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.