9 red-throated divers close inshore off the pill this morning.  Also 6 GC grebe a bit further out.

Jack snipe among the birds captured on the marsh this morning.  More here: http://gowerbirdringinggroup.blogspot.co.uk/2015/03/oxwich-marsh-18-march-2015-sniping-from.html

Latest ringing news: http://gowerbirdringinggroup.blogspot.co.uk/2015/03/oxwich-marsh-28-february-2015.html

4 Slavonian grebe, 2 great white egret, ring tail hen harrier, peregrine and lots of waterfowl moving around on the flood tide this morning

A lesser redpoll, 40+ snipe, woodcock and three little egrets roosting with the herons.

A better ringing session than late, with an influx of finches noticeable.  More info here:

http://gowerbirdringinggroup.blogspot.co.uk/2015/02/oxwich-marsh-14-february-2015-fiftieth.html

7 red-throated divers, 16 great crested grebe (12 close inshore off Nicholaston Pill) and female eider present.  Scoter flock very distant.

A summary of yesterday’s ringing session is here: http://gowerbirdringinggroup.blogspot.co.uk/2015/02/oxwich-marsh-7-february-2015-nice-pecker.html

Fairly accurate count of scoter flock due to flat sea – 153.  Would be possible to get good view from Oxwich Point of c. 75% if they stay in approx. same place.  Too distant to see if any other scoter species than common.

Nicholaston Pill – 125 oycs and 2 curlew

11 shoveler among the ducks on Ox South Pond – North Pond mostly frozen.

Oxwich Point.  Great northern diver still present.  Large common scoter flock close inshore but towards Tor Bay.

Oxwich South Pond.  Duck numbers up.  58 teal, 10 shoveler, c. 30 gadwall.

Oxwich Bay: Great northern diver off the point and a very distant diver spp in the bay.  Large flock of scoter well offshore. 9 great crested grebe.

Oxwich Pond: Barn owl roosting on the top of the door of the hide plus usual duck species.

Porteynon: group of 7 purple sandpiper, red-throated diver west.

Rhossili: relatively small numbers of common scoter (2 flocks – 151 birds), 4 porpoise, 2 grey seal, 2 chough

Llanrhidian: 2 great white egret, 2 ringtail hen harrier, sparrowhawk.

Per Micky Maher

Overton: 3 woodlark in usual turnip field.

Wernffrwd: (HW this morning): merlin (f), great white egret, ringtail hen harrier, slav grebe (2).

Oxwich: great northern diver off the point and two great crested grebe in the bay.  47 teal on the South Pond my highest count of the winter.  7 shoveler also.

Port Eynon: red-throated diver west.  7 shag.  At HW mixed wader roost included 45 oystercatcher, 1 purple sandpiper, a grey plover, 2 curlew and small numbers of ringed plover and turnstone (couldn’t get decent counts of last two species).

Couldn’t find much at all off Mumbles Pier first thing.

2014 was a really good year at Oxwich with over 3,500 unique birds captured.  These included some local scarcities such as wood warbler, yellow-browed warbler and firecrest (3), but more importantly good numbers of reedbed warblers and other long-distance migrants.

A summary of the year is available here: http://gowerbirdringinggroup.blogspot.co.uk/2015/01/oxwich-marsh-ringing-report-2014_6.html

If you follow the link from the ringing blog, you can download a detailed report in PDF format from the BSG Ecology website.

Ringing on the marsh this morning resulted in 35 birds captured, including 2 chiffchaff, 1 siskin and three bullfinch.  More here: http://ow.ly/GLU2D

The number of teal on Oxwich South Pond was slightly higher this morning (34), with 13 mallard, 30 gadwall, 4 shoveler and a water rail among the other species seen.  There were 2 wigeon on the North Pond on 2/1 (not seen today), and 4 great crested grebe on the sea.

At Mumbles Pier the number of turnstone had increased to c. 34 on 2/1, and a great crested grebe was off Knab Rock.

3 red-throated diver and 1 diver spp off the point/in the outer bay at low water.  Also 60+ guillemot rafting on the sea.

There is a big flock of scoter in the bay again this winter.  Not possible to get an accurate count off the point, but several hundred at least.  Would be best viewed from one of the tors between Nicholaston Burrows and Shire Combe.

3 woodlark still in the turnip field at Overton this morning (with a few meadow pipit and two reed bunting).  Mobile, but still in the field when I left.  No other flocks of birds in this or adjacent field, and area exposed to NW wind.

Oxwich: 45 oystercatcher, 2 sanderling and a little egret on the beach.  19 mallard, 31 gadwall, 2 shoveler, and a kingfisher on the ponds (combined count of north and south).  Very few teal on the main pools.

Two blackcap and a chiffchaff yesterday among 32 captured on the marsh.  More here: http://gowerbirdringinggroup.blogspot.co.uk/2014/12/13-december-2014-few-redwings-and.html

A shag and a very distant raft of common scoter in the bay (no count made).  48 gadwall and 2 shoveler now on the South Pond, which has had a lot of rush clearance done and is now easier to count.

With Alun John.

Great northern diver flew into the bay, landed, then flew out again.  Lots of auk movement predominantly west, but generally distant.  Kitts, common scoter (7 & 3) and a single adult gannet also west.

2 great northern divers close in to shore this morning off the Oxwich Bay Hotel.

2 eider further offshore

NRW have now cut the islands and some of the edge around the South Pond.  This means that it is now possible to get reasonably confident waterfowl counts again.  Today 41 gadwall (quite a good count for the site I think), 11 moorhen and  few mallard and shoveler were present.

Had three of the woodlark reported by Chris Brewer earlier at Overton.

In the adjacent field there is a large flock of chaffinch (40+), with a few reed bunting, a lot of dunnock (10+) etc.  No sign of rosefinch among them, but flock mobile.

3 red-throated diver west past Sedger’s Bank.  Couldn’t find any purps, but tide not ideal for finding/counting waders.

Waterfowl numbers building on the marsh (although this may be due to disturbance as a result of shooting on the Penrice Estate).  31 greylag geese and 24 gadwall this morning, plus small numbers of shoveler.

Ringing resulted in 48 birds captured including a snipe, and a blackbird with very odd moult.  More here: http://gowerbirdringinggroup.blogspot.co.uk/2014/12/oxwich-marsh-6-december-2014-more.html