After fledging one from their first brood the Great Crested Grebes now have 4 young from their second brood.

Highlights of the last few days at the marsh have been 4 garden warbler and a grasshopper warbler.

Ringing sessions have resulted in over 200 birds being captured.  More information here: http://gowerbirdringinggroup.blogspot.co.uk/2015/08/oxwich-marsh-early-august-influx-of.html

Sadly no sign of Bee-eater at Bryn-y-Gloyn despite 2-3 hrs searching the area by various obs, incl yours truly. Many hirundines present tho’ with House Martin still visiting active nests and 50-100 Swifts over.

News rec’d indirectly of a Bee-eater seen on the roof of a house at what appears to be Bryn-y-Gloyn, Rhoose Pt. It’s the lowest road in the new estate, opposite the eastern lagoon. Site was  reported as Brynhill y Gloin but I can’t find that.

Two Whimbrel over at 8:45

This evening’s mass emergence of flying ants produced a big fall-out onto the estuary, so flycatching wasn’t a feature of the event; gulls were simply picking them off the mudflats and the surface of the water. There were truely incredible numbers of these insects, more than I can ever remember. Counts from the section of estuary just around the bridge included 2,042 Black-headed Gulls, 1 Med, 3 Yellow-leggeds, 1 Common, 231 Lesser B-b, 2 Great B-b, 134 Herring and 6 Common Sands.

away from the crowds [W paddock] – 1 Garden Warbler – first one I’ve seen at the park for a while. Also lots of Common Darters on the wing.

There was a Painted Lady in our back garden this arvo.

Marsh tit caught by the pool this morning. As far as we know it’s the first ringed at Kenfig. We also caught three grasshopper warblers and a garden warbler in a total of about 50 birds. A green sandpiper and two common sandpipers were on the east shore (per ND), the GWE was still present and the first two tree pipits of the summer/autumn flew over.

1-Great White Egret showing well in front of south hide,very quiet otherwise.11h30

96 Canada geese 2 adult and 7 young shelducks 3 little egrets 1 common sandpiper 1 curlew 50 + lesser b b gulls with lots of juvs 42 black h gulls

2 Common Sandpipers on Plas Taliesin and in CBWR a m.Sprawk perched on the bare tree by the boardwalk.

Caught up with the Rose-coloured Starling at Aberavon this morning 10.30 -11.30am with Lol Middleton, Peter Landsdown and Mike Powell.

Shots at

http://andyburnsphotography.zenfolio.com/passerines/h5193bba2#h5193bba2

with a good comparison shot against a common UK Starling.

It was on the roof of a house, 2 down from the Texaco garage on the roundabout on the sea front for an hour or so then flew off inland. There we quite a few different flocks of Starlings (500+ birds). Chatting to the local waste material technicians (bin men!), they said they have been feeding the bird chips at lunchtime (for the last week) near the chip shop on the front, just past the childrens playground opposite the Texaco garage. Well done to Peter for spotting it for us!

Around 40 swift flying over Pen-y-Fai at 19:15 last night. Feeding as they flew south over Bridgend

2 ad Med Gulls with partial hoods on the playing fields this pm and a m.Kingfisher at the “pond”. 5 Gooseander fems above Blackweir.Last Friday, a large Black Hen in the paddock by Blackweir.

Sparrowhawk 1 Linnet 4 Green Woodpecker 2 (I Juv) Sandmartin 2 Swallow 20 House Martin 10 Oystercatcher 6 Rock Pipit 1

Butterflies: Holly Blue 4 Common Blue 2 Comma 3 Painted Lady 1 Red Admiral 2 Large White 6 Speckled Wood 8 Grayling 1 Gatekeeper 12

 

I have Robins feeding recently fledged youngsters in my garden at present. I believe that this is their third brood. Is this unusual?

Also of note in my garden today a White letter Hairstreak (garden first). I was astonished as the nearest Elms are a couple of miles away. Do they have other food plants?

Recent bird records from Oxwich include: lesser whitethroat (different birds) on 30 and 31 July, garden warbler 31 July, lesser redpoll (small-scale passage noted in late July and 2 bird captured for ringing on 31st), kingfisher (1 juvenile 31 July).

Good numbers of reed and sedge warbler present, and some now building substantial fat (indicating they are starting to move), 13 willow warbler for ringing trapped on 31 July.  Siskin have bred locally, with some birds having a second brood (1st brood juveniles were captured in May and second brood juveniles in mid-July)

Small-scale westerly passage of crossbill noted on several dates in late July.

A summary of the ringing year to date at Oxwich is here: http://gowerbirdringinggroup.blogspot.co.uk/2015/08/oxwich-marsh-july-summary.html

2 whimbrel 4 common sandpipers 214 oyster catchers 38 curlew 10 redshank 2 wheatear adult stonechat goldfinch chaffinch meadow pipit and buzzard over

6 Raven and a Common Sandpiper over the locks this morning. Two of the Raven were the pair that have been hanging around between Penarth Head and the docks for a couple of months now.

Signs of Autumn migration also at Cosmeston on Thursday morning, with 5 Common Sandpiper on the west shore of the East Lake and a Willow Warbler singing briefly near the cafe.

Green Woodpeckers were vocal at Cosmeston and also later at Llanilid, as they were near Penderyn reservoir earlier in the week where an adult and 2 juveniles were briefly in the same dead tree.

At Llanilid there was a Green Sandpiper on the Studio pool, and an adult Little Grebe was feeding a juvenile on the most westerly of the south pools.

Wednesday evening 3 Turnstone on Sully Beach and 1 on Sully Island (all in summer plumage) were the first I have seen here since early April. Both Curlew and Whimbrel here this week.