Lsr Whitethroat singing sporadically high above the trees by the infinis installations.

Adrian Murch with Howard Driver at Bryngarw Parc this morning watching dipper feeding in the pool by the Japanese instead of the river other bird of interest was a spotted Flycatcher feed over the river

with Will W-D
2 Crossbills, Wood Warbler in full song, GS Woodpecker juv, Siskin, Blackcap, Chiffchaff, Goldcrest, Song Thrush and usual woodland species.

Swifts, Swallows, Sand Martins and a solitary House Martin at Cosmeston this morning. Also there a Mute Swan with 7 cygnets, Mallard with 1 duckling, 3 family groups of Blue Tits and near the car park a Great Spotted Woodpecker. On Sully Island just after high tide this morning 28 Oystercatcher, 8 Shelduck and 5 Curlew.

Yesterday at Bendrick Rock at morning high tide a Redshank, the first I’ve seen on this stretch of coast in 2 years, and offshore around 90 Manx Shearwater went past in 1 minute flying down channel. At Cadoxton Ponds a pair of Stonechat has at least 1 fledgling, and a pair of Canada Geese has 2 goslings.

On Monday late morning 6 Common Scoter down channel off Lavernock.

with Will W-D.
Regular small groups of Manx Shearwater passing, mainly west.
Small numbers of Guillemot and a large raft of Auk sp. far out.
Few Gannets and Fulmar. 2 Ringed Plover, Little Egret, Grey Heron. No Terns seen.
Lesser and Common Whitethroat, Blackcap, Chiffchaff, Yellowhammer, many Stonechats and Linnets with young. 2 Chough, Buzzard, Rock Pipits.

Fledgling warblers at the weekend, including the first young sedge warbler and whitethroats of the year. Also young reed buntings. More info see:

http://gowerbirdringinggroup.blogspot.co.uk/2016/06/oxwich-marsh-18-june-2016-fledgling.html

….but only just! I’ve posted some record shots of the Broad Billed Sandpiper taken at Goldcliff this morning. Good comparison shots with Dunlin. Taken from the hide on the seafront. The bird was showing quite well for 30 mins or so but was then disappearing for a while.

http://andyburnsphotography.zenfolio.com/waders/h73bf0845#h73bf0845

A seawatch off Burry Holms after the wind had backed to westerly proved a little productive. At least 15 Gannet lingered offshore (include a few immatures and a juvenile), we also noted 3 Manx Shearwater, a Shag, 5 Guillemot, 2 Kittiwake and 5 Guillemot. There are Fulmar are still nesting nearby as are a couple of dozen Cormorant and a Grey Heron fed below Spaniard’s Rocks. Earlier in the morning a Stock Dove visited Broughton Farm and flew off toward the Burrows and a Little Egret was feeding on the falling tide before being chased by a dog.

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visited the pier this morning to see what was happening. What’s left of the wooden ledges are packed with nests.. Very few birds have moved to the new lifeboat superstructure..what’s left of the temporary shelving wont last another winter.. Will be a real shame if we lose these birds

My first visit to the site. Got there at 20.30 and got the feel of the place. 21.45 strolled off along forestry track (ST 031943) 2 nightjars overhead at 22.00 followed by 2 churring. A tawny on the way back to the car was a bonus. Thanks Ceri.

Whilst carrying out a Marsh Fritillary survey at Thomastown nr Tonyrefail this morning, I was pleasantly surprised to hear a Grasshopper Warbler reeling from a patch of dense scrub.

For info…for any keen gull-watchers out there….there is a large-ish gull gathering on the big development site behind the Leekes Department store by Y Pant school. Several large “puddles” are attracting variable size gatherings of dozens up to possibly two hundred birds (estimated). I’ve not found time to go and look through them at all yet but have noticed them over the last few months. Usually there early evening but moving off somewhere else by proper dusk. There are site security fences all round but easy enough to find a spot to view the site I would think.

Highlights of a seawatch from 0945 to 1200 this morning were 90 Manx Shearwater, 4 Gannet and 4 Fulmar.

Apologies for non-sighting. Just a heads up that due to zero uptake I have cancelled tomorrow’s GBC trip to Somerset Levels. Will try to re-schedule if I have time.

Latest ringing news from Oxwich Marsh is at the link below.

Highlights include strong evidence of breeding in grasshopper warbler for the second year running, a reed warbler in its 10th calendar year and a good range of fledglings

http://ow.ly/gZ9s301aO3C

A turtle dove flew in front of my car close to the windscreen as I passed the airfield going towards Upper Killay. One emergency stop later and I observed it on nearby scrub for a few minutes before it flew off deeper into the common.

One Reed Warbler singing. Moorhen present.

If Ceri’s post has whetted your appetite, there is a GBC evening visit to Llanwonno, this Wednesday (8th June), to try and find Nightjars. Meet in the car park of the Brynfynnon Hotel at 8.30 p.m. (ST033956 or CF37 3PH). Bring a torch and insect repellent.

Visited a few locations at Llanwonno last night hoping for Nightjar. Weather was dry, calm and overcast, and there were plenty of insects.

Started out at the second forestry gate on the Rhondda road uphill from the Brynffynon and later moved up just past the cattle grid. Cuckoo, Skylark, Meadow Pipits, Willow Warblers, Buzzard, lots of thrushes, distant Swallows and Swifts, but no sign of Nightjar.

Relocated to the Pontypridd road, parked at the forestry gate on the west side of the road (ST 03133 94367), and walked past the gate down the track into the open clearfell. Another Cuckoo and a distant Tawny Owl heard. Nightjar churring intermittently here from 2140, but never close. Usually 1, occasionally 2 birds. By 2200 there was 1 Nightjar churring from the small plantation at the southern end of the clearfell (broadly where several were seen last year), and another churring from somewhere north of the clearfell.

I decided to try the Rhondda road again and returned to park at the second forestry gate (ST 02318 95883) around 2210. I immediately heard churring from the small plantation just across the road. Within a minute or so a Nightjar was wing-clapping and flew close to me. A silhouette view only as it was pretty dark by now. Another flight view a few minutes later and then the Nightjar moved slowly up the hill churring from the plantation, going quiet around 2225. I left a few minutes later.

I did a cetacean survey from Locks Common this morning. 5 common scoter d/c and 1 immature gannet u/c of note and 1 porpoise.