Whooper Swan at the Watermill

This Whooper Swan was found yesterday (27/11/17) at the Watermill, Ogmore, by DCB. Apparently it soon flew off towards Ewenny, but by this morning it had returned and was feeding with the Mute herd. This species has been very scarce at Ogmore in recent years and it will be interesting to see if it is tempted to linger.

Middleton, Gower 30/9/17

                            Heavily cropped record shot of the Booted/Sykes warbler in
                            school lane. Found by E.A.Hunter on 29th.

Ailene hits the rocks

Thanks Ailene but we were expecting more birds than that!!

Grey Phalarope Ogmore Est 12/09/17

NPR getting to grips!!!

RGS.

Lesser Yellowlegs at Kenfig Pool 03/09/17

This Lesser Yellowlegs was found at Kenfig Pool this afternoon by Neil Donaghy. It was seen by just four birders before doing a flit, fingers crossed it can be relocated.

Woodchat Shrike : Frog Moor, Reynoldston, Gower

A few pics from a visit late afternoon Sunday 27.August 2017.........

CBWR Y-br Wblr apparently photographed today.

I picked up a direct message to GBC on their FB page that a Yell-br Warbler was seen and photographed at CBWR today in trees by the car park. I have replied and asked for the photo and the poster of the message is trying to get it sent to me.
The message was as follows:
A Yellow Browed Warbler was spotted today 13-8-2017 at the Cardiff Bay wetlands in the trees right next to the car park in the row of trees by Tom and Robert.. we have a photo of it if you would like us to post it.

OK these are the best of what I have rec'd. They are back of camera images and I had to take Mac screen shots as what I received were not image files as such.
Defo not YBW IMO. The clearest one shows bird with pale legs and my first thought was Willow Wblr but it looks a little odd to me - quite dusky underneath. There's no hint of a wing bar so not YBW. Could it be something like Radde's or Dusky - I'm guessing here. The third one was just a silhouette and I have lightened it as much as poss.

Little Stint : Sully Island

A couple of 'record' shots of the Little Stint found by Matt Meehan from a visit late on Saturday afternoon, great find.............

Ad Bonaparte's Gull R. Taff Cardiff

As per Twitter but just in case it slipped by, per David Beveridge, and ad Bonaparte's Gull was seen yesterday on the R. Taff in Bute Park, from the coffee house by the bridge.

Cattle Egret - Ogmore Estuary

An anticipated, but still very welcome, addition to the avifauna of Ogmore Estuary this morning, in the form of a Cattle Egret. It was initially around horses upstream of the castle, but was also noted at the Watermill and Ploran Mawr, having been flushed several times by people tending the animals.
I wonder how long this species will remain a 'rarity' in our area?

Caspian Tern : Sker

A few 'record' photos from yesterday afternoon.........

Caspian Tern @WWT Llanelli

Two pictures of the Caspian tern found this morning at Penclacwydd.. Flight shot suggests leg rings so presume its the same bird seen in Glamorgan yesterday. Scopers in the hide also suggest seeing red leg ring

Caspian Tern Fishing Over Kenfig Pool

Big thank you to the finders, refinders and refind refinder!

Sker Caspian tern.

                  I was with Alex and Judd when Alex refound this bird, first
                  reported from Baglan by Dave's Cornish and Shapes this morning. I'm
                  sure Judd had better pics.

Night heron still present this morning at Cosmeston.

Night Heron - Cosmesston

A couple of photos I got of the ad Night Heron found this morning by GBC member Annie Irving. These were taken this evening at around 7:45 from the main bridge.

Rose-coloured Starling : Gowerton

Few pics of the stunning adult Rose-coloured Starling at Cedar Close, Gowerton from a visit today....

2016 Bird Report Photograph Submissions.

I am collecting photographs for the 2016 East Glamorgan Bird Report that is to be published later in this year. Submission of high quality photos of the birds seen within the East Glamorgan boundaries is open to all members of the Bird Club.
Happily I already have a fine selection of superb entries and the standard continues to rise year on year.
With that in mind if any member wishes to submit photos please do so via the www.wetransfer.com
free service to rgsmith.banjo@gmail.com Photos will be returned if requested with the transfer.
Top quality shots of rarities, species not frequently / recently seen in the report, interesting behaviour etc. should ideally be 'unimproved' by the photographer or 'straight off the card'. File size does not matter as wetransfer allows for up to 2 Gb free transfer each time. Photos that give a suspicion of disturbance of breeding or passage birds will not be selected - and photos at the nest are less likely to be used in any event.
All photographers (and that includes most of us these days) must heed the requirements of the law.
Thank you in anticipation
Richard Smith.

Kenfig pool today.

                                   Little ringed plover on east shore. Another flew in calling
                                   and this bird flew up to join it. They were reported as returning
                                   30 mins later. Also 15 Common sandpiper.

Pink-footed Goose, Parc Slip NR

Record shot of the Pink-footed Goose at Parc Slip NR, which was reported earlier by Alan Cripps. It was on the main lagoon island.

Changes to the BBRC list - records from 1 January 2017

BBRC has announced with effect from 1 January 2017 the following changes:

The following species is reinstated to the BBRC list:

Ferruginous Duck

Ferruginous Duck is in decline internationally and of increasing conservation concern; BBRC will continue to work closely with county recorders to ensure a robust assessment with respect to provenance of individual birds.

 The following species have been removed from the BBRC list:

Black-winged Stilt  and  Red-flanked Bluetail

The increasing numbers of Black-winged Stilt and Red-flanked Bluetail in recent times have been enjoyed by many. Times have certainly changed since the much-appreciated bluetail at Winspit, Dorset in 1993!  Records of both will now be assessed in Wales by the Welsh Records Panel.

So, Glamorgan gets its first Bluetail in the same month the species drops off the national rarity list!

Ring-necked Duck : Cosmeston CP

A few pics of the cracking drake bird from yesterday evening......

Cattle Egret : St Athan

Photo of the bird from last Sunday morning......

Cattle Egret - St Athan

A Cattle Egret was found at St Athan today, in a field on the R as you turn off the B road. This is a record shot sent to me by Tony Fisher.

 

Both Glaucous gulls were present at C B W R today, this bird and the much paler bird farther out.

G G Shrike

A Great Grey Shrike has been reported from Fforest Fawr, Tongwynlais. 100 yards on right (NE) of track from Car Park entrance, on the GBC sightings page apparently seen on 28th Feb.

Iceland Gull - Bridgend

An Iceland Gull was found this afternoon on the roof of the old Tesco in Bridgend, by Neil Donaghy. I got there shortly after, by which time the bird had relocated to the roof of the post office. Unfortunately, this location was only really viewable from Newcastle Hill, from where I obtained a few distant record shots.

16/02.2017 Brains Brewery Roof Glaucous Gull - Caaardiff Bird.

Not been able to get out much so far this year so grateful for this monster 1W Glaucous gracing the CARDIFF RIVIERA looking as if he has eaten all the Clarks pies!

Red flanked bluetail still present at Wern ddu, Caerphilly. PP+CG.

      After an hours search the bird showed for around ten minutes on the left of
      the usual track, where the stream goes through.

Eastern Chiffchaff Cardiff Bay

I was sent these two photos by GBC member Tony Fisher of the putative tristis type Chiffchaff, which we seen near St Davids Hotel at CBWR yesterday.

Waxwings in Cardiff Bay

One of 3 Waxwings found at Havannah Street by Peter Howlett - I was in carpark by St. Davids Hotel (good timing). A 'tristis' Chiffchaff with a nominate race in CBWR. Also Long-tailed Duck & 8 Scaup in Cardiff Bay, between lockgates & barrage sails.

Red-flanked Bluetail, Wern Ddu, Caerphilly

Still present - seen well though briefly at 12.50 today by Darryl Spittal.

Red-flanked Bluetail, Wern Ddu, Caerphilly

This elusive bird showed briefly on the path through the woodland before the open area around the railway tunnel airshaft at 08.30 and again at 08.50 in poor weather conditions, then disappeared back into woodland (Alex Bevan, John Aggleton & PB).

Red-flanked Bluetail Location

The red cross marks the favoured location of the bird this morning. It appeared to be doing a small circuit and occasionally popped out onto the forest track. Fingers crossed it hangs around.....