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.
Today at Wernffrwd on the high tide: 143 Curlew, 58 Eider, 4 Shelduck, 11 Wigeon, 2 Teal, 22 Mallard, 3 Dunlin, 14 G C grebe, 5 Great white Egret, 1 Green Sandpiper , 1 Whimbrel, 185 Oystercatcher, 4 Sandwich Tern , 1 juv Peregrine , 1 juv Red Kite, 4 Sandwich Tern Penclawdd: 45 Redshank At Broad Pool: 16 Gadwall, 2 Teal, Upper Lougher: 35 Little egret, 1 Great White Egret, 38 Black T Godwit, 39 Mallard Port Eynon: 10 Turnstone – inc my first juv, 15 Sanderling, 90 Ringed plover, 4 Sandwich Tern, 4 Med gull and a juv… Read more »
Up at Castell Du on a falling tide there was a Common Tern (adult) resting on the edge of the estuary… new for me here . For those who like a Canada Goose , there were 392 plus a couple of Greylags . gulls were 89 Herring , 52 LBB , juv Yellow legged gull . 1 LRover and a couple of Yellow wag by the remnants of Grove Farm pond
Rob & myself were there before you, at the top of the tide. We also saw the tern and wags but only 5 Canadas. Additions included 12 Greenshank, 9 Common Sand, 1 Green Sand & Kingfisher.
Over Pwlldu Lane mid-morning 24th: a swarm of swallows and sand martins and a few late swifts.
Oxwich Marsh: 3 tree pipit, 2 grasshopper warbler, lesser whitethroat, 8 willow warbler, 15 chiffchaff, 24 reed warbler, 10 sedge warbler, 28 blackcap, 54 blue tit
Not a bird sighting, If anybody has and bird photographs from last year in the county please send them for consideration to be included in the next Gower Birds. Species such as the Waxwings , Red Breasted flycatcher or any common species would all be considered.
Amazing views of a juv Osprey eating a fish above the A465 slip lane at Tonna, here pic from the layby much further down so is distant . Ace to drive under it several times. it was present at least 50 mins finishing the fish.
Mewslade this morning. Pretty quiet. 2 cronking Ravens on cliffs. Not much else. The resident Kestrel seems to follow us down the valley, almost as if he was expecting the blundering humans to disturb some wildlife. I noticed the bird had a silver ring on its leg. Anyone know when/where ringed?
They can be quite dispersive Nigel, so it isn’t necessarily local. However Mike Shewring has ringed birds around the Rhossili area before, and my bet would be the bird would be one fledged on a nearby cliff.
Oxwich Marsh: up to 10 tree pipit around with 3 captured. Also some overhead movement of grey wagtail and meadow pipit. Grasshopper warbler, a small influx of blackcaps and a nice interaction between a goshawk and a raven over the reedbed.
Castell Du on this mornings high tide : fine , calm morning and an influx of birds . 3 smart ad Yellow wagtail , 1 juv Ruff , 5 juv Redshank , 6 Greenshank , 4 Lapwing , 2 Green sandpiper , 5 Common sandpiper , 3Black-wit , got to 75 Pied wag ,, prob more . 36 Black headed gull , 18 LBB gull , 15 Herring gull , 7 Little egret
Oxwich Marsh: grasshopper warbler, fly over ringed plover, 400 starlings at the South Pond roost
Three Sandwich Terns calling and diving near the former speedboat slip at Mumbles this morning at 0700.
Penclawdd Pil/ Daltons Point :88 Redshank, 2 Common sand, 12 Pied wagtail, 1 Common Gull, 2 Shelduck At Wernffrwd: a Juv Marsh Harrier cruised past with an Osprey sat on a post eating a fish in the background -a great start to the day! At Mewslade : Juv Sparrowhawk and Red Kite, 5 Whitethroat, 1 Lesser Whitethroat, 3 Blackcap, 1 Willow Warbler, 15 Chiffchaff, 1 Garden Warbler. 1 Grey and a Yellow Wagtail over was all the visible migration seen. At Port Eynon: 89 Med Gulls inc white ringed not read,7 Sandwich tern, 55 Sanderling was an excellent count, 14… Read more »
pic of the tern
Not sure that closed wing pattern is right for Roseate, although the feathers are displaced, leg colour looks rather red as opposed to orange but that may be due to colour rendition.
Thanks Paul, light was poor. Would like a longer look.
Oxwich Marsh: lesser whitethroat, c. 5 tree pipit including one ringed, 21 reed warbler, 14 sedge warbler, 21 siskin
A couple of Spotted Flycatcher at Cwmcerdinen today, plus a few Tree Pipit and 2 juvenile Sparrowhawk
Blackpill at the morning tide a few minutes with some birds between disturbances.
5 Sandwich Terns
9 Dunlin
11 Ringed Plover
And from a flat roof near you (probably) juv Lesser Black Backed Gulls with orangy red colour rings
R&N
T&C
T&J
J&N
M&F
G&L
and something&D, probably an L but in water!
Hi Ian
This article (Swansea study hopes to uncover the secret life of gulls – Swansea) provides details and a contact email for submitting records. I am sure they would be very gratefully received.
Thanks
Owain
Had a reply from Peter Rock, all ringed in Swansea (193 in total). Depressingly shows how bad and lazy a birdwatcher I’ve become as RN, JN, MF, and GL are Herring Gulls. Must try harder next time. Thank god for photos I can check, only way I can read the letters now!
Tuesday 12th August: Fantastic views of nightjar on Kilvey Hill at previously reliable spot, male calling continuously, perching and catching flies etc, distant churring heard also.
Last couple of weeks now before their migration south.
Hello Kai.
I’m from Neath. I looked up Kilvey Hill and is it true they are going to do a mad I’ll fated tourist development up there ?
I have only looked for the nightjar many moons ago on Cannock Chase, but unsuccessful.
Would you be able to pm me .I would like to visit the area but not sure where this Friday
Replying here as unable to pm it seems.
You’re correct Roy, work already appears to have started in the form of clearing some flora and relocating reptiles from the area.
Good morning Kai. It is sad news. However , I am going to park in the official car park on Google maps and walk up to the ponds, thinking more flies etc will be there and good feeding area at dusk.
Hopefully that might be good area ? Not been up there before so it’s a new recce for me.
If you have email address or social media you can attach it in a reply to this and I can pm you more details 🙂
Good evening Kai. I ventured up the trail yesterday evening. I went up the trail to the first opening overlooking the city. 9.30 pm . Settled down at the side of the clearing. A nightjar I assume flew right over me to trees in front of me. Had quite a bit of chuttering/churring in front of me but no visible sightings. Could not pick up the sound on merlin app due to the excessive traffic noise from the city even though it was a clear sound. I left my location at 11 pm due to no more sounds. A great… Read more »
Oxwich Marsh: 3 tree pipit, nice fresh adult willow warbler, slight influx of reed warbler and steady numbers of sedge.
Oxwich Marsh: 5-10 tree pipit (including 3 ringed), 2 grasshopper warbler. 300+ starling in roost again.
2 Common Swift amongst a flock of 40 House Martins above Clydach this afternoon.
1 Swift over Sketty, also. First here for two or three weeks.
Oxwich Marsh: 3+ tree pipits, green sandpiper (calling prior to dawn), grasshopper warbler and an influx of sedge warbler today. 300+ starling roosting near the South Pond hide.
Understand there is also movement of tree pipit over West Cliff, Southgate
First Sanderling of the autumn for me with the Dunlin and Ringed Plover at Blackpill. No Terns this evening.
Oxwich Marsh: grasshopper warbler, 31 sedge warblers, 21 reed warblers (all trapped and ringed / processed).
A family party of Stonechats including this very trusting 1CY bird the Caswell end of the path from Langland
I haven’t noticed any swifts over Tycoch the last few days, so I’m guessing they have now largely left.