With DCB – 117 Oystercatchers, 38 Curlews, 26 Turnstones, 2 Grey Plovers, 100+ Golden Plovers, 3 Purple Sandpipers, 1 Redshank, 1 Shag, 3 Rock Pipits, 1 Little Egret, 1 Kingfisher.

A circuit of Kenfig Pool produced a Siberian Chiffchaff in the West Pool bushes with three Common Chiffchaffs and a Jack Snipe of note again in the East Pool Marsh. Two Goldeneye were briefly on the pool, but otherwise fairly quiet.

Finished the year with nice views of Bittern and flushed a Jack Snipe twice in the East Pool marsh. Wildfowl counts on the increase with 7 Tufted Ducks, 13 Coot, 8 Gadwall, 16 Teal and a female Pintail, while a flock of around 20 grey geese flew over North Cornelly over the car but remained unidentified.

A very showy Firecrest was near the North Pool Hide this morning along with three Chiffchaffs and five Bullfinches. An adult Med Gull was with eight Common Gulls and four Goldeneye on the pool were the first I have seen this autumn. A Redshank remains on the East Pool Shore.

No YBW, in fact the bushes were very quiet, but a nice morning of visible migration with 77 Wood Pigeons, 350+ Jackdaws, 32 Redwings, 7 Mistle Thrushes, 5 Song Thrushes, 2 Peregrines, 11 Lesser Redpolls, 27 Pied Wagtails, 52 Meadow Pipits, 230+ Golden Plover, 6 Swallows and Great Spotted Woodpecker and female Pintail, 3 Wigeon, drake Gadwall, female Tufted Duck and Little Grebe on the pool plus 2 Water Rails and Kingfisher outside the South Pool Hide. Late news for 15th of fem/imm Merlin and 72 Sky Larks over and 22 Med Gulls in the East Pool Fields/Posts.

16 Yellow Wagtails among the Welsh black herd, but otherwise quiet with 7 Knot and 4 Redshank of note in the wader roost and two Shelducks down channel and 134 Sanderlings on Kenfig Sands.

Six Greenshanks flew over together gong north west and an Otter was briefly outside the South Pool Hide.

Nice Yellow Wagtail on the East Pool Shore this morning as well as 3 Snipe, a Wheatear and 80 Linnets.

Once again the Little Tern was feeding over the Northern Lagoon this morning. Other migrants included four Redshanks going north, three Lapwings north west, three Teal on the pool, a Wheatear on the shore and a very showy Redstart in the SW corner of the pool.

The Little Tern was still at Kenfig Pool this morning roosting on third posts along East Pool Shore. Also a Spotted Flycatcher in the South Pol with a mobile flock of Willow Warblers, Chiffchaffs and Blackcaps, four Little Egrets roosting in the West Pool, two swifts overhead and two Common Sandpipers on the shore.

The first real signs of wader passage this morning with single juvenile Little Ringed Plover, Common Snipe, Common Sandpiper, Redshank and Whimbrel on the East Pool Shore and two Little Egrets over going south.

A different female type Marsh Harrier to the one seen yesterday was present at the Kenfig Saltmarsh this afternoon. This bird showed no wing moult and much more cream on the head than the previous bird, which was in very heavy wing moult – but I don’t know if this is the original bird found by Darren Coombes or not… This bird also flew towards the tip but at low altitude and is likely to still be in the area. 21 Sanderling and 33 Oystercatchers were on the beach and four Stock Doves flew towards Kenfig Pool.

The worn female Marsh Harrier was present again until 10.30 when it drifted high west over the tip and out of sight. Also present were a Water Rail, five Common Snipe and a Clouded Yellow.

Hummingbird Hawk Moth in the garden this morning feeding on Willowherb.

A Spotted Flycatcher in the west pool bushes was the only passerine of note. High tide roost at Sker/Kenfig Sands contained 128 Sanderling, 14 Dunlin, 28 Whimbrel, 9 Turnstone, 2 Bar-tailed Godwit, 2 Purple Sandpipers, 1 Curlew & 8 Ringed Plover. Two Shag were on the rocks at Sker, 5 Shelduck went down channel and 3 Common Sandpipers on the East Pool Shore.

With Watford RSPB group – a breeding plumaged Great Northern Diver was very close in at Porthcawl at 08.00 and later from 15.00 – 16.30 we saw 8 Storm Petrels, 15 Fulmars, adult Gannet and first summer Kittiwake.

At Kenfig Pool the female Red Crested Pochard is still present, while the river mouth produced at least one drake Garganey, a Cuckoo, a pair of Shoveler and large numbers of Swifts & hirundines.

4 Storm Petreles in total between 12.00 – 12.45 plus three Kittiwakes, Gannet and 2 Common Gulls. Later afternoon – just a skua sp and a tern sp as well as two Fulmars.

In addition to Dave’s sightings [though I only saw 1 Whimbrel ] – also 4 Ringed Plovers about half an hour before high tide, an adult Gannet up channel and 2 Shelducks down channel. A Tree Pipit was in the southern dunes at Kenfig Pool, 14 Wheatears, 13 Stonechats and 70 singing Willow Warblers around pool/ southern dunes and alder wood.

An Osprey drifted NW low overhead over La Strada Restaurant during a break in the rain. The bird was seen from the bottom of Newcastle Hill before dropping out of sight behind the small Tesco’s as it headed towards the M4.

Four Black-tailed Godwits flew over north west at 09.00 and 35 Golden Plovers went south. A Swallow was over the reserve centre and 17 singing Willow Warblers noted on a circuit of the pool, but no other passerine migrants of note.