GRC Blog


Welcome to the GRC Recorders pages. This blog provides details on all the relevant news of Glamorgan’s scarcer birds, plus all BBRC & WRP decisions that affect us locally. It will also be used to document the status and occurrence of these scarcer species and we welcome contributions from anyone with photographs, artwork or documentation of rarities past, present and future. The GRC also welcomes all seawatching news from around Glamorgan and news of passage migrants in spring & autumn, uncommon birds in our area and unusual behaviour.


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The Glamorgan Rarities Committee, in conjunction with the Glamorgan Bird Club & Gower Wildlife , have agreed to co-operate with the Welsh Ornithological Society in the sharing of bird records & photographs in the interest of keeping accurate records and to promote birdwatching in North, Mid & South Wales.

Monday 18 March 2013

Great White Egrets at Llanrhidian

The two birds are still lurking around the pools at Llanrhidian though their appearances are highly unpredictable; last year one disappeared around about this time, the other lingering until mid-April.
Distribution of Great White Egret records in Glamorgan

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Maybe these birds are a pair, if so perhaps discretion rather than exposure may be the key. Why take a chance!

Barry Stewart said...

They've been here for two winters now and everybody knows they're are there and the likelihood of them breeding is remote given the lack of suitable nesting habitat.

Paul tabor said...

Dont you think there's a suitable habitat around south wales Barry? oxwich-kenfig?

Barry Stewart said...

Paul, Oxwich or Kenfig might just have enough suitable habitat, which would be nice but in truth it just seems very unlikely considering birds have hardly ever visited either site. There certainly are no reedbeds large enough at Llanrhidian; the reed in the photo is just a reedy ditch. I guess it's possible they could take to the trees with the herons, though I'm not sure if they do this in Europe? Do you know if they do? Cheers
Barry

Paul tabor said...

Hi Barry not sure if the european birds breed different to other birds but i do know that they prefer trees to breed in, just like little egret and herons, next to large water bodies, they probably are not going to breed as you say but you never know, worth finding out if they would share a colony with little egrets?

Barry Stewart said...

Just read the Shapwick Heath nest was concealed deep in the reedbeds, but should they take to the trees, I'm sure Bob Tallack, who monitors all the heron rookeries in West Glam, will notify all the relevant authorities.

Barry Stewart said...

for ref. they departed before the end of April