Monday 17th August 2015

Today was CES 11, in other words, the eleventh of twelve ringing sessions using nets that have been in the exact same location for every session since a constant effort site was started at WWT Llanelli

Only 23 birds processed today but it was good to be able to look in detail at the moult stage of some of the birds.

This Chiffchaff sat and looked at us after being newly ringed and released.

Chiffchaff

There were a few dragonflies and damsel flies  around including this female A type Blue Tailed Damsel notice the purple stripes on the thorax.

Female Blue tailed damsel, Ischnura elegans "A" type

Saturday 15th August 2015

With my friend Nick visiting from Gloucestershire we had a packed day, firstly visiting WWT Llanelli, in the morning where we picked up a selection of waders including Black-tailed Godwit, Lapwing, Greenshank, Redshank and Ruff

a cropped image of a Juvenile Ruff with Black - tailed Godwits

After a cup of tea and a freshly baked raspberry and white chocolate muffin in the café we tried for dragonflies and maybe butterflies in the millennium wetlands section of WWT.

Greater Spearwort, one of the buttercup family

We had a little success with Black Tailed Skimmer, Common Blue, Common Darter and a probable Southern Hawker,(it wouldn't settle to be certain).

male Common Darter, Sympetrum striolata

The afternoon was siesta time before setting off for Pembrey Harbour, again, with a later and higher tide.

Oystercatchers stole the show with over 600 present, with a following cast of 42 Sanderling, 67 Sandwich Tern, one Little Tern, 12 Knot and a Gannet fishing just 200m off shore.

cropped photo of Gannet

one of the many small flocks flying in at high tide to join the main flock

Oystercatchers, feel free to count them (Nick reckons over 600)

Gannet very cropped shot

Friday 14th August 2015

Today I popped into WWT Llanelli whilst waiting fro Nick to arrive from deepest Gloucestershire.

Apart from a Peregrine sat on the marsh it was pretty hopeless at WWT.

When Nick arrived we had a walk around SWP, and a drive down to Kidwelly Quay.

At Kidwelly Quay there were a few waders, with over 100 Redshank, 20 or so Dunlin, a Whimbrel and quite a few Curlew, the highlight was a juvenile Spotted Redshank, pictures are a bit dodgy so we'll skip over them.

This evening the Carmarthenshire Bird Club had a TERN watch organised along near Burry Port, with high tide at 19:15hrs we arrived to meet everyone at 17:30hrs and had a great couple of hours.

60+ Sandwich Tern, 3 Little Tern, 6+ Gannet, 4 Common Sandpiper, 41 Ringed Plover, 9 Med' Gull including  three juveniles, three Sanderling, three Rock Pipits, one Northern Wheater and over 600 Oystercatchers.



Oystercatchers

Juvenile Little Tern and mix aged Sandwich terns

Adult and Juvenile Sandwich Tern ( sorry for poor images)

Thursday 13th August 2015

Yesterday evening I did a quick ringing session in the garden and caught two Collared Doves, including this beauty.

Collared Dove

A common Darter dragonfly was egg laying in the pond

Common Darter

Today a trip out to Rhosilli band Worms Head found me looking at a, distant, pod of Bottlenose Dolphins? and a slightly closer group of Common Seals

Common Seals

A group of Chough were a good find on the walk out towards the National Coastwatch Institution building but the photographs are shocking.

Red-billed Chough

Wednesday 12th August 2015

A visit to WWT Llanelli this morning with 373 Black Tailed Godwit, 124 Redshank, 16 Greenshank, eight Lapwing and  the juvenile Yellow Legged Gull.

Greenshank

A young fox hunting the "divide" was unsuccessful but very annoying to the birds on the scrape.

Young Fox

Tuesday 11th August 2015

A ringing session at Oxwich Marsh NNR, so an early star leaving home at 04:30hrs on site in plenty of time, although not sure where the sat-nav sent me this morning??

A steady session with 101 processed, including a couple of Grasshopper warblers, Blackcaps and Willow Warblers seemed to make up the majority of this mornings catch.

The Grasshopper Warblers will soon be leaving for tropical Africa to spend the winter.

Grasshopper Warbler, Locustella naevia.

Monday 10th August 2015

Monday dawned overcast windy and wet, well that's a change!!!!

I don't do cute and cuddly but well this baby Rabbit......

I popped down to WWT Llanelli as I haven't visited for over a week, it looked pretty bleak but soon things improved.

One of the highlights was 469 Black tailed Godwits dropping in, with at least six juveniles in stunning plumage, these are the sub species "islandica" and as the name suggests these birds probably bred in Iceland.

469 Black-tailed Godwit plus, Redshank, Lapwing and a Knot

Yesterday a 1st summer Yellow Legged Gull had been reported and I picked it up preening on a grassy island, a bit far for a decent photo, but the very light head and heavy dark bill are good diagnostic features.

1st Summer Yellow Legged Gull sat on the grass bank  in the middle of the picture

A Grey Heron struggled with an Eel.


A tricky moment?