Iceland Gull and Grebes

A whistle stop tour of Swansea Bay to get a count of Great Crested Grebes found them still in good numbers. Counts from Aberavon Beach, Crymlyn Burrows and finishing at Blackpill just before HT. 326 Great Crested Grebes in total is still surprisingly high for this period of the winter. It was clear also while doing the count that gull numbers were good, particularly Black-headed Gulls. A rough estimate would put Black-headed Gull numbers across the bay at 2000+ and likely even 3000+

Large White-headed Gulls were less conspicuous with only small gatherings here and there on the sea. Amongst the gathered gulls on the sea off Blackpill was an immature Iceland Gull that I suspect was a 3cy. However, by the time I found it it was getting dark quickly. My attempts to get closer views were foiled by it flying off when I was closing the distance and as such I'm only really happy about it being an immature Iceland Gull. General paleness and clean looking primary tips seemed to discard the possibility of it being a Kumlien's.

It seems unlikely this bird is the same as the reported ad Glaucous Gull at Blackpill on Monday and further details of this bird will be gratefully received.

The Lesser Scaup was showing very well on Cosmeston Lakes CP today and very nice images taken by Andy Burns can be viewed via the Glamorgan Birds website

Late news yesterday - Red-throated Diver (7), Bonxie and Little Gull (3) were all seen to fly west past Common Cliff (BS)

Water Pipits along the Neath River

A couple of Water Pipits along the Neath River today. The one shown above was on the salt marsh near Llandarcy and another was showing with a small Meadow Pipit flock from the roundabout leading into Neath. There was also a Rock Pipit type showing from the roundabout, an unusual sight from here, which may have been ssp littoralis. It showed only briefly but was fairly well marked on it's underparts with a cleanish ground colour along the flanks and looked grey on it's mantle without an olive wash. I'll probably need a record shot showing the outer tail feather colour to be sure, if it sticks.

Blackpill.

Report of a Glaucous gull today (per birdguides).

Port eynon, yesterday.

4 Little gull in the bay, found and photographed by Adam Tilt - http://www.flickr.com/photos/adamtilt/12157093725/

News

A Hen Harrier over Wentloog Levels into Gwent this pm. [CE]

Black-necked Grebe : Cardiff Bay

Showed well from Windsor Quay early p.m today just below river bridge although a little too distant for any really good shots.

News

Fforestganol: 25 Hawfinches along the main path this am (a new VC41 record count for this species), well done all. [JS, PM, WM].

Black-necked Grebe still Cardiff Bay. [JS, PM, WM]

The Lesser Scaup was in CBWR [via BirdGuides]

A Firecrest at Overton Sewage works, nr. Port Eynon this am. [OG]

A Pale-bellied Brent Goose with Canada Geese at Ogmore [NPR]

Bonapartes' Gull - Cosmeston

Lol Middleton found an Ad Bonaparte's on W lake Cosmeston this morning at around 10 a.m. I got there at around 10:30 when it had flown off apparently to E lake but could not be re-found, so poss has gone off the Cardiff Bay.
Below is a quick digiscoped pic by Lol.

Andy Burns also got there quicker than me and managed some excellent shots just before and as it flew off. Here's a link to his set of 8 pix.
http://andyburnsphotography.zenfolio.com/bonapartes/h240b2116#h240b2116

Nice find Lol and well done Andy.
PS this appears to be a first record for Cosmeston - nice one!

Thayer's debate

With the weather looking clear for tomorrow some might be considering going for this gull. The general excitement surrounding this bird seems to have been dampened somewhat by some suggestions that it's a hybrid with a bit of Thayer's Gull at best, and a dark Kumlien's Gull at worst. I'm surprised there hasn't been more news from this week. I was expecting there to be better shots of the gull being branded about by visiting birders who might have travelled during the week, but none appear to have been published. In fact I only know of one birder who has made the trip, and that was yesterday - reporting few gulls in the area and nothing unusual amongst them.

I took loads of photos last sunday and must have overlooked this one, but it might be one of the most useful of the lot. The photo is a little dark, but it does show a significant amount of bleaching on the tail and also the trailing edge of the flight feathers, which also show some wear.  Being completely honest I'm not nearly familiar enough with the whole Thayer's - Kumlien's complex to give a useful evaluation of this bird's true identity. I'm glad that this responsibility will lie with the experts.

However we're are all entitled to our opinions and during these times of uncertainty one tends to look for glimmers of hope! I was impressed by RBA's encouragement to look at photos of Thayer's Gulls from California, where Kumlien's should be found only rarely. My hope now comes from a blog called Globalgull! It illustrates a juv Thayer's Gull in flight in California Dec 2011, which looks to me to be a carbon copy, with a bit of bleach and rough times added, of the Burry Holms bird. If the bird on Globalgull is pure then I suggest the credentials of the Burry Holms bird should be treated very seriously.

Ultimately, until a decision is reached by the powers that be we will have to make our own minds up about what this bird is, and give respect to those that have already decided. From a personal point of view it has been very entertaining birding these last few weeks; keeping company with some really experienced 'gullers' has been really enjoyable and informative. And that for me is what it's all about.

If you're going tomorrow - Good Luck!

A link to globalgull is HERE

Llanishen Res.

The Common Snipe count of c150 at Llanishen Res. [PB & MCP] equals the highest count for Cardiff [CBWR Dec 2003, V. Grantham] and is the highest recorded for the reservoirs. The observers state that this site could contain upwards of 200+ [MCP pers comm.]. There are only 3 counts higher in East Glamorgan, all from the Cadoxton area between 1956-1972. The highest which was stated as c220 [1956, D. Griffin], and documented in text the 1966 GBR as such, was actually stated in Birds of Glamorgan 1967 and in CNS Transactions, Ornithological Notes 1956 as only 'over 200'. This is further stated as '200+ in Birds of Glamorgan 1995. The highest previously documented count for VC41 is 220 at Oxwich Marsh in 1979, however there is a count for 250 at Pant-y-sais Fen 3rd Feb 2003 [D. Painter] on the GBC/GRC Database.

[We can only suggest that Col. HM-S was in personal communication with Mr Griffin, hence the c220 given in the 1966 report.]

Refs:

Birds of Glamorgan 1967 [Heathcote, Griffin & Morrey-Salmon]

Birds of Glamorgan 1995 [Hurford & Lansdown]

Glamorgan Bird Report Vol.1 No.5, 1966

Cardiff Naturalists' Society Transactions. Ornithological Notes Vol. LXXXV, p22 1955-56

Llanishen & Lisvane Reservoirs' Ornithological Report March 1983 [N. Odin]

GBC/GRC Database