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.