22ND - 30TH NOVEMBER

Rain all day again on 22nd meant little news other than a Ruddy Duck at Cosmeston Lake and three Brambling at Mountain Ash. A windy 23rd produced a Ruddy Duck at Lisvane Reservoir, five Black-legged Kittiwakes and an adult Mediterranean Gull at Kenfig Sands, while two Great Bitterns were at the pool and a Peregrine and two Blackcaps in Cardiff. Two Little Egrets and a Green Sandpiper were at The Watermill Flood on 24th when yet more heavy rain spoiled proceedings. A Great Bittern and three Mediterranean Gulls were seen briefly at Kenfig Pool. A calm day on 25th saw a newly arrived Short-eared Owl showing well at Kenfig Pool, where two Peregrines, a Water Rail and a Fieldfare were also present. Two Snow Buntings, a Northern Goshawk, Eurasian Woodcock and four Common Crossbills were in or over Afan Forest and a male Hen Harrier was at Mynydd Eglwysilian. The Short-eared Owl was again present at Kenfig Pool on 26th and two Great Bitterns were seen briefly again there as well as a Little Egret and two Peregrines. Four Short-eared Owls were at Rhymney Estuary, .Cardiff, along with two Green Sandpipers and two Black Redstarts and two Little Egrets were at Gileston. The 27th produced a Pale-bellied Brent Goose and four Red-billed Chough at Porthcawl and four European Shag at Kenfig Sands. At Whitford NNR, North Gower, counts included a Slavonian Grebe, Dark-bellied 300+ Brent Geese, 200+ Northern Pintail, 1000+ Eurasian Wigeon, 20 Common Eider, 100 Common Shelduck, two Red-breasted Mergansers, ten Little Egrets, 25 Bar-tailed Godwits, a fem/imm Merlin, a male Hen Harrier and two Common Chiffchaff. On the 28th, two Short-eared Owls were at Kenfig Pool and 100 Fieldfares were at Laleston, Bridgend. A further 100 Fieldfares were at Cosmeston Lake and a Green Sandpiper was still at The Watermill Flood. An astonishing record of an Alpine Swift came from Kenfig Pool on 29th and another very late migrant involved a Northern Wheatear at Cardiff Bay. The male Hen Harrier was again at Mynydd Eglwysilian, while sixteen Purple Sandpipers, 100 Eurasian Curlews and three Common Goldeneye were at Ogmore Estuary. The 30th produced a Yellow-browed Warbler at Kenfig Pool along with two Great Bitterns, 243 Common Pochard two Short-eared Owls, four Common Chiffchaffs and fourteen Fieldfare. Seven drake Velvet Scoters flying down channel at Ogmore-by-Sea was a Glamorgan record count of this uncommon migrant and was a terrific way to round off what had ultimately proved to be a difficult birding month.

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Happy Birding
Neil

15TH -21ST NOVEMBER

The 15th produced more rain and just a Guillemot of note off Kenfig Sands. The 16th was slightly less wet, but windier, but eleven Purple Sandpipers at Ogmore-by-Sea was a good early winter count. A Green Sandpiper was also at The Watermill. More terrible weather on 17th saw a Dartford Warbler and 60 Fieldfare in Maesteg. The 18th produced a Merlin at Glynneath and two Red-billed Chough at Dunraven in between torrential showers – we really are paying for the dry summer and early autumn at present. Nine Bramblings were in the Cynon Valley at Mountain Ash. Yet another poor day on 19th saw two Bramblings in Porthcawl, 415 Oystercatchers at Kenfig Sands and a Kingfisher at the pool. The 20th produced a Bittern at Oxwich Marsh, South Gower, a Red-throated Diver at Kenfig Sands and a Brambling again in Porthcawl. Two Barn Owls were seen near Gelligaer early morning on 21st and another was at Tir Founder Fields. Seven Common Crossbills at Ogmore Estuary was a good record and a Little Egret was also there.

8TH - 14TH NOVEMBER

The 8th produced a late Osprey along the River Taff at Treforest, while the Long-tailed Duck and a Snow Bunting were at Cardiff Bay. The 9th was a gloriously sunny, windless day and with a flat calm sea, four Red-throated Divers, two Como Scoters and a Guillemot were showing well off Kenfig Sands. The Long-tailed Duck and Snow Bunting remained at Cardiff Bay. On the 10th, five Mediterranean Gulls included a new first winter bird at Kenfig Pool, where a Bittern was also present. A Siberian Chiffchaff was also there and six Red-billed Chough were at Locks Common, Porthcawl. A pair of Dartford Warblers was again in Maesteg, a Barn Owl was at Talbot Green and an interesting record involved a Ring Ouzel pecking insect from the back end of a cow at a garden centre in Cardiff! Five Red-billed Chough were again at Locks Common on 11th, a female Ring-necked Duck was a good find at Kenfig Pool and two Great Bitterns were also new in there. The Long-tailed Duck remained at Cardiff Bay, where a male Black Redstart was also present. The 12th saw two Great Bitterns again at Kenfig Pool, where there was no sign of yesterday’s Ring-necked Duck. At Pitton, South Gower a male Hen Harrier, seventeen Common Snipe, twelve Yellowhammer, 34 Stock Dove, three Blackcap and 55 Golden Plover were on some farmland. The 13th was a washed out start to the new week, but better weather on 14th saw three Black-legged Kittiwakes at Porthcawl, while Kenfig Pool held three adult Mediterranean Gulls and four Red-throated Divers were again offshore. Three Red-billed Choughs were still at Locks Common, Porthcawl and a Barn Owl was at Junction 37 of the M4.

1ST - 7TH NOVEMBER

November 1st was bright and chilly, in marked contrast to the rest of the autumn so far. An astonishing count of 25,000 Wood Pigeons were moving down channel from Nash Point in large flocks, making for an amazing spectacle over the channel. A Whooper Swan was at The Watermill, a ringtail Hen Harrier at Mynydd Eglwsyillian and two Dark-bellied Brent Geese at Sker. Three Ring Ouzels were still present at Dare Valley Country Park, while a Merlin and at least 150 Sky Larks were at Tyn-y-Caeau Farm. The Snow Bunting was again at Dunraven. Another cold day on 2nd produced a Hen Harrier at Llanrhidian, a Red Kite at Ogmore Estuary and a Barn Owl at Llanharry. A Whooper Swan and the first three Common Goldeneye of the winter were at Kenfig Pool and a Long-tailed Duck showed very well at Cardiff Bay. Twenty Fieldfares were in Porthcawl, a Green Sandpiper and two Purple Sandpipers were at Ogmore Estuary, fifty Lesser Redpolls were at Mynydd Eglwysillian and a Dartford Warbler was again at Pant Norton, while three Ring Ouzels remained at Dare Country Park. On the 3rd, two Common Scoters, six Common Goldeneye, 309 European Oystercatchers, a Fieldfare, five Blackcaps and a Kingfisher were at Kenfig Pool and six Tree Sparrows were at Tyn-y-Caeau Farm. Another cold day on the 4th produced three Ruddy Ducks at Kenfig Pool, a pair of Hen Harriers, a Green Sandpiper, a Greenshank, thirty Dark-bellied Brent Geese and at least 150 European Golden Plover at Llanrhidian Marsh. Five Red Kites were at Trebanos Tip, a Wood Lark was at Mewslade and two Jack Snipe and three Willow Tits were at Tir Founder Fields, Cynon Valley. On the 5th, the Long-tailed Duck was again at Cardiff Bay, where there were also two Greater Scaup, while Tyn-y-Caeau Farm produced two Merlins, four Tree Sparrows and good numbers of Yellowhammers and Sky Larks. Three Red-billed Chough were at Ogmore-by-Sea, two Mediterranean Gulls and a Little Egret were on the estuary and a Ring Ouzel was at nearby Pant Norton. A ringtail Hen Harrier was at Llanilid, along with 35 Common Snipe. A Black Redstart was at Aberthaw Power Station and 49 Eurasian Wigeon were on the sea there, along with a Dark-bellied Brent Goose and two Common Scoter. Three Red-billed Chough were in Porthcawl on 6th, a further nine were at Ogmore-by-Sea, where a Black Redstart was also present. An adult Mediterranean Gull was at Kenfig Pool, 420 Common Scoter were at Oxwich Bay and two Water Pipits and two Common Sandpipers were at Penclawdd. On the 7th, a Ring Ouzel was at Candleston and a Wood Lark and two Dartford Warblers were at Nant-y-Fyllon, Maesteg, while seven adult Mediterranean Gulls were at Kenfig Pool.