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.
Walk along the River Afan between Velindre-Pwll y Glaw. 5 Dippers counted. 2 Buzzards over Mynydd Dinas, another 3 over Gwaun Afan. Woodpigeon nest building near Lletti Hari. With Phil Routliff.
Heard all too seldom, but heard this morning at the junction of Chestnut Avenue and Mulberry Avenue: greenfinch.
My first porpoise of the year was feeding off Whiteshell Point, Caswell this morning.
Also an adult shag, and the usual 3-4 rock pipit territories between Langland and Caswell now active.
Opposite Kettle Top, Penrice Home Farm, this morning and therefore in a field immediately to the north of the A4118: c70 greylags.
Med gull PHAN still at Bracelet Bay…
Six light bellied brents off the West Cross Inn Mumbles
Coed Fferm Y Garth Farm Woods,Ynystawe Sping like afternoon Goldcrest(2),Treecreeper(1),Nuthatch(5),Chiffchaff(1) feeding on fringe of the woodland. Graet Tit(8),Long Tail Tit(11),Blue Tit(8).Numerous Song Thrush and Blackbird. Canada Goose(30) overhead.
Fairwood Common this morning, north of the western end of Blackhills Lane: skylark singing. Gelli Hir Wood: spring song mistle thrush, song thrush; present blackbird robin moorhen nuthatch great tit blue tit. Garden Brynfield Road: our herring gull pair, having failed last year, may just be starting their breeding routine – washing vegetation in the bird bath. The male has come back from a leg injury last year and now exhibits a minor limp, and he flies with the right leg down.
Walk to Baglan Industrial Estate to the wet area favoured by Snipe. Only 2 found today due to the destruction,yet again of the site. 90 % of the trees and scrub,the reedbedand an area of gorse have ,just recently been razed to the ground; obviously to make the area “more attractive”to would be developers. Nothing more than environmental vandalism i`m afraid. ALittle Egret and two Dippers,one singing at the tidal Afan. With Phil Routliff.
Snipe, Teal, Little Grebe, Reed Bunting, Redwing, Siskin and Red Kite among 31 species in Swansea Vale this morning.
Med Gull among 100+ BH Gulls on Tircanol playing fields and a female Blackcap in a garden in Morriston.
Thank you Alastair-I’ll have to stretch my legs a coule of extra miles to get to the Vale.It’s been weeks since I saw a Snipe or Teal.