Highlights for February

February will be remembered for some very cold weather and several heavy bouts of snow. No new big rares and for most people efforts were targetted at catching up with the Hendre Lake Bittern or one of the number of Iceland or Glaucous Gulls that lingered along the coast. The Bittern seemed to alternate between stunning views and no views depending on which day you visited but most people who perserved eventually got some sort of view. Some excellent flight shots can be found on weekendbirder.blogspot.com/

Oh, and the drake Lesser Scaup reappeared back at Cardiff Bay mid month, having gone missing for a period.


1st - 2nd w Ring-billed Gull Lamby Lake. Snow Bunting, Mynydd Eglwysilan.
2nd - Iceland Gulls , Swansea Marina and Ogmore Estuary.
3rd - Juv Iceland Gull, Rhymney Estuary. Ring-billed Gull, Lamby Lake.
4th - Iceland Gull & Dark-bellied Brent Goose Rhymney Estuary. Woodlark Rumney Great Wharf.
5th - Bittern, Hendre Lake. Iceland Gull & Water Pipit, Ogmore Estuary.
6th - Bittern, Hendre Lake.
7th - Bittern, Hendre Lake. Ring-billed Gull Lamby Lake. Ring-necked Parakeet, Insole Gardens. Water Pipit, Lwyn Onn.
8th - 3 Waxwings, Bridgend. 15 Redpoll Grangemoor Park. Slav Grebe, Cardiff Bay.
9th - 3 Waxwings, Bridgend. Juv Iceland Gull, Cardiff Heliport.
10th - Lesser Scaup, Cardiff Bay. Bittern, Hendre Lake. Juv Iceland Gull, Rhymney Estuary. Juv Iceland Gull, Penarth Seafront. Waxwings, Bridgend.
11th - Bittern, Hendre Lake.
12th - Ad Iceland Gull, Rhymney Estuary. Glaucous Gull, Port Talbot Docks. Bittern, Hendre Lake.
13th - Juv Iceland Gull, Llanishen/Lisvane Reservoir. Ad Iceland Gull, Rhymney Estuary.Ring-billed Gull, Lamby Lake. Lesser Scaup, Cardiff Bay. Barn Owl, 3 Short-eared Owl and 6 Woodcock Llanillid. Hen Harrier, Mynydd Eglwysilan.
14th - Bittern, Hendre Lake. Hen Harrier, Llangynwyd, Maesteg. 2 Hen Harriers, Mynydd Eglwysilan. Ring-billed Gull, Lamby Lake.
15th - Bittern, Hendre Lake. Hen Harrier, Mynydd Eglwysilan.
16th - Bittern, Hendre Lake. Ring-billedGull, Lamby Lake.
17th - Bittern, Hendre Lake. Hen Harrier, Mynydd Eglwysilan. Iceland Gull, Ogmore Estuary
18th - Bittern, Hendre Lake. Hen Harrier, Mynydd Eglwysilan. Iceland Gull, Ogmore Estuary.
19th - Iceland Gull, Ogmore Estuary.
20th - Bittern, Hendre Lake.
21th - Bittern, Hendre Lake. Lesser Scaup, Cardiff Bay.
22nd - Juv Iceland Gull, Cosmeston.
23rd - Lesser Scaup, Cardiff Bay. Juv Iceland Gull Port Talbot Docks. Yellow-legged Gull, Rhymney Estuary.
24th - Juv Iceland Gull, Cosmeston. Hen Harrier Llangynwyd,Maesteg. juv Iceland Gull and 2nd win Glaucous Gull, Port Talbot Docks.
26th - 5 Jack Snipe Rumney Great Wharf and Wentloog area. Juv Iceland Gull and 2nd w Glaucous Gull, Port Talbot Docks.
27th Bittern Hendre Lake.
28th Lesser Scaup and ad Little Gull Cardiff Bay . 2nd w Glaucous Gull & juv Iceland Gull Port Talbot. 3 Purple Sandpipers Nell's Point.