10 shovellers (7M + 3F) was a site record for me this morning. Also 16 pochard, 12 tufties, 1 juv mute swan, 13 little grebes, 1 GC grebe, 3 mallard, 54 coots, 3 herons and 2 cormorants. 1 common gull among the usual flock.

At first light 31-Little Egrets flew from the island roost.The first left at 07h15 and the last at 07h42.

Jack snipe, 2 common snipe and the 27th unique Cetti’s warbler of the year trapped on the marsh this morning.  More here: http://gowerbirdringinggroup.blogspot.co.uk/2014/11/oxwich-marsh-25-november-2014-new.html

The Lesser Scaup was at Cardiff Bay Wetland Reserve this afternoon. At Cosmeston late afternoon a female Pochard on the West Lake, and there this morning on the East Lake a drake Teal and a pair of Wigeon.

There won’t be much bird news today, so just another quick heads up.

No Bird Report arrived?? Probably because you haven’t renewed your membership – we have sent a couple of reminders! Get in touch with Alan Rosney to renew.

Also most of you will notice that on the text pages that are the reverse side of the photo pages, shading in table headers or columns has come out slightly coloured rather than grey. This is obviously due to the fact that these sheets were printed in colour for the photos but it’s not clear to me how the grey came out coloured, as the text is black as it should be. This hasn’t happened before as the photo pages have been printed double sided, but the printer has done it differently this time so the photo pages face each other. Hope it’s not too irritating.

Just a quick note. The local PO postage labelled all 260 envs for me today and they will either have been collected by the postman this eve or will be first thing tomorrow.

Kingfisher W lake, sitting in tree by the reed bed, 3 Little Grebe, around 100 Tufted Duck divided equally between E and W lakes, and 2 Pochard on E lake, plus the more or less resident mass of Canadas.

The Great Northern Divers were still present this morning – fantastic views with the surface of the res being like a mirror. Best viewed from the dam end (Also spotted a pair of Nottages on the far side of the res). Nothing much else to report – no sign of Great Grey Shrike at Garwnant. I did see a Kingfisher from the bridge however.

Male common eider on the water close to Sker point this morning.
Observed for a few minutes on the falling tide before it moved off to the west.

As per John Duffy -No sign of the snowbunting at Southerndown early p.m -3 chough on the cliffs and an adult med gull on the beach.Nice walk in the sun tho’.

Yesterday 60-80 snipe were around the fringes of the marsh.  A few redpoll over west.  65 birds captured for ringing / processing.  More here: http://gowerbirdringinggroup.blogspot.co.uk/2014/11/oxwich-marsh-22-november-2014.html

85 curlew on the Crumlyn burrows side a few redshank 3 reed buntings 1 stonechat a muppet in a microlight flew low over the burrows putting every thing up big flock of oyster catchers
At least 1,000 strong a perigrine went to roost on baglan bay tower and 14 little egrets were at the roost by the boat club
With bob anderson

No luck Snow Bunting hunting at Southerndown this morning – but called into Fforestganol on the way home and was lucky enough to catch a feeding flock of at least 6 hawfinches – with possibly up to 8 being present.  Difficult to count exact number as they were right at the top of the trees in which they were feeding and were moving about behind the branches – but 6 were in view at the same time at one point.

Lesser Scaup still present this afternoon. Also Kestrel hunting over the reserve. At least 12 Little Grebes on the Ely at Hamadryad Park, plus another 5 or 6 in the wetland reserve.

On Nov 16th i went with our RSPB group to Martin Mere WWT in Lancashire and had a brilliant day!, weather good .

Birds I saw were  ;   pinkfooted geese,gadwall,mallard,coot,wigeon,eider ducks ,moorhen,whooper swans,,blue its. great tits, coal tits,blackbirds, thrush, fieldfare, redwings, robins, wren,chaffinches, greenfinch, kestrels, buzzards, shelduck,  heron, pochard, tree sparrows—they were nesting—tufted ducks,crows,magpies, nuthatch,pintails, mute swans,greylag geese, pheasants, starlings, pied wagtail, teal,blackheaded gulls, ruffs,cormorants, greater blackbacked gulls, lapwings, wood pigeons,  freal pigeons, grey partridge, and goldfinches. the highlight were the sighting of 2 tawny owls high up in a tree. I managed to see them through a camera lens like a big scope and they were amazing    47 species notched up so not a bad day`s  birding. I even saw some spring flowers out !

Alistair Flanagan and I had the woodlark briefly this morning.  They dropped into the field closest to Overton Village, made a short flight within the field, then flew off to the east at c. 10:45.  All five still present.

At Porteynon 25 Med gulls among c. 90 black-headed gull was a far higher count than normal.  Otherwise 25 ringed plover and 6-8 turnstone (but tide wrong to get a good wader count), little egret etc.  A lot of song thrush on Porteynon Point.  Kestrel hunting there and sitting in the valley at Longhole.

Did a walk from Overton , just west of Port Eynon , to Paviland . Highlight was 5 Woodlark seen in flight and a few times on ground in the first field west of Overton as you join the top coastal path. Managed to screw up the photos by rushing to take them, they were too dark.
Also, 6 reed bunting, 6 mead pipit, approx 35 chaffinch , 10 linnet, 8 pheasant.
These were all in the first 2 weedy, cabbage stump fields. The fields further west were poor with only 14 skylark and a couple of yellowhammer. 2 golden plover and 24 lapwing also.
Shame about the rugby, pity the game doesn’t last 65 mins only!
Wrk

3-Hawfinches in hornbeam tree just below the white house.12h00-12h30

with Barbara W-D

Very pale Black Redstart showing as almost white against rocks.

An imm male Eider was preening on the rocks at Sker and a pale Chiffchaff giving the Bullfinch like `peep’ call looked a good candidate for a sibe at Merthyr Mawr this morning, although its true plumage tones were hard to judge in the brilliant sunshine.