Little Owl

A few years ago I when I was making House Martin nest cups I decided to make a Swallow nest, it was a bit of a disaster as it was much too big in any event I stuck it up in the shed which is under the patio and I leave the upper part of the door open. Swallows do come in and out and sit in it occasionally but tonight when I was getting the bike out something caught my eye; sitting in the cup in the semi dark was a Little Owl he just sat there and was still there when I put the bike back in. I have seen them in the garden a few years ago when they were up on the House Martin cups investigating. I don't know whether he is thinking of setting up home there or just roosting perhaps.

Tony Clark

Borth

Signs of activity offshore at Aberystwyth earlier, with Gannets, Manx Shearwaters and Kittiwakes passing by, so I headed for Borth, also encouraged by Dave Purdon's  recent report.
Good to see 4-500 manxies and ca 60 Gannets, many feeding close inshore. Also around 20 Kittiwakes, a raft of 12 Guillemots and three Bottle-nosed Dolphins.

Amazing Woodcock recovery

Ever wondered where our winter visiting Woodcock go to breed? Mid Wales Ringing Group have just been informed of 8 Russian recoveries including a truly amazing movement of a bird ringed at Trawscoed see here for more details Mid Wales Ringing Group

Whilst there you might want to take a look at our live-stream of a Curlew on a nest in a silage field in Shropshire too.

COLOUR-RINGED HERRING GULL

Chris noticed an adult Herring Gull at Ynyslas on Monday with a yellow ring: Y:H99 and here are the details:

It’s a bird which was colour-ringed ringed at Harewood Whin landfill site, to the west of York, (53.960 -1.177). The bird was caught using a Cannon Net and is one of around 2500 Gulls which were caught and colour ringed over a 3year period from March 2015.

Harewood Whin was one of the decreasing number of Landfill sites in the UK where it was possible to operate for the catching and ringing of gulls. The landfill site has now closed and no longer attracts large number of Gulls. Whilst with us the gulls used to feed on the Landfill site during the day and roost on the floods in Lower Derwent Valley National Nature Reserve or on the Humber Estuary.
One of the main reasons for carrying out this work was to examine if and how the movements of Gulls altered with the closure of the Landfill site which used to be a major food source throughout the year.
To date there have been over 1500 sightings reported from as far apart as the Barents Sea and Morocco.
The bird was rung on 28^th July 2017 and yours is the first sighting since it was rung
I hope you find this of interest and many thanks for taking the time to report your sighting.
Best Regards, Mike Jackson

Cors Fochno Nightjars

At the risk of repeating recent posts from MB and CFB, John, Paul and I visited the boardwalk area of Cors Fochno last night and had a churring male which then treated us to a display, including calls and the odd wing-clap.
We then found another one churring on the way back to the car. 
A word of warning, though.  On a warm and calm evening the midges were as bad as I've ever known.

Gannets off Borth beach

Nice to see about 100 gannets just off Borth Beach, up near the Golf Clubhouse, this morning.  Some flying and diving, most sitting and digesting.  (thanks Kim)

Dave Purdon

Whimbrel at Ynyslas

A flock of 10 birds flying north yesterday evening.

Roger Matthews

Cwm Brefi Sunday 20th May

Had a walk along Cwm Brefi on Sunday and thought I share my sightings.

Highlight was good views of three separate Cuckoos, including one that was being attended to by a Meadow Pipit. Didn’t look like a juvenile Cuckoo but the Pipit was constantly flying at it and each time the Cuckoo opened its beak as if expecting food.

Also saw Kestrel, Whinchat, Stonechat, Wheatear, Dipper with 2 young, Linnet, Pied Wagtail, Swallow, House Martin, Buzzard, Red Kite, Pied Flycatcher, Willow Warbler, Chiffchaff, Garden Warbler and Grey Heron.

And to finish off, there’s a Red-legged Partridge at home  in Llanfair Clydogau which is still there today.

Dave Denney

HOBBY

Spotted a Hobby near Joppa yesterday evening.
John Woodruff

It's a long way to Aberaeron

My wife Mara and myself managed today to fulfill a challenge we had set ourselves to walk from Lampeter to the sea. On the way there were some good birds in locations I would never normally visit. Wood Warblers were at Lodge Wood Lampeter, and Silian. A Kingfisher was dashing up and down the Aeron at Talsarn. A Goshawk was in the Aeron valley in a stretch I've only ever walked once before, many years ago.