5TH - 11TH NOVEMBER 2007

A busy day on the 5th produced an initially brief, but then well seen Cattle Egret at Kenfig Pool [a county first found by Neil], where the White-rumped Sandpiper also remained and 56 Common Teal and four Water Rail were at the Kenfig River mouth. The pool also had an adult Mediterranean Gull, a female Northern Pintail, seven Common Chiffchaff and 24 Northern Lapwing. Sker had four Purple Sandpiper, 45 Ruddy Turnstone and 36 Red Knot. The Common Rosefinch was again at Mewslade and five Common Crossbill, twelve Lesser Redpoll and two Brambling were at Pant Norton, sixty Dark-bellied Brent Geese were on the sea near Nash Point. An amazing fall of thrushes at Lavernock Point included 12000 Redwing, 2000 Fieldfare, 100 Blackbirds and a Ring Ouzel as well as several Brambling and large numbers of Chaffinches. The Cattle Egret and White-rumped Sandpiper were both again at Kenfig Pool on the 6th and a female Ruddy Duck, a drake Goosander and an eastern race of Common Chiffchaff. On the 7th, the White-rumped Sandpiper remained at Kenfig Pool along with a Ruddy Duck and Common Shelduck, while 28 Common Scoter and an unprecedented number of at least 100 Common Guillemot were seen offshore. The Spotted Sandpiper remained at Lisvane Reservoir and a Long-tailed Duck was at the unlikely site of Parc Cwm Darren well inland at Caerphilly. A Black Redstart was at Nash Point. Another busy day on the 8th saw three Velvet Scoter at Kenfig Sands – the first since 1927 and another excellent find for Neil!! Also present were a record breaking 158 Common Guillemot, a Great Northern Diver and thirteen Common Scoter, while the White-rumped Sandpiper and nine Gadwall were at the pool. A Barn Owl was nearby at Mawdlam and another three were seen near Tondu. The Spotted Sandpiper was again at Lisvane Reservoir and a male Ring Ouzel was in a crab apple tree in Llanharran and the Long-tailed Duck was again at Parc Cwm Darren. A cold and very windy day on the 9th saw the White-rumped Sandpiper again present at Kenfig Pool, along with a Lapland Bunting, a Great Bittern, Little Egret and 320 Wood Pigeons, while Kenfig Sands had thirteen Black-legged Kittiwake, 26 Common Guillemot and 250 European Golden Plover. The Spotted Sandpiper was again at Lisvane Reservoir and a Black-tailed Godwit and two Little Egret were at Ogmore Estuary. The Long-tailed Duck was at Parc Cwm Darren, a Snow Bunting at Nash Point and a Hen Harrier and Jack Snipe were in Maesteg. The 10th produced excellent views of Great Bittern at Kenfig Pool and offshore at the sands there were two Razorbill, two Red-throated Diver, 82 Common Guillemot and a female Red-breasted Merganser. Eight Dark-bellied Brent Geese were at Ogmore Estuary, the Spotted Sandpiper was again at Lisvane Reservoir, along with a Little Gull and the Long-tailed Duck and a Ring Ouzel were at Parc Cwm Darren. The Snow Bunting was again at Nash Point and two Velvet Scoter, two Red-throated Diver and a Merlin were at Port Talbot Dock and a Common Sandpiper was on the River Afan in the town. Four Barn Swallow, a drake Goosander and two Common Snipe were at Cosmeston Lakes. Another windy day on the 11th saw another new record of 221 Common Guillemot off Kenfig Sands, along with three Red-throated and a Great Northern Diver and a Peregrine. A female Greater Scaup was new at the pool, where Gadwall numbers have risen to fifteen and three Short-eared Owls were in the southern dunes, while an astonishing 61 Water Rail were counted throughout the reserve. The Spotted Sandpiper was again at Lisvane Reservoir and the Snow Bunting at Nash Point and a Grey Phalarope, a Jack Snipe, 58 Eurasian Curlew, two Little Egret and eight Purple Sandpiper were at Ogmore Estuary.