4TH - 10TH FEBRUARY 2008

A sunny day on the 4th and the Spotted Sandpiper showed very well at Lisvane Reservoir. At least 100 Brambling were at Castell Coch, two pairs of Dippers were at Miskin, along with a Green Sandpiper and a Marsh Tit was at Tair Onnen. On the 5th, a ringtail Hen Harrier was at Llanilid, a Firecrest again in Cardiff city centre, three Red-billed Chough and a Little Owl at Ogmore-by-Sea, but the big news was of three Pied Avocets and a Glaucous Gull at the heliport near Cardiff Bay. At Rhymney Estuary, an adult Yellow-legged Gull, 4000 Red Knot, 4000 Dunlin, a Bar-tailed Godwit, 400 Common Shelduck, 110 Northern Pintail and 650 Common Redshank were present. Another Hen Harrier was at Llanharan and a Red-throated Diver, 200 European Golden Plover and a Black-legged Kittiwake were at Sker. On the 6th, 31 Fieldfare, 16 Redwing and a Great Spotted Woodpecker were at Kenfig alder wood. A male Blackcap, the Firecrest and three Lesser Redpoll were in Central Cardiff and a Green Sandpiper and 29 Common Goldeneye were on the Ogmore Estuary. A Common Crossbill and one Hawfinch were at Tair Onnen. The 7th saw two Short-eared Owls again at Llanilid, a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker in Port Talbot and a Red Kite and a Northern Goshawk were in Maesteg. The Spotted Sandpiper was again at Lisvane Reservoir. On the 8th, four Pied Avocets, the first winter Glaucous Gull and an adult Iceland Gull were at the Cardiff Heliport. On the 9th, the four Pied Avocets and Iceland Gull were again at Cardiff Heliport and a first winter Glaucous Gull and two Common Sandpipers were at Port Talbot Harbour. The Spotted Sandpiper was at Lisvane Reservoir, a Barn Owl was near Bridgend, and a Peregrine, Merlin and 54 European Golden Plover were at Mynydd Eglwysilian. On the 10th, the first winter Glaucous Gull was again in Port Talbot Harbour and a Common Chiffchaff and ringtail Hen Harrier were at Kenfig Pool. Small numbers of Brambling were in Central Cardiff, along with a Firecrest, two Blackcaps and 100 Redwing. Two Black Redstarts were in Cardiff Bay and the Spotted Sandpiper was again at Lisvane Reservoir. A Black-throated Diver was again at Swansea Docks, along with two Great Northern Divers and two Red-breasted Mergansers.