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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.
This morning at Rhossili a superb display of flying in strong wind from a Peregrine; and a Kestrel. This PM three Buzzards at Hambury Wood and at North Hill Tor another Peregrine. On Llanrhidian marsh a Marsh Harrier, a third Peregrine and two Ospreys.
From the marsh road at Llanrhidian (am): 1 Osprey, very distant toward the dunes; 2 Marsh Harrier, 1 female plus 1 female/juv; 1 female Sparrowhawk; 1 adult Hobby (my first this year), at 10.55.
Can only see 1 Osprey this morning, standing on a post tearing a fish apart with 2 corvids at the base hoping for scraps
There are 3 Ospreys this morning on posts on the marsh
On Saturday at Rhossili we had the GOS walk with 12 members attending -checking out the vile and coastal path area. We had lovely views of Chough and several Kestrels, Sparrowhawk, 10 Gannets sheltering behind the worm and a obliging mixed flock of 150 Goldfinch and Linnet. Other Migrants were sparse not helped by the windy southerly- but a great walk. At Port Eynon in the pm :45 Gannet, 1 Little Tern and 1 Black Tern ( both flew west), 3 Cmn Scoter, 1 Razorbill , 180 Sandwich tern, 185 Med Gull, 35 Sanderling, 1 Bar Tailed Godwit, 8 Dunlin… Read more »
The Marsh Harrier with some GBB Gulls
From Mumbles Pier. Incredible views of a solitary sandwich tern fishing between Mumbles Pier and Middle Head, often passing over the Pier for close views. Also 16 Turnstone on the old lifeboat house.
Only seen 1 Osprey today, watched it catch a fish and return to its favourite post. Not the best of days for looking
3 sandwich tern on the beach at Blackpill at high tide this morning, with 2 little tern fishing offshore and then joining the mixed waders flock on the shoreline later. At least 180 ringed plover, plus 100 dunlin, 75 sanderling, 20 knot, 5 turnstone, 16 oystercatcher, 5 barwit, 3 curlew sands and a solitary grey plover still in breeding plumage.
Tens of House Martin overhead at Clydach this morning. Migration.
Bonaparte’s gull and Baird’s sandpiper at Blackpill last night (Tate Lloyd) with the sandpiper present again this morning
Oxwich Marsh last night a good starling murmuration and several hundred swallows with smaller numbers of sand martin . Sedge warbler still.
Hobby seen flying westbound along West Cliff, Southgate at 14:30 today.
First big movement of Meadow Pipits noted along the cliff here this morning with several caught and ringed in the garden. Very few wagtails moving today though. Blackcaps and the odd Willow Warbler were present in the scrub.
A juvenile Wheatear was caught and ringed in my garden earlier, a first for the site.
3 Osprey on posts/fishing on Llanrhidian marsh this morning
There’s a bit of a haze over the marsh today but I’m pretty sure there are 3 Opreys on posts.
Baird’s sandpiper at Blackpill this morning and again this evening. Also a first winter curlew sandpiper, good numbers of sanderling, dunlin and ringed plover and smaller numbers of bar-tailed godwit, knot and turnstone.
Photos taken by Barry Stewart are below.
And reminders that we have our first online talk of the autumn tonight. See: https://www.gowerbirds.org.uk/event/conservation-of-birds-that-cross-continents-and-cultures/ and that our annual photography competition deadline is the end of the month. Details opposite —–>>.
Pretty sure I just saw 2 Fieldfare at Ashley Road. Seems early though?
Very likely mistle thrush Anna. Post breeding flocks are often present there. They can look quite grey. Wouldn’t be expecting fieldfare as yet.
2 Ospreys on posts at 16.30 on Llanrhidian marsh
A Baird’s sandpiper found by Tate Lloyd at Blackpill yesterday. Also a putative Caspian gull there.
Our first talk of the autumn / winter is this Wednesday, and it should be a good one: https://www.gowerbirds.org.uk/event/conservation-of-birds-that-cross-continents-and-cultures/
Raptors on Llanrhidian marsh this morning, 2 Osprey, female Marsh Harrier, Kestrel, Merlin, Buzzard and Red Kite
Llanridian Marsh mid to late afternoon today: 3 Osprey, 2 Kestrel, Marsh Harrier, Peregrine and Whinchat.
Whitford Point, from about 11am until 2.30pm. Marsh harrier hunting over the marsh – the little egrets alerted me with their calling, all standing straight up scanning the skies. (There were about 10-12 little egrets dotted around.) Shortly after the harrier went to ground with a kill a peregrine falcon overflew from the marsh towards the trees on the edge of the marsh, egrets all alert again. Oystercatcher and ringed plover out towards the lighthouse, curlew (100+) on a diminishing island as the tide came in, along with a handful of whimbrel, some black tailed godwit, and redshank. 20 ish… Read more »
Yes I can comfirm there are 3 on posts right now
Llanrhidian Marsh Road 07.46 this morning two Ospreys on posts with a possible third in the distance.
There are 2 Ospreys on posts this morning, not far from one another. Dai Roberts reports he saw 3 yesterday evening at about 18.30, but I can’t confirm that