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.