September Highlights

Spoilt for choice on the photo front this month with some excellent shots on the Blog of Grey Phalarope, Black Tern, Lapland Bunting, Arctic Tern & Whiskered Tern. Anyway, lets forget them in favour of a crap shot of a Bobolink. After Marmora's Warbler and Iberian Chiff Chaff in the spring surely it couldn't get any better. Thanks to Paul 'Sid' Parsons and Kelly 'Bobolink' Thomas the best year in South Wales for many a moon continued to rumble on and on. Few would have expected Glamorgan's first American Passerine to have popped up at Eglwys Nunydd Reservoir, but late in the afternoon of 20th September, Sid & Kelly struck gold. Somewhat elusive in the long grass, the Bobolink was long gone the next morning. A few days later it was back to Eglwys again, when Jeff Slocombe managed to photograph a Juv Whiskered Tern, presumably the bird that has been in the UK for a little while. The Lesser Yellowlegs found by Nathan Casburn at Goldcliff on 28th failed to linger although it was seen briefly the following morning.

Otherwise, the month will be remembered for the 2 different Lapland Buntings at Sker, Grey Phalaropes at Kenfig, Eglwys & Ogmore, 2 showy Turtle Doves in Swansea and large numbers of Curlew Sandpipers at various sites.

1st - Ruff Kenfig Pool. Little Ringed Plover (to 16th) & 4 Curlew Sandpipers Rhymney Estuary.
2nd - Little Stint Rumney Great Wharf.
3rd - 2 Black Terns Llandegfedd Reservoir.
4th - Osprey Llanrhidian (to 19th ). Garganey Kenfig Salt Marsh. Ruff Llanishen Reservoir (to 12th). 5 Curlew Sandpipers Rumney Great Wharf.
5th - 17 Curlew Sandpipers Goldcliff. Arctic Skua, Little Stint & 25 Curlew Sandpipers Salthouse Point.
6th - Ruff Peterstone Gout.
7th - Little Stint Llanishen Reservoir (t0 9th) . 6 Curlew Sandpipers Salthouse Point. 2 Black Terns Kenfig Pool. 2 Little Gulls (several birds seen up until 26th) & 4 Black Terns (various birds until 19th) Eglwys Nunydd. Curlew Sandpiper Crymlyn Burrows.
8th - Firecrest Kenfig Pool (to 9th ). Little Ringed Plover, Curlew Sandpiper, Black Tern & Little Tern Wernfrwdd. Honey Buzzard Nitten Field, Gower. Goshawk Pant Norton. 5 Ruff & 5 Black Terns Rumney Great Wharf. 2 Black Terns Llandegfedd Reservoir.
9th - Wryneck Llanishen. Curlew Sandpiper Petersone Gout.
10th - Wood Sandpiper Llanrhidian.
11th - Black Tern Lisvane Reservoir (to 15th ) . Black Tern Cardiff Heliport. Ruff Sluice Farm. 14 Curlew Sandpipers Goldcliff.
12th - Arctic Skua Mumbles Head.
13th - Grey Pharalope (to 20th joined by another on 15th ) Eglwys Nunydd. Avocet Peterstone Gout.
14th - Large Sheartwater sp Lavernock Point. 3 Black Terns Llandegfedd Reservoir.
15th - Grey Pharalope & Black Tern Sker. 3 Arctic Skuas Porthcawl. 2 Black Terns Crofty.
16th - Sabines Gull Cardiff Heliport. Grey Phalarope Ogmore Rivermouth (to 17th) . 3 Curlew Sandpipers Rumney Great Wharf.
17th - Ruff & Curlew Sandpiper Penclawdd. Little Gulls Peterstone Gout (to 19th ) & Cardiff Heliport.
18th - Lapland Bunting Sker.

19th - Manx Shearwater Nantyffyllon. Balearic Shearwater & 3 Arctic Skua Port Eynon. 2 Arctic Skuas Cardiff Heliport. Arctic Skua & 2 Curlew Sandpipers Goldcliff.
20th - Bobolink Eglwys Nunydd. 2 Curlew Sandpipers & Little Stint Goldcliff. 2 Curlew Sandpipers Peterstone Gout.
21st - Osprey Abercynon. Wood Sandpiper Lavernock Point. Marsh Harrier Goldcliff.
23rd - Turtle Dove West Cross (to 27th ) . Curlew Sandpiper & Little Stint Goldcliff.
24th - Lapland Bunting Sker (to 29th ).
25th - Turtle Dove Blackpill (to 28th ). Juv Whiskered Tern Eglwys Nunydd (to 29th ). Tree Sparrow Nell's Point, Barry.
26th - Curlew Sandpiper Goldcliff.
27th - Ruff Rumney Great Wharf.
28th - Lesser Yellowlegs Goldcliff (to 29th ).
29th - 2 Little Gulls Port Talbot Docks.
30th - 2 Curlew Sandpipers Peterstone Gout. Little Stint & Hen Harrier Goldcliff.