managed to see the r f bluetail at 11 15 briefly after 7 hours and 2 visits well done to Tony fisher for finding it

Dipper singing on Afon Cynffig in Pyle yesterday. Water level has to reveal perches which are either rocks or fallen branches,  as bird has been absent during, and after, heavy rain.

Excellent view of pair of displaying Goldcrest in trees above singing Dipper. Male with fully revealed crest (more bright orange than yellow). First such sighting for me.

The Glauc seems to be there every morning of late. I arrived in time to see it fly off not long before 1pm, which was roughly the same time it made an exit on Friday.

Perhaps of interest to Cardiff listers, the 3 Stock Doves seem to be wintering at Forest Farm, all being present today and yesterday.

A few sightings from this morning’s WeBS count:

Teal (62), Shoveler (2), Pintail, Gadwall (3), Wigeon (2), Goldeneye (13), Little Egret, Grey Heron (5), Little Grebe (8), Purple Sandpiper (2), Redshank (16), Common Sandpiper, Curlew (83), Turnstone (21), Mediterranean Gull (2), Yellow-legged Gull (3 – an adult and two 1st-winters).

Just missed it at 9:45 but saw it at 10:15 in usual spot.

Black redstart town centre (roof tops Windsor Rd). Flock of 50 Redwing with couple of Fieldfare on Stanwell school rugby pitch

15 long tailed tits 21 redwings 1 dipper 6 blackbirds blue tits robins dunnocks 6 collard doves 4 wood pigeons 2 song thrush .

in my garden in Briton ferry this afternoon a chiff chaff was a surprise.

Black redstart on the cliff top near ‘The Barn’

Suspected Siberian Chiffchaff present again, camping near the Aberaman bridge. 

The RFBT popped out briefly to the side of the path looking back the way you come, near the pipes that go under the path at around 8.40. It then did a little half loop and came out again behind the group of us on the path in the other direction around 10/15 minutes later.

Generally quiet.Great Spotted Woodpecker(2),Jay(1),Nuthatch(1), Bullfinch(4), Lesser Black-Back Gull(22 all on lower reservoir), Red Kite(5), Buzzard(4), Peregrine(1). Greylag Goose(11 circled Upper reservoir but did not land).Brynllefrith quiet and still, best were Reed Bunting(16 in a feeding flock on the fringes of the reservoir), Lesser Redpoll(7) ,Woodcock(1 which I flushed near the ruins of Brynllefrith farm) and Raven (4 “honkers”).

 

The Glauc is there again this morning – not bad at all before starting work on a Friday!

In the company of Ed Hunter, we grilled the Common Scoter flock of 2,000+ from Burry Holms for the recently reported probable Black Scoter (BS). 0945-1445. No sign, however it was still a most productive and enjoyable session as we picked out an immature Surf Scoter, 6 Long-tailed duck, 1 Red-throated Diver, 1 Fulmar and a first winter Iceland Gull. The Gull was initially feeding off the west tip of Burry Holms but soon flew to rest on the beach and was flushed north by dog walkers and not relocated. A Grey Plover flew in calling. A walk back through Llangennith Moors was quiet just 5 Mallard, 2 Stonechat, 4 Dunnock, 2 Robin and 2 Chaffinch but I just could not resist a photo of a recently born lamb!

later on to feed on the beach.

I was sent these two pix of a putative Sibe [tristis] Chiffy near the St David’s hotel by Tony Fisher [thanks Tony]- they were seen yesterday.

There was a good selection of waders on Newton Point at high tide this afternoon until a dog walker arrived.

Purple sandpiper 2, grey plover 9, ringed plover 50, turnstone 21, sanderling 4, oystercatcher 2, and about 50 dunlin (they flew before I counted). A sparrowhawk  was also investigating the flock.

Three Waxwings in trees around the area from 12:00-12:40 when they flew off NE over Techniquest. No berries for them so they were flycatching!

I viewed the scoter rafts from Rhossili on 7Feb17 – think there were 20-30 scoters in the two rafts I saw but at the limit of my camera’s zoom. (Corrected see comments) Initially thought these were mostly velvet scoters, with a female smew with this group, and also a scaup seen there too. Now likely to be mostly common scoters – maybe one velvet scoter with a white flash. Plus seven sightings of chough (at least three individuals) and the great northern diver(s) at Port Eynon.

Two Great Northern Divers in the bay this afternoon, presumably sheltering from the earlier weather. 12 Brent Geese and 3 Med Gulls still present at lunchtime.