Many Swift and Sand Martin over the bay in the mizzle this morning. Smaller numbers of House Martin. Imm Grey Wagtail on the outer barrage and 2 Shelduck feeding on the outer mud. Sand Martins visiting nest sites in the dock by the new bridge near Norwegian Church. In the dock opposite the entrance to Dr. Who, there were 5 drake and 2 fem Tufted Ducks, plus what I think was the Scaup hybrid that was in CBWR earlier in the year. Didn’t get a v good view but I don’t think it as the Lesser Scaup.

Quiet bird-wise with the only ‘unusual’ sighting being an ad summer Black-headed Gull on the W lake posts – unusual at this time of year. Also 2 Mistle Thruish in W paddock and a Green Pecker calling. 100’s of Common Spotted Orchid and also many Pyramidals, and I reckon at least 50 Bee Orchids dotted around the place in the E paddocks. A Large Skipper was by Cogan Wood beyond the dragonfly pond.

A calm and relatively warm evening with clear skies to the west and plenty of midges evident. Four Nightjars including 3 churring males, the first starting at 21.55 . Lucky to get reasonable scope views of one of them perched, when then flew very close to me a couple of times. Also a Kestrel and a calling Tawny Owl.

Lesser Whitethroat singing at the east end today might be a bird on territory for a second brood? Or possibly that’s very optimistic – they’re rarely heard here but easily missed. Other warblers in song included a few Chiffchaffs, a few Whitethroats, a Reed Warbler and 3 Sedge Warblers.

A few Painted Lady on the wing today. Probably just into double figures of them yesterday nearer the foreshore plus 2 Dark Green Fritillaries

The annual Puffin hunt produced several sightings this morning. To cut a long story short – max 6 and min 3 birds present. Nothing else out of the ordinary bird wise but  at least 6 each of Painted Lady and Red Admiral out on the head.

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