While watching bats this evening a greenshank was roosting on the east shore. Bats recorded included (in order of appearance): noctule, common pipistrelle, soprano pipistrelle and Daubenton’s.

Black-neck grebe still present at 17:30 – seen with Andrew Lucas

Quieter this morning than of late. Tree Pipit (3), Meadow Pipit (1), Linnet (3), Blackcap (15+), Chiffchaff (10+), Whitethroat (6) only sign of visible migration. Goosander (2) were the first of the autumn here.

Whinchat on the hill this morning.  In the broken scrub on the Bracelet Bay side of the mast.  Redstart spp (assumedly common) in scrub above the Big Apple, but only saw its tail as it flew into scrub.  Lots of chiffchaff, 1-2 willow warbler, several blackcaps and a whitethroat.  More meadow pipit passage than in previous mornings, but no tree pipits heard.  Crests starting to form flocks.

At Oxwich this evening, a greenshank was heard calling.  75 swallows and 3 sand martins were captured going in to roost.  More here: http://gowerbirdringinggroup.blogspot.co.uk/2014/09/oxwich-marsh-9-10-september-2014.html

At Oxwich yesterday, 3 tree pipit (1 captured), 11 blackcap, 4 reed warbler, 1 sedge warbler.

 

Very odd sight this evening of a Guillemot at Ogmore, over the high tide. Initially seen diving near the sewage works bridge upstream of Portobello and then cruising down the river among the Canada Geese and Black-headed Gulls. Not something you see everyday! At one point it surfaced near where I stood, allowing me to take a brief snatch of video footage.

A juvenile Black-necked Grebe was on the westernmost of the south pools today, feeding very actively. Also a Whinchat nearby.

Coastal Path from Heliport to Shafts Bay (mouth of the Rhymney, including the old frag tip [motor park]). Chiffchaff [7], Kestrel [1], Yellow Wagtail [1, f/o] & Cuckoo [juv].
Leps: Clouded Yellow [5], Red Admiral [10], Common Blue [5], Meadow Brown, Speckled Wood, Small Heath & Small White. Odonata: Migrant Hawker [6] & Common Darter [12], plus a few spikes of Autumn Lady’s Tresses.

Highlights – Lol Middleton, Andy Burns & Steve Young! 🙂 A few Chiffies in the big Sycamore by Church House, light continuous passage of Swallows, Buzzard, 3 Mute Swan f/o, 1 Heron f/o, loose flock of Linnet & Goldfinch and small nos. of Greenfinch, Willow Warbler and Blackcap at the N end, and 1 Stock Dove.

Nothing special to report, but lots of migrant activity.
Around 20 stonechats-the most I’ve seen in this area, 2 whinchats, 4 common whitethroats, c 200 starlings, c 50 linnets, 1 reed bunting by the golf course pond, 4 rock pipits on the beach, good numbers of meadow pipits, goldfinches, wheatears and a few yellow wagtails.
Buzzard, kestrel and a sparrowhawk causing mayhem.
On Saturday a black-tailed godwit was a first for me at Sker.

Female Redstart; Yellow Wagtail over; Tree Pipit (3 over); Chiffchaff 12; Blackcap and Whitethroat. Few Meadow Pipits, Swallow, House Martin south.

Llanrhidian marsh:  1 Wheatear, lots of Swallows & a few House Martins.

Crofty marsh:  1 Yellow Wagtail around horses, Chiffchaff singing.

Salthouse:  Australian Shelduck male!! (No rings) Feeding on mud at low water.

Now 37 Tufted Ducks present [17 W lake, 20 E lake]. Also 4 GCG, about 20 House Martin and a light passage of Swallows. 3 Buzzards over the S meadow.

A good morning for Raptors – Buzzards, sparrowhawks, peregrines and a kestrel plus an unidentified Bunting which Lol thought was probably a corn bunting.
Here is a very poor shot of it – as it was a long way off. Any comments? It flew off soon after.

http://andyburnsphotography.zenfolio.com/p276754680/h4e5331f#h4e5331f

Had a quick look this morning -the juv black-necked grebe is still present on the main lagoon (also seen by Phil Bristow on Saturday) though often elusive among the willows. 

A weekend ringing on Flat Holm resulted in 180 birds of 18 species being ringed – with good numbers of blackcap, goldcrest, willow warblers, chiffchaffs and house martins ringed. Two sedge and reed warbler were also caught, as was a treecreeper; this being only the fourth time the species has been caught on the island, the last being in 1998!

Conditions were particularly good on Saturday with 118 birds ringed; this left little time for birding on a day when the island was hopping with birds! 38 species seen (including those ringed)in total with good numbers of whinchat, wheatear, swallows, house martins and meadow pipits moving on the island.

A Norfolk wing-tagged Marsh Harrier was hunting the marsh this evening (video grab below) and a Redstart was videoed by a camera trap set up covering a Kingfisher perch, which is a bit frustrating as I’ve not seen one on the marsh this year.

OOC at WWT Llanelli’s, the scrapes have been pretty busy over the weekend with counts of 4 Curlew Sandpiper, 140 Knot, 1 Spotted Redshank, 62 Greenshank, 146 Redshank, 3 Ruff, 712 Black-tailed Godwit and 2 Garganey.

70 redshank 20 dunlin 2 greenshank 1 spotted redshank 1 kingfisher and a sparrow hawk
With rob jones
Dave Lewis had a grasshopper warbler earlier

Highlight this morning was a goshawk that briefly pursued a wood pigeon over the reed bed before returning towards the woodland on the Penrice Estate.

In the reed bed and surrounds: 4 reed warbler, 2 garden warbler, 22 blackcap, 8 chiffchaff, 6 willow warbler, 7 robin. There has been an influx of the latter three species over the past few days. 

No sedge warblers this morning, and no overhead passage of pipits noted for the first time in a while, but a few grey wagtail over again.  

More information here: http://gowerbirdringinggroup.blogspot.co.uk/2014/09/oxwich-marsh-6-september-2014.html