drakes). A Kingfisher was also heard there and a Grey Heron, 3 Cormorant and 2 pairs of Shoveler were present. At Manor Farm, the Bar-tailed Godwit is still with the Curlew flock in the paddocks viewable from Pwll-y-waun adjacent to the main A4106 (approx. SS833783).

It was Brass Monkey weather this morning as I made the walk out to Sker. There were three Mediterranean Gulls at Rest Bay car park (2 adults and a 2nd winter bird). In calm conditions at least 6 Red-throated Divers afforded good views along with 8 Great Crested Grebe. There were 900 Golden Plover in Sker Farm fields and were quite a spectacle as they took flight. Out at Sker there were about 50 Oystercatcher, 1 Curlew, 1 Redshank, 16 Turnstone and a couple of Purple Sandpiper. Pretty quiet passerine-wise with just 1 Meadow Pipit, 2 Stonechat and a Skylark. A quick lap of Wilderness Pool later on produced five Goosander including (pictured) a stunning male and 4 females, which were surprisingly elusive, along with a Pochard. Passerines included 1 Treecreeper, 1 Nuthatch, 4 Coal Tit, 2 Bullfinch, Chaffinch and Goldfinch.

A chilly day started at Pwll-y-waun with a pair of Shoveler, Grey Heron, Coot and Moorhen. A flock of Curlew (42) flew over and landed in Manor Farm fields accompanied by a Bar-tailed Godwit (see pic) which was still present until 1pm at least feeding further back towards the paddocks. Emma and I moved to Salt lake car park and seafront area where we saw 2 Great Northern Diver flying high over the sea, 2 Red-throated Diver, 10+ Common Scoter, 1 Guillemot, 16+ Turnstone, several Common Gull, 2 GBB Gull and a Rock Pipit. Rest Bay held 2 adult winter plumaged Mediterranean Gull including one pictured at the Car Park lawns. Wilderness Pool held 3 Cormorant, 1 Grey Heron, the usual Mallard, Coot, Moorhen and Canada Geese, a superb drake and 3 female and there were also several Goldcrest. As we headed home at about 1055h I spotted a Waxwing sitting on top of a hawthorn bush at approx. SS833778, however when we retraced our route it had disappeared. Despite a thorough search of the main road area (MSC/NPR) (plenty of rose hip and hawthorn berries in that spot lower down) there was no further sign by 1215h, though AB was on site by then and was going to try the local Newton gardens.

Rest Bay playing fields held 10 Mediterranean Gulls (9 adult winter and 1 second winter-plumaged birds). The Pink Bay area held approx. 38 Golden Plover, 35 Oystercatcher and 5 Curlew. The Whinchat found by PP was still present feeding in the dunes just to the east of the lifeguard sheds.

Very busy off shore with 250 Gannet (approx half of them juveniles and immature birds) far in Bay. There were 5 Pale-bellied and 145 Dark-bellied Brent Geese on the beach and 2 close inshore were 2 Red-breasted Merganser, 2 Razorbill, 3 Ringed Plover and 100 Oystercatcher. A Chough heard earlier in the Burrows flew towards the Farm and Delvid late morning and 8 Lapwing were in Broughton Farm fields.

There were 5+ Red-throated Diver offshore in calm conditions. Waders between Pink Bay and Sker were: 35 Oystercatcher, 4 Ringed Plover, 173 Golden Plover, 2 Redshank and 6 Curlew. When I reached the green lifeguard sheds at Pink Bay, I was greeted by the calls of the juvenile female ringed Chough that was ringed at Anglesey this year, she was accompanied by another bird, probably an adult. They were fairly confiding and ranged a couple of hundred yards either side of the sheds and into KNNR. At high tide, the Mediterranean Gulls again flew to feed at the playing fields in Rest Bay numbering 7 in total (6 adults winters including what is probably the annually returning Belgian ringed bird and a second winter bird).

An adult winter Mediterranean Gull was roosting among Black-headed and Herrings at the Salt Lake car park this morning. Quiet along seafront at West Park Drive, 10 Turnstone and a Rock Pipit and what appeared to be a carcass floating offshore, possibly juvenile Gull or Gannet.

This was a morning visit aimed at checking the Chough that have been present here the last week. There were two confiding Chough happily feeding on the common, but the other three that had included a ringed bird, appear to have moved on to feed elsewhere. A Guillemot was resting offshore. By 1030 I located two Black-throated Divers – I had initially been watching 1  for up to an hour when another popped up at around 1130 and flew strongly towards Sker Point. By the time I reached Rest Bay car park, the Gulls had moved up from the beach to the adjacent playing fields – 7 Mediterranean Gulls (6 ad winter & one second winter-plumaged bird, 10 Common Gull, 30 Black-headed Gull and a flock of approx 500 Starling around the old rest home.

NB – Rest Bay car parking is currently £1 all day for winter

A short search of the seafront area failed to locate the Snow Bunting that has been present of late. We moved on to Lock’s Common and quickly found 5 Chough feeding, one of them had what looked like one green ring on right leg. We were joined by an adult Mediterranean Gull that was pick feeding off the grass. A shag flew up-channel. It looks like all yesterday’s auks were with Dave at Sker, as there weren’t any here today!

Got out in the fresh air this morning and away from world politics. Kenfig was bright and blustery with 2 GC Grebe, 5 Cormorant, 2 Teal, 2 Wigeon, 25 Gadwall, 24 Tufted Duck, 1 Goldeneye, 60 Coot, Water Rail heard, 1 Redshank and a Dunlin. Early afternoon on the rising tide at Porthcawl, the wind had strengthened north westerly and offshore were 87 Guillemot, 7 Razorbill, 2 Kittiwake and an adult Mediterranean Gull. The Salt Lake car park held 89 Black-headed Gulls and a different adult Mediterranean Gull.

A search at the seafront area – no sign of yesterday’s reported Snow Bunting. Wilderness Pool held lots of Canada Geese and a few Greylag Geese, 1 Shoveler, 30 Black-headed Gull, 1 Kingfisher, 1 Chiffchaff, 1 Coal Tit, 4 Goldcrest and a Nuthatch. A quick check of the pool at Pwll-y-waun produced another Kingfisher among the usual common waterfowl and birds there.

 

(61 species noted) A superb male Black Redstart with a blazing white wing panel (race gibraltariensis) has been present at the caravan site for last two days along with a duller female/immature bird. Still present this morning at least. Emma may add some photos later. The best place to observe the birds is from the height of the coastpath SS417929 looking back east over the rooftops of the caravans. Chris Gerdon one of the other birders on site has said last night they were ranging as far as the farm buildings at SS420929. This morning a Merlin flew west at the Farm and over Broughton Burrows. Yesterday there was a Nuthatch calling at Delvid Farm and the day before (25th) saw 60 Gannet, 8 Common Scoter and 25 Razorbill out in Broughton Bay; several Redwings, a Grey Wagtail and a Coal Tit were present at Delvid Farm and a juvenile Hobby paused on a post briefly before flying west through Delvid Burrows. Moor Lake has hosted 3 Teal, 4 Moorhen and 2 Water Rail and 2 Chough have been ranging last few days between Bluepool in the west to Prissen’s Tor in the east, calling regularly.

Mike

A circuit of the pool only produced one Yellow-browed Warbler in the west pool bushes, calling, difficult to locate (yesterday there were three, there was also one showy bird at north pool hide boardwalk and another in the south pool hide area). Pretty quiet otherwise with 7 Gadwall, 3 Mute Swan, 19 Coot and a couple of Water Rail heard. Out in the west and north pool bushes there have been single Mistle Thrush, Treecreeper, Great Spotted Woodpecker and several Coal Tit, Blackcap, Chiffchaff and Goldcrest. Out at Kenfig Sands there have been several Ringed Plover and Curlew and a Sanderling.

Here’s a shot from late morning at Kenfig. Unfortunately we hear it flew off west over the reedbeds around three o clock.

A record shot of yesterday’s Dotterel in ploughed fields east of Cwm Nash. It was quite perky in the beautiful late evening sunshine. Hopefully it will still be there today for more folk to see. Also present a female Pheasant, a Wheatear, 32 Linnet and 2 Chough.

A Red-throated diver has been in the Bay today and 15 Brent Geese flew toward Burry Inlet early morning, 4 of them dropped in to the shoreline to feed and a Great White Egret circled over the farm and flew off north. A Red Kite lingered in the Burrows yesterday as did a Sparrowhawk today. The pools at Lagradanta held 3 Teal yesterday and recently up to 2 Water Rail and 2 Moorhen have been present. Water Rails have also been heard at Llangennith Moors. Out towards Cwm Ivy, the Oystercatcher flock numbered approx 3,400 with 125 Ringed Plover and 16 Dunlin on the beach nearby. Scores of Pied Wagtail, Skylark, Meadow Pipits have been moving south this weekend, this morning 1 Grey Wagtail, 1 Mistle Thrush and 2 Fieldfare also passed through. No YBWs to report I’m afraid (or anything else rare despite the easterlies and a lot of effort!) but there has been an influx of Goldcrests. Also of interest Perhaps 50+ Red Admiral have flown through and Small Copper and Small White butterflies and a Southern Hawker dragonfly were still on the wing. Finally a Chough flew in to Twlc Point late afternoon today.

Two Chough visited Broughton (Twlc Point) today noisily calling constantly as they circled overhead. Early morning there was some visible migration with 5 Swallow, 15 Skylark, 20 Meadow Pipit and 20 Siskin all south. The farm area held a Great Spotted Woodpecker and a Goldcrest. An afternoon visit to Llangennith Moors produced a new bird for the patch for us in Water Rail and there is a flock of about 150 Linnet in the area. Plenty of butterflies also today with 1 Comma, 1 Small Copper, lots of Red Admiral and Small White and several Silver Y moths.