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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.
My first Swallows today In Manselfield Road. Snap taken with my phone.
A swift over my house in Briton ferry this afternoon I haven’t seen a swallow yet
At Wernffrwd at high tide Whimbrel 21+, Bar tailed Godwit 24 mainly in breeding plumage, Great Crested Grebe 5, Brent Goose 2, Gadwall 5, Wheatear 2 males 1 female and Swallow 2. Later at Welsh Moor Cuckoo 1, Grasshopper Warbler 1, Wheatear 1 female and at Penclawdd Mediterranean Gull 1 1st s and Whitethroat.
Yesterday at Penllergaer Valley Woods 37 species, the usual woodland birds plus Grasshopper Warbler 1, Garden Warbler 1, Tree Pipit 2, Dipper 2, Blackcap 21+, Chiffchaff 11+ and Willow Warbler 5+.
Forgot to add Pied Wagtail and Grey Wagtail
First Cuckoo of year this morning at 6.30am heard from garden Mill Wood.
Birds seen in/from garden yesterday :- Great Spotted and Green Woodpeckers. Nuthatch. Treecreeper. Siskin, Goldfinch, Chaffinch, Bullfinch, Mistle and Song Thrush. Blackbird, Robin, Dunnock House sparrow, Wren. Blackcap, Chiffchaff, Willow warbler. Swallow, House martin. Great Tit, Blue Tit, Coal Tit and Long Tailed Tit. Buzzard, Red Kite. Wood pigeon, Collard Dove. Moorhen, Mallard. Jay, Magpie, Crow, Jackdaw, Raven. Pheasant. Not bad tally for one day during lockdown.
Brillant to see Wood Warblers back today -4 males seen with 2 females in just a 1/2 mile stretch of woodland near Glynneah- lots of song and calling. Also Ring Ousel a female through over Glynneath and dropped toward building site was brilliant garden tick. 2 Red Kites also seemed migrants . On the river yesterday a Common Sand seen in display and also a Kingfisher nest found – so great few days.
Yesterday, Monday, I had a handful of peanuts for my herring gull pair mid-afternoon. Until I ran out of patience, I stood on the patch of grass in front of our potting shed throwing peanuts singly. The gulls stood two meters from me (you can’t fault them) and caught each thrown peanut. The speed of their reactions was impressive, male and female. The male in particular caught peanuts on the full toss, and – failing that – in the air after one erratic and unpredictable bounce. Both birds contested each peanut. At one point their beaks closed simultaneously on a… Read more »
On my local walk today in Crynant I walked a forestry track that I hadn’t done for a while. In an area of old clear fell with rushes, small willow and birch bushes, I saw Tree pipit, Meadow pipit, my first Whitethroat of the spring and 2 Linnets besides the usual Willow warblers, Chiff chaffs etc. Last week I had 2 Crossbills and a Tree pipit on 12th and 2 Swallows over the fish ponds on the other side of the valley on 16th. There was also a House martin on the edge of the pond presumably collecting mud.
Last night over Glynneath several Whimbrel were heard calling at around 11.15pm as they flew through. Also a Barn Owl calling which has been a regular on most evenings recently but I am still yet to see it. This morning a Cuckoo could be heard calling from the hillside opposite the house also a Greenfinch in song – up to 4 recently which is the most here for a long time. A pair of Goosanders are frequenting the river with several pairs of Dippers and unfortunately this Mink is in residence A few days a go I found 4 Palmate… Read more »
Report from Richard Dann of both a common dolphin and a turtle species in the inshore waters off Pennard / Pobbles today
Langland to Caswell and back through Bishop’s Wood lockdown walk:
Coast: nice to see a male kestrel foraging at Whiteshell Point. Also linnets and whitethroat on Newton Cliff and two grey seals (f) in the inshore waters. Lots of early purple orchids close to the path
Wood: great to record a marsh tit near the round house, my first in there for some time. Other birds included nuthatch, blackcap, chiffchaff and great spotted woodpecker. Also brimstone (3), orange tip (3+) and holly blue.