HAPPY NEW YEAR

I'd like to take this opportunity to say a big Thank You to everyone who has travelled with us this year. I look forward to birding with you all again next year and to welcoming the ever growing number of new faces who are joining us - you are very welcome!

Wishing everyone a Happy, healthy and bird filled 2009

Best Wishes

Neil

22ND - 31ST DECEMBER 2008

On the 22nd, the Slavonian Grebe and five Greater Scaup were in Cardiff Bay, a first winter Ring-billed Gull was in Swansea Marina and a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker was in a Caerphilly garden. The Bearded Tit as again at Cosmeston Lakes on 23rd and the Red Kite was at Mynydd Eglwysilian. Christmas Eve produced three Dark-bellied Brent Goose on the sea at Penarth and five Hen Harrier at Llanrhidian Marsh. A Merlin and Red Kite were at Mynydd Eglwysilian and two Common Chiffchaff and the Slavonian Grebe were at Cardiff Bay. On Christmas Day, the Bearded Tit showed well at Cosmeston Lakes, four Greater Scaup were at Rhymney Estuary, the Water Pipit remained at Llwyn On Reservoir and the Red Kite was again at Mynydd Eglwysilian. A Black Restart was in Penarth Marina and another was on St. Donats Castle Vale of Glamorgan. Boxing Day produced a first winter drake Lesser Scaup at Cosmeston Lakes – the first record for Glamorgan and the Bearded Tit was also present. The Ring-billed Gull remained at Lamby Lake and a Water Pipit was at Rhymney Estuary. On the 27th, the drake Lesser Scaup was again at Cosmeston Lakes, along with the Bearded Tit and six Bohemian Waxwings were in Briton Ferry. A Dark-bellied Brent Goose was at Ogmore Estuary and a Dartford Warbler at Caswell Bay. Two Yellow-legged Gulls were in Cardiff Bay. The Lesser Scaup was still at Cosmeston Lakes on the 28th and five Bohemian Waxwings remained in Briton Ferry. Three Jack Snipe, nineteen Common Snipe, eighty Fieldfare and four Red Kite were in Maesteg. On the 29th, the Lesser Scaup was again at Cosmeston Lakes, the Ring-billed Gull was again at Lamby Lake along with a Jack Snipe and a Barn Owl. An adult Mediterranean Gull was at Kenfig Pool and a Green Sandpiper was at Llanilid. On the 30th, a Short-eared Owl, three Yellow-legged Gulls and the Ring-billed Gull were in the Lamby Lake area and a Bohemian Waxwing was in eastern Cardiff. A male Hen Harrier, 470 Fieldfare, 140 Redwing and a Red Kite were in Maesteg and the Slavonian Grebe and twenty three Lesser Redpoll were in Cardiff Bay. A Water Pipit and Jack Snipe were at Candleston. The Lesser Scaup was again at Cosmeston Lakes, a Great Grey Shrike was a new arrival at Llwyn On Reservoir and an Egyptian Goose was at Neath. Another freezing day on the 31st and a Jack Snipe was at Hendre Lake, while a small influx of wildfowl at Kenfig Pool saw forty one Northern Shoveler and forty four Common Teal present, a Dartford Warbler and a Eurasian Woodcock were in the northern dunes and twenty European Golden Plover flew south east overhead. Three Water Pipits, 149 Black-tailed Godwit and 500 Dunlin were at Salthouse Point and a Spotted Redshank was at Penclawdd Pill. The Lesser Scaup was again at Cosmeston Lakes and the Ring-billed Gull and Short-eared Owl were again in the Lamby Lake area.

15TH - 21ST DECEMBER 2008

The 15th saw the Bearded Tit again at Cosmeston Lakes and 41 Grey Plover were at Rhymney Estuary. The Ring-billed Gull was again at Lamby Lake. On the 16th two Mediterranean Gulls were at Ogmore Estuary, while the 17th produced a Bohemian Waxwing at Brackla, Bridgend, the Ring-billed Gull at Lamby Lake and a Jack Snipe, sixty Common Snipe and twenty Reed Bunting at Oxwich Marsh and a Red-throated Diver and Common Guillemot in the bay there. At Penclawdd, 46 Grey Plover, 138 Black-tailed Godwit [including two colour-ringed birds] and 89 Bar-tailed Godwit were present, the latter being the biggest flock there since 2001. A Common Sandpiper was still present in Penclawdd Pill. A Snow Bunting, Water Pipit, 86 Eurasian Wigeon and two Common Scoter were at Rhymney Estuary. On the 18th, the Bearded Tit was again at Cosmeston Lake, the Snow Bunting and a Short-eared Owl were at Rhymney Estuary. A Little Gull and two Mediterranean Gulls were in Swansea Marina. On the 19th, the Snow Bunting was again at Rhymney Estuary, a ringtail Hen Harrier was at Mynydd Eglwysilian and a Marsh Tit was near Pontypridd. Two Peregrine, thirty Yellowhammer and sixteen Grey Partridge were at Tyn-y-Caeau Farm. The Slavonian Grebe was again in Cardiff Bay and the Ring-billed Gull was again at Lamby Lake. On the 20th, the Ring-billed Gull and a Jack Snipe were at Lamby Lake, the Snow Bunting was at Rhymney Estuary, the Slavonian Grebe and Black Redstart were in Cardiff Bay and a Hen Harrier was at Llanilid. The 21st saw a Red Kite at Mynydd Eglwysilian and a Mediterranean Gull and Peregrine were new at Cosmeston Lakes.

8TH - 14TH DECEMBER 2008

On the 8th, a Water Rail survey at Kenfig NNR produced forty one calling birds and a Snow Bunting was at Werfa Mast. A Black Redstart was in Cardiff Bay and the male Hen Harrier and 152 European Golden Plover were at Mynydd Eglwysilian. The 9th produced a Firecrest at Bishops Wood, Gower, the Slavonian Grebe and Black Redstart were at Cardiff Bay, a ringtail Hen Harrier was at Caerphilly and the Ring-billed Gull was again at Lamby Lake. On the 10th, the Slavonian Grebe was again at Cardiff Bay and a Jack Snipe was at Lavernock Point, while three Green Sandpipers were at Hendre Lake. The 11th produced the Water Pipit again at Llwyn On Reservoir, the Ring-billed Gull at Lamby Lake and five Purple Sandpiper at Sker Point. A Snow Bunting was at Mynydd Eglwysilian on the 12th but torrential rain wrote off the rest of the day. On the 13th the Slavonian Grebe, a Siberian Chiffchaff, seven Lesser Redpoll and two Greater Scaup were in Cardiff Bay. Nineteen Purple Sandpiper and two Red-billed Chough were at Rhossilli. On the 14th, a Barn Owl and the Ring-billed Gull were at Lamby Lake, the drake Ferruginous Duck was at Cosmeston Lakes and the Slavonian Grebe at Cardiff Bay. A Black Redstart was at Gileston.

1ST - 7TH DECEMBER 2008

The 1ST DECEMBER saw a Eurasian Woodcock at Llanwonno Forest and a Water Pipit, two Jack Snipe and two Common Chiffchaff were at Candleston. A Firecrest was in Cardiff and a Yellow-browed Warbler was in Maesteg. On the 2nd, a male Hen Harrier and fifty five European Golden Plover were on Mynydd Eglwysilian and the male Bearded Tit was again showing well at Cosmeston Lakes. A Yellow-browed Warbler was at Summerhouse Point, Llantwit Major. A glorious day on the 3rd saw a small influx of wildfowl to Kenfig Pool with twelve Northern Shoveler, ten Eurasian Wigeon, three Common Teal and eight Gadwall. Two Great Northern Divers, seven Pale-bellied Brent Geese, 350 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, two Common Greenshank, five Red-breasted Merganser, a Green Sandpiper, twenty Common Scoter and fourteen Common Eider were the highlights on the North Gower coast. The Bearded Tit remained at Cosmeston Lakes and four Red-billed Chough were at Southerndown. A miserable day on the 4th saw the Ring-billed Gull at Lamby Lake and a Little Owl nearby. On the 5th, two Hen Harrier, eight Common Crossbill, four Slavonian Grebe and ten Common Eider were at Whiteford NNR and ten Eurasian Siskin and two Common Kingfisher were at Forest Farm, Cardiff. A first winter Mediterranean Gull was at Kenfig Pool and the Bearded Tit was again at Cosmeston Lakes. Two Black Redstarts were in Cardiff Bay. On the 6th, the Ring-billed Gull was again at Lamby Lake and a Mediterranean Gull was at Ogmore Estuary. Ninety Common Snipe, a Red-throated Diver, Merlin, Firecrest, Green Sandpiper were at Oxwich NNR and four Mediterranean Gulls were at Scurlage, South Gower. An adult Little Gull was in Swansea Marina, and the Black Redstart and Slavonian Grebe were at Cardiff Bay. On the 7th wildfowl counts at Kenfig Pool included eleven Gadwall, twelve Eurasian Wigeon and a Northern Pintail, while seventeen Red-throated Diver, three hundred European Golden Plover and a Dark-bellied Brent Goose were at Kenfig Sands and two Bearded Tits were at the Rivermouth. The Ring-billed Gull and a Common Greenshank were at Lamby Lake. The Ferruginous Duck re-appeared at Cosmeston Lake along with the Bearded Tit and a drake Greater Scaup and a Black Redstart was at Port Talbot Harbour. Eight hundred Ringed Plover were at Blackpill, a Great Northern Diver was at Mumbles and a Hen and Marsh Harrier were at Llanrhidian Marsh, along with eighty Little Egret. Two Jack Snipe were in Maesteg and five Eurasian Woodcock at Perthcelyn, Rhondda.