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.
Flock of 12 chough flying between field and clifftop, Hunt’s Bay 3pm , Sunday 28/2/21. Also, 2 singing greenfinches between end of Hael Lane, Southgate, and edge of Bishopston Valley
Birds at Llanrhidian marsh at dusk included 9 Great White Egrets, 14 Little Egrets and 2 Grey Herons – who would have believed this ratio 20 years ago! An adult male Goshawk upset the pre-roost somewhat and the egrets didn’t actually fly into the trees until just after an hour after sunset at 18:58. Other species noted of interest that I’m anticipating sticking around to breed included Shoveler, Lapwing, Water Rail, Stock Dove, Cetti’s Warbler, Reed Bunting and a particularly frisky pair of Treecreepers, these the first I’ve seen this year.
Walk along the neath canal giants grave to metal box test driving my new hearing aids managed to hear 8 singing robins one of our resident warblers ,blackbird ,5 moorhens coot, seen were mallards,wood pigeon,collard dove carrion crow herring gulls buzzard and magpie.cant wait for for full song now I can hear again
That’s great news Terry, what perfect timing for you
Walk along Mynydd Brombil to Cwm Brombil with Phil Routliff. Bird of the day was a female Wheatear near Brombil Farm. Earliest either of us can remember. also seen- 2 Red Kites and 3 Buzzards. Echoing PD-J nice to hear Greenfinches singing,at least 2. 7 or more small tortoiseshell butterflies on the wing plus a brimstone.
This Coot was busy dragging sticks to the nest at Pwll Llys y Crëyr/Heron’s Court Pool,Swansea Vale. He got his just reward to!.Feb 27th 2021
Heard my first singing Chiffchaff of the year at Llys Nini yesterday, with support act performances by Goldcrest and Nuthatch. Our friendly Robins have been nest building for over a week and feasibly might even have laid the first egg, but don’t want to disturb them to check at this stage.
Over my garden in Manselfield this morning: 7 Buzzards (yes 7!) circling on thermals and a Red Kite few over from Clyne Common towards Caswell. (With Andrea Steele).
Walk along the River Afan between Velindre-Pwll y Glaw. 5 Dippers counted. 2 Buzzards over Mynydd Dinas, another 3 over Gwaun Afan. Woodpigeon nest building near Lletti Hari. With Phil Routliff.
Heard all too seldom, but heard this morning at the junction of Chestnut Avenue and Mulberry Avenue: greenfinch.
My first porpoise of the year was feeding off Whiteshell Point, Caswell this morning.
Also an adult shag, and the usual 3-4 rock pipit territories between Langland and Caswell now active.
Opposite Kettle Top, Penrice Home Farm, this morning and therefore in a field immediately to the north of the A4118: c70 greylags.
Med gull PHAN still at Bracelet Bay…
Six light bellied brents off the West Cross Inn Mumbles
Coed Fferm Y Garth Farm Woods,Ynystawe Sping like afternoon Goldcrest(2),Treecreeper(1),Nuthatch(5),Chiffchaff(1) feeding on fringe of the woodland. Graet Tit(8),Long Tail Tit(11),Blue Tit(8).Numerous Song Thrush and Blackbird. Canada Goose(30) overhead.
Fairwood Common this morning, north of the western end of Blackhills Lane: skylark singing. Gelli Hir Wood: spring song mistle thrush, song thrush; present blackbird robin moorhen nuthatch great tit blue tit. Garden Brynfield Road: our herring gull pair, having failed last year, may just be starting their breeding routine – washing vegetation in the bird bath. The male has come back from a leg injury last year and now exhibits a minor limp, and he flies with the right leg down.
Walk to Baglan Industrial Estate to the wet area favoured by Snipe. Only 2 found today due to the destruction,yet again of the site. 90 % of the trees and scrub,the reedbedand an area of gorse have ,just recently been razed to the ground; obviously to make the area “more attractive”to would be developers. Nothing more than environmental vandalism i`m afraid. ALittle Egret and two Dippers,one singing at the tidal Afan. With Phil Routliff.
Snipe, Teal, Little Grebe, Reed Bunting, Redwing, Siskin and Red Kite among 31 species in Swansea Vale this morning.
Med Gull among 100+ BH Gulls on Tircanol playing fields and a female Blackcap in a garden in Morriston.
Thank you Alastair-I’ll have to stretch my legs a coule of extra miles to get to the Vale.It’s been weeks since I saw a Snipe or Teal.
Blackpill: 294 oystercatcher, 9 bar-tailed godwit, 1 knot. 36 turnstone off West Cross Inn
Ashleigh Road: 96 oystercatcher, 44 curlew, 100 starling
2 green woodpeckers in the garden at Langland this morning
Margam Moors -5 Cettis`Warblers,4 Stonechats,2 Buzzards & a Great Spotted Woodpecker. Margam Sands-c340 Sanderlings. 3 or 4 Skylarks singing on Morfa Tip. Longlands Lane,Margam-11 Long -tailed Tits. With Phil Routliff.
Nuthatch busy preparing nest hole and site. It will be interesting to see when they will start plastering the entrance.Clydach 18.02.2021
8 Med gulls and mistle thrush on Langland Golf Course this morning
Eleven chough just east of Pobbles this morning, first as 5 followed by 6, then as 9 joined by 2.
Margam Park. Canada Geese 34,Cormorant 3,Tufted Duck 4,Little Grebe 1,Moorhen 10,Teal 1,Red Kite,Buzzard 3,Redwings c60.No sign of Mandarin today. With Phil Routliff.