200 Canada geese 3 perigrine 2 little egrets 2 heron 3 cormorants with rob jones
Brunel Dock
A spotted redshank found by Dave Lewis also greenshank a few redshanks a kingfisher a sedge warbler a perigrine holding a live pigeon which it dropped and then it flew off also a sparrow hawk and 8 linnets

Another busy morning with plenty of birds moving through. Best of the lot was a Grasshopper Warbler – only our second for the site – which showed well for about 5 mins. Supporting cast of migrants: Spotted Flycatcher (3); Redstart (2); Tree Pipit (5+); Blackcap (all over the place – 30+); Common Whitethroat (10+); Chiffchaff (20+); Willow Warbler (3).

Another surprise was a Goshawk which flew over to the north towards Forest Farm/Glamorgan Canal. (DJJ/GJJ)

First light down at rhossili proved initially quite quiet, with not much passing over.meadow pipit starting to build up with approx 40.single yellow wagtail tagged on.3 tree pipit flyovers plus flyover snipe.small no.s of long distance migrants with single whinchat,wheatear,chiffchaff and twos of willow warbler and white throat.18 pied wagtail miling around,and flock of 95 linnet on recently ploughed field.minor influx of robins passing through/ setting up winter territory with 16.3 chough and a peregrine plus kestrel

Quieter today, with several of yesterday’s goodies departing overnight. For the first time since 16th August, there were no BN grebe sightings!

Lisvane, am: 1 Med gull, 16 little grebes, 4 GC grebes, 18 mallards, 83 tufties, 4 pochards, 2 mutes, 73 coots, 41 Canadas, 1 heron, 2 grey wags, 1 cormorant and a sparrow hawk trying and failing to catch a green woodpecker.

Llanishen at dusk: 1 wigeon, 8 pochard, 22 tufties, 26 Canadas, 5 moorhens, 2 mallards, 14 little grebes, ad and juc GC grebe, 18 coots, 2 ravens, 1 kingfisher, 2 tawny owls calling at dusk. c500 swallows came in to roost, finally settling in the willow scrub.

I also watched a very tame jay “anting” on the lawn outside St Andrew’s church in town.

2 spotted flycatcher in Ram Grove.  Lots of robins along the coast.  Willow warbler and chiffchaff in Mewslade Valley and 3 wheatear noted, but very few other migrants about.  Chough present as usual.  Big adder at Butterslade.

Clouded yellow on Thurba Head and above Red Chamber.  The moth yellow belle is abundant at the moment along the steep coastal slope.

 

16 Yellow Wagtails among the Welsh black herd, but otherwise quiet with 7 Knot and 4 Redshank of note in the wader roost and two Shelducks down channel and 134 Sanderlings on Kenfig Sands.

A covey of six Grey Partridges seen in a weedy field edge near Cwm Nash early morning.

On the marsh yesterday: grasshopper warbler, tree pipit 4+ (3 captured), 22 blackcaps and a garden warbler. 

Small-scale movements of grey wagtail have been noted throughout the week.  Chiffchaff numbers low and willow warbler have cleared out.  Reed and sedge warbler numbers also very low. 

A large roost of swallows is in the marsh – in excess of 300 birds present.  More details on ringing results yesterday at: http://gowerbirdringinggroup.blogspot.co.uk/2014/09/oxwich-marsh-4-sept-2014-2000-new-birds.html

 

Greylag Goose on the beach, Common Scoter (1), Great Crested Grebe (1), Whimbrel (1), Chiffchaff (4), Willow Warbler (1), Blackcap (4), Whitethroat (9), Wheatear (5), Whinchat (3), Redstart (1m), Spotted Flycatcher (1) and Grey Wagtail (3) – (DCo, MHi)

Several thousand Swallows late evening over the river and dunes, quite a sight.

A classic autumn migration day at the reservoirs, with lots of birds on the move. Highlights included:

Lisvane: 1 hobby, 1 Mediterranean gull (my first ever here) among 42 BH gulls, 3 common sandpiper, 1 green sandpiper, 1 kingfisher. Also 3 pochard, 43 Canadas, 2 mutes etc.

Llanishen: 1 juv BN grebe (better views today suggested that this is indeed the buff-cheeked juv previously on Lisvane Res) among the numerous little grebes, 1 shoveller, 3 wigeon, 8 teal, c10 tufted ducks now including just 1 duckling, 2 pochards, 8 mallards, 1 heron, 1 clouded yellow (also my first here).

Ogmore: A Greenshank and two Kingfishers of note. Also present a ‘pest controller’ who has been shooting Canada Geese there. Speaking to him it wasn’t long before he started on about shooting Cormorants on inland waters how and that there too many Buzzards now. As you can imagine I somewhat lost it at that point. Anyway, he told me he had killed 18 geese on his first day of shooting, which seems a pretty pathetic return when there are about 500 there – reckon I could do better with a loaf of bread and a pointy stick! I assume he is not being paid for that level of return, so perhaps the reason is that he enjoys shooting them, rather than to realistically control the numbers?

Llanilid: beware parking by the fenced off road by the film studios – a birder got ticketed there today. Seems a bit mad as loads of people park there and it doesn’t go anywhere, perhaps the justification is that his wheel was on a white line? Anyhow, just a heads up.

Med. Gull (2nd Winter) on football pitches with 50+ B.H.Gulls. Flew off towards Sophia Gardens when they were spooked by police helicopter. 2 Spotted Flycatchers at Riding School. 1 Goosander (redhead) on Taff.

4 curlew, 2 redshank, lots of oycs, mixture of usual gulls….

A whimbrel in the Dock 15 redshank and a turnstone by the river 2 little egrets and 4 heron by the boat club 2 spotted flycatchers by the baglan brook bridge 30 + Canada geese flying towards neath

Some migrant activity around the pond side willows this evening , about 40 chiff chaff and a single willow warbler passed through in a few minutes with approx.20 long tailed tits, a spotted flycatcher remained in the willows .A smart male redstart nr the carpark and 23 Mistle thrush went over in a loose flock.

Llanishen, am: A black-necked grebe was on the main lagoon, associating with some of the many little grebes currently present. Views were a bit distant (see dodgy record shot) but it looked similar to the juv bird that was on Lisvane Res yesterday. Also, plenty of movement going on with 1 wigeon, 8 teal, 2 mallards, 6 meadow pipits, 2 reed buntings, 8 chiffchaffs, 2 blackcaps, 31 Canadas, 2 mute swans, 3 moorhans, 10 tufties and 10 coots.

Lisvane, pm: no sign of any other BN grebes here today among 16 little grebes, but 1 redshank and 2 common sandpipers around the shoreline.

2 Wigeon, 2 Shoveler close off the boardwalk.

A full count today included the juv black-necked grebe (mainly off S and W shores), 14 little grebes, 2 GC grebes, 93 tufties, 3 pochards, 10 mallards, 33 Canadas, 2 mutes, 63 coots, 2 common sandpipers, 1 heron, etc.

A walk down through the farm fields to the cliffs had only a few long distance migrants.2 spotted flycatcher , 1 willow warbler , 4 white throat , 1 fly over tree pipit which 1 of the few birds passing over. 5 yellowhammer ( 2 male) and a further 2 fem/ imm. Was good to see, but about average for along here. 400 plus herring gulls milling about the recently stubbled fields.