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.
Colour ringed herring Gull visiting my garden at the moment.. Dark blue ring with 3 orange letters (JBM).. I’ve reported it to the scheme owner who is based in Worcester.. Quick reply from Severn Estuary Gull Group. the herring gull was ringed in 2010 at a landfill site in Gloucester.. Was seen almost immediately in Mumbles that Spring .. Has pretty much remained faithful to overwintering at the landfill since then.. Was seen in Newport Pembs in December 2015 before turning up on my Patio this morning… This bird is over 13 years old.. Hopefully i can attract it back… Read more »
Loughor Bridge. Oystercatcher 414, Curlew 19, Whimbrel 2, Ringed Plover 4, Dunlin 2
Penclawdd Redshank 42
Port Eynon (from Horton) Ringed Plover 22, Gannet 11 feeding off shore, Med Gull 19 adults, 14 juvs and a 1st summer. This species seems to be increasingly common here over the last couple of years, mirroring the decline at Blackpill, Common Scoter 4 west, also another flock of 20 calidrid waders roosting on Sedgers Bank but too distant to ID but possibly Sanderling.
Llanrhidian Teal 10, Green Sandpiper 10.
Dalton’s Point Bl t Godwit 11.
Castell Du Pied Wagtail 53, C’n Sand 3, Sand Martin 250
Very few Med gulls in Swansea Bay this morning – and none on the playing fields at Ashleigh Road / Sketty Lane. 65 woodpigeons at Ashleigh Road.
Mumbles Pier is open today. 36 turnstones on the slip of the old lifeboat house, and a commic tern commuting well out. Looks like a productive year for the kitts. Hopefully no bad weather for a couple of weeks.
Walked the Neath Canal from Giant`s Grave to Square Pond & Metal Box with Phil Routliff.The Mute Swan pair still have 7 cygnets near the A48 bridge,at least 5 families of Moorhens encountered;also juv.ReedWarbler,families of Chiffchaff,Whitethroat and Bullfinches. Heartening to find at least 6 pairs of Swift breeding in old chapel at Briton Ferry.Hard to find these days!!
Castelll-Du on Sunday . 6 common sandpiper of which 3 seen relatively close enough to put as juv.
1 juv ringed plover .
5 oystercatcher of which 2 looked to be well grown 1 st year birds . Not sure if any have bred locally ,
However ,2 oystercatcher have acted. as if paired up on a few occasions the last 2 years .
No sign of ringed plover breeding , so not too sure if any of the above species have bred locally or are just moving on from further north ?
1 stock dove also was nice
Norton: 9 common sandpiper in flock buzzing around the edge of the rising tide at 06:00
31 Mediterranean gulls and 35 black-headed gulls on the playing field next to Sketty Lane.
More Meds (c. 10) at West Cross.
121 oystercatchers but no other waders at Blackpill
Had 42 House Sparrows in my garden this morning all in the hedge waiting for their turn on the feeders.
Went for a late afternoon walk from home to the Neath river mouth to catch the high tide and hopefully count a few birds. 2 cormorants on the navigation lights marking the channel of the river, Numbers of birds are beginning to build at the roost opposite the old pipeline and jetty Oystercatcher 163, Curlew 45, Black-Tailed Godwit 1 still in summer plumage, Black-headed Gull 97, Herring gull 14, Lesser Black Backed Gull 2 also saw 2 adult Mediterranean Gulls with the other gulls. on the edge of the saltmarsh near the papermill were 5 Rabbits with 3 more inside… Read more »
At llandarcy village there was a flock of est 60 house sparrows with lots of juveniles ,by the farm behind the children’s playground .
Walked from Pontrhydyfen to Efail Fach and on to Cimla this a.m.with Phil Routliff. At least 4prs.of House Martins breeding at the Oakwood area of Pontrhydyfen,40+ Goldfinches,mostly juvs.near Pen Star Farm,surprised to see a Tufted Duck with 6 ducklings on a small pond at Hawdref Fawr.3 prs.of Swallows on their second broods at my daughters stable nearby. A Reed Bunting seen carrying food to nest site.
This afternoon in a private garden in Penmaen a sub-species Barn Swallow: Savignii. Hawking for insects along with Common Barn Swallows and House Martins. A strikingly different bird from the common species.