GRC Blog


Welcome to the GRC Recorders pages. This blog provides details on all the relevant news of Glamorgan’s scarcer birds, plus all BBRC & WRP decisions that affect us locally. It will also be used to document the status and occurrence of these scarcer species and we welcome contributions from anyone with photographs, artwork or documentation of rarities past, present and future. The GRC also welcomes all seawatching news from around Glamorgan and news of passage migrants in spring & autumn, uncommon birds in our area and unusual behaviour.


All visitors are welcome. You must first register by sending an email to GlamRC@gmail.com before you can contribute. An invite will be sent to your email address. Blog content will be strictly moderated. Access to pages and downloads are available to everyone. All photographs on this blog remain the property of the originator.
If you would like to use photos, please arrange permission beforehand.


The Glamorgan Rarities Committee, in conjunction with the Glamorgan Bird Club & Gower Wildlife , have agreed to co-operate with the Welsh Ornithological Society in the sharing of bird records & photographs in the interest of keeping accurate records and to promote birdwatching in North, Mid & South Wales.

Thursday 6 February 2014

Late News - storm driven Razorbill in Baglan

I took a phone call yesterday afternoon from Phil George who let me know he had been somewhat surprised by a Razorbill that nearly hit him on the head, while out walking the dog. Phil described how he was in the local park at Baglan when a crashing sound coming from an Ivy covered tree preceded a large bird falling to the ground near him. Phil was expecting it to be a Sparrowhawk with a kill and so when confronted with a Razorbill looking back at him things became a little bit surreal! However, Phil had good presence of mind to pick the bird up and take it home, where he put it in a box in the garage.
Later on I visited to find the bird in good health. Alert, aggressive and flapping its wings like crazy; I decided it would be best to get the bird back to sea quickly. I took it to Aberavon Beach and released it into the Afan River where the Harbour Short-arm was providing some protection from the still strong winds. It dived 3 times before flying out strongly, low over the water and beyond the harbour breakwater.
As some reward an Ad Little Gull was showing well in the small bay between the Afan River and Jackstones Pier. The Little Gull was still present this afternoon on the Aberavon beach side of the pier, seen by T Tovey and R Anderson.

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