Recent Sightings

On Saturday and Sunday I helped carry out a survey with the BTO rep. for Carmarthenshire (Terry Wells) in the MOD range at Pendine. Saturday we did the west side of the range and Sunday the east. The highlights on Saturday included 3 Grasshopper Warblers and a juvenile Cuckoo, and on Sunday the highlights were 3 Reed Warbler, 3 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 25 Whitethroat, a Shoveler and 3 Tufted Duck. Identification of the ducks proved difficult because of the light, the distance of the birds and the fact that all the ducks were in eclipse.

Monday morning I surveyed around Coed Marros. Birdlife started off quiet but soon picked up, the highlights were 2 Lesser Redpoll, 9 Willow Warbler, 1 Treecreeper, 3 Nuthatch, 8 Siskin and a Buzzard returning to a possible nest, (I could hear the chick calling).

On Tuesday morning I surveyed around Marros Mountain. It took about 2 and a half hours to most of the area, I couldn't do it all because I ran out of time. The highlights were 6 Skylark, 2 Reed Buntings, oddly 2 Sand Martins, 8 Willow Warbler, 3 Chiffchaff and 13 Whitethroat.

Today we went back up to Coed Marros, the usual birds were seen and glimpses of at least 1 Willow Tit, identified by the call!

 Robin 

 Willow Warbler

 Reed Bunting

 Meadow Pipit

 Song Thrush 

 Stonechat

Red Kite

Whinchats

A visit to Brynberian Moor this morning, in search of Whinchats, was very successful. However, it took some time before we found them. Eventually after lots of searching I found 3, maybe 4, Whinchats, (2 males and 1 or 2 females). Unexpectedly, 3 Redstarts (females/juveniles) were fliting between hawthorn trees on the moor. Other highlights included a single Red Kite, a Kestrel, 2 Reed Buntings and 5 fly over Lesser Redpolls.

 Whinchat

Reed Bunting and Whinchat