6 singing male blackcap, 1 female seen. Cracking pair of bullfinch. 1 willow warbler singing. Countless singing chiff-chaff. Great spotted and green woodpecker. 1 treecreeper.
Possible willow-tit pair on call only. 3 pairs great tit. 3 pairs blue tit. 1 goldcrest. 3 pairs song thrush. More robins than you could shake a tripod at. Plus a pair of jay playing “kiss-chase” in the oaks – presumably courting!
2 cy Iceland Gull flew over heading southeast at about 07.45, no sign in the Bay so must have carried on out into the Channel.
I noted 41 species this morning during the BBS transect survey. A Little Egret, female Teal, male Pheasant and a Grey Heron were at the Watermill and just upriver on the Ewenny, a Lesser Whitethroat was rattling away deep within some bushes, a Dipper was singing and a Kingfisher was calling. There were also calling / singing Nuthatch, Treecreeper, Coal Tit and Jay. Later on upriver along the Ogmore, I was pleased to find a Sand Martin colony with at least 30 birds using a nice large riverbank. A Stock Dove was also present nearby.
The male Yellow Wagtail was indeed a cracker. There were also a few White Wagtails, with some appearing to move on through. There was also one Wheatear, a cracking male, by the play area (where it was yesterday) stuffing itself on leatherjackets.
At one point the Yellow Wag was also in view with a White.
The Wheatear was busy feeding on what looks like leatherjackets.
Belated report from Graham – Common Sandpiper yesterday morning.
A beautiful couple of hours at dawn today, constantly serenaded by Willow Warblers, Chiff Chaffs, and displaying Tree Pipits. No sign of any Cuckoo or Garden Warblers, but a pair of Siskin near the carpark, displaying Skylarks at the top, a single male Stonechat, and a male Sparrowhawk hunting the common. Also flyovers by a calling Curlew, and a Peregrine with pigeon prey with a female Sparrowhawk in hot pursuit.
Dipped on yesterday’s wheatear which is the story of my spring but spent some time trying to distinguish White from Pied Wagtail and was surprised to come across a gorgeous Yellow Wagtail.
In addition to Ceri’s sightings, Lol and Andy had a Common Redstart in the same area as the Lesser Whitethroat. The latter was still singing when I was there, and the Common Sand was still by W lake. I had a G S Pecker drumming and calling in Cogan Wood and there were 3 Buzzards circling and a couple of Sparrowhawks were seen by Lol & co. 3 Blackcaps were singing near the Med. Village and 2 others seen, and a Cetti’s was singing by the ‘new’ dipping pond.
Singing Lesser Whitethroat at Cosmeston at the north end of the West Lake conservation area. Later a second (or possibly the same bird) on the west side of the Snipe field. Common Sandpiper in the West Lake Bay (last seen flying towards the bridge) and a Little Egret again on the West Lake shore (later flew off over Cogan Wood).
Common Whitethroat singing at Lavernock in the roadside field between the caravan park entrance and the church. House Martins and Swallows over the same field.
At around 7.30 a surprising 6 Common Sandpipers on the outer rocks. Also 5 Wheatear and at least 6 White Wagtails in amongst 12 Pied/Whites along the barrage.
Late morning 2 Whimbrel took off from the base of the outer rocks.
One of the fine adult White Wagtails
Some of the Wheatear were also rather dapper
Common Whitethroat in Hamadryad Park singing from cover around the ‘pond’.
In CBWR, Lsr Scaup, Common Sandpiper, 4-5 singing Reed Warblers and at least 1 Sedge Warbler.
A Kentish Plover was found today at Sker, at 16:55 by Neil Donaghy.
3 Swift over the bay late afternoon along with c.40 Swallow, 20 House Martin and 15 Sand Martin.
Whitethroat singing; two Cetti’s Warblers singing; single Swallow; 4 Blackcaps.
Tirfounder 1st Sighting: Whitethroat (18th Apr)
Marsh harrier, reed warbler, grasshopper warbler this morning.
Latest ringing info here: http://gowerbirdringinggroup.blogspot.co.uk/2016/04/oxwich-marsh-17-april-2016-first.html
I thought I’d recommend a trip over to RSPB Ham Wall and Shapwick Heath NR (Somerset) at present.
Among the 54 species we saw yesterday were Glossy Ibis, Male Ring-necked Duck, Male Garganey, GW Egret, plenty of displaying Marsh Harriers, and the longest flight by two bitterns I’ve ever seen (over 10 minutes ‘chase’). We also heard ‘booming’ bitterns intermittently
Plus a good range of warblers etc.
I was going to attach some record shots but can’t work out how to do it! It wasn’t a photographic trip, so here are just a couple of record shots.
On the GBC trip to Kenfig incl along the Haul Road to the rivermouth, a total of 52 species seen. Migrants thin on the ground due to the northerly wind. There were 3 House Martins with the Swallows and Sand Martins over the pool, a couple of Whitethroats were seen, plus plenty of Willow Warbler and Chiffchaff. Three different Sparrowhawks were noted [pic of one of them below], a couple of Wheatears along the haul road. There were around 40 Sanderling on the beach but nothing at the saltmarsh or rivermouth apart from 6 Common Gulls on the beach there. Click each image for a full size one.
Late news per Twitter – an Arctic and a Common tern were in the Bay late this afternoon, as was a single Swift amongst the hirundines.
Mill Wood area alive with Chiff Chaff now.
Green and Great Spotted Woodpecker present.
The odd Willow Warbler heard but no
Blackcap noted yet. Three swallows feeding above fields near Clyne farm. Also the curious sight of two nuthatch mating in woods nearby.
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