late stayers

Still a few Swallows about in Henllan today and a Blackcap in Llangybi.

Ring-billed Gull -- Cardigan

On the river at his favourite spot at 08:00 this morning.

Aberaeron

This afternoon (Thursday 29th) in Aberaeron we had 3 Med Gulls and 1 Common Tern. Then also 1 Med Gull in Aberystwyth at the mouth of the Ystwyth.


Steffi

Ringing movements and Ringed Plovers

See Teifi Ringing Group or click on the Kingfisher Rich C tells me!
For some nice movements and our current wader ringing.

Hen harrier

Before I met some guests at Ynys-hir this morning I had a short walk and was rewarded with a brief sighting of a female Hen harrier near the "cross-roads."

We went to the Breakwater Hide, arriving just after Russell left and saw many but not all of the birds he mentions below. On our way back to the car park we stopped at Ynys Eidiol hide where we were fascinated to see a Grass Snake swim towards us in the lake below. It's only the second time I've ever witnessed a Grass Snake swimming, but blow me down, a minute later we saw another one do the same. AND, after leaving the hide, a short way along the track we happened upon another handsome specimen.

In the afternoon we visited New Quay where amongst other delights we saw 1 Peregrine, 2 Chough, 4 or 5 Stonechats, 2 Seals and 3 Bottle-nosed Dolphins.

Midges

All Hirondines seem to have departed, just in time to miss 3 days of huge midge emergences or should I say emergings?

David, Felinfach

Sightings from Steffi

A walk from Aberystwyth to Borth along the coastal path yesterday (27/09) produced a vigorously feeding Spotted Flycatcher (about half way between Clarach and Borth) along with a good number of Stonechats, ca. a dozen.

Today (28/09) at New Quay we had 1 Peregrine, 1 Kittiwake, 7+ Choughs, 4 Stonechat and 1 female exhausted Hen Harrier in off the sea. After being harrassed by gulls it just about made it to land. Also very good views of numerous Bottle-nose Dolphins (some with young).
Butterflies were everywhere, mainly Tortoiseshells but also Small Coppers, Red Admirals, Wall Browns, Small Whites, Large Whites, Speckled Woods, Common Blues; with hundreds of Silver Y moths.

I'm back in Aberystwyth now for my second year and hopefully you will be getting more sightings from me.


Steffi Meier

Ynys-hir RSPB at high-tide

A very nice variety of waders were pushed past the Breakwater hide on a very high tide this morning. Amongst the steady stream of curlew and oystercatcher were 5 knot, a sanderling, ringed plover, 2 golden plover, a grey plover and 3 whimbrel. Following a small group of dunlin I noticed a slightly smaller one which, upon flying past, showed a small white rump. Knowing straight away that I would never get that through BBRC with such brief flight views (white-rumped sandpiper) I continued looking further up the estuary but no luck. Frustration at near misses is part and parcel of bird-watching. Two sandwich tern and a juv. Med. gull added variety as did a willow warbler and a solitary yellow wagtail on the grassland but I do wish that wader had landed!

Sprawk @ Llanon

Had a stroll along the coastal path in shimmering heat today! Unbelievable , but sad that we have to gloat over an Indian summer... anyway ,apart from the Med Gulls in quantity and several small Linnet flocks , the only remarkable sight was a very hefty female Sprawk quartering the beet field trying to flush something. As my camera was in the car, she purposely came within 20 yards and completely ignored us.

Ynyslas, Mwnt and ring-billed gull

Whimbrel flew over Ynyslas on Sunday, 7 chough flying yesterday at Mwnt plus male kestrel and a peregrine. Ring-billed gull now seems quite at home on the Teifi and was very approachable yesterday morning.

Ring-billed gull

A couple of photos of the ring billed gull in Cardigan. Paul Mahiques

Llanrhystud/Llannon

Few waders about this morning but reasonable numbers of Pipits, Skylarks, Linnets and Goldfinches as well as 5 Wheatears, 4 Chiffchaffs and a single White Wagtail. There were about 60 Mediterranean Gulls at Llannon.

Re. the 10 Dunnocks that Arfon saw in a very small bush the other day. I believe that I've read that they have complex and, er,"interesting" sex lives.

Low tide at Tan y Bwlch

The tide was exceptionally low this afternoon (Sunday 25th) at Tanybwlch and the wind warm.There was an opportunity to enjoy the 2 wheatear ,5 oystercatcher with their etherial calling and Im almost sure 1 skylark that visited the shoreline twice to feed.There was also someone gathering shellfish for tea!

Lis Collison

RING-BILLED GULL

I arrived in Cardigan very early this morning and all the visible gulls were on a nearby roof-top. I am not very familiar with this species and so it was handy to see its size in comparison with Herring and Black-headed Gulls.

In this digi-pic it is the bird on the far left.

 

 

 It then flew across the river to the slip-way on the southern side.

 

 After a while it foraged along the shore, often close to a Common Sandiper.

I had some bread with me and that soon got the bird flying around before it settled on one of the posts in the river.

  A great start to the day. I then went down to Dale where I did not see the Buff-Breasted Sandpipers. Should have stayed in Ceredigion!

Redwings

Hi Richard, I also forgot to tell you that at Devil`s Bridge saw 6 redwing

Janet Atkinson

BIRD REPORTS

I have had three requests for past issues and so I thought I would mention that there are some 2009 Reports (at (£6), a few 2008s and one or two 2007s and 2006s (all at £4). If anyone is interested, best to contact me to check on availability. (johndavis@midwalesbirdwatching.co.uk)

The new, 2010 Report is selling well and to all the contributors, (photographers, artist, suppliers of articles, County Recorder and not forgetting everyone who sends in their records), I must pass on the fact of receiving so many pleasing comments. Much appreciated.

However (and there always has to be a however), one small but vital piece of information is missing (down to me and apologies to IJM) and it is the headings which should be at the top of the 5 columns of the table on page 79. Most copies for sale will now have an ammendment but for those already in possession of a copy, here are the missing details:

Species.       Number of tetrads occupied       Estimated winter popn       Number of tetrads occupied       Estimated breeding

                     in winter (max 25).                         (individuals).                        in summer (max 25)                    popn (individuals).      

Tregaron Bog Ruff

In answer to your question Liz the Ruff was seen in flight with approximately 30 lapwings at the southern end of the bog. As you say, because of high water, there is absolutely no muddy edges anywhere, which is a real shame considering just how many American waders there are in the country at the moment.

The best I could manage today were 10 Dunnocks in one very small bush at Llanrhystud!

hirundines

I gather that swallow migration across the Irish sea yesterday was spectacular from the Irish Ferries. I drove from Llandysul to Llanllwni & many hundreds were seen all heading south across the road in the dull damp conditions.
Also, a report of several hundred hirundines around the Co-op area of Lampeter at dusk; is there a reed bed or might it be maize for a roost!

llanon skylarks

Over 100 skylarks were on the fields near Morfa Mawr today; I was trying to count the corvid flock of at least 200 birds when I became aware of the skylarks in the field in front of me. I could only count to 100 before they flew around but at least one wheatear was among them.
11 Med Gulls inc juvs were fly-catching over the maize field as soon as the rain stopped.

Arfon, where was the ruff on Cors Caron? I'd given up hope of waders there as it has been so flooded, no mud anywhere that I could see.

llanon skylarks

Cardigan's 2nd year Ring-billed Gull

This photo showing more of it's 2nd year features.
(Tommy E.)

Ring-billed Gull, Cardigan town.

Present at the same site near Cardigan Bridge from 7.30 to at least 10.00.
Picture by Jon G on the Pembs blog.

Ruffs

Single juvenile Ruffs today at Llanrhystud, Ty Gwyn and Tregaron Bog.

House Martins

Unlike Bob's 'our House martins have not fledged yet. But Kites worming in the playing fields in increasing numbers (24 count).

David, Felinfach

Recent sightings from Matt Potter

A bit of a round up from the last couple of weeks:-

Whilst waiting for Tony Cross to pick me up to go wader ringing a few weekends ago, there was a Barn Owl hunting over the field next to the Red Kite Cafe.

Last weekend we had a female Tawny Owl calling outside our house. The first in probably 3 years of living here!

A regular Kestrel on the Henrhiew above Ystumtuen plus today still a few Wheatear knocking about and plenty of mipits about. Last week a Sparrowhawk was hunting around Ystumtuen and a few Yellowhammers have been seen regularly.

Matt Potter

Wheatear

A wheatear by Trefechan bridge yesterday too. Also saw the kingfisher there and a female goosander earlier in the week.

John Woodruff

Ring-billed Gull - Cardigan

Not the most scenic of locations, but here is the Ring-billed gull on the Teifi near the castle again at 08.00 today. Like yesterday, it flew downstream before the photographers arrived!

Park in Station Rd and look from the path behind Jewsons. It has also been seen around the slipway at Gloster Row car park on the other side of the river.

wheatears

2 wheatears on the beach at Llanrhysted today with a few turnstones and ringed plovers.

NANT YR ARIAN

There was a very obliging Marsh Tit which came to the ground feeder infront of the RSPB information hut this afternoon. According to Cathy (RSPB Ynys-hir and Nant yr Arian) it was also seen there yesterday. 

This is a photograph Cathy took of the bird.

Mwnt Sea-watch

After re-acquainting myself with all four species of skua at Strumble last week end I was delighted to watch a juvenile Long-tailed Skua fly passed Mwnt this morning. The Long-tailed also happened to be my 100th skua seen in Ceredigion this autumn.

Other birds seen between 7 & 8.30am included:

Arctic Skua 3 pale phase and 1 dark phase adults and 1 juvenile

Bonxie 2

Balearic Shearwater 2

Arctic Tern 3

Sandwich Tern 11

Commic Tern 1

Also Porpoise, Bottle-nosed Dolphins and Grey Seals present.

Ring-billed Gull -- Cardigan

The 2nd year bird present this morning on the tidal mud, below Cardigan Castle.
Park in Station Road. This bird's appearance may be affected by the tide?

3 Sedge Warblers ringed this morning on the marsh.

All birds fledged

All the Hs Martins on my west wall have now fledged there was a last ritual get-together around the house at the weekend with much excitement, wall clinging and general gathering on the wires; they appear to have now left for a warmer climate (can’t say I blame them). A couple of birds that were last to fledge are still here but all in all a very good year most pairs had three clutches 40+ birds fledged from six nests with one high wind casualty and a bit of egg slinging from one nest earlier on. Hoping my Swift prospectors will convert to breeders next year. The first Mistle Thrush for a long time was in the garden surveying the berries this morning.

Tony Clark

Ring-billed Gull -- Cardigan town

Photo by Tommy of the 2 winter Ring-billed Gull reported by person unknown leading a birding tour party.
Present on exposed mud between the 2 bridges into town, early afternoon.
Not present this evening, but the tide was rising........

Plovers, Ynyslas

One golden plover on a very windy beach at Ynyslas Turn being pursued by passing oystercatchers. Ringed plovers seeking shelter on the Turn car park.

CORS CARON

A 'life-first' for me today. This morning we had prolonged, close views of a Hen Harrier (ring-tail and probably a juv.) at the northern end of the reserve and after lunch a briefer view of a Hobby over the south-east sector. Never before seen both species on the same day. (A day that felt warm and a bit like summer one moment and then more wintry the next!)

Ahhh.........

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  Baby Squirrels Rescued After Nest Disaster

Curled up together in a blanket, these squirrels catch up on some sleep after a traumatic start to life.

The five-week-old kittens were tossed from their nest in Northumberland when the aftermath of Hurricane Katia struck Britain.

Winds reached up to around 70mph in the north of England last week as the remnants of the weather system moved over the UK.

In what were believed to be the worst storms for 15 years, trees were downed, waves engulfed roads and masonry collapsed.

The squirrels were found by a passer-by and taken to a vets' surgery, who passed them on to the Sanctuary Wildlife Care centre in Morpeth.

Their mother has still not been found so workers are feeding the tiny animals goats' milk by hand every three hours.

The Sanctuary is a family-run, not-for-profit organisation which cares for unwanted and injured animals across the north of England.

It was founded in 1993 by Kim Olson and her husband Allan Pettersson, who had studied wildlife management and worked in Tanzania.

The centre now treats hundreds of injured or abandoned wildlife each year, with the aim of returning them to the wild.

The red squirrel is native to Britain but numbers have dwindled as the American grey squirrel continues to dominate.

There are only around 140,000 red squirrels left in the UK, compared to over 2.5 million greys.

Red squirrels often build their nests - called dreys - in the forks of tree trunks.

They are weaned off their mother's milk after eight to 12 weeks when they have developed a complete set of teeth.

Re Chough at Mwnt

The ringed chough photographed at Mwnt yesterday by Janet is the breeding female at this site. She was hatched 17 kms away in 2006. More details can be found on the midwalesringers blog

Mwnt

In the drizzle at Mwnt 2 chough (one ringed), and a male kestrel looked how I felt.

LLANSANTFFRAED

This afternoon, a dozen Mediterranean Gulls, 3 White Wagtails and the 'white' Oystercatcher; always nice to see that one.
Earlier, from the Nant y Moch mountain road between Ponterwyd and the dam, a fairly late Whinchat.

New Mid-Wales bird-ringing blog

As many of you enjoy reading the Teifi Ringing Group's blog I have started a new one to help share the findings of our own 'group's' bird-ringing activities in Mid-Wales. Here's the link as its particularly relevant to Ceredigion and might be of interest to some of you.

http://midwalesringers.blogspot.com

Kites and worms

In response to David's post. Worms are probably the single most important item in kite diets in Wales (for both adults and juveniles) and are usually found during low flights, quartering the ground. In particular circumstances such as following ploughing, muck spreading or flooding, when large numbers come to the surface, the kites (and buzzards) will often spread themselves out over the field and just sit around waiting to spot one before running over to pick it up.  It is very noticeable that the number of birds attending feeding stations increases during periods of dry or freezing weather when the worms go deep then drops off when it goes warm and wet again.

kites and worms

I regularly see the local pair of kites 'worming' on the golf course at Ynyslas during the winter months and early spring.

Field Trip Sunday 18th

Fifteen people were brave/silly enough to turn out for the walk at Llanon on
Sunday. One or two didn't finish the course but I think we all enjoyed it and
thought that it was worthwhile.

The birds that I recorded were fulmar, manx shearwater, cormorant, mallard,
buzzard, sparrow hawk, kestrel, curlew, black-headed gull, mediterranean
gull,feral pigeon, wood pigeon, skylark, house martin, rock pipit, grey
wagtail, crow, house sparrow, and greenfinch. Star bird of the day was a
Sabines gull which put in an appearance toward the end of the walk and was
quickly spotted by Liz Snell.

Some of the group were motivated enough to move on to Llanrhystud and help
Aline with the beach clean- dedication indeed!

Elaine Izett

Kite and worms

Last year I blogged kites feeding on the adjacent playing field 2 Nov.

They have been attending for a week or so early mornings, 16 have been counted, last time I asked does anyone know, is this regular Kite fair, or this year's juveniles taking advantage of easy meat, or what?

What offers?

David, Felinfach

New Quay 2pm - 4pm

After finally cracking and spending a very enjoyable morning at Strumble a 2 hour seawatch at New Quay on the way home was very quiet in comparison. Very few birds were moving passed the head. Highlights included:

2 immature Little Gulls
1 immature Black Tern
1 Sunfish

New Quay seawatch 0700-1000

Passage very light, but some good birds, albeit in very small quantities:

Leach's Petrel 2 (0720 and 0850) - the 2nd moving through rather too leisurely, and was taken by the local Peregrine, which carried it off overhead back towards the cliff!

Sabine's Gull 1 juv - flew in from NE 0725 and joined the Black-heads lingering just off-shore. (Stunning views, no binoculars needed!). Moved on after 10-15 minutes, but then reappeared just below us again 0830, and stayed for another 10-15 mins. Very smart at such close range.

Arctic Skua 2 (both pale phase)
Bonxie 1
Little Gull 1
Black Tern 1
Red-throated Diver 1
Great Northern Diver 1 - on sea
Common Scotor c.40
Manxies c.30
Kittiwakes c.100
Auks c.15
Fulmar 5
Gannets 3
Wigeon 5
Heron 1 - flying E well out towards horizon!

Peregrines 2 (ad and juv.) periodically chasing passing seabirds - sometimes successfully, as above...

Ynyslas

At Ynys-las this morning at high tide there were several turnstone, sanderling and curlew sandpiper in with a large group of dunlin and ringed plover.

Rhys Thatcher

Peregrine, Aberystwyth

While at the Aberystwyth Food and Drink Festival scouting for lunch today I saw a Peregrine doing the same over Great Darkgate St heading for St Michaels. Starlings appeared to be on the menu.

Ynyslas HT wader roost

1000+ Dunlin and Ringed plovers roosting on the cobble area by Ynyslas saltmarsh this morning (about 50:50 split). With them were 2 Curlew Sandpipers, c.10 Sanderling, 8 Knot and a juvenile Ruff (very small individual, presumably a female).

A couple of dog walkers who walked through the middle of them and flushed the lot were completely unrepentant when the results of their behaviour were politely pointed out to them. (I suggest it's still worth doing so though).

A walk up to Glandwr Pools produced an adult male Ruff, 2 Black-tailed Godwits and c. 15 Teal.

Mwnt seawatch 6.30 - 10.00

Great Skua 8
Arctic Skua 5 Dark phase, 6 Pale phase & 2 immatures
Pomerine Skua 2 immatures
Balearic Shearwater 1
Black Tern 1 immature
Great Northern Diver 1
Common Scoter 35

All bar three skuas passed before 8.30am

Down Africa way with the Ospreys

Just a thought as I am now working in Sudan (Khartoum) - if only Einion the osprey (or his siblings were to make a bit of an eastern detour down Africa way - maybe I could get to see them! )

Meanwhile birding it up tropically on the Blue Nile (White Nile and Blue Nile converge in Khartoum) - lots of greater blue-eared starlings, Little and European beeaters, Tacazze sunbird, Abyssinian rollers, common bulbuls, black-headed herons etc (and I think I may have seen a migrating spotted flycatcher)


Terry Barry

Goldfinches Galore

A Charm of Goldfinches hardly does justice to the sight of well over a hundred goldfinches rising from my local field of knapweed and thistles every time the low flying RAF trainers passed over this afternoon. Still find it amazing how such a brightly coloured bird can be so difficult to discern even when there are so many in such a relatively small space, only their constant twittering giving their presence away. What a charming place is Blaenpennal! Alan Lyne

2010 COUNTY BIRD REPORT

98 pages, 28 colour photographs, £7

In addition to the Systematic List of all the species recorded in the County in 2010, which includes a wealth of information on their status and numbers, and the Earliest and Last Dates of Summer and Winter Visitors, the Report includes a detailed study of the birds in the south-east of the County, a report from the Teifi Ringing Group and notes on the finding of Ynys-hir's Long-billed Dowitcher and the Wryneck at Llanrhystud.

From this afternoon the Report can be obtained from the Teifi Marshes (Cardigan Wildlife Centre) visitor centre and from early tomorrow morning from the Ystwyth Bookshop in Aberystwyth and later in the morning from the visitor centre at RSPB Ynys-hir.

As usual, the Report will be available when the monthly walks take place, starting this Sunday at Llanon and also, by post from me. Cheques for  £7  +  £1  p&p should be made payable to:

The Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales and sent to me at Pant Llidiart, Trisant, Aberystwyth SY23 4RQ

Many thanks in advance to all of you who will continue to support our County Bird Report.

(Already I have received cheques from out-of County-birdwatchers!)

WELSH ORNITHOLOGICAL CONFERENCE

WOS holds its annual conference on NOV12th at Carno Community Centre nr Caersws.
The website:www.birdsinwales.org.uk should have the programme but I can tell you its packed with interesting talks and slide shows, there's a good light lunch and the venue is very well appointed being part of the Laura Ashley legacy in the area.
Iolo Williams kicks off with a short consideration of 100 years of conservation in Wales and if you are fed up with official bland-speak then this is the talk for you. Iolo has unique experience of the workings of the conservation movement in Wales and will pull no punches!
There are 10 other speakers including Kite Trust's Tony Cross and RSPB's Arfon Williams plus a Dee Doody film(yes, that is his name!)
The conference is open to non-members £26, members£21.
The full prog and entry details will be in the News section shortly...see right side of blog.

Ynyslas, Mwnt

A few from yesterday's high tide at Ynyslas.

Good numbers of hirundines hoovering up flies over Mwnt late this afternoon. Also 2 chough. 5 sandwich terns passing offshore.

Sightings from Roy Bamford

On a walk from Aberystwyth to Borth today -

2 chough, 2 whitethroat, a lot of mipits moving south, good numbers of goldfinch and linnet, handful of wheatear and a few red admirals - also heading south. Still quite a few swallows about. Watched 2 dolphin for over half an hour as well.

Roy Bamford

Ospreys

For those of you who are already missing the Dyfi Ospreys here are a few clips of some of their cousins in action.

Click the following link to watch the video:

http://www.arkive.org/osprey/pandion-haliaetus/video-00.html

Around Eglwys Fach

This afternoon on Foel Fawr I saw 2 adult male, 1 female and 2 very young and spotty stonechats. Also a whitethroat and 2 willow warblers. Earlier at Ynys-hir I was taken by surprise when I saw a large gaggle of barnacle geese - looking from the gate close to Marian Mawr Hide I counted 133 of them close to the estuary.

Sabine Gull info

There have been a number of unusual seabirds reported lately and for the benefit of those who can't or won't want to get to a headland during a full-on gale at 06:00 there is a web-site which features close up shots of a juv Sabine's and what a beautiful bird it is, although unfortunately dead!
Sabine's rarely come close even during a gale so this was a rare opportunity to study the plumage.
http://birdingfrontiers.com/2011/09/13 juvenile-sabine's-gull/
If the extended address doesn't work just go to birdingfrontiers.com and scroll down.
Also on the site is a very good article on 1st year pied/white wagtails and don't despair, there is one infallible field mark!
The site is run by Martin Garner, a member of the British Birds Rarity Committee.

Grey Phalarope?

A visiting couple from Perthshire (Mr. & Mrs B.H. Thompson) reported seeing a phalarope at fairly close quarters on Cors Fochno today. They were fairly certain it was a grey, but there was no sign of the bird when I looked later. It was on one of the flooded ditches close to the south-east corner of the circular boardwalk which is accessed from the track along the west edge of Llancynfelyn Common from the B4353.

Mike Bailey

TEIFI NEWS

Wed 14th Sept (1pm - 3pm)
12 Bar tailed Godwit, 2 Common Sandpiper, 5 Little Egret and 1 Greenshank.
Howard James
(An impossibly brilliant set of sightings from Arfon: see below!)

Sabine's Gulls -- Mwnt

06:30 - 08:30;-
20 Bonxie, 13 Arctic Skua(11 DP, 2 LP), 2 Balearic Shearwaters, 2 Leach's Petrel, Red- throated Diver, & 2 immature Sabine's Gulls.
(Arfon W.)

More on the Teifi Osprey

2.15 pm - 2.45pm. Our obliging juvenile Osprey flew upstream from the Estuary and landed in a tree opposite the Moorings at St Dogmaels, (Ceredigion side of the river). Preened for half an hour then flew off upstream. (Hotly pursued by corvids and my brother in his car, who was hoping to catch up with it again at the Welsh Wildlife Centre, Cilgerran).

Howard James

Tanybwlch 12 sept

Suffered a severe case of sand blasting but just a few b h gulls on the beach and nothing at sea. However, 2 goosander and 2 white wagtails on the ystwyth were compensation. Lots of gulls on college rocks including 2 sandwich terns and 3 med gulls.

New Quay Head

Arfon Williams reports the following birds at New Quay Head yesterday between 6:30 and 7:45 pm - 2 Immature Black Terns, 3 Arctic Terns, 4 Common Terns, 25 Sandwich Terns, 1 Bonxie, 1 Pomerine Skua, 1 dark phase and 1 immature Arctic Skua, 1 Balearic Shearwater and 2 Leaches Petrel.

Late Delivery

Just happened to notice three newly fledged Goldfinches learning the intricacies of landing on and feeding from the Nijer feeders this morning

David Lucas

marsh harrier

7pm last evening a male marsh harrier over flew our garden on its way south along the eastern escarpment overlooking Cors Caron;it was quite low and I wondered if it was on its descent into the woodland just south of us but intervening trees prevented me following its flight path.

Earlier I had walked 3km in Strata Florida's woods and among the very few birds were 7 crossbills noisy as ever on the cones.

Late Barn Owl nests

Following up on an earlier post. On Friday 9th September I visited three late Barn Owl nests, 1 near Aberystwyth and 2 near Tregaron. These three nests contained a total of 12 young, 4 in each. Great to see these late nests producing so well and helping to replace those birds lost last winter.

New Quay Head 15.40 – 16.40

Very strong SW wind, gusting. Visibility poor beyond midway to horizon. Numbers of birds fewer than hoped for…!

All birds moving south

Manx Shearwater 32

1 large brown shearwater – probable Great. I got onto this bird fairly late unfortunately so my view was rapidly obscured by the wall of the lookout where I was sheltering. I moved quickly to the front but was almost blown over and could not relocate the bird. There seemed to be a whitish collar, marks on the underwing and darkish undertail coverts but regrettably I could not come to a conclusive ID.

Northern Gannet 17

Arctic Skua 4

Great Black-backed Gull 3

Sandwich Tern 13

Tern sp. 2

Northern Wheatear 4

Ian Harrison

Ynyslas and Arfon at New Quay

Sea-watching for just a gannet or two at Borth; time to check waders at Ynyslas. At 8am there were over 1,000 dunlin, 580 ringed plover, 8 knot, 7 sanderling, 11 curlew sandpiper and 4 little stint. Desperate for some sea birds I was again at Borth for an hour at lunchtime but nothing flew past where I was looking, though 3 juv. Med. Gulls in a field at Ynyslas turn was nice. Again, at Borth after work for an hour with only 3 cormorants the reward. Giving up and home, cooking tea I get a text from Arfon Williams at New Quay: 2 leach's petrel, 1 balearic, 2 black tern, 3 arctic skua and a bonxie. It's just not fair. Just to make matters worse, I am now out of the county until 24th and I am convinced everyone will put in extra effort to find some nice birds while I am away. I just hope that some will stay.

TEIFI OSPREY

A report from Howard James: This evening, 6.15 - 6-45pm, an Osprey was present again in a tree opposite the Moorings at St Dogmaels, on the Ceredigion side of the river, before flying upstream.

As of today, we still have three ospreys around - Dad and two of his offspring. The eldest chick Einion is currently in Morocco, around 80 miles south west of Casablanca. Both the remaining youngsters are being supplied with fish by their father but we are positive that at least one, the male, is catching his own food.

The high winds forecast over the next few days are clearly a worry and will probably prevent any of the ospreys starting their migration, hopefully they will leave Thursday or Friday once the winds die down. Accordingly, the Dyfi Osprey Project will remain open throughout this week and will now close at 18.00 Friday evening, September 16th. Pop in and see us if your around!

Late Swallows

A late brood of three swallows fledged today from a nest in our barn - not the best of weather to venture forth into the wide world. It is the third brood this year and is week earlier than the final brood last year.

Field Trip 18th September

Hello All,

Just a reminder about the field trip and the beach clean at Llanon on the 18th
September. Full details can be found on the web site. I hope to see lots of
you there and am keeping fingers crossed for good weather.

Elaine Izett

College Rocks

a quick look at College Rocks this afternoon (Friday 9th) produced 6 Med Gulls, 40 Herring Gulls, 18 Blackheaded Gulls, 5 Lesser Black Backed Gulls, 4 Oystercatchers, 3 Cormorants, 2 Sandwhich Terns and 3 Rock Pipits.

Matt Potter

GOOD DAY OUT!

On our way to Cardigan, Meurig, Bob and I called in at New Quay where we enjoyed some sea-watching with Andy James. Being the one calm day of early September it was not as exciting as on previous days but a good view of a Great Northern Diver rewarded our efforts.

E.L. Jones, the Printing firm at Cardigan have done an excellent job on the 2010 Report photographs and having had all the words, they are now ready to print and the Report should be out fairly soon. (See below.)

The Teifi estuary then kept us occupied and amongst a good variety of waders were 8 Black-tailed Godwits, 3 Knot, 15 Sanderling, a Whimbrel, Common Sandpiper and Turnstone and 72 Curlew. 46 Barnacle Geese were present before flying back to their assumed home on Cardigan Island and, once again from Jewsons there was a Kingfisher.

Stranded Manxies

The Pembs blog has details of the stranding of hundreds of fledgling manxies at Newgale sands.
If manxies are found alive on our coast please be aware that there is a scheme afoot to feed them up and using the good offices of Stena Line put them back in the feeding flocks on the Irish side. Cliff Benson would be the link for anyone needing to help any stranded birds after you've fed them some sardines!
The gales are bringing exciting birds within reach but sadly there's always another side to the story.

COMING SOON!

Last Chicks

If any group of birds had a good reason to fly back to Africa it has been the Hs Martins on my West wall over the last week or so! The furious westerly winds have led to some of the most masterly flying techniques I’ve ever seen with the parent birds having to make up to twenty desperate attempts each visit back to feed their chicks; they were actually flying backwards and flipping at the last second. It’s quietened down a bit now and the two nests still with chicks popping out and being very vocal have 10 days or so before they are ready to fledge. Last Swift spotted flying with the Martins was on the 25^thAugust. A Heron is back in its usual haunt across the field on the Clarach stream. Down the river very handsome male Sparrow hawk around Capel Bangor and large flocks of Goldfinches showing well. Garden quiet despite massive crop of elderberries all going to waste.

Tony Clark

Ynys-hir

At the Breakwater hide this morning, on the falling tide there were around 550 dunlin, 3 little stint, 4 curlew sandpiper, 17 knot and 5 bar-tailed godwit feeding on the exposed mud and sand. Other odds and ends included a few wigeon,a wheatear and a whitethroat.

Wader Ringing.........

With the first of the 3 main sets of autumn high tides out of the way, I thought I’d post an update on results so far. Despite some very big day-time high tide counts at Ynyslas there have been very few birds present at the point in the evening - where do they all go? However, over the 6 nights that the conditions were right for catching, the combined efforts of Tony, Jane and myself managed to catch and ring over 160 passage waders:

Dunlin 107
Ringed Plover 55
Turnstone 2
Oystercatcher 1
Sanderling 1
Curlew Sandpiper 1

As with most birds ringed, only a very small proportion of them will ever get recovered, which can be quite disheartening with all the effort put in, but when you do get that one recovery it makes it all worth while, as I discovered recently. One of the juvenile Dunlins that I ringed on the 12th August last year was re-trapped just 22 days later (on the 3rd September) 1,707km away in the southwest of Spain!!



Most birds move through very quickly. We have only had 2 re-trap Dunlins at Ynyslas so far this year, one which was re-trapped the following night, and the other which I originally caught and ringed on the 20th August further down the coast at Llanon which seems to be moving the wrong way!

Anyone interested in finding out more or wanting to coming along to see what goes on after dusk, please don't hesitate to contact me.

Mwnt

Tiring of bird-free seas at Borth I decided to head south and was at Mwnt this morning from 8am to 12pm. A very nice variety of birds was passing, though not in large numbers with the highlights being 1 balearic shearwater, 2 sooty shearwaters, 11 great skuas, 4 arctic skuas and an adult roseate tern. All were heading south. If the winds pick up again, I might have another go there on Sunday.
On the way back north I stopped briefly at Llanon where there were 252 mediterranean gulls, which I spent fifteen minutes ageing (the gulls, not myself though I suppose I did too) but I won't bore you with the figures.

New Quay Fish Factory

common scoter 17-manx shearwater 53-artic skuars 3p1d-great skua 1-gannets 2-sandwich terns 7-grey heron 1-common tern 3-little gull 2

alan.hill

Greenshanks

There were 4 Greenshank on the mud at the Clettwr at about 10:00 this morning.

New Quay Head

Arfon Williams reports seeing 3 Arctic Skuas, 1 immature Black Tern, 1 Leach's Petrel and 1 immature Sabine's Gull from New Quay Head between 6:30 & 8:15 this morning.

NEW QUAY

Bob, Meurig and I had a good sea-watching session there today, dominated by a prolonged passage of terns, mostly Sandwich but a good number of Common and Arctic, at least 4 Little and one Black Tern.
Also a Great Skua and a large number of Kittewakes but only a few Manx Shearwaters.

Dyfi Osprey Project

Just a quick update - Einion has now covered over 900 miles since leaving the Dyfi last Wednesday. See map for his journey so far up to 3pm yesterday (click it for a bigger version).

By 10pm last night he was around 50 miles south of Madrid and 120 miles inland from Valencia. New website online soon so there will be more information on there. Both his brother and sister are still with us on the Dyfi and the osprey project closes a week today, September 12th.

Sea- watch --- Mwnt

9 Arctic Skuas, & 1 Balearic Shearwater the highlights.
(Arfon W.)

Llanrhystud

A smattering of regular birds this morning mostly in low numbers inc. Blackcap, Whitethroat, Sandwich Tern, Dunlin, Ringed Plover plus 40 Curlew and 9 Wheatears.

On Friday during a frantically busy day at work I was lucky enough to see a very beautiful female Brown Hairstreak butterfly, a first for me. I was in Trebedw, near Henllan. As I was walking back to the van it was resting on the bonnet, sunning itself, opening and shutting its wings. I watched it for about 30 seconds then off it flew and so did I.

It was great the other day to see on the blog the map showing the southward journey of the first Osprey chick. More maps please. I like maps.

MEDITERRANEAN GULLS

Chris Bird noted 35 Med. Gulls on College Rocks, Aberystwyth this afternoon, a good number for that location. Later on, 100+ at Llanon.

Skuas -- Newquay Head

3 Arctic Skuas and 1 Bonxie past this morning,
(Andy James)

Cardigan Bay birds

Yesterday on a Dolphin Survey Boat trip out from New Quay we saw a peregrine over the cliffs at Ynys Lochtyn, and a couple of miles offshore between Mwnt and Aberporth a sooty shearwater amonst the manxies and a lone puffin (photo: Lyndon Lomax), Still good numbers of Manxies about but well offshore.

Med. gulls

Very quiet for shearwaters this morning with only a few drifting south. Suprise for me though was 18 Meditteranean gulls along the beach; not comparable to numbers at Llanon but the most I have seen here. The only other bird of note was a juvenile arctic skua slowly flying north.

Yesterday morning, August 31st at 07.39, the oldest Dyfi chick started his migration south, he was 87 days old. By 6pm he was on the south coast near Plymouth where he probably roosted for the night. All three youngsters have beed fitted with satellite transmitters funded by Montgomeryshire Wildlife Trust and the BBC. Both the other offspring are still on the Dyfi.

LLANSANTFFRAED

This morning, just how I felt.

Ynyslas this morning

I did an extra hour and a half birding this morning whilst I waited for the tide to recede so that I could drive away from where I'd parked my car. I watched a gathering of approx 650 small waders near the point comprising mostly Dunlin and Ringed Plover but with them were 10-12 Sanderling, 2 Turnstone, 5 Knott and 1 Bar-tailed Godwit. There were also c70 Sandwich Terns. They all dispersed pdq when a couple of Peregrines attacked, one of them made a kill. Earlier there was a single Common Tern with another flock of Sandwich closer to the Leri.

Osprey Teifi Marshes

3.20 pm today (Thurs 01/09/11). Osprey flying downstream from the Marshes (mobbed by gulls)and continued following the river downstream over Cardigan.

Howard James

Apologies to those concerned, I've been away for a week so the following messages are a wee bit late................

amazing numbers of swallows and martins near Llanilar this afternoon - Wednesday 24th.

Andy & Kim Rayment

There were 2 Ruff, 2 Curlew sandpiper and a Little stint feeding together at Glandwr this morning - Friday 26th.

Mike Bailey

It was a high tide this morning - Tuesday 30th - so not much in the way of sea birds.

wheatears 6- linnits 20+ a few rock pipits &pied wagtails- sand martins 10 -ringed plover 20+. At the kilns chiff-chaff and a lesser whitethroat.

alan.hill.