Snow on snow on snow on snow...

The first heavy snow fall of the winter in Swansea fell last night. After getting out of Gorseinon, where there was around 6" of snow, getting around the Gower peninsula was a comparative doddle, the ameliorating effect of the sea being more noticeable as we headed west, there being barely an inch or two at Oxwich.

intertidal rocks south of Loughor Bridge

Loughor railway bridge

snow clouds over Pennard cliffs

More snow images at http://moonmoths.blogspot.com/ 

The status of Waxwing in West Glamorgan

The plot below, which combines all the maximum counts of Waxwings in West Glamorgan over the 1990 to 2010 period, puts the current influx into context. Other than the massive influx in the 2004-05 winter, the species has been an extremely rare visitor, so it is well worth making the effort to see these birds as you never know when such an influx might occur again. Note that prior to 1990, I am aware of no more than half a dozen records, most involving just one or two birds.

Waxwings on The Kingsway

Thanks to Neil Edwards I finally caught up with a group of 8 Waxwings, which were feeding on Whitebeam berries on the Kingsway, then moved onto Rowan berries in Craddock Street. 

feeding on Whitebeam outside the brasserie on The Kingsway

then on Rowan in Craddock Street

See more shots of these stunning birds at http://moonmoths.blogspot.com/

Rusty hedge

 

I have noticed that during spells of cold, dry weather, the stems of the polypody ferns are twisted so that the orange-coloured sporangia (spore-bearing structures attached to the underside of the leaf blade) face upwards to the air, which must assist spore dispersal during these favourable conditions. The roadside wall on Cwmbach Road, between Swansea and Waunarlwydd, has a very robust population of what may be the hybrid Manton's Polypody (Polypodium interjectum x P. vulgare = P. x mantoniae).

swansea university

black redstart male on ILS building, nest to pub on pond entrance, this morning.

Waxwings off the Kingsway in Swansea

I'm still hoping someone will come up trumps with some photographs of West Glamorgan Waxwings. If anyone wants to try and obtain some, it seems Belle Vue Way or Craddock Street might be the place to go over the next few days, as 30 were seen there today. It's possible that these are, in part, the same as the birds seen in Swansea High Street over the last week or so. Please let us know if you see this species, especially if you manage to get any photographs...

... lovely record shot taken by Karen McCullough on the 13th of part of a group of 16 she saw in Belle Vue Way, Swansea:

Bitterns@KNNR today

I know it's not strictly in West Glamorgan but I thought I'd post a few photos of some of the three Bitterns that were strolling the channels in front of the South pool hide this morning.