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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.
Apologies for the poor photos. I think this is a juvenile peregrine? It took a sparrow and was gone before I had a chance to get a better pic. This was in Caswell around midday.
May just be wishful thinking though and maybe a sparrow hawk which is still awesome.
Langland this afternoon ā„ 9 Med gulls in amongst herrings; 1 Med at Caswell.
Six swift flying east past Pobbles and Pennard cliffs yesterday morning at about 8:50. And at least 14 past at 7.03 this morning, all flying east. Unusual to get so many along the cliff-edge.
A couple of shots by Darrel Joseph of the Peregrine activity around the local stack at Clydach.The prey in this case appears to be a Woodpigeon.(Both photo credit Darrel Joseph)
Evidence of productivity in the Oxwich reedbed with 47 reed warbler, 10 sedge warbler, 6 Cetti’s warbler and a grasshopper warbler this morning. Mostly juveniles.
Also 10 chiffchaff, 3 willow warbler and 32 chaffinch.
There were 15 Common Swift hawking above Clydach just before the rain came.Also the Peregrine very noisy on the local stack-time for the juvenile to be put through his paces.I’m sure we’ll see a few displays in the coming days much to the annoyance of the large local Jackdaw flock which now hold young birds.
A flock of 22 gulls at Rotherslade on Saturday morning 8/7 included 6 med and 4 black-headed in summer plumage. Great to see them so close and pick out the differences so clearly. Med gull is a stunning bird with jet black hood, red legs and beak. Also present a pair of bullfinches, singing whitethroat and chiffchaff and family of stonechats
There are two colour-ringed Curlew in the Burry at present that were ringed by the Herefordshire Curlew Project. One is carrying a transmitter and has lots of data points between Whiteford and WWT Llanelli – it’s been around since early June. The other (L:O, R:G/Y[code YA]) lost its transmitter and my observation in the upper section of the Burry this morning was the first time it has been reported. Chris Wells from the Curlew group kindy sent the attached images.
That should of course read Y4
Mumbles Swifts – 4 langland, 4 norton – 3 oystermouth, 1 seen going into nest on overland road , plus a couple at blackpill
Hi Matt. Please could you log it on Swift Mapper if you haven’t already, as very few records for Mumbles
More signs of post-breeding dispersal on the Loughor with a flock of 15 Little Ringed Plover yesterday and 5 Common Sandpipers today
A singing dartford warbler in full view on west Gower cliffs this morning (9.00) with his usual friend the stonechat. Also singing greater whitethroat. Other notables present including chiffchaff, raven, goldfinch, swallow, cormorant and a sighting of manx shearwater flying down-channel.
Curlew numbers starting to build in the Burry this week, with 105 at Wernffrwd this evening. Also 11 Common Gulls fresh in with a few Meds. 3 Common Sandpipers at Loughor Foreshore another sign of post breeding movement. 6 Swift feeding over the saltmarsh and Linnets starting to feed on the bonanza of grass seed.
3 common sandpipers between Knab Rock and Mumbles and 8 immaculate adult Mediterranean gulls at Rotherslade signalled the start of autumn passage for me.
Over the weekend a hummingbird hawkmoth in the garden in Langland and a singing Dartford warbler on the east Gower cliffs (location where young were noted in May – assumedly second brood due).
4 Mistle Thrush at Ashleigh Road golf course 10.00 this morning
On my feeders in Brynfield Road at 5.00pm, a great spotted woodpecker feeding sunflower hearts to its offspring: as good a breeding record as one could wish for.
Late rout of Gower eport – but not far off – 18 June 9am rhos common- grasshopper warbler reeling off side of road between crynant and ystrad
2 peregrine on the Swansea BT Tower this morning
ca.150 first brood Sand Martins were gathered on the mudflats of the Loughor at Castell-du today. Also 11 Little Ringed Plover, including 2 juvs, suggesting local breeding.
Details of forthcoming Swansea Swift Survey (July activity) are attached.
Visited several locations during the day to look for Swift activity.Rhyd y Fro (4),Pontardawe(12),Trebannws(4),Clydach(8),Mumbles(6)
Visited the house Martin colony at lan coed house llandarcy
Today nice to see 15 occupied nests some with young ready to fly
Also house sparrows,nesting in nearby buildings and a few ravens over.
I noticed today there are also a couple of house martin nests on new-build houses in adjacent Coed Darcy estate.
Weak, slow drumming of great spotted woodpecker in Tycoch – unlikely to impress any other ‘peckers with that effort! Maybe a juvenile practising?
Belated post on last weeks observations south of Loughor Bridge. On the 13th a summer plumaged Pacific Golden Plover was a new species for Glamorgan. Counts of more regular fare included 11 Bar-tailed Godwit, 525 Black-tailed Godwit, 6 Curlew, 713 Herring Gull, 4 Knot, 82 Lesser Black-backed Gull, 12 Mediterranean Gull, 1405 Oystercatcher, 1 Redshank, 26 Shelduck and 5 Whimbrel.
10 Mediterranean Gulls at Loughor Foreshore this morning. With 90+ at burry Port yesterday, safe to say it’s the start of the summer build up. I managed to read one colour-ringed bird along with a c-r Black-headed Gull. A flock of 24 Knot was a surprise, other counts included 387 Black-headed Gull, 31 Mallard, 48 Shelduck, with Mute Swan and Little Ringed Plover singletons providing extra interest on a beautiful calm morning.