Oriole Birding

This is my final posting on the Celtic Bird Tours website. From 1st December 2009, the site will be parked and you will be redirected to my new business http://www.oriolebirding.com/. I would like to say a huge thank you to everyone that has travelled with Celtic Bird Tours over the twelve years we operated ur tours. The signs are that my new partnership with Ashley Saunders and Oriole Birding will be a succesful one. We both hope that we will continue to provide the high quality, small group holidays that our regulars have become used to and look forward to many days birding with friends old and new.

Best Wishes & Good Birding

Neil

21ST - 30TH NOVEMBER 2009

The 21st saw the Surf Scoter again at Mumbles, the Great Northern Diver and a Common Sandpiper in Barry Docks and a Brambling in Neath. A Black Redstart was at Rhossilli and a Barn Owl at nearby Pilton. Poor weather again on 22nd saw the Surf Scoter remaining at Mumbles Head, sixteen Purple Sandpiper and three hundred Redwing at Ogmore Estuary and five Mediterranean Gulls and three hundred and five Common Pochard at Kenfig Pool. Up to four Leach's Storm Petrel were off Porthcawl on 23rd, along with a Great Northern Diver, a Red-throated Diver, one hundred and twenty five Black-legged Kittiwake, eleven Common Scoter and seventeen European Golden Plover. The Surf Scoter was again off Mumbles Head. More storms on the 24th saw some excellent sea watching with a Pomarine Skua, Arctic Skua, Black-throated Diver, Leach's Storm Petrel off Lavernock Point, three Great Northern Diver, a Leach's Storm Petrel, six Great Skua and six hundred Black-legged Kittiwake at Porthcawl. The Surf Scoter was again at Mumbles Head and a Great Skua, two Red-throated and five Great Northern Divers were off Oxwich Bay. On the 25th, two Leach's Storm Petrels were off Porthcawl, along with a Grey Phalarope and five hundred Black-legged Kittiwake. Another Leach's Storm Petrel and a Great Skua were off Barry and further Great Skuas were off Lavernock Point and Mumbles Heas, where the Surf Scoter remained. The high winds continued on 26th and two Leach's Storm Petrel were again off Porthcawl, along with two Great Skua, while the Surf Scoter, two thousand one hundred and sixty Black-legged Kittiwake, a Great Northern Diver, Red-throated Diver and an Arctic Skua were at Mumbles Head. Calmer conditions on the 27th still saw plenty of seabird action as birds moved back towards the Irish Sea. A Black-throated Diver showed very well at Porthcawl and four Great and a Pomarine Skua, a Great Northern Diver and four hundred Black-legged Kittiwakes were at Lavernock Point. The 28th saw a Great Northern Diver at Swansea Docks and a Merlin at Lamby Lake. The only news on the 29th was of a Short-eared Owl, Water Pipit and two Merlin at Rhymney Estuary. The 30th produced a nice surprise in the form of a female type Velvet Scoter at Ogmore Estuary, as well as the first two Common Goldneye of the autumn.

11TH - 20TH NOVEMBER 2009

The Great Northern Diver was again at Cosmeston Lakes on the 11th and three Mediterranean Gulls were at Kenfig Pool. A Short-eared Owl was at Rhymney Estuary and twenty Common Scoter were at Worms Head. The 12th saw a Brambing in Maesteg before very bad weather set in for the next couple of days. The 14th produced a Eurasian Woodcock at Kenfig Pool, a Goosander was at Cosmseton Lakes and thirty Common Scoter, forty Common Gull and a Great Northern Diver were at Porthcawl. On the 15th, another Great Northern Diver was in Barry Docks and the 16th saw a Great Skua off Lavernock Point, the Great Northern Diver again in Barry Docks and one hundred and forty Black-legged Kittiwake off Porthcawl. On the 17th, nine Jack Snipe were at Oxwich Marsh and forty two Mediterranean Gull were at Mumbles Head. A female Greater Scaup was in Cardiff Bay and two Common Chiffchaff were at Kenfig Pool. The 18th saw three Leach's Storm Petrels at Porthcawl Sea Front, along with sixty two Black-legged Kittiwake, fifteen Common Guillemot and six Northern Fulmar. On the 19th, a female Surf Scoter was at Mumbles Head and the Great Northern Diver was again in Barry Docks. The 20th saw three Great Bittern and a Yellow-browed Warbler at Kenfig Pool, a Snow Bunting and four Red-billed Chough at Southerndown and a Grey Phalarope and four Great Northern Divers were at Oxwich Bay and Marsh. The Surf Scoter was again at Mumbles along with a Little Gull. Two Black Redstarts were at Penarth and another Grey Phalarope was at Neath Estuary.