c. 7 brambling, 2 jack snipe, firecrest (photo below by Stephen Vickers) yesterday

For recent ringing news see Gower Ringing Group blog

4-Snipe from first hide,6-Goosanders on taff at Radyr pedestrian bridge,4f 2m,also 1-Dipper.nov.19 10h00-12h00

Some good counts of Goosander in Porthcawl recently per Dave Bush:

15th Nov c.20 on Wilderness Pool; 18th Nov – 7 on Wilderness Pool and 10 on Pwll-y-Waun pond which flew off towards Wilderness as fishermen approached. Thanks Dave.

Treated to 8 Goosander feeding in sync close to beach on East shore of Kenfig Pool this morning. Excellent views for several minutes only,  in perfect weather conditions until they were inevitably disturbed by everyone else making the best of the sunshine

Monthly public walk.

Eleven folk took part in our birdwalk this morning in damp,dull ,breezy weather.              Highlights were 2 Slavonian Grebe and 2 Waterail, both showing well close to the hide.

Full list-  Black-headed Gull 50+, Blue Tit 2, Chaffinch,  Collared Dove 2,Coot 20+, Gadwall
Goldfinch 3,Great Tit 4 Herring Gull 20+, Jackdaw 6+, Little Grebe 2, Mallard 6, Pochard 3
Robin 1, Slavonian Grebe 2, Tufted Duck 8+ Wigeon 1, Wren 1, Blackbird 1, Carrion Crow
Coal Tit 1, Common Gull 2, Cormorant 6+, Goldcrest , Great Crested Grebe 6+, Grey Heron
House Sparrow 10+, Lesser Black-backed Gull 1, Magpie 3+, Mute Swan 3, Redwing 1
Shoveler 2, Starling 10+ ,Water Rail 2, Woodpigeon

With thanks to everyone for your support, especially Tom for his help with ID.

 

GND at Barry Waterfront today, looking healthy and free from fishing line. Photos taken early afternoon and dusk by Hayden Lack. Nice to meet up with Phil Bristow, Annie Irving, John Wilson and Tony Swann.

Harris Hawk  an adult no jesses last seen perched on a tree at the rear of Lavernoch house. Lots of birds in the hedgerows and fields. Goldcrest 6 Blackcap 1 Robin 20 Dunnock 12 Long-tailed Tit 20 and a Mediterranean Gull near the Pier. Also a very confiding Bank Vole and Red Admiral 4

A Goosander was on the moat this morning.

A short visit between 0900-1000. The two Slavonian Grebes are still present in south pool area. A Whooper Swan dropped to join 7 Wigeon and a variety of other duck, but was flushed by a fisherman at 1000 and flew off toward Margam Park. A Black-tailed Godwit continues to feed along the east pool shore. Apart from that several mobile Mistle Thrushes and a Chiffchaff were in south pool bushes.

 

At least 25 grey plovers at RGW this afternoon on the wooden posts at high tide.

A male Wigeon was on Singleton Park boating Lake yesterday lunchtime.

This morning two Water Rails feeding in the mud and reed fringes in front of South hide, occassionally squabbling.  Slavonian Grebe showed really well just beyond Cormorant post in front of the hide, frequently diving and surfacing once with a small fish. Later there were 2 Slav. Grebes, almost displaying (?) with some head bobbing and mirroring of movements.  Vocal Cetti’s zipped across the right hand cut.

3 purple sandpipers, 49 ringed plovers, 7 turnstone and an adult med gull at high tide this afternoon.

The Waterfront Barry late pm today. Great find by Ceri Jones. Nice to meet up with Stephen, Matthew, Ceri and Nicola 🙂

Six Hawfinches were still present today mainly in the Orangery / Margam Park area, but close and viewable from the SE corner of Margam Abbey graveyard. They were mainly feeding quite low down in deciduous trees, calling intermittently and also mobile at times giving good flight views and record shot opportunities. Photos by Emma Cram.

 

There is a Great Northern Diver present in Barry Docks this afternoon, favouring the Barry Island side. Viewed from the Waterfront (Y Rhodfa).

Visited Nelson Wern this morning hoping to find Willow Tit or winter thrushes – failed on both but was delighted to find a YBW in the area behind the ponds. Also present were Water Rail (h), Bullfinch, Song Thrush, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Long-tailed Tit ……..

I popped in to the graveyard between 1 and 2pm this afternoon on the off chance of Hawfinches still being there. I ran into PH who had been seeing up to 4 birds up in the pines before 1pm and also into the yew at the eastern end of the graveyard that borders Margam Park. After 1pm I could hear at least two calling birds occasionally but did manage two good flight views of at least one bird. I think a good tactic may be to also access via Margam Park as a lot of the calls I heard seemed to be coming from the park side of the wall. Also present is a nice mobile flock of 20+ Greenfinches, 2+ Siskin, 10+ Redwing and 10+ Mistle Thrush and also 2 Goldcrest and 2 Nuthatch.

14 Pochard on w lake this a.m. and c10 Redwing a Mistle Thrush and a Green Pecker in W paddock.

1 adult med gull and 3 common gulls at the barrage this morning.