1ST - 10TH NOVEMBER 2009

A wet and windy day on the 1st saw a Ring Ouzel near Bridgend, fifty Common Scoter at Monknash, a Ring-necked Parakeet in Swansea and twenty three Sanderling and thirty five Ringed Plover at Newton Beach, Porthcawl. On the 2nd, a Great Northern Diver was at Sker and a Red Kite was in Porth, Rhondda. A very windy day on the 3rd saw a Little Gull at Ogmore Estuary, while the 4th produced a Great Northern Diver and two hundred and forty two Common Pochard at Kenfig Pool. The Little Gull was again at Ogmore Estuary, along with a Water Pipit. A Black Redstart was in Cardiff and an eastern race Common Chiffchaffs was in the office gardens. A Little Gull and Water Pipit were at Penclawdd on the 5th and a Barn Owl was in Trebanog, Rhondda. On the 6th, a female Merlin, eleven Common Scoter and a Dark-bellied Brent Goose were at Sker and an adult Mediterranean Gull, ten Northern Shoveler, one hundred and sixty Fieldfare, four Lesser Redpoll and six hundred Wood Pigeon were at Kenfig Pool. The drake Lesser Scaup, a Merlin, two Ruddy Shelduck were in Cardiff Bay and four Green Sandpipers and a Water Pipit were at Ogmore Estuary. The 7th saw one thouand Fieldfare in a single flock near Swansea and five Red-billed Chough and a Peregrine at Ogmore-by-Sea. Forty one Common Snipe, seven Jack Snipe and fifteen Gadwall were at Oxwich Marsh. On the 8th two Merlin, two Barn Owl, a Jack Snipe and four Black Redstart were at Rhymney Estuary, the Water Pipit remained at Ogmore Estuary, along with ten Purple Sandpiper. On the 9th, a breeding plumaged Great Northern Diver was at Cosmeston Lakes, two Black Redstart and a female Greater Scaup were in Cardiff Bay, two hundred and sixty one Common Pochard were at Kenfig Pool and a Dartford Warbler was at Pant Norton, Ogmore. On the 10th, the Great Northern Diver was again at Cosmeston Lakes.

21ST - 31ST OCTOBER 2009

The 21st saw more poor weather and just a single Barn Swallow present at Cosmeston Lakes. On the 22nd, a Green Sandpiper and Mediterranean Gull were at Ogmore Estuary and thirty Redwing were at Cosmeston Lakes. The 23rd saw the drake Lesser Scaup again in Cardiff Bay, while the 24th saw two Greater Scaup at Egwlys Nunydd Reservoir. A Firecrest and fifteen Redwing were at Crymlyn Bog on the 25th and one thousand Common Redshank were at Rhymney Estuary. The 26th finally saw a bit of movement with four hundred and sixty five Redwing, five Fieldfare, fifty four Chaffinch, two hundred and eighty five Wood Pigeon, three Lesser Redpoll and a Brambling at Kenfig Pool. A Purple Sandpiper and Little Gull were at Ogmore Estuary and a Red-throated Diver, nineteen Razorbill and nineteen Black-legged Kittiwake were at Porthcawl. On the 27th, a Red Kite as in Penclawdd, while impressive movement over the Bristol Channel at Barry included three thousand eight hundred Wood Pigeon, two thousand five hundred Redwing, three hundred and fifty Chaffinch, a Brambling, ten Reed Bunting and two Barn Swallow. Another Brambling was at Lamby Lake, a Northern Pintail, fifty Common Teal, five Cetti's Warblers and twenty one Common Snipe were at Kenfig Rivermouth, a Lesser Redpoll and seventy five Sky Lark were at Nash Point and five Fieldfare and Small Copper, Clouded Yellow, Painted Lady and Red Admiral butterflies were at Tyn-y-Caeau Farm as the temperature reached almost 20 Celsius. On the 28th, a male Black Redstart was at Gileston, a Purple Sandpiper was at Ogmroe Estuary, fourteen Common Crossbill were in Cardiff and an adult Mediterranean Gull, eighty Fieldfare and twenty Lesser Redpoll were at Kenfig Pool. The 29th saw a Great Bittern back at Kenfig Pool, while large numbers of Redwings were seen all over Glamorgan with the biggest flock in excess of a thousand was at Maesteg, where there were also large numbers of Fieldfares, a male Merlin and a Ring Ouzel. Another Ring Ouzel was at Lavernock Point. On the 30th, poor weather meant few birds with just forty two Common Crossbill in the Caerphilly area of note. The 31st saw a Hen Harrier at Llanrhidian Marsh, the drake Lesser Scaup and a Common Goldeneye at Cardiff Bay, an adult Mediterranean Gull, a Northern Pintail, six Common Chiffchaff and two hundred and twenty seven Common Pochard at Kenfig Pool and a Lesser Redpoll, four Blackcap, two Greater Scaup and one hundred and ninety six Tufted Duck at Eglwys Nunydd Reservoir.

11TH - 20TH OCTOBER 2009

On the 11th, a Ruff was at Dalton's Point, Gower, where one hundred and ten Black-tailed Godwit and three Bar-tailed Godwit were also present. The Dark-bellied Brent Goose was again at Newton Beach Porthcawl and thirty seven Reed Bunting were at Oxwich Marsh. A glorious day on the 12th saw a Jack Snipe at Kenfig Pool, thirty seven Common Scoter, a Red-throated Diver, two Arctic Terns and three Mediterranean Gulls at Porthcawl and two male Ring Ouzel, a Northern Goshawk, eleven Lesser Redpoll and ten Eurasian Siskin were in Maesteg. The drake Lesser Scaup returned to Cardiff Bay and a late Black Tern was at Mumbles Head. On the 13th, twenty eight Eurasian Siskin, four Great Spotted Woodpecker, two hundred and nintey six Eurasian Jackdaw and nine Song Thrush passed overhead at Kenfig Pool. The 14th saw two Penduline Tits at Cardiff Bay - the second county record. A Firecrest was at Maesteg and forty five Mediterranean Gulls were at Mumbles. A Merlin, Hen Harrier and twenty five Common Crossbill were at Mynydd Eglwysilian. On the 15th, the drake Lesser Scaup was again in Cardiff Bay, two Mediterrnean Gulls were at Kenfig Pool and the Dark-bellied Brent Goose was at Newton Point. On the 16th, two Red-billed Chough and two Green Sandpiper were at Ogmore Estuary. The 17th saw the drake Lesser Scaup again at Cardiff Bay, along with a female Greater Scaup. Ninety Redwing and two Goosander were at Eglwys Nunydd Reservoir. The 18th saw the drake Lesser Scaup again at Cardiff Bay and seventeen Common Crossbill in Maesteg. Two Barn Owl and a Merlin were at Lamby Lake. On the 19th, four Ring Ouzel and one hundred Redwing were in Aberdare, four Jack Snipe and seventeen Common Snipe were at Oxwich Marsh and a Red Kite was at Sarn, Bridgend. The 20th was a total washout with heavy rain and high winds - the first bad weather since August!!