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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 few bits from the last few days.
26/02
Castell Du
Teal 28, Wigeon 223, LBBG 51, HG 63, C’n Gull 47, Snipe 2, M Harrier 1 fem type Baikal Teal 1 drake looking rather fine in it’s new clothes.
28/02 afternoon
South of Loughor Bdg no sign of BN Grebe
Dalton’s Point
C’n Scoter 7 drakes, Oystercatcher 205 roosting on salt marsh, Spoonbill 3, GC Grebe10
Llanrhidian marsh Merlin 1 brown bird, Hen Harrier 1 rt, SE Owl 1, GW Egret 1
Black headed gulls coming into breeding plumage now.
Tuesday 24th Llanrhidian p.m. 2 Fem Marsh Harriers seen
At one point, one was settled on a bush and was being mobbed by the other. Likely Pallld Harrier seen at distance perched on a post past the Sewerage Works towards dusk.Mistle Thrush, Goldfinch, many Stone Chats, Buzzard, Red Kite and Kestrel also seen.Best was a male pheasant ambling slowly up the grass verge alongside the road towards us before gracefully crossing the road about 2 metres away.
Tawny Owl heard calling at 7.30pm yesterday in West Cross Lane/ Bellevue area
South of Loughor Bridge this morning on the HT
BN Grebe 1, Curlew 8 also Chiffchaff in song in our Gorseinon garden.
Two dippers in the tidal stream by the marsh road bridge between Gowerton and Lougher. Never seen them at this location before.
Joel,
they are regular there in winter, certainly for the last ten years, but they can be elusive, they’re usually well up stream from the bridge, up past the railway bridge. Also Goosander, Little Grebe and Kingfisher seen there.
Oh yeah, great. Thanks Paul. 👍
22nd February: 1 Blackcap singing at Southgate by golf course.
At least 150 Common Gulls in field to east of Souhgate and a couple of Stock Doves also.
Some of the pines used by Rooks at the rookery at Pennard Shirecombe (just off Bendrick Drive) have been cut down as there’s a new development there. Very few rooks subsequently in the remaining trees, especially compared to 1 month ago
Llanrhidian Marsh: It was fascinating to watch the Pallid Harrier associate with a hunting Short-eared Owl this evening, this ‘pairing’ lasting for quite some time. I’ve seen Merlins doing this occasionally with Hen Harriers, typically zig-zagging behind them to catch whatever the harrier puts up, but to see the Pallid-Short-eared Owl combo was quaite a different take on ‘The Flush-Pursue Strategy’. Other birds of note included singles of Hen and Marsh Harriers, plus a Black-necked Grebe off Salthouse Point.
Commensalism – an association between two organisms in which one benefits and the other derives neither benefit nor harm
Very interesting observations, Barry. Out of interest, did it appear to be the Pallid Harrier following the SEO, or the other way round? In my experience of watching Hen Harriers and Short-eared Owls at Llanrhidian Marsh, SEO seems to be a very successful hunter, staying down regularly after each drop on prey, presumably reflecting a successful catch. Whereas Hen Harriers often comes straight back up, presumably reflecting a failed catch. A very sweeping generalisation, I know. There is also the question of what their main prey items are. Apparently voles form a large part of SEO diet. Whereas Hen Harrier… Read more »
Looked very much like the harrier was shadowing the owl
Blackcaps singing now. One at Brandy Cove 17th Feb, two in Nicholaston Woods 20/2 and another west side of Threecliffs Bay 21/02/26.
Llanhidrian Tuesday 17th Feb pallid harrier at 1.15 pm then again 4pm(reedbeds below Weobley castle) also 2 grey white egrets and female marsh harrier.green sandpiper flew from the area congregated by 28 little egrets.also peregrine and red kite
Cwm Clydach. Dipper working it’s way upstream above the footbridge
A pair of marsh tit visiting on site feeders, killay marsh 6 February
A pair of Stonechat on the horse grazed fields next to the old Killay Brickpit. Also 3 starling, 5 goldfinch and a meadow pipit.
9 fieldfare, 2 mistle thrush and 1 redwing at Dunvant Rugby Club earlier this afternoon.
Over last few weeks whenever cycle along river banks lower tawe between Morriston and Morfa there’s at least 3 goosander together – 1 m 2 f
Has been another make present on occasion
Firecrest in garden castle street mumbles. Spending it’s time calling and feeding in large dense bush – was sweet as could hear its short fast wingbeats as it popped around – reminded me of seeing one Kidwelly quay a few years ago so close and hovering so intricately around the branches a few feet away
At least two stock dove calling in Clyne Gardens this afternoon – and then a pair seen mating high up in one of the oak trees at the top of the park.
Firecrest, Chough, Blackcap and Skylark on Langland Golf Course yesterday (11th Feb) p.m.
Elizabeth Tooth, if you scroll down a bit you will see that you can report colour ring sightings directly to Gower Ringing Group. This would be very helpful for the member of our group who colour rings Jackdaws. Thanks
Red kite being harassed by a Jackdaw over the lower Clyne Valley at 1pm today.
Female Marsh Harrier hunting over Llanrhidian Marsh this morning and hundreds of Lapwing futher out on the Green
Today we saw jackdaws with ringed legs gathered at Southgate. One had a thin yellow ring on its right leg and a thick yellow one on the left.
Later at Cliff Acre cottage, we saw a jackdaw with a thick silver ring on its left leg. Both were in groups of jackdaws without rings.
At the Loughor foreshore there was a nice male Merlin sitting on a grass bank where the Lesser Yellowlegs had been in the autumn i.e. a long way off, hence the poor quality record shot.
Pushing my luck I went to Castell Ddu which reminded me why I’d never gone back after my one visit some years ago. No sign of the Baikal Teal but it was recorded later so hope the guy from Blaenavon saw it.
The tide dropped very quickly and at Penclawdd the Greenshank and a Common Sandpiper were working the pill as usual.