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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.
A good turn-out, I should say: Dryslwyn car park this morning.
From Lougher Bridge at low tide – 1 |Avocet was feeding in the creek near the pipe outflow. At times in flight being chased by 2 Black Headed Gulls.
Also a lone Spoonbill busy feeding and 3 Goldeneye in the main channel.
3 Spoonbill feeding on the Saltmarsh off Wernffrwd (often out of site.)
A great morning at Dryslwyn today. 47 species including three egrets. The Great and Little were expected, the Cattle Egret was a bonus. Thanks again to Ed Hunter for leading the walk. Cattle Egret Great Egret Little Egret Grey Heron Mute Swan Whooper Swan Greylag Goose Canada Goose Cormorant Goosander Little Grebe Mallard Pintail Mallard Wigeon Shoveler Goldeneye Curlew Lapwing Great Spotted Woodpecker Treecreeper Bullfinch Chaffinch Greenfinch Blue Tit Dunnock Goldcrest House Sparrow Robin Siskin Starling Sky Lark Water Pipit Pied Wagtail Song Thrush Blackbird Collared Dove Wood Pigeon Black Headed Gull Herring Gull Lesser Black Backed Gull Buzzard Red… Read more »
Penclawdd this evening on a rising tide:
1 Spotted Redshank with 95 Redshank and 1 Greenshank. Also 2 Snipe on the marsh and 2 Woodcock flying onto distant fields at dusk. 4 Pink-footed Geese still present along with at least 1 Water Pipit.
A harrier at around13.30 today off Salthouse Point, Crofty. We thought it was a Marsh Harrier at the time but now I am wondering whether it was in fact the Pallid Harrier?
Yes that’s the Pallid, well done
Great! Thanks Barry.
As one who thought it was a Marsh Harrier at the time, I’m very happy that the photos prove me wrong!
This afternoon high tide at Blackpill. 350 Oystercatcher, 1 Curlew, 4 Bar-tailed Godwit, 1 Little Egret, 1 Cormorant, 4 Grey Plover. Amongst lots of Black-headed and Herring Gulls, at least 1 Med Gull, 1 Lesser Black-backed, 10 Common and 1 Great Black- backed Gull.
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 »
Today
Weobley: 1 Stock Dove. Lots of waders on the marsh, but hard to pick through them due to terrible mist, wind and rain. Rough counts include 250 Lapwing, 50 Golden Plover, 15 Redshank, 15 Dunlin, 2 Green Sandpiper.
Penclawdd: Five species of geese feeding on the marsh – 4 Pink-footed, 2 Barnacle, 113 Canada, 30 Brent and 44 Greylag.
Loughor Bridge: 3 Avocet feeding SE of the bridge.
Some counts and highlights from Penclawdd on February 1st include 4 Pink-footed Geese, 1 Goosander, 152 Golden Plover, 76 Black-headed, 1111 Herring, 2 Great Black-backed, 57 Lesser Black-backed Gull, 4 Spoonbill, 2 male Hen Harrier, and the Pallid Harrier.
Golden Pheasant Oxwich. Beautiful male specimen. Excuse quality of image. Wet misty grey day. Presume its been released. Hopefully won’t get shot.
Fourth picture
Lovely photos Ian. The warm buff ear coverts, lack of yellow tones and a hint of green in the wing are pretty much seen as diagnostic charcters for Siberian. Obviously getting the call would be the icing on the cake
Pictures of pale chiffchaff/s from Crofty horse dung pile in case they are of any help. I did not hear the bird/s call (my age) so cannot decide what they might be as far as I understand it (not far).
Dear All
A reminder that we are now (as of early February) starting to see many species becoming territorial. 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. Please be aware of this in your posting. A list of Schedule 1 species that occur in our area is above.
Regards
Owain
A pair of Dartfords at Pennard yesterday. Also about 178 scoter — well down from the c400 in late December / early January. And a single stonechat — fewer than usual about this winter at Pennard.
Apologies – not a sighting. Bound copies of British Birds, free to good home. Volumes 2001, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007. Also, Volume 1 of ‘Twitching’, unbound. Will deliver in GOS area. Whatsapp me on 07968 838152 or email 63alucas@gmail.com
Belated news of 5 little gulls foraging close inshore on the southern edge of Port Talbot Dock / northern edge of Margam Sands on 29 January (per James Garside).
In association with a large mixed gull flock including 800+ herring gulls
45 Curlew, 28 Oystercatcher and a Common Gull at Ashleigh Road at 9.45am this morning. Then at Blackpill at 10.15 there were c.1035 Oystercatcher along with 3 Curlew, 20 Var-tailed Godwits, 3 Knot and a Little Egret.
Hey all, I saw this Harrier last Friday at around 4pm at Llanridian marsh. I’m guessing its a Hen Harrier and not the Pallid?
Is the Pallid thats been hanging around a male or a female?
Apologies for the poor quality of the pictures.
Hi Jordan,
Yes that is a ringtail Hen Harrier, not the Pallid Harrier. The Pallid is a juvenile, so the sex can’t be determined.
Lukas
Thanks Lukas : )
How did you identify it? I’ve been looking online and I can barely tell the difference!
Limeslade to Langland this morning.
3 Chough
1 Dartford Warbler
A lot of the lower cliff gorse has been cut back
Yesterday (Jan 29th)
Penclawdd Marsh: 100 Oystercatcher, 5 Grey Plover, 82 Golden Plover, 4 Curlew, 41 Barwits, 1 Knot, 19 Dunlin feeding along the river at high tide. Also 1 Merlin, 1 Peregrine Falcon, 3 Red Kite, 1 Buzzard and a male Hen Harrier hunting over the marsh.
At Whiteford mid-day: 53 species including 1 Slavonian Grebe, 3 GN Diver, and lots of Turnstone/Oystercatcher/Grey Plover feeding by the lighthouse.
Oxwich Marsh: 55+ snipe, 2 goshawk, sparrowhawk, 100+ goldfinch, woodcock. Other Gower sightings this weekend have included a ruddy shelduck at Landimore, reports of the pallid harrier at Crofty and Llanrhidian, great northern diver and slavonian grebe at Whiteford, 2 Siberian chiffchaff at Crofty Saltmarsh, at least 8 great white egrets at Llanrhidian, 2 hen harrier, 3 merlin (including a male and female together), 3 peregrine. Also reports of marsh harrier from various parts of the north Gower saltmarsh, an apparently overwintering whimbrel at Dalton’s Point, along with 2 common sandpiper. (per Mark Hipkin, Dan Black, Darren Coombes and Rob… Read more »
BTO Big Garden Birdwatch this morning in Langland;
Carrion Crow 2, Woodpigeon 2, Magpie 2, Great Tit 2, Robin 1, Blue Tit 2, Coal Tit 2, Starling 2, Collared Dove 1, Herring Gull 2, Bullfinch 1, Wren 1.
Don’t forget you can take part in the BTO Garden Bird Survey every week for free
Always good fun to see my Bird Track Records 2023. Still in my Pembrokeshire/Carmarthenshire/Gower bubble
1400 Black-headed Gulls and 600 Herring Gulls during Wintering Gulls Survey at Oystermouth on 24th Jan. Also 1 Curlew , 12 Oystercatcher and 1 Redshank