Sightings

Main sighting: Merlin

1f-Merlin perched on a log on the salt marsh before flying off.2-m+f-Peregrines perched on the wooden groyne within ten yards of each other.Also 32+Pied Wagtails on the field leading to the sea wall,party of 8-LTTs.10h40-12h30.

Main sighting: Fieldfare

Dusk visit. Flock of 150 Fieldfares over, to roost on the slope of Coity Mountain. A few more around Milfraen Pit. One Meadow Pipit. Earlier, a Woodcock flushed from the woodland near Hafod Road, Brynmawr.

Main sighting: Snow bunting

Single bird, very confiding – got very close (photo available)

Main sighting: Red-breasted Merganser

Raslas Pond – 84 herring gulls (adult and 1-3rd year birds), 1 common gull, 9 lesser black-backed gulls and 4 male tufteds. Butetown Pond – 179 Canada geese with a single white goose (assuming this is feral type as opposed to snow goose). Als female red-breasted merganser.

Main sighting: Brambling

At least two Bramblings amongst a small mixed flock of Great,Blue and Coal Tits and several Chaffinches just beyond the green barrier near the car park.10h40-12h20

Main sighting: Sightings roundup

En-route to hides – robin, crows, woodpigeons, chaffinches, fieldfares, redwings, gt spotted woodpecker, coal tit and magpies. Hide one – 3 skylarks, mallards, good count of 278 lapwing, male stonechat, 18 black-tailed godwits, 5 redshanks, 103 teal, 5 snipe, 15 dunlin, jackdaws, 33 shoveler, 5 gadwall, black headed gulls, 22 wigeon and 300+ starlings. Snipe platform – greylag goose, 6 mute swans, 2 lt egrets, 14 more gadwall, coot and wren. Seawall – 51 curlew, herring gulls, raven, oystercatchers, 11 turnstone with 5 dunlin feeding together on mudflats as tide was coming in, 2 distant grey plovers. Hide three – pair of pintail, Canada geese, male kestrel, 11 more teal, 12 more wigeon, 2 shelduck and meadow pipits. Back at hide 2 – the grey phalarope spotted by Alan Dowson still present at 1145hrs, showing well in left corner from hide. Not present when I first stopped off here so assuming this bird came in mid-morning? Female sparrowhawk also through and distant cettis calling. Other: Common darter and blue/green hawker type dragonflies (3) and 2 red admirals.

Main sighting: Grey Phalarope

1-Grey Phalarope showing well from the second hide.10H45-12H35

Main sighting: Red Kite

A red kite flying low over the A465 road by Upper Triley farm just before Great Triley Wood nature reserve.

Main sighting: Water Rail

Brief view of a Water Rail foraging along the margins of Machine Pond. Two Red Kites circling high overhead.

Main sighting: Goosanders

4 female goosanders, Kingfisher and numerous Mallards

Main sighting: Brambling

My first garden Brambling of the autumn.

Main sighting: Ring-necked Duck

Female Ring-necked Duck.