24TH - 31ST MARCH 2009

The 24th produced the first two Willow Warblers of the year at Kenfig Pool, two Northern Wheatear at Ogmore Estuary and another three at Rhymney Estuary. Two Brambling, seventeen Eurasian Siskin and a Lesser Redpoll were at Neath. The 25th saw a Little Ringed Plover at Ogmore Estuary, along with the Iceland Gull, the 26th was a write off with torrential rain all day and the 27th saw the Bonaparte’s Gull and Lesser Scaup still present in Cardiff Bay. The Water Pipit was again at Ogmore Estuary and 22 Sand Martin, a Northern Wheatear and a Northern Goshawk were at Eglwys Nunydd Reservoir. On the 28th, a Hen Harrier was at Welshmoor, Gower, three Little Ringed Plover were at Llanilid and the drake Lesser Scaup was at Cardiff Bay. Barn Swallows were seen in Cardiff, Pontypridd and Bridgend. On the 29th, a Willow Tit was at Tir Founder Fields, the Iceland Gull, thirty Purple Sandpipers and a Green Sandpiper were at Ogmore Estuary and a Glaucous Gull was at Lamby Lake. On the 30th, a Barn Swallow was at Cosmeston Lakes and another three were in Bridgend Town Centre, while a breeding plumaged Slavonian Grebe was on Eglwys Nunydd Reservoir. A Short-eared Owl remains in the southern dunes at Kenfig NNR. On the 31st, forty Barn Swallow and 24 Sand Martin were at Kenfig Pool, along with two Willow Warblers, while five hundred European Golden Plover remained at Sker. Willow Warblers were also present in Swansea and Pontypridd. A Lesser Spotted Woodpecker was near Bridgend and a male Merlin was at Mynydd Eglwysilian. Two Whimbrel were at Rhymney Estuary, the Water Pipit was at Ogmore Estuary and the drake Lesser Scaup was again at Cardiff Bay.

ISRAEL 15TH - 22ND MARCH 2009

Our first visit to Southern Israel for nine years proved to be one of our most successful ever tours with 172 species recorded during the week. The undoubted highlights were a trio of rare waders in the form of a superb male Caspian Plover, a breeding plumaged male Kittlitz's Plover and a self found Sociable Plover that proved a big hit with other birders during its stay. A male Black Bush Robin was another big rarity seen, while other uncommon or localized species seen included at least three spectacular Nubian Nightjars, a Cyprus Warbler, an adult White-eyed Gull, two Siberian Stonechats, a pair of Hoopoe Larks, three Sinai Rosefinch, ten Cream-coloured Courser, two displaying McQueens Bustards, a Little Crake and three Namaqua Doves. Raptor and soaring bird migration was just getting under way with approximate totals for the week of three thousand Steppe Buzzard, three hundred Black Kite, twenty Short-toed Eagle, ten Booted Eagle, twenty Steppe Eagle, five male Pallid Harrier, ten Marsh Harrier, three hundred White and ten Black Stork and two hundred Common Crane, while two Barbary Falcons, three Peregrine, a Griffon Vulture and eight Egyptian Vultures were also noted. Exciting residents such as Blackstart, Little Green Bee-eater, Palestine Sunbird, Western Reef Heron, Arabian and Scrub Warblers and Clamorous Reed Warbler were all noted. Male Hooded and Mourning Wheatears gave excellent views, as did several male Ruppell's Warblers, Creztchmar's Buntings, Common Quails, Bar-tailed and Desert Larks, Trumpeter Finch, Slender-billed Gulls, Desert Finches, Caspian Gulls, White-winged Black Tern, Black-bellied, Crowned and Spotted Sandgrouse, Dead Sea Sparrows, White-throated Kingfisher, Great Spotted Cuckoo, Masked, Woodchat and Southern Grey Shrikes, Bimaculated Lark, Eastern Bonelli's, Olivaceous and Orphean Warblers and Arabian Babblers. Common migrants included thousands of Lesser Whitethroats, Common Chiffchaff, Blackcap, Yellow and White Wagtails, Greater Short-toed Lark, Pallid Swift, Red-rumped Swallow, Black-eared and Isabelline Wheatears, as well as lesser numbers of Little Stint, Kentish Plover, Wood Sandpiper, Ruff, Little Gull and Greater Flamingo. Phew!! We will be returning 15th -22nd March 2010 and if this tour interests you, we would strongly recommend early booking as places are certain to sell out quickly.

17TH - 23RD MARCH 2009

On the 17th, the Great Bittern was at Hendre Lake, an adult male Black Redstart and 38 Yellowhammer were at Tyn-y-Caeau Farm, an Iceland Gull was at Cosmeston Lakes and the Bonaparte’s Gull and Lesser Scaup were in Cardiff Bay. Six Northern Wheatear, five Red-billed Chough and 24 Purple Sandpiper were at Ogmore-by-Sea. On the 18th, a Barn Swallow was at Lavernock Point, an Iceland Gull was again at Ogmore Estuary. The 19th saw a Little Ringed Plover at Ogmore Estuary and the Lesser Scaup and Bonaparte’s Gull again at Cardiff Bay. A Barn Swallow and nine Northern Wheatear were in Swansea Valley. The Bonaparte’s Gull was again in Cardiff Bay on the 20th, while the 21st saw a Glaucous Gull at Rhymney Estuary, a Black Redstart on Flat Holm and the Water Pipit and Iceland Gull were at Ogmore Estuary. The Bonaparte’s Gull was in Cardiff Bay. On the 22nd, the Glaucous Gull was again at Rhymney Estuary, a Black Redstart was in Swansea and an Osprey went north over Maesteg. The 23rd saw another Osprey over Cardiff and an adult Yellow-legged Gull was at Southgate, Gower.

9TH - 16TH MARCH 2009

On the 9th, the drake Lesser Scaup, Bonaparte’s Gull, two Sand Martin, two Mediterranean Gull, the adult Little Gull and a Slavonian Grebe were in Cardiff Bay. The Iceland Gull was again at Mumbles and the Lesser Whitethroat was again in a Caerphilly garden. A Brambling was in Forest Farm, Cardiff and another Sand Martin was in Swansea. On the 10th, three Great Bittern were at Kenfig Pool and included a bird booming. The Bonaparte’s Gull was again in Cardiff Bay, along with the Little Gull, Slavonian Grebe and Lesser Scaup. An adult Yellow-legged Gull was at Rhymney Estuary. The 11th saw the Bonaparte’s and Little Gulls, as well as the drake Lesser Scaup at Cardiff Bay. A Short-eared Owl was at Hendre Lake and the adult Yellow-legged Gull was again at Rhymney Estuary. The Bonaparte’s Gull was in Cardiff Bay on a very wet 12th, while the 13th saw a Eurasian Woodcock in Miskin, a first summer Iceland Gull at Ogmore Estuary, along with a Green Sandpiper and the Bonaparte’s Gull, Little Gull, Lesser Scaup, Slavonian Grebe and four Sand Martin were in Cardiff Bay. The Great Bittern was again at Hendre Lake. On the 15th, the Bonaparte’s Gull was again in Cardiff Bay, three Red-billed Chough were at Lock’s Common, Porthcawl and four Sand Martin and a Great Bittern were at Kenfig Pool. The Lesser Whitethroat was again in Caerphilly and a Great Bittern was at Hendre Lake. On the 16th, the Iceland Gull was at Mumbles, the Lesser Scaup, Bonaparte’s Gull and Little Gull. Another Iceland Gull was again at Ogmore Estuary, along with seventeen Purple Sandpipers. Northern Wheatears were in at Maesteg, Sker, Lamby Lake and Rhymney Estuary and two Short-eared Owls were also at Sker. Eight Greater Scaup and a Northern Pintail were at Eglwys Nunydd Reservoir and a Black Redstart was at Ogmore-by-Sea.

1ST - 8TH MARCH 2009

On 1ST MARCH an adult Little Gull was in Cardiff Bay and the drake Greater Scaup was again at Kenfig Pool. Both Iceland and Glaucous Gull were again at Port Talbot and a Black Redstart was at Llantwit Major. On the 2nd twenty eight Purple Sandpipers were at Ogmore-by-Sea, three Hen Harriers were at Llanrhidian Marsh and the Great Bittern and the first Sand Martins of the year were single birds at Hendre Lake and Cardiff Bay, where the Lesser Scaup was still present. The Ring-billed Gull was at Lamby Lake. On the 3rd, the Short-eared Owl was again at Pyle & Kenfig Golf Course and the Lesser Scaup was in Cardiff Bay. The 4th produced forty five Common Eider, seventy Dark-bellied Brent Goose, a Slavonian Grebe and nine Red-breasted Merganser were on North Gower and a Whimbrel was at Oxwich Marsh. Three Red-billed Chough were at Ogmore-by-Sea. On the 5th, two Marsh Tits and three Tawny Owls were in Three Crosses, Gower, three Peregrine were in display over Cardiff city centre and a Sand Martin was in Cardiff Bay. A Dartford Warbler was on territory, near Bridgend. Two Short-eared Owls were in the southern dunes at Kenfig NNR on the 6th, along with 250 European Golden Plover. A Black Redstart and four Red-billed Chough were at Ogmore-by-Sea. The drake Lesser Scaup was in Cardiff Bay and the Ring-billed Gull was at Lamby Lake. The 7th saw three Red-billed Chough at Ogmore-by-Sea, a singing male Dartford Warbler near Bridgend, where two Yellowhammer were also singing. A first winter Iceland Gull was again at Ogmore Estuary and another was at Mumbles, Swansea. A first winter Glaucous Gull was at Gileston. On the 8th an adult Bonaparte’s Gull and an adult Little Gull were in Cardiff Bay, the Glaucous Gull was in Gileston and the Iceland Gull was again in Mumbles. The Great Bittern was at Hendre Lake.