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.


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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.

Saturday 18 October 2014

Kentish Plover at Crymlyn Burrows

Following a number of years dreaming of seeing a Kentish Plover at Crymlyn Burrows, today I finally got to see one for real. Clearly a late individual and some murmuring have entertained the idea of Snowy Plover! To be honest the reference material I have leaves me thinking this is a Kentish Plover, but I doubt that I could make a wholly convincing case to completely rule Snowy Plover out. Can it be done? The plumage seemed good for juvenile, not showing much dark in the broken collar. On some occasions, particularly at closer range, the bird didn't look very long-legged, however as the below photo shows it would often look very long-legged, which seems better feature for Kentish. Otherwise, my trusted Shorebirds suggests that Snowy Plover can often have pale legs, but this bird showed the dark legs that I was expecting to see.
It's not the first time a Kentish Plover has been seen at Crymlyn Burrows. Dr Bryn Richards' Bird Life of Neath and District from 1952 to 1972 has a systematic list that shows ' Rare; one record only, Jersey Marine, October 1970.' This record has no observer details.
A search of the database records shows more details relating to the 1970 record -
1 - 4th October 1970 - D.M. Hanford
Two other records that year both coming from Blackpill
3 - 17th May 1970 - P.G. Lansdown et al 
1 - 8th June 1970 - R.A. Hume  

5 comments:

Paul tabor said...

nice find mark well done

Richard G Smith said...

Great find Mark well done - they have become mega rare in Glam in recent decades. It would also be a Glam tick for me if I get to see it - yet another rare event!!

bernie b said...

good find mark,nice bird and a bit of payback for your hard patchwork
cheers bernie beck

Mark Hipkin said...

Thanks very much of the comments lads. Paul - glad you saw it. Rich - I really hope it sticks for you, this evening's tide could offer a decent chance. Bernie - great to hear from you. Hope to catch up soon.

Neil Donaghy said...

Another great find Mark and much relief that it stuck around for me to recover from illness to get it today...