Red Kite over at 09:45, drifted off to the west

Hi! Spotted Flycatcher @ Tir Founder, a 1st according to records, and for myself

Pic 1 Big Pic 2 Big Pic 3 Big Pic 4 Big

Behaviour: swooping, hovering, diving for insects very agile
Call: very silent almost inaudible, like a twittering Goldcrest

First 2016 sightings in the garden of juvenile birds – siskin on Thursday and starling today. Blackbirds, house sparrows  and starlings have been  collecting and taking food away from the garden for a  while now and the starlings have been seen returning with fecal sacs! Hopefully I will be seeing more youngsters soon.

Good numbers of Skylark,Meadow Pipits and Linnet. Reed Bunting(2males),Stonechat(1 pair),Buzzard(2),Kestrel(2),Red Kite(2),Cuckoo(2 calling males),mixed flock of Swallow,House Martin and Swift hawking above the ridge.In Cwm Clic at least 7 singing Wood Warblers and on the Tawe Goosander(2 males)

Grasshopper warbler appears to be likely to breed on the marsh again in 2016, as we captured a male in breeding condition yesterday.

Other interest included the first juvenile greenfinches of the year, good numbers of fledged siskin, as well as young robin and blackbird.

See: http://gowerbirdringinggroup.blogspot.co.uk/2016/05/oxwich-marsh-14-may-2016-fledglings-and.html

Red Kite high over the bay drifting east at 11:30.

Whitethroat: two singing males some distance apart in a former ideal habitat that has been shrinking over the last few years. Mute Swan: one on floodwater.

the remains of brynllefrith held 2 pair redstart, 2 singing tree pipit with 2 further birds seen on ground.

6 redpoll, 2 crossbill, 2 pair song thrush, 2 mistle thrush, 8 willow warbler, 2 raven, red kite and lurking carrion crows.

at Cwm clydach, walked from Pont llechart to above nest box 205. 5 male pied fly seen, 3 singing. 2 females also. These were the furthest down the valley toward Pont Llechart I’ve seen for about 4 years. Hopefully a sign of a few extra adults making it back this year?

3 redstart on the edge of woodland, 1 pair spotted fly. ( 2 other birds heard calling/ singing but not seen)

only 1 wood warbler, 8 blackcap, 6 willow warbler, 2 pair of dipper, 1 grey wagtail

also…wood warbler and garden warbler at Penllegaer fforest

A Kingfisher did a couple of circuits over W lake this morning, viewed from the bridge. A pair of GC Grebes were starting a nest in the middle of W lake ‘bay’, where one failed last year due to fluctuating water levels. 2 Buzzard over Cogan Wood, plenty of Reed Warblers singing, plus Blackcap, Chiffchaff, Cetti’s and a Whitethroat. A lone imm Black-headed Gull over E lake was a little unseasonal, and 2 Swift flew S over W paddock. Also had Reed Bunt carrying food near the cafe boardwalk and ditto Blackbird pair by the dipping pool.

Friday 13th am. 2 spotted flycatchers, appearing to be a pair, in wet woodland on the RSPCA site (plus several singing blackcap, willow warbler and chiff-chaff

Two male Nightjars active from 9.25pm, my first sighting this year.

From a couple of hours this morning – two Cuckoos very vocal and active, usually with several pipits in attendance.  Many Meadow Pipits, plus several Tree Pipits in song and displaying.  2 family groups of Stonechat, a pair of Redpoll (presumably Lesser Redpoll, although they did appear to be rather pale), and 2 singing male Whinchat.  Didn’t see any Ring Ouzel, but may not have been looking in the right areas.

i have counts, but can’t find my notebook…there was a curlew sand with around 900 Dunlin, 80 sanderling, 20 whimbrel, 50 ringed plover, 2 curlew, 1000 Oycs & 700 herring gulls on the lighthouse scar today. A couple of sandwich terns and some whuhooing eiders made for a very pleasant session scanning through the throng, despite not finding anything terribly unusual. A garden warbler was unexpected in the dune scrub and a cuckoo on the hill was my first this year … Nice to get out for a change!

A Black Redstart was singing intermittently from among the boulders in front of the ABP offices, it had a black breast but very brown primaries and coverts so likely a 2 cy male. On the grass by the play area there was a Yellow Wagtail (record shot below) and a small flock of 7 Dunlin flew over.

Another wet morning with poor visibility, but noted: 2 Cormorant d/c, 1 Shelduck u/c, 1 Oystercatcher d/c, 1 Whimbrel d/c (stopped briefly – see pic), 34 1st sum plum Black-headed Gull u/c, 3 Swift, 31 Swallow, displaying Rock Pipit and 2 Harbour Porpoise just offshore on the high tide.

Some wader passage on this mornings incoming tide saw

52 Dunlin , 11 sanderling, 22 whimbrel and 8 ringed plover

A short seawatch in poor conditions at high tide this morning 0900-1015. There were 16 Common Tern feeding offshore, along with a Great Crested Grebe and 3 Porpoises which drifted by. A Redshank and an Oystercatcher flew u/c and 3 Dunlin, a Turnstone and a Ringed Plover flew d/c. There were 14 Linnets feeding on the lawns in the pouring rain.

On the beach between Ogmore and Newton this afternoon were 100 Dunlin, 70 Sanderling and 30 Ringed Plover.

Kestrel, Swift, Common Sandpiper, Stonechat and at least 8 Cetti’s Warbler at Cadoxton Ponds during WEBS count this morning. Also this morning a late Wheatear at Bendrick Rock, and Whimbrel there and on Sully Beach.

Monday 8th May morning – 8 swifts tearing around the rooftops and screaming – lovely.