Ospreys at Wernffrwd

© Peter Smith

 Since first report by Barry Stewart in evening 28th August one or two Ospreys have been frequenting the post w/o Wernffrwd, Llanrhidian Marsh. Peter Smith has kindly provided a couple of cracking record shots from 29th Aug. Two birds still present early afternoon today (AH).

© Peter Smith

Also in the area a Marsh Harrier is being seen frequently over the same period. Nearby 2 male Hen Harriers were seen in a field near Landimore on 27th Aug . Initially at rest together before one bird flew off (RPr)

Fendrod Lake - Swansea

Couple of pictures taken in the rain this afternoon of the juvenile Black tern found by Alastair Flannagan

Marsh Harrier at Rhaslas

Marsh Harrier at Rhaslas Pond found by Mike Hogan. Present for 2 days (27th & 28th Aug.).

Marsh Harrier at KNNR

The wing-tagged Marsh Harrier at Kenfig on 20th Aug. This bird was ringed & tagged (Green P4) on 7th June 2015 near Great Yarmouth, Norfolk (info per Phil Litter, Hawk & Owl Trust). It was sexed as a female from a clutch of 3, the other two being males. The photo was taken by Howard Rhys Saunders, to which the GRC thanks.

Wood Sandpiper at Llanilid

This juvenile Wood Sandpiper, found by Alun Hughes, graced the main (studio) pool at Llanilid this evening.

Gull at Cosmeston

Lol Middleton had an interesting gull on Cosmeston E lake this morning which at first sight seemed to show characteristics of Caspian Gull. The back is rather dark so there would seem to be a possibility of YLG. These are Lol's 2 pix which are far better than the ones I have posted on GBC and SWB Facebook as it was distant by the time I got there. Any thoughts?

Rose Colored Starling - Aberavon Sea front 3/8/15

Rosy Starling sighting Map

Just a few known sighting locations for the Rosy Starling since its arrival in Aberavon. Early days in what might become a prolonged stay, the clusters suggest Jersey Court and the roundabout next to Texaco garage along The Princess Margaret Way are the best bets to try for this bird. It was seen to drop behind houses, into gardens, just across the road (east) from the petrol station early afternoon yesterday and was out of sight for some time. It can be surprisingly elusive around here when not feeding on the grassy areas in the vicinity of the roundabout.
Today, the bird was seen feeding on the roundabout at 11:20 by MCP.

Rosy Starling at Aberavon

The adult Rosy Starling performed well for a number of birders at Aberavon, today. It was seen at around 6pm, yesterday, by Bob Anderson et al along the Wales Coast Path next to the playing fields, between the mouth of the River Afan and first footbridge. This morning a check in that area returned only handfuls of Starlings moving from house to house, and dropping out of site into gardens. However, 500m away at Jersey Quay a decent flock of Common Starlings were gathered on the rooftops of the flats, congregating out of the wind on the sheltered sides of the roofs, occasionally dropping down to feed in the courtyard. This flock periodically fragmented and small flocks ranged fairly widely from here in many directions. After a wait of 20mins the Rosy Starling suddenly appeared, had a snooze for a couple of minutes among the sheltering flock, before perking up and becoming more active. The bird then showed fairly well on the rooftops between short periods when it dropped out of sight.

Power nap!

Reports coming back from the site mention that the bird was coming to bread on a few occasions (thank goodness it isn't a Blue-winged Teal!), so worth bearing that in mind if planning to visit. If visiting please be mindful to respect the privacy of the residents at Jersey Quay. The bird does range fairly widely, though this seems to be a reliable location that it returns regularly. If keen to search for it elsewhere, then it's worth noting the full length of the seafront heading North-west from Jersey Quay often holds decent sized flocks of Starling, most regularly on the grassy areas near the various food outlets.

Jersey Quay is at the South-eastern end of The Princess Margaret Way, Aberavon