25TH - 31ST DECEMBER

On Christmas Day a Short-eared Owl and Hen Harrier were at Llanrhidian Marsh, a Purple Sandpiper was at Locks Common and seventy Northern Lapwings, two Little Egrets and 21 Common Teal were at The Watermill Flood. A drake Northern Pintail was new at Kenfig Pool on Boxing Day, where there were also two Jack Snipe, 68 Northern Shoveler, eight Bullfinches and the Dartford Warbler. Five Black Redstarts were at Gileston on 27th and a drake Red Crested Pochard was in St Brides Major, Vale of Glamorgan. On the 28th, three Black Redstarts and a Common Chiffchaff were in Cardiff Bay, at least fifty Reed Buntings, fifty Yellowhammers and 100 Sky Larks were at Tyn-y-Caeau Farm and the Red Crested Pochard was again in St Brides Major. A drake Greater Scaup was again at Cosmeston Lakes and four Little Egrets were at The Watermill Flood, while five Red-throated Divers and a Guillemot were at Sker. Up to eight Hen Harriers were at Llanrhidian Marsh – the best count by far in recent years, along with a Barn Owl and a Merlin. A wet and windy day on 29th saw three Blackcaps in a Port Talbot garden and another in Bridgend. Four Purple Sandpipers and 104 Northern Lapwings were at Ogmore Estuary and the Red Crested Pochard at St Brides was joined by 24 Eurasian Wigeon. On the 30th, three adult Little Gulls were at Gileston, the Yellow-browed Warbler was again at Kenfig Pool, the Red Crested Pochard in St Brides and fourteen Northern Fulmars were back on the breeding ledges at Cwm Nash. New Years Eve saw a Black Redstart again at Cardiff Bay, while Kenfig Pool held 28 Eurasian Wigeon and a female Northern Pintail. Three Little and four Mediterranean Gulls were at Ogmore Rivermouth, four Red-billed Choughs were on the seafront there and 78 Great Crested Grebe and 289 Common Pochard were at Eglwys Nunydd Reservoir. Finally; Happy New Year and Good Birding to all.

MULL 22ND - 28TH JUNE 2007

Our inaugural MULL tour will now be based at The Pennyghael Hotel and not The Glenforsa as advertised. Please note that there are no single rooms left for this tour.

MERRY CHRISTMAS

Its now coming up to 20.00 GMT on Christmas Eve 24th December 2006. Before going off for some festive cheer and to wrap the kids presents, I'd like to say a very big Thank You to all of you who have travelled with Celtic Bird Tours in 2006 and have helped to make it the most successful year ever. I very much hope that you will decide to join us again in 2007 for more amazing birding adventures!

In the meantime, Merry Christmas and a Happy, Healthy and Bird-filled New Year to everyone

Neil

17TH -24TH DECEMBER

On the 17th, we finally saw some frost and light winds and a flock of 64 Fieldfare were at Kenfig Pool, along with the Yellow-browed Warbler briefly, fourteen Water Rails, a Merlin at the river mouth, 32 Northern Shoveler and two Siskin. A Dartford Warbler was at Locks Common, Porthcawl, the Great Northern Diver was again at Barry Docks and a Hen Harrier and a Barn Owl were at Llanrhidian Marsh. Two Red-throated Divers were at Sker on 18th and the Great Northern Diver was again present at Barry Docks. Four Purple Sandpipers were at Newton Point, Porthcawl on the 20th, a Merlin was at Llanrhidian Marsh and eight Common Goldeneye, two Red-billed Chough and an adult Ring-billed Gull were at Ogmore Estuary. A Water Pipit, two male Hen Harriers and 55 Common Snipe were at Llwyn Onn Reservoir, Merthyr Tydfil. On the 21st four Black Redstarts and two Red-breasted Mergansers were at Gileston, a Eurasian Woodcock was at Cosmeston Lakes and thirteen Common Goldeneye, three Mediterranean Gulls and a Little Gull were at Ogmore Estuary. Two Green Sandpipers were at Hendre Lake, Cardiff. A Short-eared Owl was at Lamby Way, Cardiff on 22nd, while a Barnacle Goose of unknown origin, three Common Goldeneye, 48 Northern Shoveler, ten Eurasian Wigeon and a second winter Mediterranean Gull were at Kenfig Pool. On 23rd a Dark-bellied Brent Goose was at Ogmore Estuary, along with two Little Egrets, nineteen Common Teal and 54 Eurasian Curlew and two Dartford Warblers were at Maesteg. The adult Ring-billed Gull returned to Cosmeston Lakes today and a drake Greater Scaup was also there. Christmas Eve produced a Dartford Warbler on the east shore at Kenfig Pool and a Little Egret, 338 Eurasian Golden Plover, thirteen Eurasian Wigeon and four Red-throated Divers were at Kenfig Sands. A male Blackcap was at Sker, two Black Redstarts were at Gileston and a Brambling was at Mynydd Eglwysilian.

9TH - 16TH DECEMBER

On the 9th, two Little Gulls and a Black Redstart were at Gileston, A Great Bittern was at Kenfig Pool and five Dark-bellied Brent Geese were off Porthcawl. Another two Dark-bellied Brent Geese were at Ogmore Estuary along with five Common Goldeneye, while some excellent counts from Rhymney Estuary included 1200 Common Redshank, 1000 Dunlin and 220 Northern Lapwing. Great Skuas were seen there and also at Lavernock Point and a Black Redstart was at Cardiff Bay. Sea watching form Porthcawl on 10th produced 27 Black-legged Kittiwakes,35 Common Gulls, seven Northern Fulmar, one Great Skua, fourteen Common Scoter, three Dark-bellied Brent Geese, four Great Northern Divers, one Red-throated Diver, two Guillemot, thirteen Dunlin and five Sanderling. A wet and windy day on 11th saw a first winter Sabine’s Gull at Porthcawl, two adult Mediterranean Gulls at The Watermill Flood and one of the county’s latest ever Barn Swallows in Penarth. The Yellow-browed Warbler was again at Kenfig Pool on 12th and a Merlin was a good record in Bute Park, Cardiff. Three adult Mediterranean Gulls were at Ogmore Estuary. The 13th produced 112 Black-legged Kittiwakes off Mumbles Head, along with three Red-throated and a Great Northern Diver and 34 Guillemots. A male Hen Harrier was at Llanrhidian Marsh and an adult Mediterranean Gull was at Kenfig Sands. An Arctic Skua was off Porthcawl on 15th and a Great Northern Diver was on Barry Docks, Vale of Glamorgan. On the 16th three Red-throated Divers were at Sker.

1ST - 8TH DECEMBER - LEACH'S STORM PETREL WRECK

December 1st began with the Yellow-browed Warbler, Great Bitterns and Short-eared Owls again at Kenfig Pool, along with a Merlin and three different Song Thrushes singing on an incredibly mild start to the month. Three Green Sandpipers, three Dunlin, three Kingfishers and two Little Egrets were at Ogmore Estuary. A female Merlin was at Kenfig Rivermouth on 2nd, along with two Red-throated Divers and the Yellow-browed Warbler and a Kingfisher were at the pool. A Dartford Warbler and 100+ Redwing were in Pant Norton. A very big storm overnight on 3rd saw sea watching at Porthcawl produce fifteen Leach’s Storm Petrels, three European Storm Petrels, a very late Manx Shearwater, sixteen Common Scoter, twelve, Northern Fulmars, 25 Black-legged Kittiwakes, a dark phase Arctic Skua, two Red-throated Divers, four Red-billed Chough and an adult Mediterranean Gull. Three Leach’s Storm Petrels were at Eglwys Nunydd Reservoir and a Little Gull was at Ogmore Estuary. Another four Leach’s Petrels, a juvenile Long-tailed Skua and a Great Northern Diver were at Salthouse Point, North Gower. The Yellow-browed Warbler showed briefly at Kenfig Pool where there were at least five Chiffchaffs of three different races, two Little Gulls and a Northern Gannet. A first winter Iceland Gull was at Fendrod Lake, Swansea, a Great Bittern was at Cosmeston Lakes and a Merlin at Mynydd Eglwysilian. The 4th produced a wreck of Leach’s Storm Petrels all along the coast with an incredible 93 off Porthcawl, 27 off Kenfig Sands, nine off Port Eynon and three off Ogmore-by-Sea. Other seabird totals included two Little Gulls, thirty Razorbills and eighteen Common Guillemots at Port Eynon, a Great Skua, 95 Black-legged Kittiwakes and a Great Northern Diver at Porthcawl and three Razorbill and nine Black-legged Kittiwakes were also off Kenfig. Leach’s Storm Petrels continued to dominate the news on 5th with 56 off Porthcawl, a further 22 were off Kenfig Sands, another twelve off Mumbles, six off Newton Point, six at Loughor Bridge, two off Lavernock Point and one at Rhymney Estuary, Ogmore-by-Sea and Eglwys Nunydd Reservoir with another an amazing 40 miles inland at Tir Founder Fields, Aberdare. An adult and first winter Little Gull were at Ogmore Rivermouth, Great Skuas were at Lavernock Point and Porthcawl, eight European Storm Petrels were off Porthcawl, along with a Great Northern Diver, six Mediterranean Gulls were at Mumbles and a Great Bittern was at Kenfig Pool. Leach’s Storm Petrels continued to dominate on 6th with 30 at Loughor Bridge, 25 at Gileston, 32 at Porthcawl, ten at Kenfig Sands, five at Ogmore-by-Sea and singles at Kenfig Pool and Cardiff Bay. A Great Bittern as also at Kenfig Pool, a first winter Little Gull was again at Ogmore with another at Eglwys Nunydd Reservoir, a Barn Swallow was a very late migrant at Cardiff Bay and two Black Redstarts and a Razorbill were at Gileston. The 7th was a very distressing and violently windy day as the wreck of Leach’s Storm Petrels continued unabated with many emaciated birds found on inland waters as the weather worsened. Totals included eighty plus over Kenfig Pool, 42 at Porthcawl, eleven at Eglwys Nunydd Reservoir, nine at Loughor Bridge, eight at Lavernock Point, four at Ogmore-by-Sea, and singles at The Watermill Flood and Cardiff Bay. Inland birds included six in Bridgend, four in Maesteg, three in Ewenny, singles at Bryncethin, Briton Ferry and Trebanos [those who have been birding here will know this as the tip we visit for Red Kites] and a bird flying around a chip shop at North Cornelly near Kenfig. Many others were picked up dead. Other birds seen included a first winter Little Gull again at Ogmore Rivermouth, an Arctic Skua at Lavernock Point, a Great Skua, fifteen Northern Fulmars, eleven Black-legged Kittiwakes, a drake Red-breasted Merganser and a Red Knot at Porthcawl and two more Red Knot at Kenfig Pool.
With the wind finally abating on the 8th, the Leach’s Strom Petrel numbers were way down on previous days, though four were off Penarth, a single off Lavernock Point and two at Llanishen Reservoir, Cardiff. Four Great Skuas were off Lavernock Point, as were 250 Red Knot and an adult Little Gull and an Arctic Skua at Loughor Bridge, while two Great Northern Divers were off Kenfig Sands. A female Hen Harrier and Green Sandpiper were at Llanrhidian and 2000 Northern Pintail and 600 Dark-belled Brent Geese were on the Loughor Estuary. Two Common Sandpipers were at Rhymney Estuary and another was at Port Talbot and a Dartford Warbler was at Ogmore Estuary.