In spite of the weather I had to get out to get the year list underway. There are several Turnstones, and handful of Ringed Plover and a couple of Oystercatchers making the most of whatever was washed up last night, plus Rock Pipit, Stonechat, and a few gulls and corvids.
Happy new year to all, and hopefully, I’ll be back in the summer.
1:00 – 2:30pm
Great Northern Diver (1); Buzzard (3); Harris’s Hawk (1, with jessies); Little Grebe (1); Cormorant (8); Carrion Crow (5); Raven (2); Robin (1); Blue Tit (2); Goldcrest (1)
A final look at the reservoirs for 2013, in fading light. On Lisvane: 1 Y-L gull, among a good roost of 80 LBB gulls, 12 herring gulls and 161 BH gulls. Gunshots from just north of the reservoir caused the whole flock to fly off at 15:50. Also, 48 tufties, 5 pochards, 2 mallards, 11 little grebes, 30 Canadas, 11 coots, 1 heron, 2 grey wags.
On Llanishen: 1 water rail, 57 mallard, 12 teal, 4 coots (my highest count here since the res was drained!), 2 tufties, 5 common snipe, 2 pied wags. Happy New Year everyone 🙂
Hawfinch 10 possibly more feeding on ground and in trees.
at Lywn Onn Res Great Northern Diver.
1 water rail on flooded footpath to the right of road just under railway bridge also a further two heard along the path out to the river mouth, 1 sparrowhawk was only other thing of note yesterday on a blustery morning.
I noticed four Little Egrets between the castle and Watermill while driving past today. However, for January I will be mostly seeing birds on foot only, as I have entered the Foot It Challenge 2014. The idea is to see as many bird species as possible on foot from your home and back, in January only. With some trepidation I have set myself a target of 100. Looks like I might get webbed feet by the end of it.
Details here: http://birdingbyfoot.blogspot.co.uk
Anyone else foolhardy enough to accept the challenge?
26-Little Egrets flew in to the island roost,16h10-16h45
Great Northern Diver still showing well at the north end of the reservoir this afternoon
I had a call from a lady who had picked up a dead Kingfisher on the Rhondda in Porth. I wasn’t sure what to advise. Any interest, please let me know by the end of the day. 01443 841555
2 Great White Egrets at Llanrhidian this afternoon – at least 1 of them was seen there again at dusk. Also there at dusk: 4 Hen Harriers – 2 males and 2 ringtails.
OOC – 2 Spotted Redshank at WWT Penclacwydd. (DJJ/GJJ).
Sparrowhawk hunting over Pioneer car park, Pyle, this afternoon causing a commotion amongst Starlings.
The adult male Surf Scoter and female Velvet Scoter were in with 1060-strong flock of Commons off Rhossili this morning. With 2000+ Herring Gulls on the beach feeding on an abundance of moribund shellfish it seems the storm has stirred up the seabed making good foraging. Maybe more storms will bring in more birds? At approximately SS3989 the scoter flock is pretty distant, so don’t expect good views if you go looking for the Surfy. The light this morning was bright and crisp making it pretty easy to to pick out.
Just picked up from Twitter that there’s a drake Surf Scoter in Rhossili Bay. No other details I’m afraid.
Drake lesser scaup present at midday, among 112 tufted ducks. Also 22 teal, 6 little grebes, 4 GC grebes, 38 coots, 7 mute swans, 24 mallards, 3 snipe, 2 water rails, 5 cormorants etc.
4 Brent Geese on the sea, in the lee of Sedgers – departed as the tide rose.
Also, a Black Guillemot at the edge of the sea at high-tide, just below the Youth Hostel. However, within 10 minutes of the sighting, the bird was attacked by two juvenile Herring/LBB Gulls, and last seen floating upside-down (so believed killed) out in the centre of the bay.
20+ redwing around the treetops, grey wagtail by the pond.
No sign of the barnacle goose on Lisvane Res today, but 41 Canadas present (exactly the same number as were with the barnacle yesterday, per D.G.). 45 tufties, 18 pochards, 2 mallards, 13 coots, 10 little grebes, 1 kingfisher -fishing silently along the south shore, 1 heron plus the usual gulls.
Llanishen: a good count of 74 mallard, 18 teal, 2 coots, 1 tufted duck, 26 common snipes, buzzard, gold crest, mistle thrush etc.
A quick look around Port Eynon beach at pretty much high tide – 2 Curlew, 2 Turnstone, 1 Dunlin, 1 Little Egret, approx 20-25 Ringed Plover and a small supporting cast of Oystercatcher, Rock Pipit, and BH, Herring and LBB Gulls.
3(2m & 1f) Bullfinch from hide without a door. Also good views of water rail, moorhen wren and robin. 7-8 snipe in far left corner and kingfisher showed twice. Also plenty of activity at new hide by wardens centre.
For info for anyone thinking of going for the Brunnich’s Guillemot in Portland Harbour, here’s a map of the best place to park – plenty of room and it’s free!
http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?X=368325&Y=74275&A=Y&Z=120
Basically go all the way across the causeway/road over towards Portland Bill and at the very last roundabout where there’s a brown sign for Portland Castle, turn left and about 200m along this road there’s a dirt car park. This gives access to the shoreline by the Castle and and also along to the sailing academy. When I saw it on boxing day it was very mobile but did give exc views near the shore, but when it dives it can travel a long way before it comes up again! There’s also a BLack Guillemot in that location and all three divers. On the other side of the harbour at Castle Cove I had all three ‘rare’ grebes [there were at least 8 Black-necked and singles of Slav and Red-necked].
For this park here, just before the entrance to Castle Cove sailing club:
http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?X=367270&Y=77235&A=Y&Z=120
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