Notable Recent Sightings

22/02 Blackcap Guilsfield. Single, also on 8th Feb
22/02 Shoveler Llyn Coed y Dinas. 2 drakes & 2 Pochard, female Goldeneye, 2 Oystercatcher, 8 Lapwing, 120 BHG
17/02 Pochard Llyn Coed y Dinas. Still, plus female Goldeneye
15/02 Pochard Llyn Coed y Dinas. 2 distant plus 2 Oystercatcher
08/02 Hawfinch Machynlleth. 5 in yews at cemetery this pm
04/02 Hawfinch Machynlleth. 3 in yews at cemetery & 2 Barn Owl nr Sewage works at dusk
25/01 Brambling Llanidloes. Large flock still at at Pen-yr-allt Wood 300+ today
20/01 Waxwing Newtown. Single at the college
20/01 Goldeneye Llyn Coed y Dinas. Female present still
18/01 Waxwing Newtown. Still 2 at at the college
17/01 Goldeneye Llyn Coed y Dinas. Female present
17/01 Waxwing Newtown. Two at the college this afternoon
15/01 Brambling Lake Vyrnwy. 60+ under beeches along road near Lakeside Hide
13/01 Brambling Llanidloes. 500-600 at Pen-yr-allt Wood most of week - best around SN956857
13/01 Goldeneye Llyn Coed y Dinas. Female present
13/01 Waxwing Newtown. Single at the college still present
09/01 Waxwing Newtown. Single at the college still present
08/01 Waxwing Newtown. Single at the college still present
07/01 Brambling Llanidloes. 400+ at Peny-yr-allt Wood in beech near the little car park but mobile
06/01 Waxwing Newtown. Single at the college from 5th
04/01 Goldeneye Llyn Coed y Dinas. Female still plus a few Mandarin
04/01 Hawfinch Powis Castle. Present plus male Blackcap
03/01 Blackcap Welshpool. Male at Buttington
03/01 Waxwing Llanidloes. 32 at bottom Bryn du Road 1.45 - 3pm, no sign since. Earlier, 40 reported Buttington Cross Welshpool mid morning but no sign afterwards
02/01 Hawfinch Powis Castle. 20+ in the park today
01/01 Lesser Sp. Woodpecker Powis Castle. One in the park this morning
30/12 Hawfinch Powis Castle. 14 in the gardens
28/12 Goldeneye Llyn Coed y Dinas. Still plus 2 Peregrine, Wigeon, Shelduck
20/12 Pintail Llyn Coed y Dinas. 2 drake & female Goldeneye still
19/12 Goldeneye Llyn Coed y Dinas. Female type still present
13/12 Goldeneye Llyn Coed y Dinas. Female type present and Pintail reported this morning only
28/11 Goldeneye Llyn Coed y Dinas. Female present
25/11 Great White Egret River Dyfi. pm, about 1 mile west of Machynlleth
22/11 Blackcap Guilsfield. Male & female in garden
30/10 Lapland Bunting Lake Glaslyn. One reported top section of track leading to MWT Lake Glaslyn (SN837952). Present all day 30th, not seen since.
27/10 Shoveler Llyn Coed y Dinas. Single drake
19/10 Great White Egret Aberhafesp. By River Severn 3pm
17/10 Yellow-browed Warbler Newtown. Single in woods opposite leisure centre
29/09 Wigeon Llyn Coed y Dinas. 10 present
26/09 Great White Egret Llyn Coed y Dinas. Early morning - then flew down river 9am
24/09 Lesser BB Gull Llyn Coed y Dinas. 300+ pm.
22/09 Sandwich Tern Lake Vyrnwy. 5 early afternoon from Old Village CP
16/09 Manx Shearwater Llanidloes. One crash landed in garden. Safely released Aberystwyth
02/09 Snow Goose Montgomery. The feral bird again at Lymore Pools associating with 20+ Greylag
02/09 Hawfinch Churchstoke. 2 flying north
01/09 House Martin Sarn. 1000+ streaming south at 7.30pm
27/08 Hobby Guilsfield. One over this morning
26/08 Osprey Penstrowed. Heading towards Newtown along R.Severn 2pm
10/08 Common Scoter Lake Vyrnwy. Two drakes off dam this morning
28/07 Hobby Lymore. Single this morning
21/07 Hobby Middletown. One over, also a Peregrine
28/06 Osprey Lake Vyrnwy. Single passing through
17/06 Great Black-backed Gull Lake Vyrnwy. Pair am, plus a few each of LBB and BH Gull & Goshawk
03/06 Snow Goose Llyn Coed y Dinas. One escapee plus adult Mediterranean Gull
02/06 Mediterranean Gull Llyn Coed y Dinas. Single distant on island
23/05 Hobby Cors Dyfi. Single today
10/05 Lesser Whitethroat Llyn Coed y Dinas. Singing male present
04/05 Hobby Lake Vyrnwy. Adult over today
29/04 Whimbrel Llyn Coed y Dinas. One over plus Arctic Tern
25/04 Whimbrel Dolydd Hafren. One in front of 2nd hide this morning
24/04 Garden Warbler Guilsfield. Two today
23/04 Swift Welshpool. One over drifting west
19/04 Cuckoo Lake Vyrnwy. Also Grasshopper Warbler
18/04 Arctic Tern Llyn Coed y Dinas. Single through
16/04 Snow Goose Montgomery. Single at Lymore Pools (presumed feral escape?)
16/04 Whooper Swan Lake Vyrnwy. 3 on lake (am) & Short-eared Owl on moorland
14/04 Common Sandpiper Llyn Coed y Dinas. Single plus Blackcap
11/04 Hen Harrier Cors Dyfi. Male present
08/04 Pied Flycatcher Foel. A male has arrived, also one at Pwll Penarth
05/04 Wheatear Lake Vyrnwy. One along Gadfa road
05/04 Tree Sparrow Wern. 3 at garden feeders
04/04 Whooper Swan Lake Vyrnwy. 5 from Lakeside Hide
04/04 Swallow Llyn Coed y Dinas. 3 today
03/04 Black Redstart Guilsfield. One in private garden from 2nd but no sign on 4th
30/03 Egyptian Goose Llyn Coed y Dinas. Single & Mediterranean Gull (this also 29th), Sand Martin
27/03 Mediterranean Gull Llyn Coed y Dinas. 2 adults displaying
22/03 Osprey Cors Dyfi. First returning bird of 2018 today
21/03 Snow Goose Caersws. Presumed escape associating with Canada Geese by river early this morning. First seen yesterday evening, bird doesn't appear to have leg rings
17/03 Hawfinch Guilsfield. 2 in private garden today & Brambling
16/03 Hawfinch Powis Castle. 7 in the gardens
16/03 Mediterranean Gull Llyn Coed y Dinas. Adult present mid pm
13/03 Chiffchaff Llyn Coed y Dinas. Singing bird 10.30am
07/03 Hawfinch Lake Vyrnwy. Single in Hirnant Valley late pm
06/03 Pochard Llyn Coed y Dinas. Pair plus 4 Mandarin Duck (3M, 1F), 14 Goosander, Water Rail
04/03 Pochard Llyn Coed y Dinas. Pair plus Shelduck, Water Rail
02/03 Jack Snipe Montgomery. One in private garden
22/02 Hen Harrier Cors Dyfi. A male today
17/02 Hawfinch Powis Castle. 2 plus Green Woodpecker
11/02 Lesser Sp. Woodpecker Powis Castle. Plus 4 Hawfinch
04/02 Pink-Footed Goose Lake Vyrnwy. 30+ heading north at 11am. Also Goshawk, Willow Tit
31/01 Pochard Llyn Coed y Dinas. Female & Shoveler(m), 13 Snipe, pr Oystercatcher, Shelduck
31/01 Merlin Welshpool. Male, top of Red Bank/Laundry Lane & 4 Redwing
26/01 Great White Egret Llangurig. Bird mid afternoon in field west of town
21/01 Blackcap Llanymynech. Female at garden feeders
19/01 Whooper Swan Aberhafesp. 14 (4 juv) just below village on left of the second rise going through from the Newtown direction.
18/01 Pochard Llyn Coed y Dinas. Single fem. still & 5 Goosander (3m, 2f), 14 Snipe, Shelduck
18/01 Whooper Swan Aberhafesp. c12 presumed Whoopers at west end of Aberhafesp pm
16/01 Pochard Llyn Coed y Dinas. A single female
14/01 Pochard Llyn Coed y Dinas. A singleton
13/01 Barnacle Geese Llyn Coed y Dinas. 6 long staying birds still & 8 Goosander, Water Rail
10/01 Hawfinch Powis Castle. 2+ plus Sparrowhawk, Goosander, Kingfisher, Green Woodpecker, 50 Fieldfare & 30 Blackbird
07/01 Whooper Swan Caersws. 2 adult north along river Severn, seemed to drop near Aberhafesp
07/01 Pink-Footed Goose Lake Vyrnwy. 140+ (91, 24, c25) & 17 Whooper Swan over heading west am
06/01 Pink-Footed Goose Lake Vyrnwy. 39 over heading N to NW, afternoon
06/01 Whooper Swan Aberhafesp. 6 present
   
See Sightings Archive for older records

Friday, February 22, 2019

Crossbills.

Crossbills showing well with one group of 12, another of 8 plus several pairs spaced along the Kerry Ridgeway, both on welsh and English sides. Also lots of Coal Tits, Siskin, Goldfinch, Mistle Thrush, and one

Brambling seen.
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Llyn Coed-y-Dinas

On cue, in the last week of February, the Black-Headed Gulls have returned to the reserve. Approx 120 this morning, and with a supporting cast of 2 Male Shoveler, 1 female Goldeneye, 2 Pochard, Teal, Mallard, Tufted Ducks, 8 Lapwing, and a pair of Oystercatcher + the usual suspects, there is much to enjoy.
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Thursday, February 21, 2019

Barn Owl - Welshpool

One seen flying above the hedge 18:45 tonight opposite the entrance to the Coed Y Dinas nature reserve.
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Monday, February 18, 2019

Sarn 18th Feb

Mark Wilson's garden at Sarn has lots of birds including Siskin, Greenfinch (not many of these in the county), Brambling (this one ringed near Dolfor on 31st Dec 18) and Great spotted Woodpecker
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Sunday, February 17, 2019

Llyn Coed y Dinas 17th Feb

The 2 Pochard remained distant but Mark Wilson was able to focus on Goldeneye and Water Rail -
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Curlew and Lapwing Survey Needs More Helpers


Although this is a Shropshire-based survey, readers may be interested in helping either of the recently-formed groups operating just across the border from Montgomeryshire.
Two Community Wildlife Groups in the west of Shropshire are about to begin the second year of their Lapwing and Curlew projects.  The Tanat to Perry (TP) group covers an area immediately south of Oswestry and stretching from the Welsh border to Ruyton-XI-Towns, while the Severn-Vyrnwy Confluence (SVC) group is, unsurprisingly, centred around the rivers' confluence near Melverley.

Both groups are seeking additional volunteers to continue the fieldwork started last year.  You don't need to be an expert birdwatcher to join in: Curlews and Lapwings are easy to identify, and you'll be given help to get going.  The survey is straightforward and requires only three visits between late March and mid June on dates to suit you.  Records of casual sightings within each group's study area are also welcomed.

Results from both groups feed into the county-wide 'Save Our Curlews' campaign led jointly by Shropshire Wildlife Trust and Shropshire Ornithological Society.   

The project is motivated by the plummeting populations of these once familiar birds.  In Shropshire, the breeding population of Curlew has fallen from approximately 700 pairs in 1990 to around 160 in 2010, and that of Lapwing from an estimated 3,000 pairs to only 800 over the same period; declines of 77% and 73% respectively. 

The aim of this year's fieldwork is to confirm the locations of birds found in 2018 and to find any that were missed.  Once we have established where these birds remain, we can work with landowners and farmers to attempt to reverse their decline.


If you're interested in taking part, or would simply like to learn more about these charismatic birds, come and meet us - you'll be sure of a warm welcome!
  • Severn-Vyrnwy Confluence meeting 7.30pm Tuesday 19th February at Alberbury Village Hall
  • Tanat to Perry meeting 7.30pm Tuesday 5th March at Morda Village Hall

Further information - including maps of each group's study area - at www.shropscwgs.org.uk or contact Claire Backshall on 01691 830691 or tpcwg@shropscwgs.org.uk

Picture credits: Curlew by Leo Smith; Lapwing by John Harding.


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Saturday, February 16, 2019

Dipper

Dipper are early nesters and will be on territory now. This one at Sarn today was found by Mark Wilson
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Friday, February 15, 2019

15th Feb

A nice spring-like day and Mark Wilson was at the Ceri Ridgeway locating 20+ Crossbill and c.150 Golden Plover. Then Mark went to Llyn Coed y Dinas where 2 Pochard (very scarce in Montgomeryshire) kept a distance, but 2 returning Oystercatcher were more confiding (would be good if someone can read the ring on the Oystercatcher...)
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Thursday, February 14, 2019

Next Bird group meeting - Jim Almond

Just a quick reminder that the next Bird Group meeting will take place on Wednesday 20th February, 7.30 pm at Welshpool Methodist Church Hall.
 Jim Almond will speak on "Another Shropshire Birder's Year." Jim is a deservedly popular speaker, and an excellent ornithologist, whose photos are stunning. It promises to be an excellent evening, and is only £2.50 , including home-made refreshments.
Hope to see you there.

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Monday, February 11, 2019

Sarn 10th Feb

It looks like a good spring for Brambling and Siskin numbers at feeders - these pics from Mark Wilson
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