Hi,

It’s my quarterly request for photos for the next GBC newsletter (due out in July). If you’ve got any (preferably taken in East Glam or on a GBC trip), please send them in.

……if anyone is interested, we have just returned from a 2 week trip up to Shetland including 10 days on Fair Isle – a great place to see migrants who get lost!

Best photos are at

http://andyburnsphotography.zenfolio.com/p802178202/h8c498b35#h8c498b35

and the record shots are at

http://andyburnsphotography.zenfolio.com/p725844471/h8c498dcc#h8c498dcc

Overall I managed 137 ticks there and back with 119 species on Shetland/Fair Isle. Highlights were 7 ‘lifers’, Red Breasted Flycatcher, Rustic Bunting, Red Throated Pipit, Woodcock, Quail, Grasshopper Warbler and Snow Goose – but the weather was great with a lot of sunshine which helped the photography.

 

A short seawatch in strong westerlies with blustery showers produced the following all down channel: 430 Manx Shearwater, 4 Fulmar, 1 Gannet, 1 Cormorant, 6 Common Scoter and 6 Kittiwake.

Picture of the bird over the saltmarsh/reedbed. It flew back to Kenfig Pool shortly after this shot. A bird in breeding condition with dark bill

on a previous visit I noted a pair of Coots with 6 juveniles.Well,tonight there was a pair of Coots with 8,yes 8 juveniles! This could be some sort of record,possibly.The juvs. were 3/4 the way to adult size.I have several photos of the family.

Apologies for non-sighting. I have just got the funeral arrangements courtesy of Jan Scheeres.

Friday 23rd June at 11.00 AM -Thornhill Crematorium (Wenallt Chapel). Afterwards there will be refreshments at The Fleurs Club Portmanmoor Road Splott Cardiff. The family would be pleased to see any of Jim’s old birding friends.

Reed Warbler and Whitethroat singing, Grangemoor with Cetti’s just outside and near Penarth Road Bridge.
Sanatorium Park, female Stonechat in same locality where male present on a number of occasions recently. Whitethroat singing.

Richard Smith, the photo editor of the East Glam Bird Report has put out a request for good quality high res photos of birds for consideration for inclusion in the 2016 Bird Report which I and others are currently working on. His request and attendant details can be seen in a post on the Glamorgan Rarities Committee blog here:

http://grcforum.blogspot.co.uk

Many birders in Glamorgan will no doubt be saddened to hear that Jim Ellis, a long standing birder in Glamorgan, passed away recently after a few  months illness. I am grateful to Jan Scheeres for sending the news, and he will also pass on details of funeral arrangements for anyone who wishes to pay their respects for a thoroughly nice man, who I had the pleasure to meet a few times in my early days after moving to S. Wales.

Mute Swans with 4-cygnets,1 pair of Coots with 6 fully grown juvs. Another pair of Coots with 3 large juvs. Also two pairs of Great Crested Grebes each with two adult sized juvs.

Many thanks to John Wilson for leading 15 participants on yesterday’s GBC field trip to Cwm Claisfer, an upland woodland near Llangynidr in Powys.

Highlights included several striking male Redstart, excellent views of a singing Wood Warbler, a pair of Spotted Flycatcher, male and female Pied Flycatchers, Red Kites, a vocal Cuckoo, perched Peregrine, several Tree Pipit, and a Buzzard and Raven having a disagreement.

We saw or heard 37 species in total. Full list: Pheasant, Red Kite, Buzzard, Peregrine, Woodpigeon, Cuckoo, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Magpie, Carrion Crow, Raven, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Coal Tit, Swallow, Long-tailed Tit, Wood Warbler, Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler, Blackcap, Goldcrest, Wren, Nuthatch, Blackbird, Song Thrush, Mistle Thrush, Spotted Flycatcher, Robin, Pied Flycatcher, Redstart, Stonechat, Dunnock, Grey Wagtail, Pied Wagtail, Tree Pipit, Chaffinch, Siskin and Linnet.

Have added a couple of pix – Pied Fly male and Wood Warbler – John W

A singing lesser whitethroat in the dunes and two grasshopper warbler on the marsh (including a breeding female). More information on recent ringing sessions is HERE

 

 

Hobby over Clydach this evening.Chashing House Martins before being mobbed by Herring Gulls.”Red Trousers” showing well in evening sun.

From the jersey marine side to the river two separate family parties of stonechats one with two young and the other with three a pair of linnets with nestling material meadow plplts skylarks a pair of Canada geese and a shelduck on the river a perigrine put up waders from the beach 90+ oyster catchers and a flock of sanderling and ringed plover est 100

in the woods behind jersey marine song thrush family party and a tee creeper

on a private site in llandarcy lapwing with one young two pairs present three young were there 16 April also a pair of ringed plover were there and a single little ringed plover but not seen since

41 species recorded on this mornings late visit to the square, taking the species total to 50 for both visits, slightly down on last year but was very pleased to add a singing Spotted Flycatcher which is new for the square. It was quiet at Watermill itself, just Crows and a couple of Canada Geese, but a few Whitethroat and Sedge Warblers were singing closeby. Sand Martins appear to be doing well in two different colonies. Both Green and Great Spotted Woodpeckers as well as a Kingfisher were noted at Coed Pwll-y-flew as were a surprise Red Fox and two lovely Beautiful Demoiselle dragonflies.

If you happen to be in the Bosherston Lily Pond area, there has been a Cattle Egret roosting in trees on the Eastern Arm, below Stackpole Court walled garden. Found it Monday evening.

An enjoyable final Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) for the season on Janet’s square today included seeing a Cuckoo chased off by Meadow Pipits (while we were walking to survey start point), Redstart singing from an oak tree top (not sure I’ve seen that before), Tree Pipit, nesting Swallows and House Martins, various warblers etc.

We also had good views of a pair of cuckoos (and heard more) when doing BBS on my squares near Bedlinog on Friday, and were close enough to hear the female’s bubbling song. Also had Tree Pipit there.

25 participants enjoyed the monthly public walk on Saturday.

44 species were seen/heard,  including a purple heron!

Many thanks to everyone who came, especially Strinda Davies our leader.

 Full list-

Blue Tit, Great tit, House Sparrow, Willow Warbler, Magpie, Cormorant, Whitethroat, Jackdaw, Collared Dove, Carrion Crow, Greenfinch, Herring Gull, Housemartin, Sandmartin, Swift, Swallow, Song Thrush, Chiff Chaff, Dunnock, Starlings(50+), Blackbird, Buzzard, Grey Heron, Robin, Goldfinch, Lapwing, Stonechat, Linnet, Wren, Mallard, Woodpigeon, Coot with Chicks, Canada Goose, Goldcrest(H), Chaffinch, Great Crested Grebe, Chettis(H), Pheasant(H), Greylag Goose, Pied Wagtail, Mute Swan with Goslings(5 today), Gadwall, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Purple Heron!

There was a Spotted Flycatcher in trees along the Radyr side of the River Taf this evening. A regular autumn passage migrant here, but a rare sight in the Spring. Good to see healthy numbers of Swift and House Martin over the river too.

Yesterday, after searching the fields and shore, 8 Whimbrel over the centre,  flying towards the golf course. No sign of purple heron.  Also, stonechat, linnet,  whitethroat, lapwing, ,gray heron , pair of gadwall on a flooded slack, , 4 coot chicks,  great crested grebe, wheatear.