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.
Hoopoe still outside Secret cafe this morning at 8:15 until we left at 9
It was slightly further west this afternoon (16.15), opposite the end of Brynmill Lane on the grass between the cycle path and the coastal footpath. Flew up and down into trees locally, but most of the time was feeding on the ground.
It was feeding on the edge of the beach until we left at about 7pm. Poor photo on a phone…
Continuous passage of Swallows this morning 07:15 – 08:30 over Penllergaer in a SS Easterly direction. Yesterday evening similar passage but in a more South Easterly direction. Probably slight change in wind direction/force causing change in passage direction.
Early afternoon at Limeslade over fifty Swallows flew towards Mumbles Head. All on their way south.
The Hoopoe was showing all afternoon near the Cenotaph.
Very excited to spot a Hoopoe on the grass not far from the cenotaph on the prom down Swansea Bay today at around 1pm (1st Oct 2024). It was feeding briefly on the ground but then got chased off by a crow.
The bird remains in the area this afternoon
The Kestrel previously reported this morning in Bracelet seems to have flown round to Mumbles Pier where I saw it for the second time this week…
Yellow-Browed Warbler caught and ringed amongst the continuing flood of Chiffchaffs this morning on West Cliff, Southgate.
Oxwich Marsh: firecrest, whinchat (ODG et al)
West Cliff, Southgate: yellow-browed warbler (R Dann)
Yesterday morning on Mumbles Head a bit more hoo-eet-ing (and a little song) from more Chiffchaffs than the day before, a couple of Blackcaps and the only definite migrant, a male Pied Flycatcher in winter plumage (by the blackness of the primaries, hopefully correct).
Knot numbers at Blackpill reached double figures on Monday (10!), together with 4 Bar-tailed Godwit and no Curlew or Redshank surprisingly. One lone dark-bellied Brent Goose has been hanging about there for a few days. Not much turnover, at least on morning visits.
Ian,
I’m not a ringer but I seem to remember that a ringer friend of mine told me once that it’s very difficult to sex Pied Flys in autumn, the tertial pattern tells you that this is an adult though.
Paul
Thanks Paul, no longer have a copy of Svensson if that’s still the ringers bible and most books packed to move. Good to have photos as I can use them and post for id comments.
Have you seen this Ian? I’d suggest 1cy male using these guidelines https://ringersdigiguide.ottenby.se/species/ficedula-hypoleuca/sexing-autumn/
At least 5 firecrests in Langland today, with three of these caught and ringed.
At Weobley track, 56 Brent Goose (Dark-bellied ) ,2 Cetti’s Warbler, 2 Common/Arctic Tern 46 Cormorant included the birds on the Whitford point roost,167 Curlew, 1 Dunlin ,6 Gadwall,4 Gannet ,18 Great Black-backed Gull ,5 Great White Egret,4 Green Sandpiper , Greenshank ,2 Greylag Goose ,140 Herring Gull ,6 Lapwing 2 Lesser Black-backed Gull (intermedius) (Larus fuscus intermedius) 2 Adults /3 CY with 5 Graellsii LBB and GBB gUlls for comparison. 50 Linnet, ,44 Little Egret,1 Marsh Harrier – juv bird,20 Meadow Pipit, ,1 Mediterranean Gull,1 Peregrine,220 Pintail, 10 Redshank , 1 Sandwich Tern 98 Shelduck, 4 Snipe,1 Sparrowhawk 140 Swallow flew east, 1 Water Rail heard calling,2 Wheatear,2 Whimbrel ,178 Wigeon, 1 Yellow Wagtail,1 Yellow-legged Gull Off Port Eynon 5 Arctic Skua watched following a feeding gannet flock on a shoal for over an hour flying between Oxwich point and Port Eynon point. 5 individuals present in that hour chasing the seabirds distantly… Read more »
Llanrhidian Marsh late afternoon.
A small, lightweight, ringtail harrier being mobbed by Crows then spending a deal of time on the deck. Although rather distant and often against the light, the long, thin tail, uniform dark upper parts, dark under secondaries, wing tip showing four primary feathers and weak head pattern all suggest an adult female Pallid Harrier. Also present a female type Marsh Harrier, quite pristine so probably a juvenile, 9 G W Egrets and two Whinchat.