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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.
Today at Rhossili Out on the Outer Head: 10 Gannet, 40 Guillemot, 4 Razorbill, 30 auk spp, 7 Dark Bellied Brent, 4 Light bellied Brent, 1 Red Throated Diver, 20 Common Scoter, 12 Cormorant, 5 Shag, 2 Little Egret. Mainland Head area; 1 Hen Harrier a ringtail left Rhossili Down at dawn and flew east across the Vile, 3 Chough, 1 IMM Great Northern Diver off Kitchen corner, 11 Stock Dove were migrants. The tame male Kestrel was still present on posts showing down to 4m… but always into the sun. still very low numbers of Finchs on the Vile.… Read more »
A count of Great Crested Grebes around Baglan/Swansea Bay this afternoon produced 91 off Aberavon, 76 off Crymlyn Burrows and 37 off Blackpill. There were also 4 Red-throated Divers off Crymlyn Burrows and a further 3 off Blackpill. Only other birds of note were 2(imm) Mute Swans & 5 Common Scoter in Swansea Bay and c10 Bar-tailed Godwits with the Oystercatchers at Blackpill before the incoming tide and dog walkers saw them head off in the direction of Baglan Bay
Kestrel hunting over Clyne Common late this morning.
An afternoon watch over Llanrhidian Marsh was slow to get going but then produced the goods. A sub-adult (prob 3cy) male Hen Harrier was seen hunting with an adult male Hen Harrier. There were also 2 fem-type Marsh Harriers. Also over the marsh were 3+ Great White Egrets, 60+ Little Egrets and 3+ Green Sandpipers. Later, just after dusk, a Woodcock was seen flying over the North Gower Road near the Kennels just outside Crofty
Thanks to whoever posted a YBW in St James’ Gardens Swansea yesterday on Birdguides I saw a Firecrest there this morning (but no YBW to avoid any confusion).
Decent flocks of redwing and fieldfare Round 30 of each high over rotherslade heading towards mumbles hill. Yesterday 4pm
11th Nov: Cefn Bryn; 16 ravens in loose groups flying up and down the crest of the east part of the hill, calling to each other and some aerobatics, the most I have ever seen at one time. Also, red kite, buzzard, three separate Dartford warblers (one south side, two north side near track), groups of siskin crossing overhead.
High tide watching at Crofty earlier today. Plenty around (44 species). Many of the usual suspects for this time of year, highlights being: single male Hen Harrier, Red Kite (1), Green Sandpiper (1), Brent Geese (c35), Great White Egret (3), male Blackcap (1), Chiffchaff (1), Reed Bunting (2), Goldcrest (c6). c8 Great Crested Grebe out in the estuary, and 8 Spoonbills visible on the northern bank (outside the Gower recording area). Good numbers of commoner species including Little Egret, Redshank, Dunlin, Curlew, Oystercatcher, Shelduck, Shoveler, Pintail, Wigeon, Linnet and Goldfinch.
At Rhossili Head over the last days 3 Black Redstarts ( Frank Ryan)were seen and also a Show bunting was near the toilets at the Car park feeding by the lavender pots. ( Mark Hipkin) No sign from 11am. Also a ringtail Hen Harrier was seen on Rhossili Down yesterday I was told by visiting birder Today I saw in the afternoon a 1 Firecrest (a ringed bird ) at Middleton farm and the late afternoon another un-ringed Firecrest with a Yellow Browed Warbler in the sycamores outside Bramwwod in Pitton (which is up by the Pitton Water Treatment works.-… Read more »
Buzzard, that’s been feeding on the old rugby field in Crynant, for some days.
Tawe rivermouth this morning: 1 Black Redstart and 1 Kingfisher.
Red Kite over Clyne Common this lunchtime.