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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 Cettiās warbler.
Langland: 2 firecrest (male and unsexed bird) 3 goldcrest (very quiet on small bird front), 2 sparrowhawks chasing each other, and some large flocks of redwing and fieldfare over in the first two hours post dawn
Port Talbot Dock (per Darryl Spittle): 99 oystercatcher, 13 curlew, kingfisher and jack snipe (the latter on the pools). From late morning groups of redwing and fieldfare overhead.
Little Egrets are becoming regular visitors to the foreshore at Mumbles. This was one of four visible close to the dairy carpark early this afternoon.
The Kittiwakes have finally left the pier: not one to be seen there this morning.
There was a single GC Grebe on the water next to the pier though.
Lone Black Throated Diver diving close to shoreline near the old launch just west of Knabb Rock (2.00pm today)
At Mewslade this morning only a handful of Goldcrests ,Chiffchaffs and 2 Blackcap. A strange call just after the gate in the quarry on the right eventually showed and was a totally unexpected Cettis warbler which moved down the valley , a brilliant bird for the site. A Dartford Warbler was also found tagging along to 3 Stonechats.
Overhead passage was poor with just a handful of Siskin and Skylark.
At Weobley track a Merlin, Kingfisher,2 Kestrel, Red Kite, 1 Green sandpiper, 10 Redshank, but just 3 Golden Plover today, 400 Starling, 45 Lapwing
We get a lot of Cetti’s carrying fat at this time of year, indicating dispersal, and have caught birds ringed in south-east England, Warwickshire and Monmouthshire in October and November. Teifi RG (Ceredigion) also caught an Oxwich-ringed bird a couple of weeks ago
8 ravens and 3 buzzards over giants grave this a.m
At Middleton yesterday no sign of any Yellow Browed Warblers. In Mewslade around 15 Goldcrest and 10 Chiffchaff. No sign of the Glossy ibis at frogmoor. At Llanrhidian the dark female Hen harrier was still present. it would be interesting to see some detailed underwing shots of this bird if anyone can get them. A flock of 300 Golden Plover in the distance and a male Peregrine. I also saw 3 Great white Egret here a couple days back At Daltons Point 6 Spoonbills could be seen roosted up asleep on the Carms side. Nice big flock of Pintail and… Read more »
Buzzard fiercely mobbed by around a dozen crows along the foreshore at Oystermouth square this afternoon (3.45pm)… Disturbed a second Buzzard perched in an old oak in the grounds of Singleton Abbey (5pm)
Juvenile āļøgoosander on the River Afan in Port Talbot Town centre this afternoon.. don’t think I’ve seen one out of the water before
Report of a yellow-browed warbler at Llangennith today. SS 42204 91581 / occupy.fatigued.wipes / 51.6009 , -4.2798 (per Bird Guides)
Firecrest again on Southward Lane, Langland
Turtle dove spotted in Llangenith a week ago. Also one in pitton but on the wing so no confirmation on that
Report of a snow bunting on the foreshore by Mumbles Pier this afternoon. Bird flew across the bay. (per Paul Masters on Twitter)
2 red kites over rhos this afternoon
Both yesterday and today, there have been c40 Pied Wagtails in the Swansea city centre tesco car park in the early evening
They roost in the scrub by the little enclosed area on the edge of the car park Josh SS 65447 92582
Ah, that’s good to know. Thank you
High Pennard / Pwll du this morning: 2 firecrest (both male), 11 goldcrest, chiffchaff (all trapped and ringed). 3 lesser redpoll over and a female sparrowhawk.
some images from today, Merlin and this dark female Hen harrier on the marsh at frequenting LLanrhidian – and too the west
Out of county ….but not far a Red Backed Shrike is currently at Kenfig Pool in the area 2/3 down the path to Sker point on the western side of path.
At Middleton still 3 Yellow Browed Warblers calling every hour or so, Birds showing on the lane between the entrance to Middleton Farm and the house with non windows every hour or so. twitched by few observers Migrants here 1 Blackcap 10 Goldcrest, 2 Chiffchaff also a Red kite over very low. In the Mewslade valley today 15 Chiffchaff, 10 Goldcrest but no viz mig migrants. At Weobley track a Merlin performed lovely perching up for a preen, a rather dark adult female Hen harrier also showed very well and was seen at LLanrhidian later( P . Stephens). 1 Wheatear… Read more »
Glossy Ibis at Frogmoor this afternoon. Also 1-2 Snipe, 1 Yellowhammer calling, 1 Red Kite, 2 Buzzards and 1 Kestrel.
Hi Josh where is Frogmoor , cheers. Great bird!
On the west side of Reynoldston Ed. Rushy area at the base of Cefn Bryn.
where the woodchat was then, wow
At least two firecrests at Langland this morning. One a certain female and one a probable female. Both captured and ringed.
Low tide at Mumbles opposite Oyster Wharf: eight Little Egrets feeding.
Firecrest (male) again on Southward Lane, Langland this morning. Otherwise 1 goldcrest among the roving tit flocks. No sign of a YB warbler or even a chiffchaff.
Oxwich Ringing has unfortunately been cancelled tomorrow due to the unfavourable forecast. We will seek to reschedule it if there is an appropriate break in the weather.
Reply to Ed (probably good to leave it out there for all to see). Thanks for the info. I walked down Mewlade starting about 2pm, went to the shore then back to the woods, turned left and up throuh Middleton so must have been there at 3.15ish but it was also deado by then, the odd Chiffchaff and allowing that I can’t hear YBW any more. As you say, that corner of Gower would repay visiting at the correct time of the day.