2 x Raven circling high over the garden Sunday 2nd September. Swallows still with us. Plenty of buzzard activity, up to 3 together. Sparrowhawk, Carrion Crow, Magpie, Herring Gull,  Wood Pigeon, Collared Dove, Blackbird, Robin, Dunnock, Nuthatch, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Coal Tit, Chaffinch, Green Woodpecker.

Latest bird ringing news HERE. Photo of sparrowhawk by Bethan Dalton below.

Two Wood Sandpipers on the Watermill flood yesterday! Showed well but never came close, hence the record shots.

The Glossy Ibis is still on the Thaw floodplain. Showing well with patience!

The Whinchat from yesterday afternoon. It has been feeding in the wild parsnip patch at the far end of W paddock for a few days now.

Whitethroat in garden at Clydach,Swansea. It was only last week that I had my first garden record in thirty years here.Very difficult to track in the vegetation but it did offer nice views when it came out to feed.No doubt fattening up for migration

Was watching my first Spotted Flycatcher of the year, darting out from a hedgerow to catch insects in the evening sunshine, when a Sparrowhawk suddenly appeared from nowhere, grabbed the unfortunate flycatcher, and disappeared back into the woodland. All that remained were a few small, pale feathers fluttering forlornly to the floor. A bugger for me, as I had switched my video camera off ten seconds earlier; and not much fun for the flycatcher, which was never seen again.

Quite a productive day:

a.m. E paddock just beyond playground – Blackcap (a pair), Willow Wblr 6+, Chiffchaff, Blue Tit 10+, Long-t Tit 10, Dunnock 2, Coal Tit 1, Green ‘Pecker 1, Spotted Flycatcher 1. W. paddock far end – Whinchat 1;
p.m. W paddock far end – Whinchat (same place as a.m.) Tree Pipit 2; E paddock far end fenced area, Spotted Flycatcher 4 poss 5, Blackcap 1 fem, severaal Willow Wblr, c.6, Blue Tits.

I was checking out the Gull roost at high tide this morning along West Park Drive just south of Lock’s Common. I started to count the adult Med Gulls which were in or moulting into winter plumage. My count reached 130 Turnstone and 14 adult Med Gulls when I noticed a juvenile which was ringed Left Leg Yellow “2P15” and small metal ring on Right Leg.

Sean Kingston at the Med Gull ringing project has told me that 2P15 was 1 of 120 Med chicks colour ringed by the Farlington Ringing Group at RSPB Langstone Harbour in Hampshire this summer. This is the first sighting of 2P15 and they have had 1 juvenile with the flock at Llanon south of Aberystwyth in Ceredigion. Apparently the juveniles seem to be heading west at the moment so everyone should keep their eyes peeled for them.

I later found another juvenile at Sandy Bay on the other side of Porthcawl taking my total to a best ever 16 (14 adult / 2 juv).

Yesterday 1 whinchat and 5 tree pipit (of which 2 ringed). Latest ringing news HERE. Photo of whinchat by Alex McCubbin below

a red kite over the lake this afternoon also 150+ black h gulls a juv heron a few juv lesser b b gulls and herring gulls 2 common gulls lots of mallards still in eclipse plumage coots and moorhens with juvs and 12 + mute swan

A fem/imm Common Redstart was in the W paddock hedgerow and opposing trees behind the dragonfly pond this morning. Thanks to Annie Irving for the txt. She also had a Wheatear in W paddock earlier but it was prob flushed by dogs. Only other interest was c.10 Sand Martins over W lake.

A couple of pics taken today. Green-veined White female and a very smart Hoverfly

Highlights of the GBC trip to Garwnant & Llwyn-on today in the low cloud & mizzle, braved by 14 folk. 3 Willow Tits were seen, plus several Crossbill, a few juv Bullfinches, a couple of nice feeding flocks comprised mainly of Willow Warblers but also Coal & Blue Tits, Goldcrest, Chiffchaff, Treecreeper & Nuthatch, 2 Tree Pipits, a fem Reed Bunting, 2-3 Spotted Flycatchers. A Dipper was on the Llwyn-on feeder stream. In the afternoon at the N end of Llwyn-on we were treated to a fantastic aerial feeding display by at least 200 House Martins. The reservoir itself held several Cormorants, 2 GC Grebes and 2 LBB Gulls. On the shoreline there were 16 Pied Wagtails of various ages, and with them, 3 Yellow Wagtails. I made the total list 35 species but I might have missed a few.

Yellow wagtail last night, and a garden warbler this morning.

Latest ringing news here. Photo of yellow wag (Richard Dann) below.

This is on the #glambirds Twitter feed, but just to make sure, there’s a Sabine’s Gull currently at Rhaslas Pond, found this morning by Mike Hogan. In case you’ve never been there it’s east of Dowlais top near Merthyr. Here’s a link to a map:

http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?X=309280&Y=207360&A=Y&Z=120

Couple of photos of a Spotted Flycatcher at Cosmeston yesterday morning, in bushes on the edge of the small field 50m to the left of the Med Village entrance. Also an obliging male Pied Wag on the decking at the back of the cafe and a juv LBB Gull ringed on Flat Holm this year.

GBC walk- forgot the butterflies- Speckled Wood, Wall, Meadow Brown.

Plus a Dragonfly- species waiting for comfirmation

22 folk, including some new faces (welcome!), came on our monthly Public Birdwalk this morning, in the cloud and drizzle.

37 species were heard/seen, the highlights being Great Spotted Woodpecker, a flyby of 3 Grey Heron, 21 Greylag Geese with a Pinkfoot of unknown origin, a Blackcap, a Sparrowhawk was heard, and a few swallows were feeding over the pool.

Full list-

Black-headed Gull, Blackcap, Bullfinch, (h) Carrion Crow ,Chiffchaff (h),Coot Goldfinch, Great Tit , Grey Heron 3 ,Herring Gull, Jackdaw  ,Linnet , Mallard Mute Swan 2 ,Pink-footed Goose 1, Rook (h), Sparrowhawk(h) Swallow,Wren , Blackbird, Blue Tit , Canada Goose 10+, Chaffinch , Collared Dove , Cormorant Great Spotted Woodpecker ,Greenfinch ,Greylag Goose 21 ,House Sparrow, Lesser Black-backed Gull , Magpie , Moorhen , Pied Wagtail, , Robin , Song Thrush , Starling , Woodpigeon .

Many thanks to Strinda , our walk leader.