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.