Visible migration today as 2 Tree Pipits passed over our street this morning calling.

Willow tit calling in oak tree in street this afternoon.. Second time this year I’ve had one

Mixed gull roost at HW Overton Cliff: 260 herring gull, 4 GBB, 3 Med gull.

Juvenile Dartford warbler just east of Longhole in gorse.  Garden warbler with numerous blackcaps in Overton valley.

There are a lot of uncultivated fields full of weeds along the top path to Longhole Cliff this year.  The only species of any note in them this afternoon was (2) red-legged partridge, which seem pretty scarce in Gower.

 

Some migrants on the move this morning with 1 sedge warbler and 1 swift near the lapwing breaking area.30 sandwich tern with 8 juvs. Also on the beach mixed flock of Dunlin (30) , ringed plover(35) , sanderling (12), and 6 turnstone. 1 kestrel hunting the edge of the beach. 

Around the middle pines/ dunes 2 yellow wags, 5 tree pipit, 2 spotted flycatcher, 1 lesser white throat.

good to see plenty of juv song thrush, mixed tits, gold rests, in with some juv willow warblers and chiffchaff.

35+ redshank and a greenshank 3 were reported earlier today
A tawny owl flew across the road by the old grandison pub near briton ferry

On the marsh a juvenile female kingfisher, a juvenile male sparrowhawk, 4 Cetti’s warblers, a grasshopper warbler, 4 garden warbler, 13 blackcap, 16 willow warbler, a marsh tit, 5 tree pipit (many more overhead), 12 reed warbler and 3 sedge warbler were among the birds captured for ringing this morning.  A goshawk was sighted by Neil Edwards over the Penrice Estate, and provided good views through the telescope initially floating over the woodland, then soaring.

There is a substantial starling roost on the marsh (c. 200-300 birds), and a yellow wagtail also seemed to have roosted there last night, as it flew low over the marsh as the starling flock left.

More here: http://gowerbirdringinggroup.blogspot.co.uk/2014/08/oxwich-marsh-23-august-2014.html

 

A flock of 5 Common Sandpipers, 2 Kingfishers including 1 m, and an ad Med Gull all close off the end of the boardwalk this morning 9.30-11.30am.

63 Canada geese 5 cormorants 2 herons 2 little egrets 50+ black headed gulls 2 curlew 1 oyster catcher 20+ herring gull 12 lesser b b gulls 1 common gull

Nice Yellow Wagtail on the East Pool Shore this morning as well as 3 Snipe, a Wheatear and 80 Linnets.

Lisvane: The BN grebe was showing well in front of the Black Oak Road viewing platform late afternoon.

Llanishen: lots of disturbance from cutting of the willow scrub on the reservoir banks and various people wandering around inside the fence, but 1 wigeon and 1 pochard present. c80 sand martins, c20 h martins and c10 swallows over the pool ahead of the rain, but no swifts to be seen.

While doing a cetacean survey from Stenna Europe we had good birding but poor cetaceans. The highlight was a great shearwater (with grainy but convincing photo). Other birds were a black guillemot in Fishguard Harbour, about 4 great skuas, 1 arctic skua and a hooded crow in Rosslare.

Main pool area: Little Egret (flew off west after a heavy shower eased), Green Sandpiper, Swift and 30+ Mistle Thrushes feeding on rowan berries in the film studio backlot.

Pair of mute swan with 1 juv 23mallard 8 black h gulls perigrine buzzard and red kite over
At Fenrod lake 100+ hiridines 17 mute swan good numbers of black h gulls mallards Canada geese Lots of juv lesser b backs and herring gulls
At tir john pool 25 swallows tufteds with juvs 10 mallards and a little grebe

0730-0830: Tree Pipit (8), Redstart (4), Swift (1) and Reed Bunting (1) were the highlights this morning before rain stopped play. (DJJ/GJJ)

Wednesday afternoon – Rumney Great Wharf approaching high tide: 1 Black-tailed Godwit, 1 Kestrel, 4 Dunlin, 33 Ringed Plover, 2 Curlew, 1 Whimbrel and 3 Little Egret

Rhymney Estuary – over the high tide – 300+ Redshank, 4 juvenile Knot, 1 Little Egret, 1 Wheatear and at least 3 Great Black-backed Gulls.

 

One of 26 tree pipits caught during this morning’s ringing session down by Kenfig Pool. We also caught a grasshopper warbler, kingfisher, several Cetti’s warblers and plenty of Acros. 

 

Failed to spot BN Grebe until Phil B saved the day and found it sleeping with its head under its wing in the SE corner, then moving quickly across the middle of the reservoir to the NW corner. Water man let us in for five minutes to see it close up. A male Redstart was catching flies on the grass by the road entrance to Hamadryad Park. There are now 7 ad Little Grebes in the ‘pond’ and GC Grebe on a nest.

 

0800-1100. A busy morning. Best of the lot was a cracking Wood Warbler in amongst a small flock of Willow Warblers and Chiffchaffs. Also: Tree Pipit (8+); Redstart (4+); Spotted Flycatcher (1) and Swift (4). Supporting cast of plenty of Blackcaps and Whitethroats.

Nearby at Forest Farm/Glamorgan Canal: Reed Warblers still from Llyn Brwynog hide and a Spotted Flycatcher near the canal. (DJJ/GJJ)

Approx 1700 today, mewing of gulls overhead finally roused us from inside the garage to see what the commotion was – Osprey soaring overhead, drifting south.

BN Grebe still present this am in the NW corner .