22ND - 31ST JANUARY

The 22nd produced a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker at Forest Farm Cardiff, as well as Fieldfares, Redwings and Siskin there. The Great Northern Diver was again at Barry Docks on 23rd and 100 Northern Pintail and an adult Mediterranean Gull were at Rhymney Estuary, Cardiff. Six Dark-bellied Brent Geese flew down channel at Sker Point, where a Bar-tailed Godwit was among the 275 Oystercatchers present. Three Green Sandpipers were at Hendre Lake, Cardiff, while cold weather movements at Loughor Bridge included 24 Ringed Plover, 37 Grey Plover, eight Red Knot, 151 Dunlin and 77 Northern Lapwing. At Eglwys Nunydd reservoir 108 Great Crested Grebes was noteworthy and a Water Pipit was again at Llwyn On Reservoir near Merthyr Tydfil. The 24th produced two Chiffchaffs and five Blackcaps at Candleston, while two Short-eared Owls and a ringtail Hen Harrier were at Llanrhidian Marsh at dusk. Also on the North Gower Coast at high tide were three Slavonian Grebes, 1340 Northern Pintail, 3000 Dunlin, 686 Brent Geese, 250 Shelduck, 166 Grey Plover, 108 Wigeon, thirteen Red-breasted Mergansers, 32 Teal, 267 Shoveler, 52 Eider, a Merlin, four Peregrines, 700 Knot, 37 Bar-tailed Godwit, 292 Curlew, 133 Redshank, one Green Sandpiper and a “low” count of 4000 Oystercatchers, a Water Pipit, nineteen Little Egrets and a Kingfisher! A pair of Dartford Warblers was back on territory in the local area and another male was seen at another site nearby. Another cold day on the 25th produced five Red-throated Divers, 66 Northern Shoveler 42 Eurasian Wigeon, 82 Common Teal, 90 Northern Pintail, three Common Scoter, seventeen Grey Plover and 1000 Dunlin at Rhymney Estuary, while further west, four Tree Sparrows, fifteen Yellowhammers, 70 Sky Larks and ten Reed Buntings were at Tyn-y-Caeau Farm. A Peregrine was at Candleston where 150 Fieldfares, forty Redwings and two Blackcaps were also present. The Drake Red Crested Pochard was again at Picton Pond, along with a Common Snipe, three adult Mediterranean Gulls and three Black-legged Kittiwakes were at Porthcawl and a female Dartford Warbler was at the same location as yesterday. A Merlin was at Eglwys Nunydd Reservoir on 26th and another two were at Llanrhidian Marsh, where five Hen Harriers, a Green Sandpiper and a Eurasian Spoonbill were also present. At Whiteford NNR, eight Slavonian Grebes, 52 Common Eider, a pair of Red-breasted Mergansers, a Peregrine, 675 Dark-bellied Brent Geese and a single Pale-bellied bird, two drake Common Scoter and a fly past Great Northern Diver were seen, along with huge numbers of Common Shelduck, Eurasian Wigeon, Eurasian Curlew, Northern Pintail, Common Teal, Red Knot and Dunlin. Four Treecreepers and three Great Spotted Woodpeckers were also present in the conifer plantation and another Green Sandpiper was at Landimore Pill. A Greenshank and a Common Sandpiper were at Penclawdd Pill, a Merlin was at Sker and three Green Sandpipers were again at Hendre Lake. The 27th produced three Red-billed Choughs, three European Shag, a Dark-bellied Brent Goose, four Common Scoter and six Purple Sandpipers at Ogmore-by-Sea, 22 Common Goldeneye, a drake Gadwall and a drake Goosander on the estuary, whilst a Dipper was in Bridgend Town Centre. Candleston Bridge produced a Kingfisher and a further three Goosander, as well as a Mink, while an undisclosed site in West Glamorgan had a pair of Northern Goshawks, Green and Great Spotted Woodpeckers, fifteen Siskin and fifteen Common Buzzards on a lovely afternoon. Two drake Greater Scaup were again at Cosmeston Lakes, two Little Egrets were at The Watermill Flood and three Red-throated Divers and seventeen Mediterranean Gulls were at Mumbles. Two Jack Snipe were at Kenfig Pool 0n 28th, along with a Grey Wagtail and eleven Common Goldeneye of note. A Water Pipit was again at Llwyn On Reservoir and a pair of Northern Goshawks was over Maesteg. A Woodcock was in Aberdare on 29th, an excellent count of 291 Northern Lapwings were at The Watermill Flood, a male Hen Harrier was seen in the morning at Llanrhidian Marsh, where a Green Sandpiper was still present. An amazing count of nine Dartford Warblers was seen at a site near Bridgend. Spring was in the air on a very mild 30th with many resident birds in song or courtship behaviour at Kenfig. In addition, a nice mixed flock of 80 Redwings, three Mistle Thrushes and thirteen Fieldfares were around the Castle Meadow and two European Jays and a Great Spotted Woodpecker were in the Alder wood. A Jack Snipe and Woodcock were at Gorseinon, displaying Northern Goshawks and Peregrines were seen in several locations, an Iceland Gull was at Blackpill and a Firecrest was in Cardiff. On the 31st small numbers of Common Crossbills were reported singing from various upland forestry locations and two drake Greater Scaup were again at Cosmeston Lakes.