brief walk round late this morning. 120 Tufted in all, 6 Pochard, pr of Gadwall still present, 2 Little Grebe on W lake [not been seen for a while]. No sign of Beardy [has it migrated to be with its chums in CBWR?] or of Turtle Dove.

Bearded Tit showed briefly but well; many thanks to Peter Howlett for showing them to me.Lesser Scaup still present this morning.

40+ shelduck in Heliport Bay at high tide on Sunday, and 10 roosting oyster catchers. Couple of large mixed flocks of long tailed tits and gold crests in surrounding area, plus lots of blackbirds for my winter thrush survey!

Min 3 Bearded Tit in reeds along main gravel track at 10.15. Birds still there at 12.15. also Chiffchaff and minimum of 6-8 Water Rails calling

6 female tufteds on the run off pool on the big pool were 37 black h gulls 1 little egret 1 heron
1 cormorant and 4 herring gulls a kestrel and a sparrow hawk were by the bp fence and a perigrine
Was on the baglan bay tower
At the Brunel Dock area were 105 black h gulls on the river and 15 little egrets were in the monk stone boat club roost my highest count at this site

sat am at salthouse: approx. 165 DB brent , 140 curlew , 45 bar-wit , 40 grey plover , 250 dunlin , 

230 shoveler , 150 wigeon , 90 pintail , 30 redshank , 2 RB merganser , 4 goldeneye(3m/1f) , 

penclawdd this morn: 1 spotted redshank

GBC today – highlights were 5 Brent Geese d/c, 1 Purple Sandpiper, 1 Goosander, 3 Goldeneye and 3 Med Gulls. No sign of Water Pipit at Portobello or Black Redstart at Dunraven. Several Goldcrests in with mobile tit flock at Dunraven walled garden however.

Only bird of note this morning was a Swallow,a 1st.year bird.Almost certainly the bird previously reported in the area.

Did no-one check out the Slav Grebes today?

7 crossbill (3+4) and 9 snipe and 200 pigeon were the highlights

Flock of 100+ lapwing near junction 35 this morning, per James Bainton.

1 Red-necked Grebe (west side of Whiteford), 4 Slavonian Grebes (east side) and a female Merlin (at the point) were the highlights this morning during a fruitless search for crossbills. Other noteworthy species included 3 Red-throated Divers, 19 Eiders, 3 Stock Doves and counts of 52 Grey Plover and 143 Turnstone. 1000’s of Oycs but not counted.

The Lesser Scaup is back on the reserve this morning with c.165 Tufted Duck and c.25 Teal (with Steve S.later).

4 red kite and 1 goshawk (female) in fields just as you come out out of blackmill towards ogmore vale and 1 goshawk (male) over cwmfelin headind towards top llan

1-Great Grey Shrike showing well at the northern cleared area.11h00-12h30.

Last minute reminder about the AGM tonight at the Environment Centre , Swansea (7:30), followed by a review of 2013 (birds and other wildlife). All welcome.

Two Slavonian Grebes & Siberian Chiffchaff at Kenfig.

A F/o Snow Bunting at Sker Point

News of Great Grey Shrikes at Garwnant & nr. Llanbradach today – please see GRC for details. (Thanks to M. Hogan & T. Williams for info)

3 Woodcock returning to roost just before dawn this morning.