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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.
Some great counts from Weobley on the high tide yesterday evening, with a large influx of waterfowl: 26 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 128 Shelduck, 6 Shoveler, 480 Wigeon, 380 Pintail, 270 Teal, c4000 Oystercarcher, 181 Golden Plover, 53 Lapwing and 347 Curlew. Also small numbers of Dunlin, Ringed Plover, Sanderling, Grey Plover, Barwit, Snipe and a single Green Sand, Redshank and Whimbrel. There was also a juvenile Gannet flying along the edge of the marsh which looked quite lost. (LLG, MH) This morning from Mumbles Head a flight of around 800 birds included 1 Brambling, 1 Crossbill, 7 Redpoll, 305 Chaffinch,… Read more »
I watched the Pallid Harrier going to roost at Llanrhidian Marsh this evening, but only after it had a couple of moments, first with a Peregrine then Kestrel – it’s quite a feisty old bird! Also present was the Glossy Ibis, which has been reported the last few days, 12 Great White Egrets and there has clearly been an influx of Pintail and Shoveler since my last visit to the marsh last week.
If anyone lives in the Manselton area, can you listen out for a possible Tawny owl?. Thought I might have heard a call tonight around 7:30.
Late willow warbler (based on pale legs) in my Tycoch garden today.
Grateful for some help identifying these birds seen on Llanrhidian Marsh this morning. I think the first 2 photos are of the Pallid Harrier and a Marsh Harrier. They went their separate ways shortly after. Not sure if the bird in the third photo is a hobby or a kestrel?
Great harrier shots Derek. Third photo is of a kestrel
Many thanks Owain.
LLanrhidian 5.40 – dusk: The sub adult female Pallid Harrier showed from 6pm quartering the marsh ( having been seen several times over the day – man obs). Also a Glossy Ibis flew across the marsh and dropped by the sewage works (6:05.) this also was seen earlier (LLG) A Garganey was seen in flight over the marsh with some Teal..Also 1 Hobby hawking , 2 Kes and a juv type Marsh Harrier, 2 Green Sand. An awesome evening.
Daltons Point: 2 Spoonbill in the pill on the mud preening, 2 Greenshank
Southward Lane, Langland: firecrest (1w male), 2-3 goldcrests, chiffchaff. There was a clear influx of chiffchaff at the start of the week, but these birds have now apparently dispersed.
Male tawny owl calling at Langland Corner near midnight on the 30th September
An interesting ringtail Harrier at LLanrhidian roost tonight at dusk, has to be either a Palld or Montagu,s. Top find by Frank Ryan
pic Frank Ryan
Oxwich Marsh: firecrest, 20+ chiffchaff (clear influx), blackcap, 8 Cetti’s warbler.
Female Tawny Owl Ravenhill Park 29/09/25 (9.45pm)
Good flight of birds moving east over Mumbles Head this morning.
Counts include 4 GS Woodpecker, 59 Swallow, 35 House-Martin, 35 hirundine sp., 4 Pied Wagtail, 83 Meadow Pipit, 1 Tree Pipit, 328 Chaffinch, 5 Bullfinch, 66 Linnet, 6 Redpoll, 70 Goldfinch, 14 Siskin and 1 Reed Bunting. Also a Chough on the head and a Firecrest in the forest.
Oxwich Marsh: firecrest, 15 blackcap, 8 chiffchaff, 8 goldcrest, 18 goldfinch, reed warbler, snipe, sparrowhawk and treecreeper among 137 birds captured this morning.
The Lesser Yellowlegs was also seen again today on the Lougher foreshore (15:50 ) LF as was a Spotted Redshank much earlier. Other Watts app sightings today from the county included 3 Firecrest at Middleton, Rhossili (CG), 1 at Overton (LL-G), 1st winter Glossy ibis flying over Eg Nun res 11:55 (SH), and an adult in field by Kenfig IND Estate at 14:30 (RJ) (Neath Saltmarsh record erroneously attributed by Birdguides), 2 great egret at Neath Saltmarsh. Also a Little stint and Hen Harrier at Weobley (LL-G)
Whiteford Point today: A juv Hobby gave awesome views perched near the hide at Cwm Ivy then later hawking from the path and at eye level from the cafe at times with a perched Osprey in same view in the dead trees. Also 21 Bar Tailed Godwit, 280 Curlew, I Whinchat, 250 Dunlin, 150 Ringed Plover, 2 Turnstone, 80 Knot, 14 Stonechat, 1 Wheatear , 40 Eider, 2 Curlew sandpiper, 15 Med pipit, 6 Chiffchaff, 2 Crossbill, 1 Whimbrel, 400 wigeon, 15 Pintail, 9 Dark Bellied Brent. Landimore : 29 Lapwing in ploughed field LLanrhidian: 1 male Marsh Harrier, 35… Read more »
the perched Hobby
another Hobby flight shot
13.45 another huge flock, this time mixed Swallows and House Martins. Also nice view of a Kingfisher hovering.
Castell Du today at 13.15 a flock of 100+ Swallows on passage.
Oxwich Marsh: firecrest, 100+ house martins and the starling roost of several hundred birds still present near the hide
some fine birding at Castell Du on this mornings high tide saw 3 Little stint , 1 Curlew sandpiper, 1 Spotted redshank , 19 Redshank, 4 Greenshank , 16 Dunlin , 19 Ringed plover , 1 Goshawk, Hobby y’day . 7 Great Egret, 1 Cattle Egret . ( with Dai Herbert )
The Lesser Yellowlegs which Dai Herbert found y’day here was relocated down at Loughor forshore
Hobby over Crymlyn Bog today.
A Lesser Yellowlegs was seen at Castell du today in the morning before flying down stream when flushed by a Peregrine. One to look out for on the Lougher est the next days
1 Ruff at Blackpill this evening, long time since I’ve seen one there and equal to the number of Oystercatchers this evening!
Cetti’s Warbler handsomely singing in the pleasant sunshine near to Gateway resort along the coastal defence path midday, with Merlin overhead.
Counts from a scan of the mudflats south-west of Loughor Bridge yesterday morning included 3 Ringed Plover, 17 Dunlin, 1 Ruff, 18 Bar-tailed Godwit, 842 Black-tailed Godwit, 49 Curlew, 1 Grey Phalarope=, 727 Black-headed Gull & 31 Common Gull.