To add a sighting, simply leave a reply below. Enter the details of your sighting and upload an image or video clip if possible. You will need to be registered and logged-in to post updates or leave replies.
NB: Maximum size for video clips is 30Mb…
Guidelines for Reporting Rarities and Submission of Annual Records
Detailed records of nationally or locally rare species (guidance on these is
here) should be sent to the County Recorder Eddie Hunter (
goweros23@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 Eddie 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.
PLEASE NOTE
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.
Loughor Bridge north side this morning. Black t Godwit 88, Little Egret 28, Shelduck 44, Pintail 12.
Loughor Bridge south side on the rising tide. GW Egret 2, one feeding on the south side of the channel flew up river and flushed a second from the salt marsh. Both continued up the river with much interaction, diving bombing each other, until lost in the distance towards Gowerton. Bar T Godwit 9, Black t Godwit 28, Spoonbill.
Great to see a female Wheatear by the old slip bridge on Oystermouth Road this morning.
Yesterday evening at Blackpill there were 220 Med Gulls on the beach with 5 Colour ringed birds-4 white .1 red. Only managed one reading white 30A0. This count did not include the distant birds in the bay as the group got flushed and the birds mixed up so was likely a lot more. Also 4 Yellow legged gulls 2 1st cy, 2 2nd cy. YL Gulls were appearing at blackpill last year in this period too also 3 G C Grebe.
Llanrhidian this pm. Whinchat 4, Stonechat 3, Green Sandpiper 1, Wheatear1.
Dalton’s Point this pm. Teal 120, Wigeon 1, Shoveler 1, Black t Godwit 11.
Ring-necked parakeet circling in Clyle gardens this midday
This juvenile Wryneck was caught and ringed in my garden this morning on Pennard Cliffs.
Also, plenty of Meadow Pipits moving overhead but few Grey Wagtails seen today. I also noted an unusual movement of about 7 Jays flying low over the garden in an easterly direction, the species is very seldom seen here.
Well done Richard.A cracking record and lovely shots of this amazing species.They really are something seen in the hand.
South of Loughor Bridge on the rising tide.
Bl t Godwit 37, Bar t Godwit 9, Greenshank 8, Teal 4, Curlew 21, Oystercatcher 44, Little Egret 10, Redshank 2, Dunlin 21. Plus the bazaar sight of a grey squirrel foraging over the channel on the southern shore!
Bwlchymyndd (Loughor foreshore) from the bridge. Bl t Godwit 141, Pintail 46, Mallard 31, Red Kite 1.
Wryneck ringed by Richard Dann in his garden on Pennard Cliffs this morning..
Read the latest Gower Ringing Group news here:
https://www.gowerbirds.org.uk/a-group-ringing-weekend-11-13-september-2021/
Trips to Whiteford and Oxwich resulted in capture of curlew sandpiper, little stint (2), whinchat, spotted flycatcher, grasshopper warbler (7) etc.
Photos on blog post at link above.
A couple of photos of the interesting Yellow legged Gull at Blackpill yesterday late afternoon which came to bathe and drink at the stream
today on Gower At Berthlywdd 1 G W Egret Daltons Point – 240 teal 19 Bk T godwit Mewslade and Middleton– 2 Reed warbler ( top and bottom), 1 Lesser Whitethoat, 6 Whitethroat, 17 Blackcap ( obvious arrival at 12), 1 Spot fly, 1 willow warbler, 9 Chiffchaff, 2 Green Wood pecker inc a Juv. 1 Yellow wag calling over Pilton green– 1 rintail more like female Hen Harrier Port eynon – A constantly hunting Juv female pere stopped any roost of sorts. 25 Ringed Plover, Med wise there was 9 came to the beach eventually 12 flew straight east… Read more »
Ed I see a few YL Gulls like this on the Thames in Kent most years. Not sure what they are but they are reasonably regular.
Castell du this morning. Kingfisher 1, Wheatear 2, Common Sandpiper 1, Herring Gull 22, LBB Gull 169, GBBGull 2, Little Egret 9, Red Kite 1, Spotted Flycatcher 1, Stonechat 1.
Dear All We are now in the breeding season. For Schedule 1 species at risk of disturbance at the nest, we need to ensure that any sightings do not provide information that may lead to their disturbance. This includes cliff-nesting species such as Dartford warbler and chough which have been targeted by photographers (some of whom have used tape lures) in recent years, and species expanding their range / becoming locally commoner in some parts of the recording area such as red kite and goshawk. Please be aware of this in your posting. A list of Schedule 1 species that… Read more »