1ST - 9TH SEPTEMBER 2007

A fall of warblers at Kenfig Pool on 1st SEPTEMBER kicked off the month with great optimism with totals of 25 Common Chiffchaffs, three Sedge, two Reed, a single Willow and Garden Warbler, six Common Whitethroats and twelve Blackcaps recorded. Four Grey Wagtails and a Tree Pipit went over east and a Dunlin was on the east pool shore. The two Ospreys were still at Wernffrwd and a Garden Warbler and Spotted Flycatcher were in Bute Park, Cardiff. Two Common Redstarts were at Llanilid and another Was at Island Farm, Bridgend. On the 2nd, a Great White Egret and the Ospreys were at Wernffrwd, a Common Tern was in Cardiff Bay and two Common Kingfishers were at Cosmeston Lakes. A good selection of birds at Kenfig Pool included an adult Yellow-legged Gull and five Northern Shoveler at the pool, 23 Common Scoter and fifteen Sanderling at the sands and two Sedge and a Reed Warbler in the bushes. Three Common Redstarts, four Whinchat, a Dartford Warbler, a Little Ringed Plover, Common Greenshank and Green Sandpiper were at Llanilid. The 3rd was a rather quiet day with just three Sedge Warblers, a Garden Warbler and a Lesser Whitethroat of note at Kenfig Pool. A juvenile Northern Goshawk was at Pant Norton, along with a Lesser Whitethroat, five Yellowhammers, thirteen Common Whitethroats and a European Golden Plover. On the 4th, a Little Egret flew north over Kenfig Pool and five Common Redshank dropped in briefly. The Lesser Whitethroat remained and four Reed Warblers were new in. Three Little Egrets, a Common Greenshank and an excellent count of 41 Yellow Wagtails were at Rhymney Great Wharf. Four Black-tailed and a Bar-tailed Godwit were at Kenfig Pool on 5th, where other migrants included a Whinchat, three Common Redshank, two Tree Pipits, three Common Whitethroat and excellent early autumn counts of 34 European Robins, 22 Common Blackbirds and nine Reed Buntings. Six Tree Pipits and a Yellow wagtail were at Lavernock Point and 25 Dunlin, a Red Knot, two Black-tailed Godwits and 130 Common Redshank were at Rhymney Great Wharf. A Eurasian Hobby was near Caerphilly, a Common Redstart was at Pant Norton and a Spotted Flycatcher was at Hendre Lake. On the 6th, a Grasshopper Warbler was at Kenfig Pool, along with the first Eurasian Siskin of the autumn and six Song Thrush. The male Common Redstart was again at Pant Norton. Three Eurasian Siskin were at Kenfig Pool on 7th and the first pair of Eurasian Wigeon arrived on the pool. Other migrants present included 200 Barn Swallows, two Common Sandpiper, a Lesser Whitethroat, five Grey Wagtails, a Tree Pipit and four Reed Warblers. Three Yellow Wagtails, three Northern Wheatear and a Garden Warbler were at Blaen-y-Cwm. Another hot day on the 8th produced two Northern Pintail and a late Willow Warbler at Kenfig Pool, while six Reed Warblers were at the river mouth and fourteen Dunlin, 43 Ringed Plover, 23 Sanderling, a Bar-tailed Godwit, three Sandwich and a Common Tern were at Kenfig Sands. Two Yellow Wagtails were at Ogmore Estuary and a Wryneck and Grasshopper Warbler were at Lavernock Point in the early evening. Two Red Kites were in Maesteg on 9th, while a very quiet day at Kenfig produced just a single Tree Pipit of note. Two Red Knot, a Bar-tailed Godwit, a Common Greenshank and two Mediterranean Gulls were at Gileston and an adult Mediterranean Gull was at Ogmore Estuary.