Red Kite flying low over the fields between Rudry Village and The Maenllwyd late yesterday evening.

Bee Orchids beginning to flower.

Successful-ish to Llanwonno on Weds eve. 21 participants was a good turn out so thanks all. Too cold & windy for a good Nightjar performance but a couple were seen briefly . Stars of the show were a Cuckoo that flew around, passing over our heads several times, looking for a place to roost, then at dusk, a Barn Owl hunting, which at one point, was ‘bombed’ by a male Nightjar. John W

Highlight of the morning was 25 (or so) Manx Shearwaters flying up the channel. First for the year at Lavernock. They were in 2’s or 3’s so a fairly steady flow over the 2 hours we were there (with Lol Middleton).

Also a family of blackcaps just fledging. 4 photos at
http://andyburnsphotography.zenfolio.com/passerines/h4a2ff54d#h4a2ff54d
Not the best of days to learn to fly with the 30mph wind coming in off the sea – at least they weren’t being blown off the cliff. Interesting that the ‘babies’ had very short tails (just visible in the photos). That surely can not help in their efforts to fly. I think they all survived!

A Peregrine was also quite active. Shot at
http://andyburnsphotography.zenfolio.com/raptors/h691fde87#h4a2ff5a7

4 Raven over the garden in Penllergaer this morning, most I`ve seen together here. Usually see 1or 2 on the Monkey Puzzle tree in the vicarage garden.

Quiet seawatch in calm conditions.  Manxie passage very distant.  A few common scoter and gannet.  3+ porpoise foraging near the Mixen Buoy.

A total of 131 birds processed this morning including fledged song thrushes, great spotted woodpeckers, blue and great tits and over 50 goldfinches.  More info here: http://gowerbirdringinggroup.blogspot.co.uk/2015/06/oxwich-marsh-7-june-2015-consecutive.html

Apologies for non-sighting post. I’m starting to put together the summer newsletter and am in need of some photos. If you’ve got some shots (preferably taken in East Glam) please get in touch.

35 sanderling, 12 dunlin, 27 ringed plover all in various states of breeding plumage.

of the ringed plover ; 2 around dunes near lapwing area looking agitated, 1 bird in courtship flight and 2 birds again , slightly agitated near the hide.

family party of 6 stonechat, a couple of mead pips feeding young with a dozen or so more mead pips and 10+ singing skylark around the coastal outskirts

The Anatidae are doing well – Canada Goose with 5 goslings and Mute Swan with 7 small cygnets. No sign of any GCG chicks yet. Cetti’s Warbler singing by the boardwalk and m & f Reed Warbler activity suggesting breeding. I had a couple of Dingy Skipper yesterday in the west paddock.

Nightjar churring from 22:11 last night.

Trip to Parc Slip this morning bought Whitethroat, Willow Warblers, Reed Bunting, Swallows and Lapwings mobbing a Red Kite.

2 imm Herons W lake, Buzzard over Cogan Wood and Sprawk carrying prey there, Dingy Skipper.

Several Greenfinch juveniles together with adults all in good condition, also juvenile Magpie and Goldfinch juveniles on or around feeders in Penllergaer.

a walk from the Brunel dock to baglan bay the shelduck pair in the dock have nine young left from the original 13 hope they survive ,a pair of whitethroats were by the reed bed dock 35 Canada geese flew over heading north stonechat with young at baglan bay also a male wheatear
Singing skylark meadow pipit with food in its mouth, a 100+ oyster catchers on the spit crumlyn burrows side Also seen 3 little egrets and a heron

Seawatch 17:55-18:55 2 June: fulmar 3, guillemot 23, gannet 21, Manxie 47 (all west), plus grey seal.  A few unidentified auks (prob GU) east.  Light very good.

Seawatch 05:35-06:35 3 June: fulmar 2, guillemot 21, gannet 14, turnstone 1 (all west)

Brief look this evening had 1 storm petrel and 1 ad gannet near the bridge
Port Eynon for around an hour from 5.30 ish this morning was pretty quiet.
Approx. 20 auk ( mainly guillemot), several fulmar and kittiwake, 2 Manx.
An unusual sight on the way in the car had a tawny owl feeding/ trying to fly off with a decapatated corvid in the road near stout hall. He stayed put even as I drove past slowly, so I got out and thinking if he stayed there he’d be meeting the crow in the next life, chucked the corvid into a field ( using a dog cac bag) hoping he’d feed up in there. Never seen one so approachable in daylight, must have been knackered

A two hour lunchtime watch from the cliff top by West Farm produced Pomarine Skua (flew in at 11:45 and settled on the sea directly offshore for 15 mins, before continuing down channel), Great Skua, Razorbill, six Storm Petrels, Manx Shearwaters, Fulmars and Gannets.

Late news from yesterday of two Arctic Skuas seen off here at 13:30.

15:30 – 16:00 – a brief look produced 2 Gannet d/c [1 ad and 1 2ndyr].

Highlight was a single fulmar heading d/c. Otherwise it was a gull-fest: LBB gull, Herring Gull and GBB gull, all heading d/c (10 minute count had respective counts of 31 LBBG, 20 HG, 1 GBBG)