20TH - 30TH APRIL 2009

On the 20th, two Whimbrel were at Sker Farm, a Grasshopper Warbler was at Kenfig Pool and two Tree Pipit, a pair of Marsh Tit, a Whinchat and three Common Redstart were in Maesteg. The Ring-billed Gull was again at Lamby Lake and two Common Scoter were off Porthcawl. A Lesser Whitethroat was at Kenfig Pool on 21st, along with 21 Common Whitethroat, two Bar-tailed Godwit were at Rhymney Estuary and a Garden Warbler and Siberian Chiffchaff were at Cosmeston Lakes. Two Tree Pipit were in north Cardiff and three Lesser Whitethroat were at Lavernock Point. On the 22nd, a male Yellow Wagtail, seven Whimbrel, a Northern Wheatear, two hundred Barn Swallow and three Grasshopper Warbler were at Kenfig Pool and another two Grasshopper Warbler and two Whinchat were in Maesteg. A Tree Sparrow was in Monknash and two Wood Warblers were in Maesteg. Another Wood Warbler was in Neath and two Common Swift were in Cardiff Bay. On the 23rd, thirteen Sedge Warbler and a Peregrine were at Kenfig Pool and 28 Whimbrel and a Bar-tailed Godwit were at Sker. A female Garganey was at Eglwys Nunydd Reservoir and a Lesser Whitethroat was at Lavernock Point. A male Pied Flycatcher, two Common Redstart, Tree Pipit and a Garden Warbler were in Maesteg. The drake Lesser Scaup was still in Cardiff Bay. The 24th saw a Common Cuckoo and two Wood Warblers in the Swansea Valley and a Little Ringed Plover and two Gadwall were at Kenfig Pool. On the 25th, a drake Garganey was at Kenfig Rivermouth, six Common Swifts were in Cardiff and the Lesser Scaup was in Cardiff Bay. The 26th produced fifty Common Swift in Cardiff and the Lesser Scaup in Cardiff Bay. Two Common Cuckoo were in the Swansea Valley and a Jack Snipe was a late migrant in Maesteg. On the 27th, the Iceland Gull was again at Ogmore Estuary, five Sandwich Tern, two Red Knot and two Purple Sandpiper were at Sker. The 28th saw the Ring-billed Gull again at Lamby Lake and Pied Flycatcher, Common Redstart, Wood Warblers, Tree Pipit and four Red Kites were at Cwm Clydach. The 29th produced a pair of Willow Tit in Maesteg and a Common Cuckoo at Rudry Common. A Purple Sandpiper, Bar-tailed Godwit and 58 Sanderling were at Sker. A Lesser Spotted Woodpecker was in Cardiff. On the 30th, a Common Tern, nine Whimbrel and a Bar-tailed Godwit were at Rhymney Estuary.

6TH - 19TH APRIL 2009

On the 6th, a House Martin was with thirteen Barn Swallow on a cold morning at Kenfig Pool and another was at Cosmeston Lakes. A Common Sandpiper was at Hendre Lake and the Iceland Gull was again at Ogmore Estuary. On the 7th, a Grasshopper Warbler, Sedge Warbler and 35 Willow Warbler were at Kenfig Pool. A Lesser Spotted Woodpecker was in north Cardiff and a House Martin, the Ring-billed Gull and two Sedge Warbler were at Lamby Lake. On the 8th, a song flighting Common Whitethroat was an early migrant and another Grasshopper Warbler, a House Martin, the Sedge Warbler, two Common Shelduck and a Eurasian Curlew were also present at Kenfig Pool. An Osprey and a Ring Ouzel were in Maesteg and the Iceland Gull was again at Ogmore Estuary. The Ring-billed Gull was again at Lamby Lake, along with two Sedge Warbler and a Common Whitethroat was at Hendre Lake. The 9th produced a Common and a Green Sandpiper at Ogmore Estuary, while the 10th saw another Grasshopper Warbler, four Sedge Warbler, 25 House Martin, two Short-eared Owls and 120 Barn Swallow at Kenfig Pool. An Iceland Gull, Northern Gannet and Sandwich Tern were at Mumbles and a Little Ringed Plover was at Felindre, Swansea. Early Common Swifts were seen in Pontypridd and Cardiff. The Iceland Gull and five Red-billed Chough were at Ogmore Estuary and the drake Lesser Scaup was in Cardiff Bay. A beautiful day on the 11th saw a Eurasian Spoonbill, Reed Warbler, three Common Whitethroat and a Common Sandpiper at Kenfig Pool, a Little Ringed Plover and the Water Pipit were at Ogmore Estuary and three Common Redstart, a Common Cuckoo and two Tree Pipit were in Hirwaun. On the 12th, a Grasshopper Warbler was at Pant-y-Sais Fen, a Green Sandpiper was at Kenfig Pool, an Osprey was at Cosmeston Lakes and an early Garden Warbler was at Parc Slip near Bridgend. The 13th produced a Grasshopper Warbler as well as the drake Lesser Scaup in Cardiff Bay and the Iceland Gull was again at Ogmore Estuary. On the 14th a Brambling and seventeen Eurasian Siskin were in Neath, a Red Kite, a Little Ringed Plover and Mediterranean Gull were at Ogmore Estuary and the Lesser Scaup and Grasshopper Warbler were again in Cardiff Bay. Twenty House Martin were in Pontypridd on the 15th, the Lesser Scaup was in Cardiff Bay and Common Whitethroats, Sedge and Reed Warblers were at Lamby Lake. The 16th saw Lesser Whitethroats at Hendre lake and Cardiff City Centre, an Osprey was at Treforest and a Grasshopper Warbler was at Lamby Lake, while the 17th produced the Lesser Scaup in Cardiff Bay, a Whimbrel and Fieldfare at Rhymney Estuary and eight Common Sandpiper and the Mediterranean Gull were at Ogmore Estuary. The first Pied Flycatcher was back in Maesteg on the 18th and two Manx Shearwater, two Northern Gannet, fifteen Sandwich Tern, two Whimbrel and two Tree Pipit were at Worms Head. The drake Lesser Scaup was in Cardiff Bay and a Lesser Whitethroat and a Yellow Wagtail were at Rhymney Estuary. The 19th saw forty seven Willow Warbler at Kenfig Pool, while the first Whinchat was in at Llanwonno along with a Common Redstart and Tree Pipit. The Lesser Scaup was at Cardiff Bay, along with two Little Gulls, a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker was in Maesteg and a Little Ringed Plover was at Ogmore Estuary.

SPEYSIDE 12TH - 18TH APRIL 2009

Our inaugural tour to Speyside was blessed with exceptionally good weather and super birding. All of the specialities such as lekking Capercaillie, Golden and White-tailed Eagles, Rock Ptarmigan, Crested Tit, Osprey, Scottish Crossbill [a singing male and a pair displaying], Slavonian Grebes and Black Grouse. A fine supporting cast of Red Grouse, Hen Harrier, Short-eared Owl, Bohemian Waxwing, Red-throated and Great Northern Divers, twenty Velvet Scoter, over one hundred Long-tailed Duck, Black Guillemot and two singing male Ring Ouzels and our extra day at Leighton Moss produced Bearded Tit, a booming Great Bittern, several Marsh Harrier and a couple of Curlew Sandpipers among the many species seen there. A decent mammal list that included Red Squirrel, Red and Roe Deer, a few Brown Hare, a pod of twenty or so Bottle-nosed Dolphin and two exceptionally showy Otters rounded off a splendid trip. We will be rturning 11th - 17th April 2010 and have just a couple of places remaining, so if you are interested in this holiday, please Book Early to avoid disappointment.

1ST - 5TH APRIL 2009

The 1ST APRIL saw six Barn Swallow and six Redwing in Maesteg and two Willow Warbler at Kenfig Pool. The Water Pipit was again at Ogmore Estuary. On the 2nd, the breeding plumaged Slavonian Grebe was again at Eglwys Nunydd Reservoir and an adult Little Gull and a Red Knot were in Cardiff Bay. Five Greater Scaup were at Rhymney Estuary. A Short-eared Owl remained at Kenfig Pool on the 3rd and 260 European Golden Plover and 24 Sanderling were at Sker. On the 4th, fifty Sand Martin and fifteen Willow Warbler were at Kenfig Pool, along with three Greylag Goose and an Iceland Gull was at Rhymney Estuary. Two Hawfinch and two Jack Snipe were near Barry and the adult Little Gull was in Cardiff Bay. On the 5th, an Iceland Gull, a Common Guillemot and three Razorbill were at Mumbles Head and a Whimbrel was at Llanilid. The Water Pipit was again at Llwyn On Reservoir and the Lesser Scaup was in Cardiff Bay to end a rather quiet week.