Notable Recent Sightings

05/03 Firecrest 1, Lake Vyrnwy
05/03 Short-eared Owl 1, Lake Vyrnwy
14/01 Pink-footed Goose 1, Dolydd Hafren
03/01 Waxwing 20, Meifod; also 5 Welshpool by canal on 01/01. Last: 6 Bwlch-y-Garreg 17/03
23/12 Waxwing Newtown College, first arrivals 04/12, 47 on 23/12, 67 on 01/01, 30 on 04/02
09/12 Cattle Egret 1 roosting with 8 Great Egrets and some Little Egrets, Llyn Coed-y-Dinas
02/12 Waxwing 21 Guilsfield, 12 Montgomery, 1 Welshpool, and 1 on 01/12 Llanfyllin
16/11 Dotterel 3, just west of Dyfnant Forest on RSPB land
16/11 Great Grey Shrike 1, on edge of Dyfnant Forest on RSPB land, last reported 19/01
15/11 Waxwing 25 or 30, just west of Lake Vyrnwy along the Dinas Mawddwy road
08/11 Great Northern Diver A juvenile was found near Anchor, rescued and released
30/10 Black Redstart 1 in garden at Hendomen, near Montgomery
06/10 Hawfinch 5 in treetops at Powis Castle, by main car-park
04/10 Cattle Egret Dolydd Hafren, a flock of c.30
29/09 Red-flanked Bluetail Dyfnant Forest: a county first
23/09 Manx Shearwater 1st year bird grounded in Llanfyllin; released at coast
03/09 Cattle Egret 10 at Cors Dyfi, rising to 32 on 05/09
01/06 Turnstone 1 at Caersws with Little Ringed Plovers
03/05 Wood Sandpiper 1 at Dolydd Hafren
18/04 BLACK-WINGED KITE 1 video-ed at Glan Mule, near Kerry: a likely FIRST for UK
07/04 Black Redstart Female on Carno roof
07/04 Little Ringed Plover Llandinam Gravels
25/03 Osprey Female 5F 'Seren' arrived back at Llyn Clywedog
25/03 Pied Flycatcher An early migrant near Llanfechain
22/03 Hen Harrier Female in flight near Berriew
15/03 Sand Martin 5, Dolydd Hafren
15/03 Golden Plover c.50, Heldre Hill, Long Mountain, nr Welshpool
05/03 Whooper Swan 1, between Caerhowel (Montgomery) and The Gaer, with Mute Swans
05/03 Pink-footed Goose 1, Caersws, with Canada Goose flock
05/03 Jack Snipe 2, Caersws
05/03 Hawfinch 24, Powis Castle, feeding behind orchard
28/02 Pink-footed Goose c.25, flying north over Welshpool
26/02 Merlin 1 male, chasing Meadow Pipit, Long Mountain near Welshpool
26/02 Pintail 3, Llyn Coed-y-Dinas, 1 since 14 Feb
14/02 Hawfinch 1, Powis Castle car-park, very vocal
23/01 Jack Snipe 1, Moel-y-Garth near Guilsfield
17/01 Brambling 80, in beeches at Pen-y-Waen near Cefn Coch with Chaffinches
07/01 Hawfinch 2, bathing in puddle, Cwm Lane, Castle Caereinion
   
See Sightings Archive for older records

Tuesday, October 16, 2012


Have you seen a Golden Plover?


Golden Plover  Showing colour ring combination (Copyright Tony Cross)

Researchers in mid–Wales are asking for help in surveying wintering flocks of Golden Plover. This beautiful bird nests in declining numbers in the Welsh Uplands but in the winter the local population is augmented by large flocks of birds arriving from the continent and groups of several hundred birds can regularly be seen across the mid-Wales uplands.

A study of these flocks is underway, which includes marking individual birds with coloured rings on the right leg. In order to understand the habitat the birds need and the size of area the mobile flocks cover we need to get as many sightings of the ringed birds as possible.

Mick Green, of research group Ecology Matters said “we are asking the public to let us know as soon as possible of any sightings of flocks of Golden Plover in Montgomeryshire or Radnorshire so that we can plot movements around the Counties. If they are able to see any rings on the birds then please give us details of these as well. Sightings can be reported to plovers@ecologymatters.co.uk or to 01970 832491. Please provide a grid reference, date, approximate size of flock and if any ringed birds were seen”.

In addition two birds will be fitted with satellite tags later in the autumn which will give daily updates of the bird’s movements. Details of these birds’ progress will be regularly updated on www.ecologymatters.co.uk/news

Tony Cross of Ecology Matters added “the colour ringing of birds allow us to identify individuals and follow their movements.  It also allows us to look at the turnover of individuals within flocks. This will help us to identify and help to conserve the most important feeding areas. Birds are ringed with a white ring (with a letter/number/number code engraved on it, and readable with a telescope) above the knee, and a red ring above a metal ring from the national ringing scheme below the knee, all on the right leg of the bird. Any sightings of ringed birds across Wales (or elsewhere) will be gratefully received”. 

Since January 1st  2012 over 225 birds have been colour-ringed so there is a very good chance of spotting one.

The colour-ringing and satellite tagging is being carried out by licensed ringers Tony Cross and Paul Leafe under permit from the British Trust for Ornithology.

The project is funded by the Ecosystem Resilience and Diversity Fund from the Welsh Government and by the Ecology Matters Trust.

Golden Plover as a breeding bird have declined drastically across Wales and the habitats of the breeding birds are the subject of a separate study by Ecology Matters. They are listed on the ‘Red’ list of birds of conservation concern in Wales and are also listed on the ‘Section 42’ list of the NERC Act as a species of biodiversity importance. 

       
Golden Plover flock coming in to land.  Copyright Tony Cross
 
 

3 comments:

  1. Tony - see my earlier posts! Loads of 'em around although my best sightings and shots have been just over the border in Shrops

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    1. Yes, cheers Mark, we're interested in Shropshire records too (birds have no respect for administrative borders) and had made a note of them already!

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    2. Indeed - flitting back and forth across the border anyway so I kind of view them as 'ours' - precise location is around half a mile along from where the shorties were in February on Mason's Bank (towards the Ridgeway). Not been up for a couple of days to check out whether they still there - on Sunday though they were well settled and were fine with me sitting there

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