August Highlights

August is often the month when County listers start thinking about trying to add a scarce seabird to their tally. A Cory's Shearwater picked up in Swansea yet again proved that things do head up the Bristol Channel from time to time, although not in the league of Yellow-nosed Albatross or Frigatebird sp, this will be one seabird record the relevant commitee will not have too much trouble with!

Otherwise, migrants such as Willow Warbler, Garden Warbler, Pied & Spotted Flycatcher, Yellow Wagtail & Tree Pipit started to be seen at costal locations. A Shag in Cardiff Bay was a much desired Cardiff tick for some - a bird that is surprisingly rare this far up the channel. An equally odd sighting was an Avocet heading west over Cosmeston Lakes, proof that ocassionally is does pay to look skywards! I would say roll on September but as I will be out of county for most of the month, let's hope for a nice quiet month :-)

1st - Cory's Shearwater picked up Swansea.
2nd - Aberthaw - Whimbrel 1 & Wheatear 1. Med Gull & Spotted Flycatcher Lamby Lake.
3rd - 1 Wood & 2 Green Sandpipers Llanilid. 9 Arctic Tern pass Flat Holm. Briton Ferry Docks - 14 Common Sandpiper, 6 Greenshank & Whimbrel.
4th - 2 Whimbrel, 1 Green & 5 Common Sandpipers Llanilid.
5th - Hobby & Green Sandpiper Hendre Lake. Greenshank Lavernock Point. 2 ad Med Gulls, 18 Ringed Plover & 4 Dunlin Aberthaw
6th - Pied Flycatcher Schooner Way, Cardiff.
7th - 1 Wood & 10 Green Sandpipers Llanilid. Shag Cardiff Bay. Lavernock Point - Willow Warbler 17, Garden Warbler 2, Common Whitethroat 4, Blackcap 2, Tree Pipit 1, Spotted Flycatcher 1, Leser Whitethroat 9, Swallow 49, Sedge Warbler 1, Chiff Chaff 1.
8th - St Mellons Business Park Spotted & Pied Flycatcher.
9th - Avocet Cosmeston. Ad Med Gull Ogmore Estuary. Goshawk Bridgend. Juv Med Gull Cardiff Heliport.
10th - Great Skua off Flat Holm. Egyptian Goose Rheola Pond.
11th - 4 Green & 2 Common Sandpipers Llanilid. Green Sandpiper Weentloog Business Park. 12 Willow Warbler & Wheatear Cardiff Heliport.
12th - Common Tern Bridgend. Spotted Flycatcher Cosmeston.
13th - Ad Med Gull & Kingfisher Cardiff Bay. Scaup, 2 Dunlin, 2 Common & 2 Green Sandpipers Llanilid. 6 Common Sandpiper & Wimbrel Cardiff Heliport.
14th - Lavernock Point - Willow Warbler 8, Chiff Chaff 1, Garden Warbler 2, Grasshopper Warbler 1 , Blackcap 4, Whitethroat 4, Lesser Whitethroat 4 , Swallow 45. Spotted Flycatcher Cosmeston.
15th - Osprey Neath. Lavernock 2 Garden Warbler. Port Eynon, Pomarine Skua 1, 230+ Manx Shearwater, 40+ Fulmar, 50+ Sandwich Tern, 200+ Kittiwake, 2 Common Scoter & 40+ Gannet.
16th - juv Common Tern Hamadryad Park. Med Gull Porthcawl.
17th - Lavernock Point, Chiff Chaff 5, Willow Warbler 1, Whitethorat 3, Lesser Whitethroat 2. Flat Holm 11 & 2 Wheatear.
18th - Osprey Neath. 2 Med Gull Britton Ferry.
20th Porthcawl - Storm Petrel 2, Manx Shearwater 3, Fulmar 6, Gannet 17.
22nd - 2 Med Gulls Hamadryad Park. Osprey Wernffrwd. Hobby Llwyn-onn Reservoir.
23rd - Med Gull Cardiff Bay. Osprey Wernffrwd. Lamby Lake, 8 Common Sandpiper & 2 Green Sandpiper.
24th - Osprey River Neath. Pant Norton, Pied Flycatcher, 20 Whitethroat, 15 Blackcap & 15 Chiff Chaff. 70+ Yellow Wagtail Cwm Bach.
25th - Greenshank & Yellow Wagtail Cardiff Heliport.
27th - Little Egret Lisvane Reservoir.
28th - Black Tern Eglwys Nunydd Reservoir. Osprey Wernffrwd. Black Tern Salthouse Point.
31st - 18 Brent Geese Ogmore-by-Sea. Little Egret Lisvane Reservoir. Port Eynon, 3 Great Skuas, 1 Common Tern & 24 Sandwich Terns.

July Highlights

Pretty much a rarity free July. The closest we got to any excitement were 2 singing Quail near Maesteg at Mynydd Baeden which showed now and again for those prepared to sweat it out. Elsewhere an eclipse drake Goldeneye at Lisvane Reservoir was somewhat unseasonal to say the least. Otherwise, it was eyes to the floor and time to dust down those Odanata and Butterfly guides.

4th - Cold Knapp Barry - Med Gull 1.

5th - Aberthaw - 5 Gannet, good number of Manx Shearwater, Fulmar & Little Egret. 2 Black-tailed Godwit Kenfig Pool. Wernffrwd Brent Goose 1 & 11 Eider.

7th - Whimbrel & 2 Common Sandpipers Cors Crychydd Reen. Ad Med Gull 3 Common Sandpipers Ogmore Estuary.

8th - Rumney Great Wharf /Rhymney Estuary - Yellow-legged Gull ad, Little Egret 1 & Peregrine. Wernffrwd 1 Brent Goose & 11 Eider.

9th - Gannet & Goosander Cardiff Bay. 1st summer Med Gull Cardiff Heliport. Drake Goldeneye Lisvane Reservoir.

10th - 2 Med Gulls Aberthaw.

11th - Hobby Bridgend.

12th - Med Gull & 12 Common Sandpipers Ogmore Estuary. Aberthaw 50 Manx Shearwater,1 Whimbrel & 2 Gannets. Black-tailed Godwit Rumney Great Wharf.

14th - 1st summer Med Gull Cardiff Heliport. 2 Quail Mynydd Baeden.

15th - 2 Quail Mynydd Baeden. Garden Warbler Lavernock Point. 2 Green Sandpiper & Hobby Rumney Levels.

18th - 2 Quail Mynydd Baeden.

20th - 2 Quail Mynydd Baeden.

22nd - Rumney Great Wharf - 52 Manx Shearwater, 1 ad Med gull, 1 Common Sandpiper & 3 Whimbrel. Cardiff Heliport - 850+ Manx Shearwater, 1 Gannet & Common Scoter.

23rd - Lavernock Point - Whitethroat 6, Garden Warbler 1 & Willow Warbler 1. Little Egret Lisvane Reservoir. Yellow Wagtail Mynydd Baeden 1.

24th - Lavernock Point - 7 Common Sandpiper.

25th - 1st summer Med Gull Kenfig Pool. 12 Crossbill Abercwmboi.

26th - Cardiff Heliport - 2 Whimbrel, Little Egret & Common Scoter. Worms Head 2000+ Manx Shearwater & 30 Gannet. Wernffrwd - 11 Med Gulls, 264 Common Gull & 11 Common Sandpiper.

29th - Ad Med Gull Penarth Road Bridge.

30th Garnwen - 2 Nightjar.