I decided to catch the bus to St Davids, and cycle out to the Dowrog Common,hoping there was a dry window in the rain. I am glad i did as it stopped raining, and 3 hen harriers (1 male) put on an excellent show before roosting. A single Whooper Swan flew over, which was a nice surprise.

I caught the train and bus to Broad Oak, Carmarthenshire from Haverfordwest, and then cycled to Cilsan Bridge to see Whooper Swans wintering there. It was lovely to ride a section of newly constructed cycle path through the Tywi Valley from Carmarthen to Llandeilo 😊 🚴

My first visit of the gulling season to Llys-y-fran Reservoir with Brian Southern and George Mee was rewarded with the returning adult Ring-billed x Lesser Black-backed Gull hybrid, 5 YLGs ( 5 adults and 1 1st w) and 6 adult Med Gulls.

Spotted Redshank WWT Slimbridge

I biked out to the Dowrog Common from St. Davids, having caught the bus from Haverfordwest.

4 Hen Harriers (3 males) roosted at the Dowrog Common, St. Davids this evening.

No Pallid Harrier roosted at St Davids Airfield, a ringtail. Hen Harrier went through the airfield heading towards the Dowrog Common. A Firecrest was by the Stone Bridge at Quickwell Hill, St Davids this afternoon. A Barn Owl flew across the road between Newgale and Roch.

2 Hen Harriers (1 adult male) roosted at the Dowrog Common, and i also had a female type Black Redstart on rooftops at Rhodiad y Brenin on the cycle through.

It was a bit of a frustrating day for me arriving at Porthclais too late to see the Pallas's Warbler that only the finder saw. The Dusky Warbler showed very briefly again to its finder. A cycle to the Dowrog Common also drew a blank for the Pallid Harrier. 😒

Also, today, 2 Red Admirals.

Best today was 2 Firecrests by the Stone Bridge at Quickwell Hill, St Davids.

Dowrog Common, St Davids: 2 Hen Harriers (adult male and a ringtail) roosted again this evening. Again, no Pallid Harrier.

Dowrog Common,St Davids: 2 Hen Harriers (ringtail and adult male) roosted. No Pallid Harrier.

A very distant female type Black Redstart on the Old College Building at Aberystwyth this afternoon.

Today was the final day with my gravel bike. She has been brilliant, and i will miss her.🥲 Today's best birds, 3 Yellow-browed Warblers in Sycamores by the tin church Low Newton, and a Brambling over there as well. Another birder told me he saw a Ring Ouzel.

It's my last day tomorrow with this little beauty. She has been brilliant at getting me around 🚴

As the bushes and trees around Bamburgh seemed quiet, i did another seawatch at Stag Rock - 1 adult Little Gull, 2 Arctic Terns and a Sandwich Tern. 5 Purple Sandpipers on rocks.

Pomarine Skua chasing a Kittiwake and around 8 Bottlenose Dolphins off Annstead Point, Seahouses.

A good start 9 Velvet Scoters past Annstead Point, Seahouses.

Eiders are everywhere here. The best bird today was a Pomarine Skua, which flew past Seahouses this afternoon. I also had a mechanical with my hire bike, and i had to change the inner tube on my back tyre. That was a pain 😢

Low Newton Pool

Good start to my first day in Northumberland on this hired gravel bike. 5 Purple Sandpipers Bamburgh. Pec Sand Low Newton Pool and 4 Yellow-browed Warblers Low Newton in trees & scrub along the footpath from the tin church

It was nice to see my third UK Brown Shrike, which was an excellent find by Steve Jones 👏

I am told the Pembrokeshire National Park is going to erect signs educating people about disturbance to birds by dogs and people at Newport. Let's hope it makes a difference 🙏

A juv Little Stint was with the wader flock at the Parrog Newport Pembrokeshire recently being continually flushed by dog walkers/walkers. The disturbance to birds by walkers/dog walkers is the worst i have ever seen it at this site.

I nipped over to Llanrhidian Marsh on Thursday afternoon on the train and bus for the Pallid Harrier, which showed really well. A supporting cast of 2 Great Egrets and a Green Sandpiper.

A brilliant morning at Strumble Head with my birding buddy Brian Southern. c30 Sabine's gulls C30 Arctic skua 12 Bonxie 1 Pom WWBT juvenile 12 Black tern Leach's 3 Balearic 2 Sooty 3 Little gull Sunfish

I took advantage of the new improved hourly T5 Haverfordwest to Cardigan bus service this morning using my bus pass. Best birds were juv Little Stint, juv Curlew Sandpiper and an Osprey. There were good numbers of commoner wader species too and the Osprey put on a fantastic show.

An excellent cycle around St.Davids Wood Sandpiper, juv Spotted Redshank, juv Ruff, and 2 Ringed Plover Dowrog pool. At Trefeiddan juv Marsh Harrier. Red Admirals were widespread, 1 Painted Lady and 3 Migrant Hawkers and several Common Darters.

A search of the willows on the Neath Canal around Neath was unsuccessful for Wiillow Emerald. 15 Migrant Hawkers, 2 Southern Hawkers, 2 Golden-ringed Dragonfly and 1 Blue-tailed Damselfly.

Southern Emerald, Lestes barbarus, Canvey Island, Essex

Louise and I did a 30-mile cycle from Newport around the Gwent Levels. Great Egret was the best bird seen with plenty of Migrant Hawkers, Common Darters on the wing and a Clouded Yellow was nice to see.

Great White Egret RSPB Newport Wetlands. I remember when these were rare and having to write a BBRC description for one i found at Newport, Pembrokeshire.

Some recent photos

The best bird of the day was this Whinchat at Goldcliff NR. There was a time when i would have gone twitching this Black-winged Kite, but these days, that sort of thing holds little interest for me. I got far more of a buzz finding two Willow Emeralds.

I found the second Willow Emerald for Gwent at Monk's Ditch, Goldcliff.

A successful trip to the Welsh Wildlife Centre, Cilgerran for Brown Hairstreak with 4 seen.

A trip today to Maesteg Ponds for Black Darter and Common Hawker by train and bike. 10 Black Darters,3 male Common Hawkers, 6 Keeled Skimmers, 1 male Southern Hawker, and plenty of Emerald Damselflies and Common Darters. 🚂🚴

This afternoon i visited the famous ditch on Canvey Island by train and folding bike. 10 Southern Migrant Hawkers, 2 Southern Emeralds, 8 Willow Emeralds and lots of Ruddy Darters. I failed to locate any Scarce Emeralds so i will try again tomorrow morning before heading back to Pembrokeshire.

This morning at the Neath Canal, 2 Southern Hawkers. Otherwise, it was pretty quiet.

Another trip here by train and folding bike was not as rewarding as my last visit. 1 Lesser Emperor from the South Hide several Ruddy Darters, fewer Black-tailed Skimmers, Common Darters were numerous and quite a few Emperors. A Grayling was a new butterfly for the year.

Strumble Head 05.45 - 12.00 3 adult Sabine's Gulls, 4 Cory's Shearwater, 1 Sooty Shearwater, 6 Storm Petrels, 1 Arctic Skua and c200 Whimbrel were highlights from an excellent morning at Strumble.

BoC shot of a Mandarin i found this afternoon on the lake at Withybush Woods, Haverfordwest. They are not regular here.

Superb trip to one of my favourite places 😊

Red-veined Darter Kenfig NNR

At least two Red-veined Darters on the eastern shore at Kenfig NNR

Another pic

I found this Norfolk Hawker or Green-eyed Hawker at Kenfig NNR today, which was the first record for Glamorgan.