I did a cetacean survey on Stenna Europe and at 9.00 am this morning there were no black guillemots visible in Rosslare Harbour. Normally at this time of year we would expect a double figure count. Casualties of the storms?

A pair of teal  (m+f) was a little out of the ordinary this lunch time on a quick walk up and around Blackweir. 3 goosander, and red admiral on the wing.   

A female wheatear feeding on the strand line near the river otherwise quiet just a few o catchers red shanks 

a buzzard and mallard 

No sign of any Great Spotted Cuckoos but a single Sand Martin and 4 Chiffchaffs at the slacks.  200+ Common Gulls were notable at the Ogmore Rivermouth and a male Peregrine was enjoying a Black headed Gull on Portobello.   

Several chiff-chaffs singing and BT Diver still showing well.

Stopped off on the way back home this evening and counted 370 D-b Brent, 1 P-b Brent & 236 Golden Plover. The GPs have been roosting close to the marsh road for the last few days (SS517945), so worth a look if you’re passing. Also the Brents seem to know the shooting season is over and are now much more approachable. I noted one colour-ringed bird which I’ll report details off when I hear back. No Wheatears on the mound this evening but a White Wagtail was my second spring migrant of the year.

The bird was ringed in 2005 on Bird Islands, Lidia Bay, Taimyr and has only been resighted twice since, both times in the Burry Inlet by myself*, in March 2007 and yesterday.

(* that is assuming the return has not excluded other observers – it’s now automated so not so easy to check?)

Ok, in addition to the first Sand Martin of the year for me (I’d have never have seen it without Lol), how about this one.

http://andyburnsphotography.zenfolio.com/uid4/h2a6aa1a5#h2a6aa1a5

Seven pics of gull taken today that from the head, tertials and greater coverts seems like a 2W YLG, but from everything else scream Argenteus. HG’s don’t have greater coverts like this…do they? I’m getting really confused by how variable these coverts and tertials can be.

An adult Kumlien’s Gull was in a mixed flock at the rivermouth at 10:30, before flying inland up the river. It wasn’t subsequently relocated, but obviously could still be around.

I returned shortly after and digiscoped what appears to be a Yellow-legged Gull. The mantle appears a little on the dark side, but it otherwise looks good for that species – size, structure, open wing tip pattern, nice chrome-yellow legs etc.

 

My first spring migrant went through just after mid-day – Andy was on hand to record this early Sand Martin – photos at ..

http://andyburnsphotography.zenfolio.com/sandm2014/h2dfbc31#h2dfbc31

 

bt diver still showing well.

Yet another splendid adult Ring-billed Gull south of the bridge 15 mins ago, found earlier by Paul Larkin. It was disturbed by fishermen but returned, so could stick around a while.

Wheatear seen today in the Ystrad Rhondda/Llwynypia area. Beating previous early arrival record by one day.

Meadow Pipit this morning ascending and “parachuting”

Two Kingfishers from the boardwalk in front of the Senedd at 8:00 this morning.

Blackcap singing in the garden this morning continues to herald spring. We also enjoyed watching a Peacock butterfly sunning itself in the garden yesterday.

Alasrtair Flanningan emailed me yesterday to say that he’d seen his first Sand Martin on the River Tawe (9^th March), matching his earliest date at this site.

An evening walk had 9 little egrets in the boat club trees , a great crested grebe in the river 300+ starlings flying west 600+ jackdaws behind the council yard 4 cormorants 1 heron 2 shelduck and a nice bonus an otter in the river by the paper factory 

with bob anderson