SOUTH WALES SPRING MIGRATION 12 TH 18 TH MAY 2013 ORIOLE BIRDING TOUR REPORT
TOUR LEADER Neil Donaghy PARTICIPANTS Clive Hodder Colin Spurdle Ruth Brown & Roger Zachary 12 TH MAY Rain and cold in the strong WNW breeze The group met mid afternoon at The Atlantic Hotel in Porthcawl and once everyone was checked in, we tried sea watching from the hotel but a combination of low mist and heavy rain made for next to no visibility and other than a few Herring Gulls there was nothing passing. A drive around the back roads of Porthcawl did at least produce a few Collared Doves, Wood Pigeons, Western Jackdaws, Blackbirds, Song Thrushes and a showy Common Whitethroat, but the conditions really were very poor and we decided to head to the Pier, which on a bad afternoon was under construction and blocked off!! However, we did get a single Lesser Black-backed Gull and a pair of Rock Pipits as well as Common Starlings and House Sparrows but with everybody being frozen by now on a day that felt more like January than May, the warmth of the hotel was too big a calling and we packed up at around 17.30 after a very inauspicious start to the trip. 13 TH MAY Drier with sunny spells and less windy but still cool. A small flock of Linnets and three Rock Pipits were outside the hotel as we left this morning. Our first full day saw us meet at 8.15 and headed inland to the beautiful hanging Sessile Oakwood at Cwm Nant Gwyn in the Llynfi Valley. Our principal target bird here was Pied Flycatcher, but it made us work for it!! We heard a couple of birds singing but in dull light and in the canopy they were proving pretty difficult to locate. Eventually, the sun came out and we found a third bird that was considerably more obliging though views could only be regarded as satisfactory, but at least the bird was in the bag!! Other species note here included Great Spotted Woodpecker, Blue and Great Tits, Common Treecreeper, Common Buzzard, Northern Wren, European Robin, Chaffinch and Goldcrest, while a Brown Hare was most unexpected here. A couple of Sky Larks and Meadow Pipits were seen on the rough ground outside the wood and small numbers of Barn swallows and Common Swifts passed overhead. Our next stop was at Cwm Kenfig, where the clear fell produced excellent views of at least five Tree Pipits despite the wind, along with two Common Buzzards, two Common Ravens and a rather elusive male Common Redstart that was only seen by one or two in the group. A couple more Sky Lark dropped in a Common Whitethroat sat in a sapling before thinking better of it and dropping out of sight. The drive to our next stop produced a cracking Re Kite at the side of the road and we enjoyed good views of this elegant raptor as it was mobbed by Western Jackdaws. We took lunch and entered another oak wood this time Darren Woods, in what was now pleasant sunshine. Several male Common Redstarts sang and showed well and a pair were seen prospecting a nest site, while more Common Treecreepers, Blue and Great Tits, European Robins and Goldcrest were seen. Our first Willow Warblers numbered four singing birds, a male Blackcap showed well, a pair of Common Nuthatches was briefly visible and two Mistle Thrushes gave excellent views as they hopped around a grassy field. A Garden Warbler also gave excellent views just before a heavy shower and a stop at the river bridge produced a superb male Grey Wagtail and a Dipper in the same binocular view at close range and we also noted our first House Martin of the tour here. Driving back to Porthcawl produced little other than corvids and a few lesser Black-backed Gulls, as well as another Mistle Thrush.
14 TH MAY Showers in the morning followed by torrential downpours in the afternoon in light winds. We began the day by driving east to the excellent wetland reserve at Goldcliff on the Severn Estuary in the hope that we could stay ahead of the very poor weather forecast for today and for a while we were successful. En route, we added a brief but perfectly identifiable Green Woodpecker and a couple of fly over Eurasian Jays to the tour list, as well as a Grey Heron and a couple of Common Buzzards. Upon arrival, large numbers of birds could be seen from the three hides on the site and these included a flock of at least five hundred Dunlin, many in very smart breeding dress, while other migrant shorebirds were few in variety but totalled approximately thirty Ringed Plovers, three Eurasian Curlews and five Black-tailed Godwits. May of the breeding birds were present with chicks and in impressive numbers, particularly Pied Avocets, Northern Lapwings and Common Redshank with fewer European Oystercatchers. Good numbers of Common Shelduck and Mallard were also present and we also noted a few Northern Shoveler, Great Cormorants, Gadwall, Mute Swans, Tufted Ducks, Common Moorhens, Little Egrets and Common Pochard, as well as a pair of Eurasian Wigeon. Singing passerines included a few Reed Warblers which remained resolutely out of sight, but we did get superb views of a singing Lesser Whitethroat, which was a highlight for all concerned. By now, it had started to rain, so we did a quick but productive walk along Saltmarsh Lane which produced excellent views of two pairs of Bullfinches on the side of the path and a singing Dunnock, as well as a couple of Little Egrets, a heard Cetti s Warbler and a brief Common Cuckoo, which was heard but not seen by all. We took lunch at Uskmouth and a coffee in the visitor centre, where we added a very smartly plumaged Little Grebe and several Greenfinches to the trip list, as well as seeing Goldfinches, Common Swifts, Barn Swallows, Common Pochard and Common Moorhen. We decided to brave the weather and were rewarded by a pair of Red-breasted Mergansers a most unlikely species on freshwater lagoons. Also present were more Tufted Ducks, a briefly displaying Sedge Warbler, a Common Whitethroat and we heard a Water Rail. By now, the rain had begun to come down in stair rods and everything went to ground, so we decided to head back for an early finish in the mid afternoon. All in all, we did well considering how bad the weather became, but hopefully, tomorrow will bring us better weather, as birding in those conditions isn t much fun and not hugely productive. 15 TH MAY Overcast with a bitterly cold wind in the morning abating in the afternoon with sunny spells. It didn t look promising as we set off from the hotel as leaden skies and a freezing north wind again dulled the prospects of any migration, but all in all it turned out to be a good day. A couple of Whimbrel flew over the car near the Pyle and Kenfig Golf Club and as we made our way up to Hafod Farm, we found some shelter as we watched the garden feeders. Good numbers of Chaffinches were present and we enjoyed exceptional views of up to ten Eurasian Siskin: - mostly males and a single Coal Tit. A couple of Great Spotted Woodpeckers, Blue Tits and House Sparrows were also present and a Common kestrel and Common Raven flew overhead. The highlight however was undoubtedly the female Northern Goshawk that gave us a fantastic flying exhibition as she went through the full repertoire of switchback and butterfly display flights at close range fantastic!! Buoyed by our success here, we went to Kenfig Pool, which although a lot quieter did provide us with our first Sand Martins, Great Black-backed Gulls and Pied Wagtails of the tour two of each,, as well as a singing male Reed Bunting and displaying Sedge Warbler and Common Whitethroats. At least fifty Common Swifts were hawking overhead, some at eye level and a flock of eighteen Dunlin flew over during a brief shower. We also heard Reed Warbler, Cetti s Warbler and Water Rail of note. We took lunch at The Watermill Flood which produced just a Grey Heron and Common Buzzard during frequent showers before moving on to the valley at Cwm Nash. The sun came out and the birding here was very enjoyable with superb views of two Red-billed Choughs on three occasions as well as a Northern Fulmar that circled overhead surprisingly the only one at this breeding colony. Rock Pipits, Blackcaps, Long-tailed Tits, Common Raven, Mistle Thrush, Common Kestrel, Goldfinches and unusually a Sedge Warbler [a migrant at last!!] were here. Four Red Fox cubs were a delight to see at the side of a grassy verge.
Finally at Tyn-y-Caeau Farm, we had good views of three pairs of Linnets, a couple of Reed Buntings, another Common Kestrel and a singing Sky Lark. 16 TH MAY Mainly sunny and warm with a very light breeze. After days of difficult conditions, it was a pleasure to start early and head west in beautiful sunshine. Our first stop was the stunning Worms Head at the very western tip of Glamorgan, and whilst numbers of birds were rather low and some species more distant than we would have liked, we enjoyed a productive hour or so here with a sea almost like glass. Good numbers of Common Guillemots were resting on the sea or heading to the breeding cliffs and at least twenty Black-legged Kittiwakes were also noted on the water. Several European Shag included one trying to swallow a fish way too large for it to manage, approximately twenty Northern Gannets wheeled around offshore and a similar number of Manx Shearwaters glided low over the sea, but were a little distant, and a Little Egret was a surprise as it roosted on the rocky causeway among large numbers of Herring Gulls. A couple of Atlantic Grey Seal heads could be seen bobbing around, two Harbour Porpoises breached occasionally and a Bottle-nosed Dolphin seen in the scopes rode the surface of the sea before disappearing. Several Rabbits were also seen on land and a Red Admiral butterfly flew through. Two Red-billed Chough gave great views as they flew low overhead and the other passerine interest came principally in the form of a male Common Stonechat which was the first for the tour, but we also had excellent views of a female Northern Wheatear in a ploughed field, a male Pied Wagtail on a stone wall and a Sky Lark grubbing around on the floor gathering caterpillars as well as good numbers of Linnets, Dunnocks and Common Whitethroats. A Red Kite drifted over as we were about to leave to round off our visit. Our next stop was Overton, but we failed to see the hoped for Dartford Warblers here, despite plenty of good habitat. More Common Whitethroats, Linnets, a couple of Common Ravens, Song Thrushes and a pair of Common Stonechats were noted, but the highlight was a cracking male Yellowhammer that perched up allowing excellent views for all and our first Common Chiffchaff. We took lunch at the very pretty Port Eynon, where again Dartford Warbler eluded us, but we did get excellent views of a singing Lesser Whitethroat and a few more of the species already mentioned. A quick stop at Penclawdd Pill on North Gower gave us a trip bird in the form of three Black-headed Gulls, but other than a few Lesser Black-backed Gulls and Little Egrets, it was quiet here too. Our final stop was a return to Kenfig Pool, where another Black-headed Gull was seen from the South Pool Hide. A Common Kestrel and Common Buzzard flew overhead and Reed and Cetti s Warblers were heard but not seen. Common Whitethroats and Willow Warblers showed well, but otherwise it was again disappointingly quiet here, so we returned to the hotel. 17 TH MAY Sunny and warm with no breeze The weather was finally just perfect, so we headed to the coast at Sker for the morning. Once again there was little evidence of migration other than for five or so Northern Wheatears, three fly through Black-headed Gulls and small numbers of Whimbrel, but we did enjoy superb views of a calling Little Owl perched on the disused farm building roof, as well as fifteen or so Ruddy Turnstones and four rather late Purple Sandpipers on the rocks. Common Whitethroats seemed to be everywhere, and displaying Linnets, Meadow Pipits and Sky Larks were much in evidence and a single Northern Lapwing was also in display flight. A couple of Common Stonechats, Dunnocks and Great Blackbacked Gulls were also noted. Moving on, we headed inland to the beautiful location at Resolven to look for raptors, but despite ideal conditions, none were forthcoming, so we watched the local Dippers and Grey Wagtails feeding unseen young and a pair of Goosander on the rapids. Following lunch, we drove to Pontneddfechan for a walk along the river and this stunning location provided us with a real trip highlight ion the form of a singing Wood Warbler that gave us exceptional close up views. En route, a small roadside lake gave us our first Great Crested Grebe of the tour until now remarkable by its absence...a few Song Thrushes, European Robins and another Dipper and Grey Wagtail were also present on what was now a warm afternoon.
We decided to give raptor watching another go from a different location and following large numbers of Common Swifts and several Common Buzzards and Common Ravens soaring, we were rewarded with a brief but perfectly identifiable Northern Goshawk before it dropped and then finally our target bird appeared in the form of a European Honey Buzzard that gave fantastic views as it circled low overhead while being mobbed by corvids before climbing high over the valley until it became just a speck what a bird and we were really fortunate as these birds are literally only just arriving in the area and we feared we may have been too early given the poor conditions that have held up so much of the migration. 18 TH MAY Sunny and warm with a light east south east breeze. Once we had dropped Clive off for his train connection, we headed to the Ogmore estuary for a return visit in better conditions. However, if anything, it was initially even quieter than previously with just a few pairs of Common Shelduck and a Grey Heron of note. Persistence paid off though as we added a nice Stock Dove and our first Eurasian Sparrowhawk to the tour list. In nearby Pant Norton, a song flighting Lesser Whitethroat was the first any of us had ever seen do that and we were to hear two more. A pair of Yellowhammers and several Common Ravens were the other highlights, while good numbers of Linnets, Common Whitethroats and a single Common Chiffchaff and Willow Warbler were also noted. We said our farewells after lunch at the end of a sometimes very taxing tour due to the weather, but the group remained tight knit throughout and were a pleasure to guide for me. SYSTEMATIC LIST 1/ Great Crested Grebe 2/ Little Grebe 3/ Northern Fulmar 4/ Manx Shearwater 5/ Northern Gannet 6/ Great Cormorant 7/ European Shag 8/ Little Egret 9/Grey Heron 10/Mute Swan 11/Greylag Goose 12/Canada Goose 13/Common Shelduck 14/Eurasian Wigeon 15/Mallard 16/Gadwall 17/Northern Shoveler 18/Common Pochard 19/Tufted Duck 20/Red-breasted Merganser 21/Goosander 22/Red Kite 23/Eurasian Sparrowhawk 24/Northern Goshawk 25/Eurasian Honey Buzzard 26/ Common Buzzard 27/Common Kestrel 28/Common Pheasant 29/Water Rail [H] 30/Common Moorhen 31/Common Coot 32/European Oystercatcher
33/Pied Avocet 34/Ringed Plover 35/Northern Lapwing 36/Ruddy Turnstone 37/Dunlin 38/Purple Sandpiper 39/Eurasian Curlew 40/Whimbrel 41/Black-tailed Godwit 42/Common Redshank 43/Black-headed Gull 44/Black-legged Kittiwake 45/Herring Gull 46/Lesser Black-backed Gull 47/Great Black-backed Gull 48/Common Guillemot 49/Wood Pigeon 50/Stock Dove 51/Collared Dove 52/Common Cuckoo 53/Little Owl 54/Common Swift 55/Green Woodpecker 56/Great Spotted Woodpecker 57/Sky Lark 58/Sand Martin 59/Barn Swallow 60/House Martin 61/Rock Pipit 62/Meadow Pipit 63/Tree Pipit 64/Pied Wagtail 65/Grey Wagtail 66/Dipper 67/Northern Wren 68/Dunnock 69/European Robin 70/Common Redstart 71/Common Stonechat 72/Northern Wheatear 73/Blackbird 74/Song Thrush 75/Mistle Thrush 76/Cetti s Warbler [H] 77/Reed Warbler [H] 78/Sedge Warbler 79/Garden Warbler 80/Common Whitethroat 81/Lesser Whitethroat 82/Blackcap 83/Wood Warbler 84/Willow Warbler 85/Common Chiffchaff 86/Goldcrest 87/Pied Flycatcher
88/Blue Tit 89/Great Tit 90/Coal Tit 91/Long-tailed Tit 92/Common Nuthatch 93/Common Treecreeper 94/Common Starling 95/House Sparrow 96/Eurasian Jay 97/Black-billed Magpie 98/Red-billed Chough 99/Western Jackdaw 100/Common Raven 101/Carrion Crow 102/Rook 103/Chaffinch 104/Eurasian Siskin 105/Greenfinch 106/Goldfinch 107/Bullfinch 108/Linnet 109/Yellowhammer 110/Reed Bunting OTHER WILDLIFE Brown Hare Red Fox Rabbit Harbour Porpoise Bottle-nosed Dolphin Brimstone Red Admiral Large White