1ST - 7TH JANUARY 2007

The 1st January 2007 was wet and windy but produced four Red-billed Chough at Sker, along with a Peregrine and a female Merlin. A Common Chiffchaff was at the pool and wildfowl counts included 21 Eurasian Wigeon, 27 Northern Shoveler, a Kingfisher and 76 Common Pochard. Elsewhere, six Purple Sandpipers, fourteen Common Goldeneye and the drake Red Crested Pochard were at Ogmore Estuary. More windy weather on 2nd brought adult Little Gulls to Porthcawl and Eglwys Nunydd Reservoir and ten Black-legged Kittiwakes to Kenfig Sands. A drake Goosander was at Kenfig Pool and a Little Egret was at Sker. On the 3rd the drake Greater Scaup was again at Cosmeston Lake and the Red Crested Pochard was back in St Brides Major. Seven Slavonian Grebes were at Whitford Point, along with three Red Breasted Merganser, two Jack Snipe and good numbers of Common Eider, Dark-bellied Brent Geese, Eurasian Curlew, Bar-tailed Godwit, Dunlin, Red Knot, Ruddy Turnstone, Grey Plover, Common Snipe and European Oystercatcher. A male Hen Harrier was at Salthouse Point, a Razorbill was at Dunraven, two Green Sandpipers and a Little Egret were at Hendre Lake and a female Northern Pintail and a Kingfisher were at Kenfig Pool. A Great Skua was close offshore at Porthcawl. A very windy day on 4th saw two adult Little Gulls at Kenfig; one offshore and one at the pool. Also present offshore were three Common Scoter and a single Black-legged Kittiwake. The 5th brought a Siberian Chiffchaff, a Jack Snipe and forty Redwings to Kenfig Pool and 23 Goldeneye, five Little Egrets, four Red-billed Chough and fifteen Purple Sandpipers were at Ogmore Estuary. A Black Redstart was in a Llancadle, Vale of Glamorgan garden, two Scaup were at Cosmeston Lakes and three Dark-bellied Brent Geese and a Little Egret were at Sker. Up to 350 Pied Wagtails were seen going to the established roost in the centre of Cardiff. On the 6th torrential rain hampered birding, but an adult Little Gull was off Locks Common, Porthcawl, while at Kenfig Pool, Shoveler numbers were up to 51 and Goldeneye three and a Barnacle Goose flew over south east. A very wet day again on the 7th produced three adult Yellow-legged Gulls at Cosmeston Lake, a Little Gull at Mumbles and a Great Northern Diver at Barry Docks. Two Goosanders were at Kenfig Pool and fifteen Mediterranean Gulls were at Bracelet Bay, Swansea. A Green Sandpiper was at The Watermill and sea watching at Porthcawl produced two Razorbill and a Red-throated Diver of note.