Four or five Swifts over the Taff this afternoon

A juvenile Ruff was on the lower estuary this morning. Also present were an adult Mediterranean Gull and a hunting Peregrine.

Click this link to see footage from Kenfig’s new bird table web cam. Some nice pictures of common birds at the table. We were surprised by the arrival at 7:49 into the video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BagiHCs9eKE

 

 

1 Whinchat present briefly late morning. Also 4 flyover Ravens and a flock of about 10 Swift.

1 Swift just flew over: the first for a while.

12 goosander (all redheads) on the river just north of Blackweir bridge. My highest count here to date.

1 garden warbler – CBWR last Sunday

2 Lsr Whitethroats, 2 Sedge Warblers, several Willow Warblers, Common Whitethroat, 2 Blackcaps, Reed Warbler, Kingfisher, Water Rail squealing. In The Marl, an ad.w. Med Gull.

An update from the marsh. Over 200 swallows roosting there at present. Grasshopper warbler again (the 11th individual logged there this year) and steady movements of willow, sedge and reed warbler. See:

http://gowerbirdringinggroup.blogspot.co.uk/2016/08/oxwich-marsh-early-august-warblers-and.html

Siberian Chiffchaff showed well and calling frequently with an odd hollow whistle on Windsor Esplanade in the trees set back from the road: With Dean Tabor.Earlier,a Lsr Whitethroat was off the boardwalk.

Juv Little Stint still present, also 12 Eider, 250 Ringed Plover, 400+ Dunlin, …

Great Crested Grebe family with one of the chicks trying to swallow a Rudd in a couple of them.

Tawny Owls have bred successfully in the park again. Came across a small group of owls the other evening in the Ornamental Gardens; here’s a brief clip of one of them:

 

1 whimbrel adult med gull 4 common sandpipers 5 little egrets 2 heron female sparrow hawk 8 redshank 300+ black h gulls 250 oyster catchers on the spit 1 shelduck 5 female mallards in the reed bed dock

This morning near high tide 2 Common Sandpiper, 1 Turnstone and 9 Oystercatcher at Bendrick Rock and Curlew, Whimbrel and 64 Oystercatcher at Sully Island. At Cosmeston, Sand Martins and Swallows over the west lake, Green and Great Spotted Woodpecker in the west paddock and a Raven over Cogan Wood.

On Saturday evening at Gileston – 2 Little Egret on the beach, 1 Wheatear on the concrete blocks behind the beach, and Stonechat and Whitethroat families along the field boundary west of the beach car park. In the stubble fields behind the beach, 1 Mediterranean Gull with the BHG flock, as well as around 200 Canada Geese.

Highlights from this morning : 2 Lesser Whitethroats, 2 Whimbrel, Peregrine, Kestrel. 4 Ringed Plover (inc 1 juv). Not as much activity as expected but small numbers of Willow Warbler, Chiffchaff, Whitethroat and Blackcap. Linnet and Rock Pipit on the sea wall.

1 little stint , 247 Dunlin, 76 ringed plover ( seven juvs ) , 4 sanderling, singles of knot and whimbrel

Spotted Flycatcher this morning in the tree by the beginning of the boardwalk.

137 Dunlin, 52 ringed plover ( 3 juvs ) , 2peregrine, 35 plus mead pipits, 1 whinchat along the fence.

135 curlew at Llanrhidin, 50 common gull at Crofty.

well done Ed Hunter on winning the Carl Zeiss award

 

Visit to Ogmore (Portobello) between 7.30 and 8.45 last night in run up to high tide produced 1 Black-tailed Godwit, 8 Common Sandpiper (groups of 2, 3 and 3) and 1 Green Sandpiper. Birds mobile as very little of the island visible as high tide reached.

Two Sandwich Terns amongst the gulls at Blackpill this morning.  Several Med gulls at the water’s edge and seven GC Grebes further out between Norton and Mumbles.