Long-tailed duck and 9 scaup showing well but no sign of common scoter reported yesterday.

20-Snipe on south side of the island 08h30-08h50

Goshawk over Orchard Grove, Penllergaer.

At high tide this morning there were 8 purple sandpipers, a dunlin, 48 oystercatchers, 36 turnstones, 3 curlew and about 25 common scoters flying down channel.

Lots of Skylark and Dunnock song along the footpath west from Gileston beach car park this morning. Also there 1 Yellowhammer (on the hedgerow on north side of the fenced horse paddock), 2 male Stonechat, 12 Curlew (in the stubble fields), 1 Little Egret, 14 Reed Bunting and 2 Shelduck.

Apologies for non-sighting post but I’m sorting out the next GBC newsletter. Has anyone got photos, taken in Glamorgan, for inclusion?

This morning (9am), clear views of Great Grey Shrike seen taking small bird, much to agitation of other birds, at Fforest Fawr, Tongwynlais. 100 yards on right (NE) of track from Car Park entrance. These woods are full of surprises!

Late yesterday afternoon: singing Goldcrest and excellent view of Treecreeper feeding, close to lane down to Afon Cynffig. Great Spotted Woodpecker and Redwing present. All within short distance from main road and houses.

Great northern diver close inshore off Oxwich Bay Hotel

32 sanderling on the foreshore

9 shoveler with teal and mallard on the South Pond

Finally caught up with the Marsh Tit in Cogan Wood at Cosmeston this morning. There were 8 Gadwall on W lake. The three Wigeon from yesterday seem to have departed. The head-on photo of the Marsh Tit shows the whitish spots at the base of the lower mandible, diagnostic of this species in comparison with Willow Tit. V difficult to see in the field tho’!

Sunny and just a light breeze at Kenfig Pool this morning. Lots of ducks and other water birds still around including Scaup, displaying Goldeneye, Gadwall, Teal, Wigeon, Pochard, Mallard, Tufted, Greylag and Canada Geese, Great Crested Grebes and a Great Black-backed Gull.

Little Egret present again at 10am on main pond

11-Snipe on south side of the island.09h00

Nearly got blown off the boardwalk this morning! There were 3 Wigeon on W lake [2m 1f], 2 Gadwall on W lake and 7 Gadwall sheltering on E lake, plus the usual Pochard & Tufties. Couldn’t find any interesting gulls.

A different glaucous gull was present in the bay around 1130. It looked almost white, possibly a 3rd winter or very bleach 1st winter bird. Also adult med gull on the Marl playing fields.

Tuesday – both Siberian chiffchaff still overwintering below St David’s Hotel. Earlier in the week the glaucous gull (long stayer) was present on the Brains building a couple of days in a row when cycling into work.

Pretty awful walking round this morning in horizontal drizzle. However a group of 8 Bullfinch all feeding together was a nice highlight. Don’t think I’ve ever seen that many together before. They were feeding on buds in bushes near the entrance gate to the conservation area. Also around the W paddock hedges were c.30 Redwing.

Apologies for the non-sighting related post.

Dr Rachel Taylor of the BTO will be talking to GOS at the Environment Centre, Pier Street, Swansea on ‘The Plight of the Curlew’ this Friday 24th Feb. The only cost is £1 on the door.

Rachel has been one of a team using satellite tagging to understand the ranging behaviour of curlew during the breeding season and the various factors affecting their conservation.

Curlew is now absent as a breeding species from much of South Wales, and productivity is rare in Powys. It will be interesting to hear whether she thinks a recovery is possible, and how this could be achieved.

V enjoyable trip to Steart Marshes and Steart Pt today with 13 participants. I think c.60 species seen and c. 5 miles walked! Highlights were thousands of Golden Plover, Lapwing and Dunlin, often all in the air at once. Also Grey Plover, Knot, Curlew, 2 small flocks of Avocet, 1 Barwit, Curlew, Peregrine, Kestrel, Sparrowhawk and Marsh Harrier, a flock of 10 Yellowhammers, but sadly no Short-eared Owls. Also nice views of 4 Roe Deer and at least 6 Brown Hare.

Pair of goldcrest in the park and a single waxwing sat in a tree next to A4232 between the Lamby lake roundabout and the flyover

An Iceland Gull was found this afternoon on the roof of the old Tesco in Bridgend by Neil Donaghy. I arrived shortly after, by which time it had relocated to the roof of the post office, where it was only really viewable from Newcastle Hill.