BNG Cardiff Bay

A Black-necked Grebe in Cardiff Bay today found by Mark Waldron. This seems one of our best years for this species in East Glamorgan. Also the drake Lesser Scaup in CBWR [MW].

Cardiff Bay Wetland Reserve

Still good numbers of wildfowl on the reserve. 16 wigeon, 2 shoveler and 4 teal viewable from the boardwalk. 92 tufted duck on the reserve. The drake lesser scaup was showing well below St David's Hotel with a group of 13 tufted duck. Also 2 med gulls (ad wins) flew in late afternoon.

Little Stint at Crymlyn Burrows (23/9/14)

September has been a decent month at Crymlyn Burrows with a steady run of birds that, without being particularly rare, I consider good records for the site. The HT yesterday evening found a juv Little Stint and a juv Curlew Sandpiper at the regular roosting spot for the smaller waders. The roost has regularly been holding c350 Sanderling and c220 Ringed Plovers for most of the month.
Other stuff here during September has included Wigeon (21st), Teal (13th & 21st), Pintail (12th & 21st), Eider (6th), Golden Plover (13th), Ruff (12th), Curlew Sandpiper (14th), Spotted Redshank (8th & 9th; found in Brunel Dock 6th by DL), 3 Guillemots (8th), 2 Common Terns (20th),  2 Lesser Whitethroats (13th), Garden Warbler (13th), 1+ Redstart (2nd to 9th) and 4+ Whinchats (4th to 21st)

George Morgan

It was with great sadness that I discovered that George Morgan passed away this morning. George was 73 and extremely popular with the local birding community. I only got to know George well in 2009 when I started going birding again. It was of course at Eglwys that I would bump into him; in fact going birding at Eglwys was a bit like going to see George at home. Over the years George contributed vast amounts of records which allow us to have a good understanding of bird trends from his area - including Eglwys, Port Talbot Docks and Margam Park. His contribution to WeBS is invaluable. George made a number of discoveries of rarer birds and I know that he had a big fondness for Phalaropes. Indeed he would find Grey Phalaropes annually and he also discovered at least one Red-necked Phalarope. Apart from being a good birder George was also great company and I will miss his sometimes wicked sense of humour.
For all the birders who knew George, I know I can send heartfelt condolences to his family and friends at this difficult time.

Curlew Sandpipers : Portobello, Ogmore

Four birds feeding with a single juv Dunlin about 200m down river from the house on Vale side of river........

Ogmore River 1500hrs

3 juv Curlew Sandpiper [1 peachy, 2 pale] with 2 Dunlin on east side mud, 2 Little Egret, 1 Common Sandpiper and Kingfisher and later at Pant Norton a Hobby whizzed through and 3 Yellowhammer and 1 Chiffchaff.

photo by PPa

Curlew Sandpipers

Three Curlew Sandpipers are now frequenting Ogmore Estuary. A few Little Stints have recently been seen flying either up or down the river, but so far appear reluctant to touch down.

Cardiff Bay Wetland

CBWR - 1430 - 1700

1 lesser scaup, 77 tufted duck, 7 wigeon, 2 shoveler and 1 teal were the best of the wildfowl.
2 med gulls (ads) and 1 yellow legged gull (ad) among the gulls.

Marsh Harrier

A fem/imm type Marsh Harrier over Roath, Cardiff at 17.00hrs flying from the SW heading ENE.

Report

A report of a Wryneck, seen in flight at 11.50 this morning at East Aberthaw [per BirdGuides - added 6pm tonight].