Swallow foraging over channel near South Pond.
Brambling (f) also present. 4 little egret out of roost. 118 common gull in bay.
Please don’t forget the talk next Friday (Environment Centre, Pier St, Swansea) on Seabirds and Marine Mammals seen from the Gower Explorer. 19:15 start. £1 on the door.
Short spell birding from comfort of car along Heol Spencer prompted by Northern Wheatear in flight along roadside. Stonechat (m&f), Meadow Pipit, Snipe.
Cossie – 20-30 Meadow Pipits around the place incl car park and swan feeding area. Scaup still E lake. Flock of c.50 Redwing by golf course. Only 1 Fieldfare seen. 3 buzzards. Also 6 Sand Martin trying to feed low over W lake. 3 Shoveler W lake bay.
Penarth – flock of 30 or so Redwing flew up Westbourne Road and the odd sight of a Meadow Pipit walking along the pavement opp our house.
Reed Bunting in the garden over last few days is a garden first. Lots of activity around the feeders and garden in the snow. Wood Pigeon, Collared Dove, Magpie, Jay, Carrion Crow, Jackdaw, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Nuthatch, Robin, Dunnock, Blackbird, Wren, Blue, Great, Coal and Long-tailed Tits, pair Bullfinch, Chaffinch, Reed Bunting
17 of us were well wrapped -up for the GBC monthly public birdwalk this morning! A biting wind and choppy waves made us work hard for the 39 species we found. Highlights were -4 Sandmartin and 14 Lapwing over the pool, a Kittiwake making a brief visit, a small flock of Golden Plover, 3 very vocal Greenfinch, and a Sparrowhawk over the dunes.
Full list- Blackbird , Buzzard , Carrion Crow , Chiffchaff , Cormorant , Gadwall ,
Great Crested Grebe , Greenfinch , Herring Gull, Jackdaw, Lapwing, Magpie ,
Mute Swan, Reed Bunting, Sand Martin, Tufted Duck, Wren, Blue Tit, Wigeon,
Canada Goose , Chaffinch, Coot, Dunnock , Goldeneye , Great Tit , Greylag Goose ,
House Sparrow , Kittiwake , Lesser Black-backed Gull , Mallard , Pochard ,Robin (heard),
Starling , Woodpigeon , Golden Plover, Song Thrush, Goldfinch, Goldcrest, Sparrowhawk.
With thanks to Strinda for leading the walk. The April Kenfig birdwalk will take place on Sunday 22nd, as part of the GBC Big Birding Day, when there will be two walks. Please see the website closer to the event for timings.
a.m. 3 Sand Martin desperately trying to catch insects over W lake. Lonesome Stonechat in the middle of W paddock and 2 Mistle Thrush thrush there.
Cossie News from the past couple of days:
Today – 1 male Wheatear in W paddock not far beyond the kissing gate with a Mipit. 1 Kingfisher W lake by the grassy [muddy] beach near the wooden bridge. 2 Teal flew over W paddock and then Cogan Wood. Drake Scaup still present, E lake by the cafe. Green Pecker calling incessantly in Cogan Wood and Nuthatch singing there. Also probably 100+ Frogs in the dipping pond and quite a lot of Toads too – see pix below.
Yesterday a Chiffchaff was flycatching near the dipping pond and the day before 3 Sand Martin over W lake.
A pair ofBuzzards have been active a vocal over the wooded area near the dipping pond.
Singing Chiffchaff there today – my first of the year.
Wheatear on the grass bank between the sails and the children’s playground 9:20.
The kittiwakes are back… not sure when they arrived. Had one med gull too and what I think was a small flock of purple sandpipers.
A Chiffchaff was flycatching near the dipping pond this morning and there was 1 of a pair of Buzzards that has been frequenting and calling in that area in the last few days. A pair of Little Grebe are very active on W lake – lot of whinnying going on. The drake Scaup was apparently still present although I didn’t see it. Graham Smith had 8 Sand Martin early on. A Mistle Thrush was in W paddock. Also of interest there were a lot of Frogs in the dipping pond and also some Toads.
Plenty of birdsong on a Spring-like day (14 degrees). From a song thrush on a fence post to a very vocal nuthatch. Also long tailed tit, jay and great spotted woodpecker. A couple of goosander (M+F) in fine plumage swimming and diving in the river flowing into lower reservoir. Dunnock, kite and peregrine in flight.
Slow walk round this morning – 3 Sand Martin over W lake and a 2nd cal yr Yellow-legged Gull on E lake. A pair of Buzzards were very active over the E lake boardwalk area. Pr of Little Grebe whinnying on W lake.
Caught up with the White Fronted Geese at Kenfig this morning, thanks to Becky Carrington. Good to see at least 6 male Greenfinch, 2 were singing as was a male Bullfinch. Goldeneye, Gadwall, Pochard, Tufted Duck and Shoveler on the Pool. Skylark singing above East shore fields.
First Spring arrivals this morning with 2 wheatear at RGW. Also flushed a jack snipe and a kestrel. Otherwise very quiet.
Pair of Coal Tit displaying in trees along the lane down into the wood. Pair of Mallard on Afon Cynffig. No Redwing today.
Iceland gull present yesterday evening.. Really easy to find if someone needs it for their year list
Friday 23rd March: The Gower Explorer: An illustrated talk on the coast of Gower as seen by Mike and David Tonge a father-and-son team who see Gower daily from their power boat. Covering seabirds and cetaceans.
At the Environment Centre. Kick off 19:00. £1 on the door.
Glamorgan Bird Club 
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