News

LTD still at the Knap Pool & a Med Gull, [adult with a near full hood] at Barry Docks, both pm.

Puffin in East Glamorgan

The significance of these recent tideline corpses is that they are the first records for this species in East Glamorgan since 1988, which unfortunately was also dead [SJM]. The last live sighting was 1985 at Sker [WS]. With the Little Auk record and these Puffin records, it's worth checking the tideline just to see how many seabirds have fallen victim to these recent Atlantic gales.
Note: If you have any sightings of this nature please pass them on to the relevant CR. Many thanks.

{Thanks to PP & PB for info}

Late News: 27th Male Bearded Tit in CBWR [see GBC for photo].

Cardiff Bay

1st winter little gull and drake common scoter in Cardiff Bay this afternoon.

Burry Holms & Broughton Bay

Video grab of one of the two 2cy Iceland Gulls on Rhossili Beach.
Note the slightly darker outer webs of the outer primaries.

Additions to Chris Brewer's 2cy Glaucous at B.H. and 2cy Iceland at B.B. this morning included an second 2cy Iceland on Rhossili Beach at B.H. along with the (long-staying?) Nelson's Gull and 2 adult Little Gulls. With ever so slightly darker outer primaries, one of the Iceland's had a hint of Kumlien's about it, but essentially it looked pretty much typical glaucoides (video link HERE). Also of note were hundreds of Black-headed Gulls including a very leucistic bird that looked bright white at first glance. 60+ Kittiwakes milling around too, some drifting along the dune edge - very odd behaviour for this species!

In Broughton Bay a more typical and well marked 2cy Kumlien's was on the beach, occasionally taking flight and showing its features well. A great bird to round off an afternoon stroll to blow out the cobwebs!

'pale collared' Jackdaw at Reynoldston

We saw this bird feeding on the green at Reynoldston today with more typically marked birds. I have no idea whether these 'Nordic' lookalikes are the real deal or part of our local variation, but can't help suspecting the latter. However, it's worth noting these birds and it would be interesting to hear of others locally - I know there is a regular bird in Pembs, which I believe is a local breeder (photos Sandra Stewart).

Bonaparte's Gull

The Bonaparte's Gull was off the Heliport around 10am.

Leucistic Herring Gull at Mynydd Ty Talwyn

Popular opinion indicates this bird is a Glaucous Gull

An interesting gull amongst a small group of gulls gathered on the fields south of Mynydd Ty Talwyn, this morning. Certainly from some angles the bird seems to show some features, that you might expect on an Iceland Gull, especially the bill colour and structure. However, on closer inspection of the head shape (large and angry looking) and primaries (short projection beyond tertials and tail) it appears more like a Herring Gull or Glaucous Gull. The combination of an apparent influx of true white-wingers and the tendency for some of them to appear very faded at this time of year can make the identification of birds like this difficult.
In this instance, decent record shots mean that the identification of this bird can be discussed openly and possibly provide help to others who might see this bird elsewhere or another like it sometime in the future.
The bird appears to me to be a Leucistic Herring Gull because the structure looks good for Herring Gull or Glaucous Gull but without the heavy bill that would be more strikingly marked on a Glaucous Gull. i.e. it doesn't show the dipped in ink bill tip of a Glaucous Gull. This bird shows a dark eye, indicating a 2nd cal yr bird and therefore ruling out the unlikely scenario of the bill showing dull features that you might find on a bird in transition from 3rd cal yr to sub-adult.
Comments welcome.

New Recorder for Gwent

News gleaned from the Gwent OS site. Chris Jones, Recorder for Gwent has now retired after many years service. He has been replaced by Tom Chinnick.
Tel: 07982719881; email: thomaschinnick@hotmail.com. See the Gwent OS site home page at http://www.gwentbirds.org.uk

Snow Buntings still at Whiteford

Rob Colley informed me at a meeting earlier this evening that he had seen 4 Snow Buntings, this afternoon. They were along the strand line on Whiteford Sands before flying north, possibly across the estuary in the direction of Cefn Sidan, where some have been reported recently. What was interesting to me was that Rob believes the birds he saw today were all female types. The birds I saw earlier this month were predominantly males, at least 4 of the 6 were males.
It is quite possible that between the two sites either side of the estuary that a sizable flock of Snow Buntings has wintered, maybe 10 or more. Rob informed me that he has seen small flocks of Snow Buntings moving between the two sites in the past, or at least made observations that would support this theory.
Whatever the case it's good to know the area is holding good numbers of Snow Buntings this winter and maybe with this the chance of a Shorelark dropping in if we're lucky. Definitely worth a look in my opinion.
Also today Rob found 1 each of Guillemot, Razorbill and Puffin washed up dead along Whitford Beach.

News

The LTD stil present at the Knap Pool this am. However no sign of the divers at Barry Dock. [MCP & DRWG]

A Black-headed Gull ringed in Gdansk, Poland 2010 was at Barry Docks 19/02/2014 [MCP].

Another BHG was at the Knap Pool 19/02/2014 which was ringed in Stavanger, Norway (Darvic white J8CC) [MCP]