Six Yellow Wagtails were amongst the cattle this afternoon. The only waders on the marsh were 18 Lapwings.

A quick look over the marsh from Culfor Road just before sunset produced counts of 212 Redshank (still no Yellowlegs even though it regularly disappears from WWT), 224 Curlew, 19 Whimbrel, 14 Black-tailed Godwit, 5 Common Sandpipers and 100+ Greylags, which have ‘hefted’ to this part of the marsh in recent weeks. The best observation however was seeing hovercraft man, who’s one-man-hovercraft had conked out off Culver Road,dragging his machine across the flooded marsh. Let’s hope it deters him from getting any more adventurous as the disturbance he causes on his high tide tours is unbelievable!

There were a couple of Yellow Wags just east of the pine plantation and 3+ Tree Pipits in the plantation itself this morning.

The last couple of days birds on the beach in Port Talbot harbour have included 57 Lapwing, 18 Turnstone, 24 Sanderling, 94 Ringed Plover, 1 Little Ringed Plover, 21 Dunlin, 4 Common Sandpipers & 5 Med Gulls. Additionally the beach south of the long arm has held 25 Sanderling, 8 Dunlin, 141 Ringed Plover, 1 Barwit & 13 Curlew.

This morning spotted flycatcher family still present, plus male redstart and 2 tree pipit.
Butterflies included silver-washed fritillary, purple hairstreak and 2 clouded yellow.

Late posting for 12 Aug – very large accipiter lowish over junction with A468 at Nantgarw, first impressions were buzzard based on size – 90% certain Goshawk.

19 Aug – one junction further south at Tongwynlais – Peregrine attacking Buzzard, spectacular scenes.

3 yellowhammer, 2 blackcap, 2 willow warbler and 6 whitethroat in the pant norton valley area

Kenfig Saltmarsh (21/8/13) – Wigeon (1), Teal (28), Lapwing (18), Snipe (12), Redshank (1), Cetti’s Warbler (2) & Stonechat (2)

Brunel Dock to Neath River (20/8/13) – Teal (3), Whimbrel (68), Redshank (85), Common Sandpiper (4) & Mediterranean Gull (4)

Crymlyn Burrows (20/8/13) – Ringed Plover (224), Sanderling (c140 (a further c200 showing distantly on Aberavon Beach)), Mediterranean Gull (6) & Stonechat (4)

Apologies users. This is a test by JDW admin pp another user.

Tree Pipit (1) and Garden Warbler (1) this morning.

GBC field trip to Carms sites: Pembrey CP beach – 6 Sandwich Tern, 200+ Sanderling [with Dunlin mixed in], 20 Eider offshore; Kidwelly Quay – 6 Greenshank, 100 Redshank, 2 Common Sand, 2 Dunlin in the creek, 100’s of Curlew far out, 1 Whimbrel flew by, 1 v distant Godwit sp, 2 Peregrine over salt marsh; Pembrey old dock jetty at hight tide  – 200-ish Sandwich Tern, 19 Ringed Plover, 1 imm Dunlin, a few Common Gulls, 2 Wheatear.

Late add-in – forgot to mention the moulting Slav Grebe eventually clinched quite a way offshore!

Nice to meet Matt Hunter for the first time & put a face to a name.

very quiet on the migration front, 3 swallows, 4 house martins, a pair of ravens, 1 sparrowhawk, 1 juv buzzard calling, and a family of wrens,common and black darter golden ring dragonfly,

Autumn has officially begun on the floodplain! A  migrant Redstart  there this morning. 

Sightings by Micky Maher (a friend of mine who is down at the moment visiting):Waterfowl: Slavonian grebe (s/pl adult) 1 (also 2 great crested grebe 1 ad, 1 juv); eider (4)Waders: whimbrel (8); curlew (8); ringed plover (24) Passerines: crossbill (8); tree pipit (3 inc 2 flyovers). Clouded yellow (3) and southern hawker. Posted by JDW as Owain having trouble posting at the mo.

9 blackcaps at lavernock and 2 chiffchaffs
Cardiff bay many hirundines mostly house martins and 13 swifts

Male and female Tawny Owls calling in Clyne Woods at dusk, plus several Foxes near the recycling centre. Earlier, a nice ‘bird’ was spotted at Blackpill – Ellie Harrison from BBC’s ‘Countryfile’ programme:

 

2 adult Common Terns were on the beach just after HT and fishing offshore occasionally. Counts of birds on the beach – Turnstone (1), Ringed Plover (329), Sanderling (309), Dunlin (76), Herring Gull (72), Lesser Black-backed (16), Common Gull (14), Mediterranean Gull (28 inc 2 juv) & Black-headed Gull (56)

Out in the Bay – Gannet (1 juv), Peregrine (1), Mediterranean Gull (20+) and a few Kittiwakes amongs other gulls. The Peregrine flew directly between Mumbles and BP Baglan causing much panic to the smaller gulls, making them rise from the sea and group together in a flock. 

A report lifted from Twitter states that five Hawfinches were feeding on Rowan at Forest Farm, yesterday.

A few migrants at Lavernock: Whitethroat, Blackcap, Garden Warbler & Swallows. Whimbrel over and a GSW in trees by church.

Cardiff Bay: Good numbers of hirundines & 6 Swifts.

1 Common Whitethroat, 10 House Martin, 2 Sand Martin, Green ‘Pecker, Gt Spotted ‘Pecker f/o E lake. Also a Clouded Yellow in the E paddock per Jeff Curtis.