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.
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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.

Friday 18 April 2014

Franklin's Gull at Crofty

At 7:30 this evening a 2cy Franklin’s Gull flew across from Penclacwydd and landed in the middle of the estuary on the incoming tide. I then met up with Rob Taylor at Dalton’s Point where we quickly relocated the bird, but it took off almost immediately and went round the corner towards Wernffrwd. From the church Rob eventually relocated the bird on the edge of the marsh and Neil Edwards, Mark Hipkin & Rob Jones managed to see the bird in before the light faded. It was last seen flying back up the estuary with a small group of Black-heads around 8:30 – bit of mad hour - well done Mark and Rob for getting there so quickly!

Assuming it’s there tomorrow it’s likely to be with the Black-heads, so could be anywhere in the upper section of the estuary between Loughor Bridge and Wernffrwd, or at WWT where most of the Black-heads commute to and from. The light will be excellent for the first few hours, but the haze will make things very difficult from about 10 onwards. I have the usual rubbish record shots which I’ll post later, assuming I don’t fall asleep in the bath with my bottle of wine…fingers crossed for tomorrow.

I make no excuses for the photos (video grabs) - the bird was 1.1km away and the sun had set - sometimes that's just the way it is!

2 comments:

Mark Hipkin said...

Stunning stuff Barry. A great find in any case, but given the distance and light conditions you must have faced at first sighting even more so. Many thanks to you, Rob T and Neil E for keeping track of it till I and a little later Rob J got there. Hopefully better views for everyone tomorrow.

DRWG said...

Well done Barry, a really nice find. The year of the Gull continues. Also well done to all those that got there to see it too. A very good Glamorgan tick for all.