Highlights for September

The weather for September was a damned sight drier than it was in August,county rares turned up with Wrynecks putting a show at a number of sites early in the month,redwings heard and a lingering swift mid-month and a Bee Eater towards the end.Migration got well under way for many species with huge numbers of hirundines from many coastal sites,all heading SE.In neighbouring Gwent a Great White Egret was seen at Goldcliffe.

1st-Willow warblers at Nash,swift, spotted fly and green sandpiper at Lavernock.
3rd-Gannet at Cardiff bay along with common and green sandpipers.
4th-Green sandpiper was again at Lavernock along with tree pipit,chiffchaff and whitethroat.
5th-Little gull,c300 house martin and common sandpiper at Cardiff bay.
6th-Ogmore produced common sandpiper,chiffchaffs,whitethroat and 6 common gulls,whilst at Locks Common a Wryneck.
7th-Wryneck again at Locks Common,Heliport saw wheatears,chiffchaffs and a whimbrel.
8th-Lavernock-rose ringed parakeet,18 chiffchaffs,1600 swallows in 2hrs,whitethroat,yellow wagtail,redpoll,garden warbler,spotted flycatcher,tree pipit,blackcap and hobby.Cardiff bay saw kingfisher ,common sandpiper and wheatears.
9th-Porthcawl-6 black terns,15 sandwich terns,2 common terns and 2 choughs,Heliport saw chiffchaffs,whimbrel and a common tern.A wryneck was reported at Kenfig.
10th-Cosmeston-Wryneck and a hummingbird hawk moth,Lavernock-yellow wagtail,whitethroat,blackcap and nuthatch.Spotted fly and lesser whitethroat at cors Crycydd and a hobby over eastern Cardiff.
11th-Cardiff-redstart at dogfield street.Nash saw Whinchat,wheatear and chiffchaff whilst at Portobello there were med and common gulls
12th- Cardiff -redwings over Ryder street and spotted flycatcher at the Heliport.Lavernock produced garden warblers,sedge warbler,chiffchaffs house martins and swallows.
13th-Lavernock-an estimated 8000 swallows past in 2hrs along with a late swift,3 yellow wagtails,chiffchaffs,blackcaps and 2 crossbills.At the black pipe on the Rhymney estuary there were 40 Black tailed godwitts and a little stint.Kingfisher and dipper were seen at Pontcanna on the Taff.
14th-Cosmeston -Wryneck,whinchat and sedge warbler.Hobby at Lavernock and Whinchat at Aberthaw.Garden warbler,blackcap and siskins at Nash,tree pipit,lesser whitethroat and 500 swallows at Rhoose point,greenshank at Bendrick rocks.Hobby at Maesteg washeries.
15th-Lavernock-60+ siskins,peregrine and guillemot.Lesser whitethroat and spotted flycatcher at Heliport.Goshawk at Nantyfyllon.
16th-Kenfig-chiffchaff,siskin,pochard,blackcap,garden warbler & 4 water rail.Aberthaw saw greenshank,little egret and yellow wagtail,summerhouse point produced an impressive count of 27 red legged partridge and at Llantwit major there was a marsh tit.
17th-Cardiff bay barrage-ringed plover,turnstone,wheatear and chiffchaffs.
18th-Cors Crycydd-report of a Hippolais warbler,possibly an olivaceous warbler,unfortunately the bird was not refound,however there was reed warbler,blackcap,whinchat,yellow wagtail,little egret,curlew sandpiper and grasshopper warbler.At summerhouse point there was 7 red legged partridges and at Gileston little egret,wheatear and whitethroat.
19th-Llanbletherry and Gileston there was a barn owl,tawny owl and little owl.At Cors Crycydd there was a juv.scaup,common sandpiper and wheatear.
20th-East Aberthaw produced a Brent goose,sanderling,golden plover,grey plover,med gull and a whinchat
21st-East Aberthaw-grey plover and sanderling.At Cwm Nash there were 2 chough, garden warbler,blackcap and numerous swallows flying SE.Whilst at Cardiff Bay there was a black necked grebe and at Lavernock there was a Goshawk,at Summerhouse point there was 10 red legged partridge,Peregrine and crossbill .
23rd-Kenfig-Marsh harrier,wigeon,sedge warbler and wheatear.
24th-Rhymney great wharf-Honey buzzard,common scoter,wigeon,pintail,whimbel,little egret and wheatear.A little gull was at the outfall at Cardiff bay.
25th-Graig y Llyn-Ring ouzel,peregrine and tree pipit.Pant norton saw a Yellow browed warbler.
26th-Lavernock-Rose ringed parakeet,blackcap,tree pipit,whinchat and peregrine.
27th-Lavernock-produced a Bee Eater flying North along the hedgerows,at Cwm Nash there was 2 choughs,2 peregrine,spotted flycatcher and wheatear.A Yellow browed warbler was reported from Lamby tip.
28th-Lavernock-crossbill and siskins.Redwing over Lamby.There were 2 Ruddy ducks at Cosmeston.At the Watermill there was a green sandpiper and a little egret,with a kingfisher at Portobello.Rhossili there was a Yellow browed warbler,firecrest,pied and spotted flycatcher.
29th-At Sluice farm there was a merlin.
30th-Lavernock-Yellow browed warbler and merlin.

Highlights for August

I suppose the easy way to sum up august would be,wet,very wet,needless to say nothing of any major significance turned up locally,with a wryneck being the best bird.With the exception of the CBC paelagic across the Bay of Biscay the birding has been dire,the weather outlook looks promising with deep lows promised off the Atlantic for September.

2nd-2 med gulls,9 sanderling at Aberthaw
3rd-green sandpiper and juv marsh harrier at Kenfig.
5th-3 green sandpiper at Kenfig,3 common sands at Cardiff Bay,barn owl at Maesteg.
7th-Pontcanna-10 chiffchaff,5 willow warbler and 3 blackcap,5 black tailed godwit and 2 greenshank at Kenfig.Out of county at Goldcliffe 1 wood sand ,7 black tailed godwit, 7 green sands,marsh harrier and a spoonbill.
8th-med gull,little gull and whimbrel at Cardiff bay.
9th-marsh harrier at Trowbridge.
10th-manx shearwater and 'commic' tern at Lavernock
13th-arctic skua and manx shearwater at Porthcawl.
15th-crossbill(2) over Nell's point
17th-med gull at Aberthaw and 6 common sands,4 wheatear,whimbrel and gooseander at Ogmore.
18th-25 black tailed godwit at Sluice farm.Kingfisher at Ogmore to add to yesterdays birds.
19th-5 storm petrels from Cors Crycydd,black tern at Ogmore.
20th to 23rd CBC paelagic to Biscay
25th-whimbrel at Cardiff heliport.
26th-37 med gulls at the Mumbles.
29th-gadwall at Cosmeston
30th-3 choughs at Dunraven, med gull,little egret and common sands at Aberthaw.
31st-bird of the month Wryneck at Blaengarw.Aberthaw saw 20 wheatear,whinchat,whitethroat and lesser whitethroat,whilst at Llanhillid,hobby,cuckoo,yellow wag and peregrine.