23RD - 31ST JANUARY 2008

On the 23rd, 76 Northern Pintail, four Greater Scaup, two Stock Dove and 120 Common Shelduck were at Cardiff Bay. Two Jack Snipe and twenty Common Crossbills were in the Maesteg area. The sun came out on the 24th and a male Black Redstart was a new arrival in Cardiff city centre. The Spotted Sandpiper and the first Dipper for 78 years were at Lisvane Reservoir, five Hawfinch were at Tair Onnen and 100+ Brambling at Castell Coch. Two first winter Little Gulls were at Gileston, six Mediterranean Gulls were at Porthcawl and a Jack Snipe, Water Pipit, 16 Gadwall, five Common Scoter and two Little Egrets were at Rhymney Estuary. Twelve Purple Sandpipers were at Rhossilli. On the 25th, a different Black Redstart was in Cardiff Bay, three Eurasian Woodcock were in Maesteg, along with two Tawny Owls. A Great Bittern and Common Chiffchaff were at Kenfig Pool, two Great Northern Divers were at Swansea Docks and fifteen Common Crossbill were at Hafod Woods. On the 26th the Ogmore Estuary and environs produced seventeen Purple Sandpiper, nine Red-billed Chough, 85 Eurasian Curlew, 58 European Oystercatcher, 46 Northern Lapwing, two adult Mediterranean Gulls, a Green Sandpiper and fifteen Gadwall, while a pair of Dartford Warblers were nearby at Ogmore Down. Four Red Kite were at Abernant Tip and the Spotted Sandpiper was again at Lisvane Reservoir. On the 27th a Red Kite and Northern Goshawk were at Parc Cwm Darren, Caerphilly and a male Merlin was at Kenfig Pool. Whitford NNR produced some fantastic birding with two Peregrine, 300 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, a female Merlin, four Red-breasted Merganser, thirty Common Scoter, five Slavonian Grebe, 5000 Red Knot, thirty Common Eider, fifty Bar-tailed Godwit, a Jack Snipe and vast numbers of Northern Pintail, Common Teal, Common Shelduck, Northern Lapwing and Eurasian Curlew. Penclawdd Pill produced another Merlin as well as Common Greenshank and Common Sandpiper and Llanrhidian Marsh had two Common Kingfisher, Green Sandpiper, approximately 1000 European Golden Plover and a stunningly close male Hen Harrier. Two Barn, a Tawny and a Short-eared Owl and a Dartford Warbler were at Llanilid, a Jack Snipe and a Common Chiffchaff at Oxwich Marsh and Common Crossbill and Northern Goshawk were at Mynydd Bach, Maesteg. A Merlin was at Mynydd Eglwysilian, a Black Redstart at Cardiff Bay, four Hawfinches were at Tair Onnen and fifty Brambling were at Castell Coch. A Firecrest, Black Redstart and a male Blackcap were in Cardiff city centre on the 28th and a drake Northern Pintail was on Kenfig Pool. Another Firecrest was in Pant Norton and a Little Owl at Ogmore-by-Sea. A Short-eared, a Barn and two Tawny Owls were at Llanilid. On the 29th, a Great Bittern, twelve Common Goldeneye, four Gadwall and fourteen Northern Shoveler were at Kenfig Pool. Fifteen Eurasian Siskin, a Common Treecreeper, 26 Fieldfare and thirteen Redwing were in the Kenfig alder wood. The Firecrest was again in Cardiff, three Hawfinches were at Tair Onnen and six Mediterranean Gulls were at Porthcawl. Blackpill produced 1785 European Oystercatcher, 590 Dunlin, 371 Sanderling, 68 Eurasian Curlew and three Bar-tailed Godwit. Eight Common Crossbill and a male Merlin were at Hafod Farm and two Peregrines were at Southerndown. Two Dartford Warblers and a Firecrest were in Pant Norton and two adult Mediterranean Gulls were on Portobello Island, Ogmore Estuary. On the 30th, Kenfig Pool held 108 Common Pochard, 56 Tufted Duck and 16 Common Teal, while Kenfig Sands produced nineteen Common Gull, a drake Common Scoter, a Common Guillemot and 39 Sanderling. Seven Grey Plover, three Purple Sandpiper and five Mediterranean Gulls were at Porthcawl Sea Front. Twelve Lesser Redpoll, a Red Kite and eight Common Crossbill were at Caerau Forest, Maesteg and two Jack Snipe were at Lamby Lake, Cardiff. A Black Redstart was at Cardiff Bay and a Firecrest and Common Chiffchaff were at Lavernock Point, where there were also eleven Brambling, 160 Chaffinch and eighty Linnet. Another Black Restart was again at Swansea University and a male Merlin was again at Mynydd Eglwysilian. The two Little Gulls were again at Gileston and a Merlin and three Little Egrets were at nearby Llancadle. Very poor weather on the 31st produced small numbers of Brambling in Cardiff and Penarth and a Siberian Chiffchaff at Kenfig Pool.

SOUTH WALES 24TH - 27TH JANUARY 2008

Our combined tour in South Wales with Oriole Adventures from 24th - 27th January 2008 had far better conditions than previous tours this year, and we were able to capitalise fully. We began the first afternoon by enjoying at least 100 Brambling at Castell Coch, many of which were adult males approaching full breeding plumage. A Eurasian Jay and a Great Spotted Woodpecker were also present there. At nearby Tair Onnen, we just caught five Hawfinch as they flew out of the wood, but not everyone was able to see them as they flew really quickly away from us and we had to make do with Common Nuthatches and Common Treecreeper. At Lisvane Reservoir, the Spotted Sandpiper showed superbly in the afternoon sun and an amazing record in the form of a Dipper arrived as we watched before flying off high west – this was the first record at the site for 78 years and only the second ever!! On avery cold and dull Day Two, Kenfig Pool produced small numbers of common wildfowl, as well as five Common Snipe, a Northern Lapwing, a Common Chiffchaff and a Fieldfare, Eglwys Nunydd Reservoir provided excellent views of Goosander, Common Goldeneye and displaying Great Crested Grebes. Swansea Docks had two Great Northern Divers and several European Shag, while Hafod Woods produced fifteen Common Crossbill, three Mistle Thrush, a few Eurasian Siskin and good numbers of Common Buzzards and displaying Common Raven. Day Three was spent in the environs of the Ogmore Estuary. The sea front provided us with cracking views of seventeen Purple Sandpipers and nine Red-billed Chough while the estuary produced two adult Mediterranean Gulls, fifteen Gadwall, a Green Sandpiper and good numbers of Common Goldeneye, Common Teal, Eurasian Curlew and Northern Lapwing as well as a stunning drake Goosander. Nearby, a pair of Dartford Warblers showed well despite the breezy conditions and a couple of Green Woodpeckers and a small flock of Bullfinches rounded off an excellent day. The Final Day was spent on North Gower and as ever this produced a stunning array of birds for us. At Whitford NNR the wonderful spectacle of vast numbers of Northern Pintail, Common Shelduck, Northern Lapwing, Common Teal, Eurasian Wigeon, Eurasian Curlew and European Oystercatchers kept everyone spellbound, but with a supporting cast of five Slavonian Grebes, four Red-breasted Mergansers, fifty Bar-tailed Godwit, five thousand or so Red Knot, thirty Common Eider, a few hundred Dark-bellied Brent Geese, a Jack Snipe, two very showy Peregrines and a scope filling female Merlin its easy to see why it is so popular. Grey and Ringed Plovers, Great Crested Grebes and a few Reed Buntings, Little Egrets and a large mixed tit flock were also noted. Lunch at Penclawdd Pill produced another superb Merlin, as well as wintering Common Sandpiper and Common Greenshank, as well as more Little Egrets and Common Teal, while the finale at Llanrhidian Marsh consisted of a Green Sandpiper, two Common Kingfishers seen hovering over the creeks, a flock of Goldfinch and vast numbers of European Golden Plover and other shorebirds that were put up by a majestic male Hen Harrier that quartered the marsh at close range – superb! We finished with a very respectable total of 106 species.

14TH - 22ND JANUARY 2008

On the 14th, a first winter Little Gull, five Red-billed Chough, twelve Purple Sandpipers and sixteen Ruddy Turnstone were at Ogmore-by-Sea, a Green Sandpiper and adult Mediterranean Gull were on the river and five Little Egret, 31 Northern Lapwing and 89 Common Teal were at The Watermill Flood. Four Red-legged Partridge were at Wigfach, near Porthcawl and three Peregrines were at Nash Point. The 15th produced a stunning adult Bonaparte’s Gull found by CBT leader Paul Roberts at the Ogmore Estuary – fantastic! Two Great Northern Divers and a Common Scoter were on Swansea Docks and a Little Owl was at Southerndown Farm. Heavy rain on the 16th, but the Bonaparte’s Gull was again at Ogmore, along with a first winter Little Gull and an adult Mediterranean Gull. A Great Bittern showed well at Kenfig Pool, where at least two pairs of Great Crested Grebes were displaying. An adult Little Gull was at Swansea Marina. A Great Bittern and Common Kingfisher were at Kenfig Pool on the 17th and 100 Eurasian Siskin were in Bute Park, Cardiff. Poor weather again on the 18th and a Firecrest was again in Central Cardiff, a first winter Little and four Mediterranean Gulls and two Little Egrets were at Ogmore Estuary and a Hen Harrier was at Kenfig Pool. An adult Yellow-legged Gull was at Cardiff Bay. Heavy rain and high winds on 19th produced a Great Northern Diver on Kenfig Pool and a Little Gull was again at The Watermill Flood. On the 20th, the Little Gull and an adult Yellow-legged Gull were at Ogmore Estuary, while a pair of Goosander and five Fieldfare were at Kenfig Pool. Twenty Brambling were at Llantrisant Forest. The 21st saw a Short-eared Owl at Bishopston on Gower, but otherwise the day was hampered by more rain… The sun made a brief appearance on 22nd and the Spotted Sandpiper showed at Lisvane Reservoir. Five Hawfinches were at Tair Onnen, 100 Brambling at Castell Coch and a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker at Forest Farm.

SOUTH WALES 11TH - 16TH JANUARY 2008

OUR first South Wales tour of the year from 11th -16th January 2008 produced some excellent birding despite what can only at times be described as horrible weather. We began quietly with fourteen Goosander and a Mandarin Duck the highlight of the first afternoon in some atrocious conditions. Day Two was sunny and cold and we enjoyed some of the best birding of the trip as we had great views of a male Hawfinch, 150 Brambling, Spotted Sandpiper, Great Spotted Woodpecker, two pairs of Dipper, Common Kingfisher, several Eurasian Jays and a good flock of Eurasian Siskin. Day Three was very tough with gale force winds, though we did well to add Ringed Plover, Ruddy Turnstone, an adult Mediterranean Gull, 41 Eurasian Curlew and three European Shag at Sker and Common Chiffchaff, as well as Gadwall, Northern Shoveler, Common Teal, Common Goldeneye, Eurasian Wigeon, Common Snipe and Common Redshank at Kenfig Pool. Day Four as well as having some truly wild weather produced some great birds in the form of a first winter Little Gull, five Red-billed Chough, twelve Purple Sandpipers and sixteen Ruddy Turnstone at Ogmore-by-Sea, a Green Sandpiper and adult Mediterranean Gull were on the river and five Little Egret, thirty one Northern Lapwing and eighty nine Common Teal were at The Watermill Flood. Four Red-legged Partridge were at Wigfach, near Porthcawl and three Peregrines were at Nash Point. Day Five and with slightly better weather for a time, we headed west, where we soon added Common Scoter and two Great Northern Divers to the trip list at Swansea Docks. A phone call from CBT leader and friend Paul Roberts had us travelling back east for an adult Bonaparte’s Gull at the Ogmore Rivermouth and after a frustrating initial attempt, we enjoyed great views of the bird, while we were enjoying lunch. A Peregrine was also present, but little else due to the heavy flooding and high water levels. A pair of Bullfinch and a Little Owl were also seen today – not large numbers of birds, but good quality and a genuine rarity to boot. Day Six and more rain! However, we were safely in the hide at Kenfig Pool and enjoyed spectacular views of a Great Bittern being mobbed by a female European Sparrowhawk, before it perched up in full view in the reeds – wonderful! We also saw two pairs of displaying Great Crested Grebes and small numbers of common wildfowl to end the tour on a high note. Despite some very taxing conditions and constant changes to the planned itinerary to accommodate the weather, we noted 94 species which was a good effort.

NORFOLK 13TH - 18TH JANUARY 2008

Our first Norfolk tour of the year from 13th – 18th January 2008 again turned up some fantastic birds despite some difficult weather. The main highlight was undoubtedly a White-crowned Sparrow seen at Cley – only the fifth for Britain and a bird that was well watched by birders form all over the country. Other highlights included a white morph Lesser Snow Goose, a Ross’s Goose of unknown origin, Bohemian Waxwing, Lapland and Snow Buntings, Goosander, Smew, Siberian Chiffchaff, Common Crane, Great Grey Shrike and Taiga Bean Goose. We also saw Great Northern Diver, several Barn Owls, Marsh and Hen Harriers, Merlin, Hawfinch, Firecrest and the more expected thousands of Pink-footed Geese, Twite, Brent Geese and Pied Avocet in a total of approximately 120 species.

7TH - 13TH JANUARY 2008

In poor weather on the 7th, a Little Owl was at Southerndown Farm, a Grey Phalarope was an excellent find on Kenfig Pool, where a Great Bittern and Siberian Chiffchaff were also present and a Red Kite was over Maesteg. The Spotted Sandpiper was at Lisvane Reservoir. A Short-eared Owl was present again at Llanilid on the 8th and a Black Redstart was at Cardiff University. The Grey Phalarope and two Great Bittern and a Hen Harrier were again at Kenfig Pool, four Purple Sandpipers, five Little Egret, five Red-billed Chough and two Brent Geese were at Ogmore Estuary. Two Pomarine Skuas and a Red-throated Diver were off Mumbles Head, along with 358 Common Guillemot, 121 Black-legged Kittiwake and 35 Mediterranean Gulls, while 850 Brambling came in to roost at Tair Onnen. Three Greater Scaup were at Cosmeston Lakes on 9th, while a cracking morning at Kenfig Pool produced Great Bittern, Hen Harrier, Great Northern Diver, Siberian Chiffchaff and seven Black-legged Kittiwake. Another Great Northern Diver and a Pomarine Skua were off Mumbles Head. An adult Mediterranean Gull and a Green Sandpiper were at Ogmore Estuary. On the 10th, a Great Northern and a Black-throated Diver were in Swansea Docks, a first winter Glaucous Gull at Kenfig Pool was the first at that site for many years and a Northern Pintail, Mediterranean Gull and four Great Bittern were present, a Little Gull was at Loughor Bridge and an excellent count of seventeen Goosander was at Eglwys Nunydd Reservoir. Both Great and Pomarine Skuas were seen off Rhymney Estuary, where there were also 7500 Red Knot. On the 11th a Purple Sandpiper and a Peregrine were at Sker and a Barn Owl was near Bridgend. A Short-eared Owl was at Llanilid again. A very busy day on the 12th produced a cracking male Hawfinch at Tair Onnen, 150 Brambling at Castell Coch, the Spotted Sandpiper at Lisvane Reservoir and eight Mediterranean Gull, seven Grey Plover and four Purple Sandpipers in Porthcawl. Two pairs of Dipper, twenty Eurasian Siskin and a Common Kingfisher were at Miskin, while seventeen Purple Sandpiper and a Green Sandpiper were at Ogmore Estuary. A Bar-tailed Godwit and a Red-throated Diver were off Kenfig Sands, sixteen Greylag Geese were on Kenfig Pool and four Dartford Warbler were at Llanilid. A male Blackcap, male Merlin, 4000 Herring Gull, 600 Common Gull, 36 Black-legged Kittiwake and a Common Sandpiper were in Port Talbot Harbour. A male Hen Harrier was in the Swansea Valley, along with two Common Crossbill and a Eurasian Woodcock, three Greater Scaup were at Cosmeston Lakes and a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker and Jack Snipe were in Maesteg. In very difficult conditions on the 13th, four Red-throated Divers were at Mumbles Head, an adult Yellow-legged Gull was at Kenfig Pool, along with a Great Bittern and four Mediterranean Gulls were at Porthcawl and another at Sker. A Little Gull was at Port Eynon and a Firecrest was in Cardiff city centre.

Availability Update

Please note the following tours are all now full:

Norfolk - January

Exremadura - April

Outer Hebrides - May

North East England - May

Central Turkey - May/June

Mull & Iona - June

Isles of Scilly Pelagics - August

Fair Isle - September

There is very limited availability with guaranteed departures on:

Norfolk - February

Czech Republic - March

Northern Cyprus - April/May

Madeira - July

Norfolk - July [Bird Watching magazine special Readers Break 3rd - 6th]

West Cornwall - October

Hungary - October

South Arica - October/November

All other tours do still have availability except Austria which is cancelled. If you require further information on any of these holidays,please visit the relevant pages on this website or contact Neil o 07971 983227 or Email: Birds@celtictours.org.uk

Happy Birding

Neil

1ST - 6TH JANUARY 2008

1st January 2008 and the new year got off to an excellent start with the Great Grey Shrike present again at Perthcelyn, while at nearby Llanwonno, two Eurasian Woodcock were present. The Spotted Sandpiper was again at Lisvane Reservoir and a Hen Harrier, Little Owl and two Purple Sandpipers were the highlights at Kenfig Pool. Fifty five Northern Shoveler, 21 Little Grebes and 35 Eurasian Wigeon were at Aberthaw Marsh and a Jack Snipe was at Lamby Lake. A Common Greenshank and two Common Sandpipers were at Penclawdd. Two Short-eared Owls and three Eurasian Woodcock were at Llanilid. On the 2nd, two Greater Scaup were again at Cosmeston Lakes and seven Little Egrets were at Aberthaw Marsh. A Jack Snipe, Eurasian Woodcock, Great Bittern, female Northern Pintail and a drake Greater Scaup were at Kenfig Pool. The Spotted Sandpiper was again at Lisvane Reservoir and a Merlin and 150 Northern Lapwing were at Llanilid. Ten Goosander were at Eglwys Nunydd Reservoir and a Firecrest and eighty Redwing were at Pant Norton. On the 3rd, the Great Grey Shrike was at Perthcelyn and a single Hawfinch was at Tair Onnen. A Great Bittern was again at Kenfig Pool and a Jack Snipe and two Eurasian Woodcock were in Maesteg. An adult Little Gull was at Swansea Marina along with an adult Mediterranean Gull. A Short-eared Owl was briefly at Llanilid and a Firecrest was at Candleston. A good day at Kenfig Pool on the 4th produced a showy ringtail Hen Harrier, a Jack Snipe seen in full view at the north hide, a Siberian Chiffchaff and two Common Chiffchaff. A Firecrest was in Cardiff. The Spotted Sandpiper was again present at Lisvane Reservoir on the 5th and two Brambling were at Cosmeston Lakes. The Great Grey Shrike was at Perthcelyn and a Firecrest was again at Pant Norton. A Great Bittern, Jack Snipe, Water Rail and Grey Wagtail were at Kenfig Pool and a Northern Goshawk was at Mynydd Eglwysilian. Two Slavonian and a Red-necked Grebe and a Green Sandpiper were at Whitford NNR. On the 6th, the Siberian Chiffchaff was again at Kenfig Pool, along with a Great Bittern, three Goosander, a Common Eider, an adult Mediterranean Gull, a Grey Plover and 100 European Golden Plover. Nine Tree Sparrow and a Peregrine were at Newton Farm and the Great Grey Shrike was again present at Perthcelyn. A Great Northern and three Red-throated Divers were at Nash Point, twelve Brambling were at Tair Onnen and a Water Pipit was again at Llwyn On Reservoir.