Detailed records of nationally or locally rare species (guidance on these is
here) should be sent to the County Recorder Rob Taylor (
gowerbirdrecorder@gmail.com) as soon as possible after the sighting. An appropriate description should be provided of the species, your previous experience of it (and similar species), the circumstances and weather conditions in which the sighting occurred and any other pertinent information (such as photos). He will then circulate to the local or national records committee as relevant.
Day to day observations, including of nest sites, flocks of birds and species of local interest, should be collated in the Annual Record Form and sent to Rob as an email attachment following each calendar year. Receiving these by the end of January is ideal as an early start can then be made on compiling the annual report.
Reporting Schedule 1 Birds We are now in the breeding season. Please do not post information concerning nests or core territory locations which may lead to the disturbance of species listed under Schedule 1 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. It is an offence to disturb these species (whether this is unintentional or not) at the nest. A full list of Schedule 1 species is here: https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/advice/wildlife-and-the-law/wildlife-and-countryside-act/schedules/ For anyone who is not aware, the Schedule 1 species that breed in the Gower recording area include: chough, crossbill, goshawk, honey buzzard, barn owl, kingfisher, red kite, peregrine, little ringed plover,… Read more »
Having been alerted by calling Herring Gulls I looked up to see an Osprey flying north over my garden in Tycoch, Swansea at 3.40 pm on Tuesday 7th April.
First swallow this year seen from my home flying east from Worms Head direction at 8am Monday 6 April.
Three Yellowhammers near Gt Pitton Farm today.
6 April 2020. Over the winter we have had a third winter herring gull with us much of the time in Brynfield Road, standing on a chimney, treating our back garden as its territory, accepting food from us and chasing off competitor gulls and carrion crows. Its plumage has not quite transitioned into full adult. The black band on its gonys has, these last six weeks, been going through the change to red-orange. At lunchtime today a significantly bigger herring gull in full breeding plumage was alongside it on the lawn; and for five or ten minutes we watched unmistakable… Read more »
At last I have heard a Chiff chaff this year in Crynant on my local short walk, There were also 3 Goosanders and 2 Canada geese flying over. Still lots of Robins about.
Ashley Rd playing fields
Bizarrely for the last 2 days there have been 2 Canada geese & 2 greylag geese sitting in the middle of the right hand pitches.. I assume they are from the boating lake.. just looks very odd
4 pairs Stonechats on Rhossili Down. Hummingbird Hawkmoth in Middleton garden today.
Hi all
An owl has been hooting during the day in Castle Road Mumbles intermittently over the last week or so. Just heard it now at 14:45pm. Is this unusual ? I can’t recall hearing one during daytime before.
I would say slightly unusual but not unheard of although in a fairly busy area a bit surprising. I’ve heard Tawny Owl calling during the day a few times but usual in quiet periods in remote locations. I seem to remember someone was doing research into this a few years ago and asking for records, I’m sure if you do a search you will find details on the net somewhere. For what it’s worth my thought is that it may be adults keeping in touch with newly fledged birds, a sort of reassurance if you like. I’ve heard Long eared… Read more »
Looks like Blackcaps are arriving in numbers now. 4 singing this morning in the copse to the east of Murton Green.
Highlights from my daily constitutionals. Yesterday on Barland Common – a singing blackcap serenading me in my solitude. Today on Pwlldu Head – choughs above my head and Draba Aizoides at my feet. Also, water pipit on the dew pond and peregrine flying towards the cliffs.
Briton ferry today two red kites ,buzzard, female goshawk and chiff chaff