CEREDIGION
HIGHLIGHTS:
A Glossy Ibis was at Cors Caron (6th-7th), with a Quail (17th).a Cory’s Shearwater was off New Quay (9th). A Black Guillemot was at Mwnt (13th).
COASTAL SITES:
Med Gull passage peaked at 190 at Aberystwyth (4th) and 430 at Llanon
(27th). There were 11,000 Manx Shearwaters and a Marsh Harrier at Borth (16th). Ynyslas maxima were 22 Sanderling, 105 Sandwich Terns, 750 Oystercatchers, 250 Ringed Plovers, 40 Black-tailed Godwits, five Whimbrels, 12 Knot, 80 Common Terns, two Arctic Terns, Black Tern, three Curlew Sandpipers, two Little Stints and 650 Dunlin. A Little Stint was at the Teifi estuary (21st). A Greenshank was at Tanybwlch (30th). Ynys-hir logged four Little Stints, 12 Curlew Sandpipers, five Bar-tailed Godwits, three Green Sandpipers, Wood Sandpiper, Greenshank, two Little Ringed Plovers, two Ruff, 22 Black-tailed Godwits and 20 Knot. A seawatch from Cardigan Headland (21st) produced Sooty Shearwater, 1,200 Manx Shearwaters, four Arctic Skuas, three Great Skuas, a Pomarine Skua, 360 Gannets, 60 Fulmars and a Puffin. Two Whimbrels were at Aberystwyth (4th). Two Arctic Skuas were there (27th) and one at Mwnt (13th). There were 120 Linnets at Llanrhystud (24th). CORS CARON: There were three Green Sandpipers (13th) and nine (17th). A Marsh Harrier was seen (6th), with a Hobby at Pant Pool (26th). John A Davis (johndavis@midwalesbirdwatching.co.uk)
CLWYD
HIGHLIGHTS: Two Little Stints were at the River Clwyd, Rhyl and two at Connah’s Quay (28th-29th). There was an influx of Curlew Sandpipers throughout, with birds at Shotton, Connah’s Quay and Rhyl (five). Flyby birds included a Spoonbill over Shotton Steelworks (5th), an Arctic Tern over Llyn Brenig (7th) and four Black Terns over Point of Ayr (20th), which also had 1,000 Sandwich Terns, three Greenshank, two Whimbrel, a Green Sandpiper and 10 Yellow Wagtails. A Marsh Harrier was at Connah’s Quay (7th), with two (30th). COASTAL SITES: Connah’s Quay held 15 Spotted Redshanks, 15 Greenshanks, Green Woodpecker and four Redstarts (7th), Kingfisher, two Common Sandpipers, 300 Redshanks, 850 Black-tailed Godwits, and a Turnstone (30th). INLAND SITES: Alyn Waters CP had two Kestrels, Sky Larks, Buzzard, Dipper, Grey Wagtail, and good numbers of Swallows and House Martins. Bradley had an impressive kettle of several Buzzards, Sparrowhawk, hirundines and 60 gulls catching flying ants (4th). Fenn’s had several families of Redstarts, Green and Great Spotted Woodpeckers, 14 Mistle Thrushes, Wheatears, Stonechats, a Sparrowhawk, Kestrel and Buzzard (10th). Pen-y-ffordd had 40 Lapwings and two Bullfinches (25th). Tufted Ducks reared eight young at Gresford Flash. The pair of Mandarins remained at Gresford Lake. Spotted Flycatchers, now very scarce here, bred again in Burton. Marford had 13 Buzzards soaring. Norman Hallas, Hugh Linn and Richard Smith
EAST GLAMORGAN
KENFIG: A Sooty Shearwater and 427 Manx Shearwaters were off Sker (3rd). Two Garganeys were at the river mouth. A Marsh Harrier frequented the reserve. A Dartford Warbler was ringed. A Little Stint was on the beach. A Hobby flew through. Five Sandwich Terns were at Sker. OGMORE ESTUARY: Pant y Cwteri had a Wryneck (28th). Other sightings there and in Pant Norton included Osprey, Marsh Harrier, Hobby, Grasshopper Warbler, Pied Flycatcher and five Spotted Flycatchers. A Garganey lingered at the Watermill. Pick of the waders were a Ruff, Curlew Sandpiper, Little Stint, Greenshank, three Green Sandpipers and 10 Black-tailed Godwits. Three Kingfishers and a Dipper were on the estuary. Several Little Egrets were noted. Whinchats and Yellow Wagtails were seen. OTHER SITES: Seawatching at Porthcawl brought two Balearic Shearwaters, four Storm Petrels and three Little Terns. Storm Petrels were off Cardiff Barrage (six) and Lavernock. Two Black Terns, Osprey and Little Egret were at Lisvane Reservoir. Little Egrets were at Aberthaw, Bendrick Rock and Cosmeston. A Nightjar was at Llanwonno. A Black-tailed Godwit was at Cosmeston. Aberthaw had Curlew Sandpiper and Knot. In an aboveaverage passage of Pied Flycatchers, records came from Rudry (three), Cardiff Bay, Cosmeston, Forest Farm and Lavernock, where Grasshopper and Reed Warbler were seen. Paul Roberts
GOWER AND WEST GLAMORGAN
HIGHLIGHTS: An Osprey and Marsh Harrier were at Llanrhidian. Four Curlew Sandpipers, 137 Dunlin, 52 Ringed Plovers, two Peregrines, 35 Meadow Pipits and a Whinchat were at Weobley. A Little Stint, 250 Ringed Plovers, 400 Dunlin and 12 Eiders were at Whiteford. A Balearic Shearwater was off Tut Head. Oxwich held 25 Tree Pipits and 44 Willow Warblers. Crofty had 135 Curlews and 50 Common Gulls. Overton held 15 Blackcaps, 20 Whitethroats, two Garden Warblers, two Lesser Whitethroats, Redstart, Whinchat, Grasshopper Warbler and Dartford Warbler. Porteynon had four Sandwich Terns and 62 Ringed Plovers. Tawny Owls bred in Singleton Park. NEATH/PORT TALBOT: Some 300 Oystercatchers, 89 Curlews, and a Little Egret were at the Neath estuary, with 36 Redshanks in Brunel Dock. Three Mandarins were on Fish Pond, Margam Park (from 13th). A Greenshank and three White Wagtails were at Eglwys Nunydd Reservoir (17th), with a Black Tern (20th). Three Storm Petrels were off Margam Breakwater (22nd), with 35 Med Gulls at Port Talbot Harbour (27th). Three Sandwich Terns and 105 Med Gulls were at Bracelet Bay (25th). Terry Tovey and Gwyn Randall
GWENT
HIGHLIGHTS: A Wryneck was at Porton (30th). Ospreys were at Llandegfedd Reservoir (4th & 16th). Wood Sandpipers were at Newport Wetlands (5th, 17th-18th & 26th). A Spoonbill flew over Pontypool (12th). NEWPORT WETLANDS: There were 28 Yellow Wagtails (3rd), six Little Stints and a Spotted Redshank (20th), and nine Curlew Sandpipers plus a Marsh Harrier (31st). Good numbers of passage waders were reported. OTHER SITES: A Gannet was at Sudbrook (21st). Forty Red Grouse were at the Blorenge (29th). Large numbers of waders were reported along the estuary, together with a significant visible migration of passerines. Chris Hatch
GWYNEDD BARDSEY ISLAND:
There were 2,331 Manx Shearwaters, 11 Fulmars, 65 Gannets, 138 Kittiwakes and 14 Black-tailed Godwits (1st), with 123 Gannets (3rd). There were five Chiffchaffs, 82 Linnets, three Wheatears and a Little Owl (4th), 13 Common Sandpipers, an Arctic Tern and 290 Kittiwakes (5th), 29 Wrens, 67 Willow Warblers and a Cuckoo (6th), and 4,943 Manx Shearwaters (7th). A Siberian Chiffchaff, Lesser Whitethroat, Great Skua and Med Gull were seen (8th), with a Little Ringed Plover, Snipe, Common Sandpiper, Tree Pipit, 39 Curlews, 101 Sandwich Terns and two Arctic Terns (9th). There were 3,296 Manx Shearwaters, 175 Gannets, 62 Lesser Black-backed Gulls and 556 Kittiwakes (10th), 72 Meadow Pipits and 17 Rock Pipits (11th), and 15,541 Manx Shearwaters, 14 Fulmars, 350 auks and 707 Kittiwakes (12th). A Marsh Harrier, two Kestrels and a Wood Warbler were seen (13th), with 110 Willow Warblers, Garden Warbler, Reed Warbler and 959 Kittiwakes (14th). There were 37 Knot, two Greenshanks, two Ringed Plovers, an Osprey, six Sparrowhawks and 29 Rock Pipits (15th), with Red Kite (16th), and a Long-eared Owl, Bonelli’s Warbler, Citrine Wagtail, three Purple Sandpipers and three Green Sandpipers (17th). Two Pied Flycatchers were seen (18th), with 1,595 Manx Shearwaters (19th), two Sooty Shearwaters, Long-tailed Skua and Ruff (21st), and Curlew Sandpiper (22nd). There were 731 Willow Warblers, 68 Spotted Flycatchers, 20 Black-tailed Godwits and three Pomarine Skuas (23rd), an Icterine Warbler, Ortolan Bunting and Melodious Warbler (from 23rd), two Wrynecks (25th), five Sanderling and seven Purple Sandpipers (26th), and a Black Guillemot (31st). OTHER SITES: Porthmadog had a Black Tern (20th), and 50 Black-tailed Godwits plus four Curlew Sandpipers (26th). Ynys, near Talsarnau had five Black Terns (21st). Criccieth had two Eiders (6th). Y Fford had 19 Little Egrets, Wheatear, 16 Greenshanks, Pink-footed Goose, 50 Lapwings and 50 Curlew (2nd). Morfa Nefyn (18th) had a massive gathering of Swallows and Sand Martins. A few Gannets and Sandwich Terns fed (20th). A Spotted Flycatcher was at Pwll William (22nd). Pwllheli had 40 Sandwich Terns (22nd), 42 Black-tailed and two Bar-tailed Godwits, two Greenshank, 15 Knot, four Sanderling, four Common Sandpipers, two Curlew Sandpipers, two Kingfishers, 130 Ringed Plovers, 100 Dunlin, 200 Redshanks, 40 Sandwich Terns, two Goosanders, 24 Teal, Whinchat, Redstart, Green Sandpiper, Little Stint, Med Gull and a few Turnstones. Shirley Roulston
MONTGOMERYSHIRE
CORS DYFI: One Osprey egg failed, and the other chick died following an accident. The female departed on the 25th, with the male still present at month’s end. Blue 24, the second female, was also still about. LAKE VYRNWY: Common Scoters were present in varying numbers throughout. A Marsh Harrier was seen (29th) and Hobbies, two Goshawks, a Grasshopper Warbler and eight Willow Tits were birds of note. OTHER SITES: Hobbies were seen regularly throughout the county over the month. On Lake Glaslyn, up to three Ringed Plovers, unusual here, were recorded. Dolydd Hafren and Llyn coed y Dinas Reed Warblers had a successful season, as did Goosanders, with groups of young on the Severn. Brayton Holt
PEMBROKESHIRE
SKOMER: There were 100,000 Manx Shearwaters off Skomer Head (3rd). Balearic Shearwaters were recorded (8th & 20th-21st). Daytime Storm Petrels included three (3rd) and one (4th). Wildfowl maxima were 12 Teal, five Mallards, 10 Shovelers and 20 Common Scoters. A Marsh Harrier flew over (18th). Sparrowhawks increased to four. Two Water Rails were recorded (18th). Wader maxima included a Ringed Plover, two Golden Plovers, a Lapwing, Little Stint, 47 records of Dunlin, two Snipe, a Black-tailed Godwit, 11 Whimbrels, four Redshanks, four Greenshanks, two Green Sandpipers, three Common Sandpipers and 13 Turnstones. A Great Skua passed the Garland Stone (28th). Med Gulls were recorded (17th & 29th). Black-headed Gulls peaked at 50. Two Sandwich Terns flew past Skomer Head (3rd). A Cuckoo was present (to 15th). Swifts were seen throughout, maximum 11 (17th). An early Great Spotted Woodpecker was seen (29th). A Wryneck was found (28th), with two (29th-30th). There were 10 Sand Martins (5th & 16th), with 170 Swallows (29th) and eight House Martins (6th). Tree Pipits were recorded (16th, 18th & 29th), with Yellow Wagtails (26th & 29th). Two or three Grey Wagtails were seen (28th-30th). A Redstart was seen (16th). Whinchats were recorded on five dates, with two (25th & 27th). There was a Grasshopper Warbler (29th). Eleven records of Reed Warbler included three (30th). An Icterine Warbler was seen (29th), with a Blackcap (29th-31st) and a Garden Warbler (30th). Maxima were 21 Willow Warblers, four Goldcrests, 10 Spotted Flycatchers and two Pied Flycatchers. Ed Stubbings (skomer.warden@welshwildlife.org)