Sophia Gardens: firecrest

Forest Ganol: At least 10 hawfinch looking stunning in sunshine.

Barry Docks West: 2 great northern divers. (photo courtesy of Mike Pugh)

Mixed flock in stubble field Yellowhammer circa 30 Reed Bunting 25 Linnet 40 also Meadow Pipit 4 Chaffinch 6 at Portabello Island one adult Mediterranean Gull and a Curlew.

Two great northern divers still present in the west dock at 11.30 on Monday 29th, near the old tank wash.

A nice sunny morning so I took a few photos during a circular walk taking in Cogan Wood. There was a Buzzard sitting in a tree by the dipping pond and another sitting on the ‘snipe paddock’ fence posts. 1 Treecreeper crept up below the first buzzard [see photos], 2 Goldcrests were by the central path, another Treecreeper was in Cogan Wood together with Coal, Blue Great and Long-tailed Tits and a Mistle Thrush. No show by the Marsh Tit. No change in the widfowl. Quite a few pix so small thumbnails [click on each one].

Just caught it flying off!

Spot the Treecreeper!

A male Blackcap made a brief appearance in my garden this morning.Pity it didn’t come whilst doing my rspb birdwatch!!

Best this morning was a group of 5 Bullfinch feeding together on tree buds near the dip behind W lake, and a Common Gull by the ‘swan feeding’ area on E lake. The 2nd yr Yellow-legged Gull had been there but had flown off over the golf course [per Graham Smith].

Its been very wet lately and numbers of Starling in the murmuration and roosting have been much lower, peaking at 12,000 last week. This evening proceedings got underway at about 4.45pm and by 5pm there were approx. 5,000 birds in one tight flock, first hit by a Peregrine and then at least one Sparrowhawk. The murmurations always get  better and better with more aerobatics after raptors turn up. All birds roosted by 5.15, again in garden Cypress trees between Broadlands and Oaklands Road.

Pretty quiet at Cosmeston this morning, but three Bullfinch were in a tree by the far end of the car park, 6 Redwing flew over the Medieval Village, 15 Teal flew over W lake and disppeared behind Cogan Wood [poss into the small pool behind it], and a Jay was a new bird for 2018, number 115. Scoured all tree tops but Hawfinch still eludes me. GCGs were displaying.

Some good views of the short eared and little owls today. Also stonechats, bullfinch and usual thrushes.

A very productive 1/2 hour at high tide in the drizzle without leaving the road!

Brent goose db 1, purple sandpiper 9, sanderling 79, ringed plover 49, grey plover 6, turnstone 16, oystercatcher 22, dunlin 17 (probably more but counted after being disturbed) black-headed gull 38 and a med gull.

At least 6 turnstone and 3 redshank this afternoon.

The GOS walk around Whiteford Point due to be held tomorrow has been cancelled due to the poor forecast. Apologies for the late notice. Bob Tallack had stepped in to lead (as Eddie has had a fall while skating), but it is looking cold, wet and miserable unfortunately.

34-Snipe on the island this afternoon,also 1m-Goosander,an unusual sighting for this location.

In a stubble field  Southerndown: Yellowhammer 16 (sixteen) Reed Bunting 25 Linnet 54 Chaffinch  6. On the coastal path Chough 5. Ogmore est. Goldeneye 17 with males displaying  Goosander 1 Mediterranean Gull 2 ads. Red Kite 1 Watermill: Grey Heron 6 Little Egret 1 Teal 10   Peregrine caught a pigeon.

Male Stonechat back in area where breeding confirmed in 2017.

Fem Peregrine on City Hall this morning, per David Rich.

big  flock of jackdaws over town center at 4 30 yesterday at least 1000 birds

Apologies for non-sighting post.

The GOS quiz will be held on Friday 26 Jan at 19:00 at the Environment Centre, Pier St, Swansea.
It is always a well-attended evening. Come along and test your knowledge of birds and birding.​
£1 on the door to cover room hire costs.
Always a good prize for the winnter. Last year it was the New Naturalist book on Falcons, by Richard Sale.

Myself and three hardy souls decided to bite the bullet and give it a go having met up in Parc Tredelerch car park. We had a pretty wet walk up Cors Crychydd Reen and found it impossible to view the Rhymney Est mouth due to horizontal rain in our faces. We headed East along RGW still in the rain but it did begin to ease so we carried on all the way to the Sluice Farm blockhouse. Despite the conditions we saw 40 species: Mute Swan, Canada Goose, Shelduck, Wigeon, Teal, Mallard, Pintail, Tufted Duck [on Lamby Lake], Little Grebe [C C Reen], G C Grebe [Lamby Lake], Grey Heron [C C Reen], Cormorant, Sparrowhawk, Kestrel, Moorhen, Oyc, Grey Plover, Lapwing, Dunlin, Curlew, Redshank, B-h Gull, Herring Gull, LBB Gull, GBB gull, Wood Pigeon, Magpie, Crow, Cetti’s Wblr [heard at Lamby Lake], Starling, Blackbird, Fieldfare, Song Thrush, Redwing, Mistle Thrush, Robin, Dunnock, Pied Wag, Chaffinch, Bullfinch [C C Reen]. Sadly no Water Pipits despite grilling all the foreshore pools. Thanks to Delme Rees, Mike Pearson and George Auchterlonie for braving the weather and mud!

At 7.50 this morning the sound was incredible as at least 10,000 Starling left the main roost in Oaklands Road to head east. Later a superb murmuration of at least 12,000 Starling this evening between 4.20 and 5 pm. They did not all roost in one place this evening, using cypress type trees in several gardens. There were still several hundred flying around preparing to roost at 5.10pm in near darkness.