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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.
Another very successful field trip today, this time to Kenfig attended by 20 folk in glorious sunshine. We recorded 32 species including Golden Plover, Scaup and Snow Bunting! Thanks again to Ed Hunter for his expert leadership. Next month to Whiteford, so do put it in your diary…
300 m East of Rotherslade: black redstart on the rock shelf at ‘Mulch’ SS 61294 87122. Access from coast path via a broken concrete slip covering a pipe – hard going. Also kestrel.
Oxwich Marsh: Bittern flew towards South Pond early AM.
200+ common snipe (substantial influx), 4+ jack snipe, Siberian chiffchaff among c. 4 chiffchaff, sparrowhawk (1w male), brambling (male), red kite.
2 winter plumage great crested grebes close in at Knab Rock
Red-throated diver approx 300 m west of Limeslade this morning. Sat on sea.
Dartford warblers (2) between Limeslade and Rotherslade. After numerous (30+) sightings of them along this stretch in 2020, I have really struggled for them this year.
3 great crested grebe on the sea around Knab Rock
c40 geese flying south or south-west over the western end of Cefn Bryn: 0735 today.
Tears Point
First (overdue) Black Redstart of the autumn, female type. Sunflower fields on the Vile, Ringtail Harrier last seen heading due south over the sea. On 13th 1 Swallow S of Rhosili.
Latest news from Gower Ringing Group is here: https://www.gowerbirds.org.uk/gower-ringing-group-late-october-early-november-a-group-first-a-group-second-and-the-one-that-got-away/
Caswell to Langland this morning: brambling over the golf course, chough calling in flight over Caswell Bay (flying west) and a Dartford warbler with the stonechats, meadow pipits, wrens and dunnocks on the coastal escarpment near Whiteshell Point.
Dipper at Penllegaer Woods today
Oxwich nature reserve this morning, we saw a wren, a mistle thrush, five robins, a mixed group of around 50 goldfinches and chaffinches, and some sort of gamebird with a short tail.
This afternoon gelli hir woods, 4 great tits, 2 blue tits, 2 coal tits, a nuthatch, a dunnock, a blackbird, and a jay.
At least 5 jack snipe with 40+ common snipe at Oxwich Marsh this morning.
Brambling present. Several chiffchaff. Fieldfare.
Red kite over the marsh around midday, which remains notable for the site despite the increased numbers of birds in South Gower
Broad Pool this morning, three Greylags a four Mallards and this Snipe looking out from the grass.
Black Headed Gull at Knab Rock this morning with ring T550.
Hi Stephen. What was the colour of the ring please? (I assume black lettering – please say if not)
A few sightings from Pennard Cliffs made on 10 November 2021 – single Swallow seen flying over West Cliff, followed soon after by the first Fieldfare sighting here ( 2 individuals). Around 50 Redwings seen after dawn in small groups. A few Skylarks continue to move overhead daily. There is an unusually large number of Blackbirds and Song Thrushes still present here on the cliffs. A group of 11 Choughs were seen late afternoon heading towards East Cliff. No sign of the Little Bunting.
Nov 7th, 195 pintail off promenade Penclawdd, in water and on mudbank 10.30am. Female Dartford warbler, Cefn Bryn near Three Cliffs Nursing Home.
I caught and ringed a a Little Bunting in my garden on Pennard Cliffs this morning. It was the last bird of an otherwise very disappointing ringing session.
Kestrel hovering by Motte& Bailey, Castell Du, Pontardulais 1pm today. First one I`ve seen in the area for along while.
150+ Wigeon and 10 Greylag geese on Berthlwyd marsh this morning @09:00
Oxwich Marsh this morning: jack snipe, 20+ goldcrests, 3+ chiffchaff, brambling
This morning three Great Crested Grebes between Mumbles and Knab Rock. This afternoon three Little Grebes on upper lake, Penllergare.
A male Dartford Warbler was at Tear’s Point, Rhossili this morning. 3 Chiffchaffs and a Blackcap were seen around Mewslade. Passage included 50+ Bramblings amongst good numbers of Chaffinches heading west
0845 Wednesday: two little grebes on Broad Pool. They surfaced just alongside the road as I drove past. (At sunrise I could hear geese on Broad Pool but not see them because of mist.)
Black redstart at Southgate this afternoon, East Cliff . Hopping about on rooftop pestered by a pied wagtail.