Rhaslas

A nice passage of three Black-tailed Godwits at Rhaslas Pond today photographed by Mike Hogan. This threatened upland water just keeps turning up excellent records of passage waders for north Glamorgan.

News

BBRC have accepted the Black-headed Bunting Gower 2012. The VC41 List now stands at 332.
Also accepted was the Long-billed Dowitcher at Dalton's Pt. [Gower] 2nd VC41 record and first since 1989 Cardiff bird.

Whooper Swan in Cardiff Bay

Couple of record shots of the Whooper Swan that has been present since 9th July in Cardiff Bay. Still present 1st Aug. [GP]

This is the first record in Cardiff since Nov 2007, the 13th overall for Cardiff & the first ever in July for East Glamorgan.

Kenfig Saltmarsh

(c) R. Jones

Rob sent in this record shot of the Wood Sandpiper [?] at Kenfig Saltmarsh. Not long after this shot was taken the Highland Cattles claimed the scrapes for their own, with no prisoners! Prior to that Rob noted Lapwings, Ruff (2), Little Ringer Plover and Snipe.

The waders were feeding/sleeping close to main reedbed and therefore inside the NPT boundary. These 2 species take Rob to 167 for the year in NPT and past the total I set in 2010. Congratulations to Rob on passing my total. There are still a few regularly recorded species from the area which should turn up this autumn/winter not to mention some irregularly recorded resident species still waiting to be ticked off, making a final total above 180 certainly within his grasp.

Cardiff Heliport

2 Avocet, Bar-tailed Godwit, Whimbrel, 5 Med Gulls.

Kenfig Rivermarsh

Water levels have dropped here over the last week exposing a lot of mud and is already attracting the first passage waders of the autumn including 1 Greenshank, 1 Green Sandpiper, 1 Snipe, 3 Redshank and 27 Lapwing. There were also 2 returning Sanderling on the beach too.

Kenfig Industrial estate

My tea-break list  at RPC, increased again today with a Hobby seen perching on the Pylons and hunting passerines as they flew by. Cetti's Warbler in the scrub on the edge of the factory as well as 2 male Whitethroat and a Chiffchaff.

Turtle Dove in Llantrisant

A Turtle Dove was seen & photographed in a Llantrisant Garden by Sandra Stroud. The bird was ringed with a yellow band on left leg & a blue band on the right. The bird was present 3rd, 4th & 5th July.

(c) Sandra Stroud

Protection of Bird Species for the City of Cardiff - Edwardian Style

Above is a list which was published in the Transactions of the Cardiff Naturalists' Society Vol. XLIII 1910, setting out which species of birds were to be protected by law. The old names are excellent: Cuckoo's Mate for Wryneck, Fern Owl for Nightjar and Cirl Bunting a breeding species - now Welsh tick for most!

Late news [photo]

A record shot of the Hoopoe at Danescourt, Radyr on May 12th this year taken by Helen Daniel from her patio window. Nice garden tick.

Goodbye to Joek

Joek Roex is leaving Glamorgan to go back to his home in the Netherlands. Joek has been a member of the editorial committee of the EGBR and has for the last three years been the editor of the GBC Newsletter. He has also contributed to the local birding scene with many excellent records. I, as CR, and all at the GRC & GBC, wish him all the best for the future and thank him for his contributions to Glamorgan birding.