2 Black Terns were reported at Lisvane Reservoir this morning, up to 13:30 – on Facebook. Apologies for late posting but I only noticed it just now.

Willow tit this week (as well as 2 garden warbler). Photos / identification info here: http://gowerbirdringinggroup.blogspot.co.uk/2016/08/oxwich-marsh-18-august-gower-rarity.html

A seawatch from the southern end of the barrage this morning 07:20-09:15 produced at least 6 Storm Petrels past, most a long way off shore but one came inside the Outer Wrach buoy (1000m offshore) so about 800-900m away.

Also a Porpoise with a calf surfaced a few times just inside the Outer Wrach buoy.

 

I celebrated the one year anniversary of moving to the Vale of Glamorgan with the 107th  bird on my new patch (Aberthaw) today – a Curlew Sandpiper. Also a few sanderling, whimbrel, dunlin and turnstone.

blustery out on the marsh but good numbers of Dunlin and ringed plover ( roughly 600+ and 300+ ). Hard to get accurate counts as there was much movement of the birds. 

4 curlew sandpiper ( 1 ad and 3 juvs). 3 turnstone, 6 knot, 10 blackwit through, 1 peregrine and 5 wheatear.

balearic shearwater on the sea and into swansea bay at 15.20, 1 pale Arctic skua 15.45.

around 10 to 15 juv kittiwakes was better than the morning at Port Eynon, about 40 kittiwake with only 2 juvs. 20 fulmar, 8 gannet, 6 c scoter, only 20 Manx was the early start at P E

 

Thanks to Strinda Davies for leading today’s GBC monthly walk at Kenfig. Seven participants in blustery and showery conditions saw or heard 34 species in total. Highlights were 4 Black-tailed Godwit, 1 Common Sandpiper and 1 Lapwing along the east shore of Kenfig Pool, along with 2 flyover Redshank.

Full list:
Black-tailed Godwit, Common Sandpiper, Lapwing, Redshank, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Long-tailed Tit, Robin, Wren, Bullfinch, Greenfinch, Chaffinch, Linnet, Mallard, Mute Swan, Great Crested Grebe, Cormorant, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Herring Gull, Black-headed Gull, Starling, Blackbird, Woodpigeon, Collared Dove, Carrion Crow, Magpie, Jackdaw, Raven, Chiffchaff, Swallow, Sand Martin, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Pied Wagtail, Meadow Pipit.

sea watch high tide.. Usual suspects.. Fulmars,kittiwakes,gannets including some very young birds,manxies med gulls,… And a very large grey seal almost hauled out on the shingle beach

Good variety of waders on Sully Island on this evening’s high tide: 1 Redshank (unusual for here), 39 Ringed Plover, 15 Turnstone, 8 Curlew, 1 Whimbrel, 3 Dunlin, 4 Common Sandpiper and 62 Oystercatcher.

Early this morning ahead of high tide there were 2 Common Sandpiper at Bendrick Rock along with a few Turnstone and a Little Egret.

A female Redstart was on the fenceline at the top end of Cosmeston’s East Paddock late morning.

Redstart this morning between nos 19 and 20 WE in the trees set back from the road.
Yesterday late afternoon at last a definite Garden Warbler along the boardwalk – a proper life tick for me.

c 100 House Martins and a single Swift slowly drifting eastwards this evening.

Good variety of migrants tonight with 3 Redstart nr the top car park,1M and 2F. 1 Pied fly and  3 Spotted fly on the pond side of the common. Also Garden warbler, Blackcap, Whitethroat and Tree pipit along with Chiffy and Willow warbler.

3 Pied fly together with 3 Spotted fly on Rudry Common this evening , also 3 tree pipit which may be passage birds as not seen any post breeders on the Common for at least 2 weeks. A single pied fly yesterday.Adult females and 1st yr birds.

male redstart, lesser whitethroat, couple of willow warbler, 4 blackcap, 5 chiffchaff, 3 whitethroat, Dartford warbler and garden warbler..

interestingly, no tree pipits going over compared to the large number at Oxwich just along the coast.

4 sandwich tern ( 2 juv) and 62 ringed plover at Port Eynon

90 ringed plover 34 dunlin 60 + oyster catcher a perigrine was chasing a mistle thrush by the campus a dead herring gull in the dunes looked like a perigrine kill

Passage of tree pipit (25+ birds), willow warbler (44 captured and many more present), garden warbler (5) and reed bed warblers (reed, sedge and 1 grasshopper) at Oxwich this morning. Also the first snipe of the autumn. See:

http://gowerbirdringinggroup.blogspot.co.uk/2016/08/oxwich-marsh-14-august-sixteen-tree.html

Migrant Lesser Whitethroat (2), Tree Pipit (4) and Garden Warbler (2) + hundreds of Lesser Black-backed Gulls feasting on flying ants were the highlights of this morning’s visit.

Pretty quiet during a quick circuit. The GC Grebe young are now 2/3 the size of the ads and diving independently. 6 Tufted Ducks. A Peregrine flew over W lake.

Nightjar – churring hear at 21:05; 1 observed at 21:15 was also wing clapping. Soon after, that one (presumably) together with a second bird flew into view.

5+ Tree Pipits and a Garden Warbler among the regular migrants late morning. Also 2 Swift.