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.
Fenrod lake
41 mute swan ,12 tufted duck,20+ Canada geese,a great crested grebe,4 chiff chaff,wood pigeon magpies,moorhens and coots.
Willow warbler calling this morning in centre of mumbles (unusual) -dunns lane, just by microlot
Nice to see a flock of 75 Turnstones on Swansea Beach by the Marina this afternoon.
Five Brent Geese in Swansea Bay off Blackpill at midday today, hanging out on the fringe of a flock of 190 Oystercatcher and 4 Curlew.
Saw a single Swallow around the barns at Kittle egg farm today.
Several swallows over Crymlyn Bog this morning.
Late morning Monday: a blackbird carrying food. Early to be feeding young, surely. At Penrice: two male pheasants fighting.
Blackbirds were nest building in our garden 3 weeks back, so not surprised they’re feeding young with you 👍
My first sand Martin’s of year at Swansea vale today
Rhossil today over to Mewslade. Sightings include Chough, Common Scoter (approx 10 birds), Wheatear pair, Linnets, Stonechats, Meadow Pipits, Dunnocks & Red Kite. In Mewslade valley Green Woodpecker, Hen Pheasant, Kestrel and many Chiffchaff. No Fulmars nesting yet east of Fall Bay.
Cardiff Naturalists’ Society published a book: “ The Birds of Glamorgan” in 1967. This entry describes possibly the last time White Tailed Sea Eagle were reported locally.
Hurford & Lansdown “Birds of Glamorgan” (1995) also reported on records in 1840 and 1848 but give no further details other than “the species was occurring more rarely by 1848. There was no record subsequent to 1859.”
The weather was kind to us for the GOS field trip to Margam today. 39 species recorded, including bird of the day Treecreeper prospecting for a nest and the Chiffchaffs have arrived.
Collared Dove Stock Dove Wood Pigeon Mandarin Duck Tufted Duck Gold Finch Canada Goose Black Headed Gull Herring Gull Lesser Black Backed Gull Grey Heron Red Kite House Sparrow Mistle Thrush Song Thrush Blue Tit Great Tit Long Tailed Tit Pied Wagtail Great Spotted Woodpecker Green Woodpecker Blackbird Buzzard Carion Crow Chaffinch Chiffchaff Dunnock Goldcrest Jackdaw Magpie Mallard Moorhen Nuthatch Raven Robin Siskin Starling Treecreeper Wren
Great walk at Margam this morning, came home to this fella in my Manselfield garden
Super photo Liz.
Was told that a white tailed sea eagle sailed over Gower yesterday and on to pembrey sands and Carmarthen bay!
Yes-a young tagged(G487) individual part of the Isle of Wight “re-introduction” project.
My husband and I were walking along the cliff top overlooking Rhossili beach and along the edge I saw a Wheatear, several times.
Walk to river Neath estuary this morning, 7 Little egrets, 2 Lapwings, singing Skylark and numerous gulls. Report of Sand martins in Crynant this morning at the breeding colony.
Chiffchaff singing in Tycoch today.
A reminder that tonight we have a Zoom talk entitled “Things which go “tseep” in the night”. This will be delivered by Dr. Simon Gillings of the BTO, and concerns night migration of birds and how we can record it.
To register go to this page: https://www.gowerbirds.org.uk/event/things-that-go-tseep-in-the-night/
Oxwich this morning on the high tide: 2 kingfishers commuted across the bay, 2 Sandwich tern feeding offshre, 5 great crested grebe, 31 oystercatchers at high tide roost near the Pill. As others have noted, there has been an obvious influx of chiffchaffs over the past two days.
a good lookalike for Siberian Chiffchaff was in the garden this morning . brief views for 5 mins before leaving for work . didn’t hear it call . looked good plumage -wise .
a water pipit attaining spring plumage was at Castell Du on saturday , 75 Wigeon and 6 Shoveler ( unusual here)
At least four chiffchaff singing(?) on the cliffs at Southgate yesterday. And probably chiffchaff in garden, though it was silent so I can’t be sure.
Chiffchaff yesterday Saturday 18 march calling from bottom of clyne woods towards carpark
Yesterday 2 pairs of goosanders at the confluence of the Dulais and Neath rivers, Aberdulais. Pair of Dippers on the Dulais and a pair further upstream on the Neath. No sign of Sand martins.
Yesterday mumbles hill – 2 blackcap, plus my first chiffchaff of year – singing and dancing around in trees overlooking the village. – 30 kittiwakes on mumbles pier
Sparrowhawk chasing a robin in Langland garden this afternoon