14TH - 20TH JULY 2008

The 14th produced three Grasshopper Warbler, three European Nightjar and a Tawny and Little Owl in Maesteg, while three Common Sandpiper and a Common Kingfisher were in Whitchurch, Cardiff. A Common Greenshank and a Green Sandpiper were present at the Ogmore Estuary on the 15th and more signs of movement were evident at Blackpill, where there were 46 Mediterranean Gulls and a Little Egret. On the 16th, four Common Sandpiper, nineteen Common Swift and six Common Pochard were at Kenfig Pool. Seven Red-billed Chough and four Dartford Warbler were on South Gower. On the 17th, adult Mediterranean Gulls were at Penarth and Rhymney Estuary. The 18th saw a Green Sandpiper again at Ogmore Estuary and the 19th saw good numbers of Common Crossbills in several places, six Common Sandpiper at Briton Ferry Docks, an adult Mediterranean Gull at Ogmore Estuary and a Dartford Warbler nearby. A Tree Sparrow was at a breeding site and two Little Egret were in Cardiff Bay. Signs of autumn migration at Kenfig Pool on 20th with a Green Woodpecker, two Lesser Whitethroat, ten Sedge Warbler and a female Common Teal present. Eight Common Sandpiper and a Little Egret were at Ogmore Estuary.

MADEIRA, DESRTAS AND THE ILHAS DESERTAS 1ST -11TH JULY 2008

OUR ground breaking North Atlantic Seabird Odyssey tour to Madeira, Desertas and The Ilhas Selvagens proved to be an outstanding success thanks to the combined efforts of tour leader Dr. Robert Flood and skipper Luis Diaz and colleagues at Ventura do Mar, both on land and at sea in ensuring that everything ran smoothly. We would also like to say a very big Thank You to Dr. Frank Zino and his wife Buffy, who made our group so very welcome at their home and for their invaluable help in getting some of the best views ever seen for visiting birders of Zino’s Petrels. This was the first commercial tour to venture to the Selvagens and those in our small group on board are never likely to forget the tremendous adventure of this inaugural voyage. Facilities on board are limited, but when you can sleep on the beach on Selvagen Pequena and Grande and have thousands of White-faced Storm Petrels and Cory’s Shearwaters come and join you, this has to be the stuff of dreams for seabird enthusiasts. Oh, and we mustn’t forget the Madeiran Storm Petrels, Bulwer’s Petrels and Little Shearwaters that were also present off these islands or the four Sooty Terns that were present among the Common Tern colony. Closer to land, good numbers of Fea’s [Desertas]Petrels could be seen offshore around the Ilhas Desertas and the endemic and critically endangered Zino’s Petrels were seen at the breeding ledges high in the mountains of Central Madeira, while a Wilson's Petrel, Sooty Shearwater and Roseate Tern were also seen close to the boat. The endemic Trocaz Pigeon was seen in good numbers and other interesting land birds included a single Spectacled Warbler, Canary, Berthelot’s Pipit, Plain and Pallid Swifts, Madeiran Firecrest, Spanish Sparrow, African Chaffinch and Hoopoe. Four species of cetacean were seen including what was probably the first record of Northern Bottle-nosed Whale in Madeiran waters, as well as Atlantic Spotted Dolphin, Bottle-nosed Dolphin and Rough-toothed Dolphin. Loggerhead Turtles and the endemic Selvagens Gecko were also seen. This tour will run again from 1st – 11th July 2009 and with a very limited number of spaces available, we would recommend booking very early to avoid disappointment for this fantastic ocean adventure of a lifetime.

7TH - 13TH JULY 2008

On the 7th, three European Storm Petrel, eight Common Scoter and 100 Manx Shearwater were off Porthcawl, a Eurasian Spoonbill and twelve Common Sandpiper were at Ogmore Estuary and two Black-tailed Godwit were at The Watermill Flood. A day of torrential rain on the 9th saw a Common Sandpiper in Cardiff Bay and a Common Cuckoo in a Bridgend garden. On the 11th, a female Northern Goshawk and a party of juvenile Whinchat were in Caerphilly and twelve Black-tailed Godwit and a Spotted Flycatcher were at The Watermill Flood. One hundred Common Swift were in Cardiff Bay and a female Gadwall was on Kenfig Pool. Nine Sandwich Tern and three European Storm Petrel were off Port Eynon. The 12th saw a pair of Ruddy Shelduck at Penclawdd and eight Common Sandpiper at Swansea Docks. Twenty Eurasian Siskin were present in Caerphilly on the 13th and six Common Sandpiper and 27 Common Redsank were in Britton Ferry Docks.

NORFOLK 3RD - 6TH JULY 2008

Our tour for Bird Watching magazine was a more spectacular success than we could have dreamed of given the early July dates. A total of 126 species were seen or heard and for the most part we managed to stay dry while the rest of the UK as suffering constant heavy rain. Raptors were much in evidence and we were treated to superb views of hunting Eurasian Hobby and many Marsh Harriers including one carrying a Water Rail off as prey, but the highlight was undoubtedly the male Montagu's Harrier that gave us prolonged and scope filling views as it quartered a cereal field at close range seemingly oblivious to our presence - awesome! At least two male and a female Golden Oriole showed exceptionally well as they gathered food for unseen fledglings; the colours vivid on a hot and sunny morning, and a couple of Stone Curlew were seen, but views of these weren't so great owing to severe heat haze and the birds being a bit distant. Two European Nightjar displayed right above our heads and these were seen interacting with at least two roding Eurasian Woodcock on a beautiful still and warm evening. We heard Common Quail, saw four Eurasian Spoonbill, along with very unseasonal drake Velvet Scoter, a Dark-bellied Brent Goose, an adult Yellow-legged Gull, a full breeding plumaged Red-necked Grebe at close range, an Arctic Skua sat on the sea close inshore and several first summer Little Gulls. We were amazed to see how many shorebirds were already returning from breeding grounds further north and these included multiple breeding plumaged Spotted Redshank, Black and Bar-tailed Godwits, Common Greenshank, Ruff [in all sorts of colours],Whimbrel and Eurasian Curlew side by side, Green Sandpiper, Little Ringed Plover and an immaculate Lesser Yellowlegs that gave us superb views as it fed alongside its commoner cousins - enabling us to see four species of "shank" on the same reserve! Bearded Tits, Barn Owl, Little Tern, Great Bittern and Pied Avocet were among the other highlights on this superb tour. We offer several weekend tours throughout the summer plus an extended tour in May to catch up with some of these most wanted species. Please see the main Norfolk page for further details [2009 dates coming very soon] or contact us if you would like advance dates as these trips are sure to sell out quickly.

1ST - 6TH JULY 2008

JULY 1st saw a Eurasian Nightjar, two Grasshopper Warbler, two Tawny Owls and a Little Owl in Maesteg, while the 2nd produced two adult Mediterranean Gulls at Ogmore Estuary and a further nineteen at Blackpill. The 3rd saw a Black-legged Kittiwake at Ogmore Estuary and the 4th saw a Peregrine at Cardiff Bay and a further adult Mediterranean Gull at Rhymney Estuary. Signs of movement on the 5th with fifteen Little Egret, ten Common Sandpiper, five Dunlin, 213 Eurasian Curlew, a Whimbrel, 66 Common Redshank, five Mediterranean Gull and ten Common Gull on North Gower and another ten Common Sandpiper at Ogmore Estuary. On the 6th, small numbers of Northern Gannet and Manx Shearwater were off Rhossilli, a Common Cuckoo and five Lesser Redpoll were at Llanilid and a Eurasian Hobby was at Lamby Way Lake.