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
Not something you see every day anymore unfortunately.. A nice friendly song thrush at Bracelet Bay this morning..
Fendrod Lake this morning had a Gadwall (unusual for this site) and a Ring-necked Parakeet.
I have seen a pair of Gadwall on the lower lake at Penllergare. They have been there all week at least.
Limeslade to Rotherslade this morning: female Wheatear and Whitethroat singing well. A dozen or so immature gulls circling over a seal which was eating a large fish and maybe discarding a few scraps.
4 Whimbrel flying eastwards along Pennard Cliffs this afternoon, calling as they went by.
I also had my first Adder of the year in the garden today, a large male.
2 reeling Grasshopper Warblers at Swansea Vale this morning.
Heard a first whitethroat of the year early on Friday, but I didn’t see one until this morning.
Clyne Common this morning, several male Stonechats displaying, Sky Larks singing, two species of Woodpecker heard and two male Wheatear showing well. This afternoon at Rhossili, 4 Buzzards, 2 Red Kite and a Kestrel and two Swallows fresh in from their migration. On the cliffs, two pairs of Fulmar. At Pitton, five Buzzards wheeling above.
Rhian Evans and I heard our first Tree pipit of the year last Thursday 15th in the Neath Valley. It was display flighting and singing.
Lower to Upper Lliw Reservoirs. 45+ species seen. Highlights included Cuckoo, G C Grebe (unusual for this site), Goosander, Stock Dove, Wheatear, Redstart, Green & G S Woodpecker, Tree Pipit, Lesser Redpoll, Dipper, Nuthatch, Swallow and lots of Blackcap, Chiffchaff and Willow Warbler.
The G C Grebe was there on the 13 too.I had initially taken it as a Herring or L B B gull,I’m glad I got my binoculars on to it.As you say not many records for the site.Wonder how long it will hang around now that the crowds are back.
My first Wheatears (6) at Weobley this morning, where there were also 420 Golden Plover and a few Dunlin, most now in dapper summer plumage. Other bits and bobs around Llanrhidian Marsh included singles of Common Sandpiper, Whimbrel, Reed Warbler, 14 Teal and my second brood of Mallards (first brood about 10 days ago).