A walk on the 28th March produced the following

Ystalyfera: House Martin(2),Dipper(2),Grey Wagtail(1), Chiffchaff(4),Blackcap(2)

Pontardawe : Sand Martin(9) Dipper(2 pairs), GreyHeron(1), Blackcap(2)

Pontardawe to Clydach: Chiffchaff(5),Dipper(2 pairs),Canada Goose(2),Buzzard(2),Blackcap(2),Goosander(2),Rook(at least 5 nests in Coed Gwilym Park),Treecreeper(1).Blue Tit,Great Tit,Coal Tit,Long Tailed Tit and Goldcrest very vocal and active with signs of nest building,Blackbird(8),Song Thrush(4),Mistle Thrush(2),Bullfinch(1 pair)

Apologies for non bird news post but I am trying to get in touch with Martin re access to this blog. Email has failed. Martin I have left a message in a comment on the Heol-y-Cyw post on your blog.

Thanks to Amy Schwartz & Peter Howlett, I managed to get some images of this imm Iceland Gull at Cosmeston on 27/03/2017.

17 Sandwich Terns were the highlight of a very soggy and gloomy tide watch this evening, other counts included 1 Slavonian Grebe, 81 Shelduck, 5 Gadwall, 14 Wigeon, 18 Shoveler, 10 Teal, 12 R-b Merganser, 56 Redshank, 7 Barwit, 61 Curlew, 2 Golden Plover, 16 Grey Plover, 2 Dunlin,

Two Sandwich Tern and a Green Sandpiper through/over the Bay this morning in the fog. The Adult Little Gull and the 2cy Glaucous Gull both present as was the Long-tailed Duck, close to the barrage first thing but on the Wetland Reserve late morning. A pair of Scaup were present off the old ice rink boardwalk – didn’t see any at all yesterday.

Record shot of one of the Sandwich Terns this morning.

The drake Ring-necked Duck showed off close in at Cosmeston this evening. Photo by Hayden Lack

 

Deleted my original post re Cosmeston Ring-necked Duck having been down again this afternoon and got some better photos. As said previously it was found by Graham Smith this morning on E lake associating with a few Tufties. Late morning there was also an Ad Yellow-legged Gull, however this afternoon an imm Iceland Gull was present, mostly mid lake but did come close enough for the record shote below. Mid -late afternoon the R-n Duck came quite close to shoreline where the Swans usually hang out. You can see the chestnut neck band which gives it its name, in a couple of the shots.

2 little ringed plovers on Portobello Island this morning.

Hendre-20 to 25-Sand Martins,Im-Blackcap,Cetti’s and Chiffchaff singing.

Lamby-10 to 15-Sand Martins.

AdW Little Gull still present mid-bay feeding with B-h Gulls, 1 AdW Med Gull seen, both from the barrage. Single Sand Martin seen entering nest hole in the dock by Dr Who. The Long-tailed Duck was by the barrage inner shore associating with 4 Coot.

Two jack snipe still present. Six little egrets in the roost.

For latest ringing news (including a bat capture) click on this LINK

Firecrest on Rudry common this morning was a nice surprise. At the Castle- Sand martin (5)  and a lone Barnacle goose.

Cattle egret still present 1430. Also Comma and Small Tortoiseshell butterflies at Summerhouse Point. Small bat (prob Pipistrelle) on the wing in Penarth this evening. Spring has sprung!

Siberian Chiffchaff still in budleia by st davids hotel, (presumably) regular one in bushes between Dr Who and the barrage.

2 or more Sand Martin that side of bay and a sparrowhawk being chased by crows  and a herring gull and disturbing the pigeons in the few remaining trees between the Paget Road park and Penarth Marina

 

nice views of the overwintering ringtail harrier this afternoon.. Also present, buzzard, little grebes, mallard, couple of mute swans, pair of teal,singing Cetti’s, and several chiffchaff,.. We also thought we’d heard and seen a willow warbler

Sand Martin 2

I was kindly sent these photos by Tony Fisher, who I see out & about. Some nice record shots of a Goshawk he saw from the northern hide at Parc Slip yesterday. Click on each one for a bigger one. Thanks Tony – nice find – you don’t often see them perched.

Nice to bump in to the GBC ex Chairman, Adrian Murch out & about today with ace Swift box installer, Howard Driver [pic gallery soon to appear on the web site]. Not much of bird interest – c.20-30 Sand Martin fairly high over E lake with a few House Martins, pair of Mistle Thrush and another singing, a pair of Gadwall were the only duck on W lake, and several Chiffchaff along the central path.  nearly forgot –  a spectacular aerial display by a pair of Sparrowhawks over the edge of Cogan Wood. At first I thought it was display with the female slow wing flapping and fanning out the undertail, but after much tumbling and locking of talons she chased him off. This followed a lone male about 15 mins earlier which flew across W paddock and disappeared over the golf course.

Female Stonechat..quite a rarity in this locality over the last thirty years.