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.