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.
Dear All
As we are now in the breeding season, please could we ask that detailed locational information that may lead to the disturbance of the nest sites of species listed under Schedule 1 of the Wildlife & Countryside Act (1981) is omitted from any posts. This may otherwise lead to an offence being committed.
Schedule 1 species that regularly breed in the recording area are Dartford warbler, chough, honey buzzard, crossbill, goshawk, kingfisher, hobby, red kite, barn owl, peregrine, little ringed plover and Cetti’s warbler.
Thank you for your assistance in this.
GOS Committee
Siskins are occasional visitors to our garden in Tycoch. Today we saw our 3rd of the year – this time a juvenile. Interesting to note that it had a metal ring on its right leg.
Busy on the bird feeders in our garden in Manselfield yesterday. Adult and young Bullfinch, Greenfinch, Goldfinch, Chaffinch and Nuthatch. House Sparrows too who were bullied by the 5 young Goldfinches!
Further to my recent posts about Red Kites on Gower, there was another sighting of one over Murton again today.
From Jeremy Douglas-Jones
This Yellowhammer is a regular visitor to a bird-table in Reynoldston.
Martin Agg has sent in photos taken on last weekend’s walk in Colbren woods. A female Crossbill, a siskin apparently being mobbed by midges and did I mention we saw a Red Deer stag?
Further to the Red Kite over Murton yesterday, today there was one over Pennard church, and a few minutes later one over Penmaen. Probably the same bird involved, but much more interesting if not!
Looks like the Swansea City Centre peregrines have fledged.. what appears to be one chick perched close to the nest site this lunchtime… Nice to see
I completed the second visit to my Breeding Bird Survey square SN8003 today. 17 species were recorded including Wood warbler, Willow warbler, Chiff chaff, Blackcap, Garden warbler, Bullfinch, Lesser redpoll and Siskin as well as the usual woodland birds such as Wren and Robin. On my way down the track after the survey, there was a Tree pipit in display flight and Jay.
Red Kite over Murton today.
First “garden tick” swift of 2021 yesterday evening .. West Cross.. the normal flock of 6 to 8 birds haven’t returned this year . Also the big flock in Mumbles hasn’t returned.. very sad