8 little egrets and 4 herons by the boat club usual roost at dusk

don’t get too many black redstarts along my road, so here’s a photo. looks to be a hint of a pale wing patch?…so, could it be a 1st year male?? or just wear?

west gower this morning PDQ.

  went to kenfig pool about 4 – 6pm didnt see much other than a snipe at the front of the south hide of the pool first time for me to see a snipe and take a photo of one. there was only 1 there and only viewed once before going back into the reeds.  

Up to two yellow-browed warblers remained in the copse to the south side of the reserve centre all day. Some of us were lucky and got pretty good views but for others the birds were frustratingly illusive. A bird was still calling as I left around 5pm. A group of crossbills flew over in the gloom at 8.30am and two wheatears followed me round while I was working in the tractor west of the pool.

Red Kite initially with Buzzard moved slowly north. Kingfisher 1 Lots and lots of Coal Tits. No warblers. Common Darter 6 including a pair in the process of ovipositing. MJ &JPP

Very late reeling grasshopper warbler this morning…

A 2 hour bush bash hoping for a y b w or better but very quiet just 12 goldfinch 2 chaffinch 2 stonechat wren dunnock robin blackbird 2 buzzards and g s woodpecker a quick look around the water treatment works by Swansea docks again very quiet with a few goldfinch chaffinch linnet blue tit and a kingfisher

A Redwing flew over our garden early morning whilst we were opening our moth trap – it headed south-east, calling – our first of the season. Also passing through were several Siskin and Mipits plus 6 Goldfinch.

65 goldcrest, 2 firecrest and 16 chiffchaff were among 119 birds captured for ringing on the marsh over the last two days.  More info and photos: http://gowerbirdringinggroup.blogspot.co.uk/2015/10/oxwich-marsh-9-10-october-2015-crests.html

Also some redwing over just before dawn

Two Goshawks went over just as I was leaving – originally saw one and expected it to be a Buzzard as it came in high over the channel, travelling north, pestered by a much smaller Carrion Crow – soon saw the long tail and different profile and realised it was a Goshawk. Then noticed a 2nd identical bird travelling in parallel with it but much higher – never seen that before? – left it too late to get a photo and couldn’t get it to focus on the dot in the sky 🙂 also kestrel, peregrine, sparrowhawk (2), chiff-chaff (2), blackcap, skylark (7), linnet (100), Goldfinch (50), Swallow (200) House martin (10), Meadow pipit, chaffinch, jay etc

Fairly quiet around the lake with a few Chiffchaffs & Blackcaps present, 40+ Blackbirds on the hawthorn berries, 6 Siskin in the alders, reed bunting & Water Rail. Cors reen, few LTT & Chiffchaffs otherwise rather bird-less!

Migrant Hawkers & Common Darters still on lake margins.

Firecrest (male) at Oxwich this morning.  10+ chiff and 20+ goldcrest.

Also lesser redpolls, siskin flocks etc

Chough 7 (poss 9) Peregrine 2 Kestrel 4 Sparrowhawk 1 Buzzard 2 Herring Gull a conservative estimate of 600 on the ploughed fields. Wheatear 2 Rock Pipit 10 Meadow Pipit 10 Teal 12 and Wigeon 4 athe the Watermill Little Egret 1 Portobello. Butterflies: clouded Yellow 1 Red Admiral 1 Painted lady 1 Large White 12 Small White 1

Good viz-mig this am with plenty of birds overhead & in the bushes/fields. The highlight was a Willow Tit in with a small tit flock which also included a GS pecker. Also seen was a late Garden Wbr. with Chiffchaffs around the water treatment works at the bottom field of the caravan park (view from entrance stile). Lots of hirundines (Swallow c1000 & HM c300), Chiffchaff (26), Blackcap (9), Sky Lark (31), Stonechat (2), Buzzard (8) & Raven (3). Leps: Red Ads (2), Comma (2) & a Vapourer. Nice to meet Lol & Ceri there.

This morning at Cosmeston 2 male Bullfinch (at Dragonfly pond), 1 Cetti’s Warbler (cafe reedbed), 4 Goldcrest (3 along the path between the lakes), 2 Green and 2 Great Spotted Woodpeckers, Grey Wagtail (SE corner of West Lake), House Martins and Swallows over the West Lake, Jay, Meadow Pipit and Skylark at the West Paddock, Water Rail in the West lake reedbed and a Wigeon on the East Lake.

this morning: c.180 Canada Geese – they’re taking the place over! 18 Gt Crested Grebe and 6 Little Grebe.

Hobby still at Lavernock Point late this morning. Kestrel also present, along with Siskin, Skylark, Chiffchaff, Meadow Pipit, Jay and a few Swallow.

Hobby hunting over w lake, 15 redwing flew over, male blackcap in south meadow.

Don’t forget it is our first indoor meeting of the season tonight, Kenfig Reserve Centre 7.45 p.m.. John Wilson will be giving a presentation on Sri Lanka – endemic birds & culture.

Highlight today was a Hobby doing a full aerobatic routine for about 5 minutes. Peregrine and a female Kestrel completed a falcon trio. Swallows were well down – max of 50 with only 5 House Martins but 4 very vocal chiff-chaffs, 4 skylarks, a Blackcap, Green Woodpecker, a Mistle thrush and 7 pied wagtails were the only others of note.