Dates:
- 27th - 31st December 2006
- 27th - 31st December 2007

Cost: £450
Single Room Supplement: £60

South Wales (4993b)
Secrets of the Saltmarsh

Dates:
-19th - 24th January 2007
-1st - 6th February 2007

Cost: £499
Single Room Supplement: £70

Leaders (both tours): Neil Donaghy and/or Geri Thomas

Deposit: £50

Tour Code: intermediate

Group Size: variable

Introduction

A winter holiday that offer excellent opportunities to encounter the many species of wildfowl and gulls that spend the winter in the usually mild climate of the South Wales coast. We will visit a wide variety of habitats including salt marsh, wooded valleys, coast and freshwater lakes. The walks average four or five miles per day over mostly easy terrain, though paths could hold standing water/ice and may be muddy in places. The walk to Berges Island and Whitford Point is long and over marshy ground, but is always worth the effort. Our itinerary will be flexible, to take into account local weather conditions and tide times, but we expect to visit all the sites mentioned, as well as others not mentioned in the main itinerary. Neil Donaghy and/or Geri Thomas will lead this holiday and will collect and deliver participants from the hotel on a daily basis. You can expect to see approximately 110 species. The Christmas Special is one day shorter than the itinerary below and will feature a highlights package.

Itinerary

Day One: Arrive Atlantic Hotel, Porthcawl at approximately 12.00. Following check in at the hotel, we take a two-mile walk over easy terrain to Sker Point. The tide will hopefully be rising, which means that Red-throated Divers, European Shag, Ruddy Turnstone and Purple Sandpipers should be in the bay. The rocks offer a resting site for large numbers of Eurasian Oystercatcher, Curlew and Herring Gulls. The mobile flock of European Golden Plover numbers around seven hundred at this time of year in hard weather, less if it is mild. Other species that could also be present include Grey and Ringed Plovers, Common Redshank, Rock Pipit and possibly small numbers of Common Eider offshore. Raptors hunt the grassy areas with Merlin, Peregrine and Common Kestrel regular and mixed finch flocks feed around the farm. If time permits, we will tour the car parks around Porthcawl checking the roosts for possible Mediterranean and Iceland Gulls.

Day Two: We travel to the Gower Heritage Coast and the superb site at Berges Island. There is a hide that offers a panoramic view over the vast salt marsh of the Burry Inlet and here we can expect close views of a large number of birds. Approximately one thousand Dark-bellied Brent Geese are normally present and there are good counts of Slavonian Grebe, Red-breasted Merganser and Common Eider most years. Thousands of shorebirds are present including Dunlin, Sanderling, Red Knot, Eurasian Curlew and Oystercatchers, and large flocks of Common Shelduck and Eurasian Wigeon are also present. There is always the chance of an unusual grebe and Snow Buntings could be on the shingle ridge. Common Crossbill, Coal Tits and Goldcrest are often noted and it would not be unexpected to find Green Woodpecker, Common Raven and Bullfinch. Small numbers of Firecrest normally spend the winter in the area and common woodland species should be present on the walk out. We check a small copse for Woodcock, and if time permits, we will drive back along the coast to Penclawdd to view the salt marsh. Water Pipit is a regular, if uncommon migrant and there is the possibility of finding a wintering Common Sandpiper or Greenshank and one or two Spotted Redshank are also found most years. Eurasian Spoonbill has also been recorded during winter. In the late afternoon, we visit Llanrhidian Marsh, where we hope to encounter a Hen Harrier or two as they fly into roost, Little Egrets on the salt marsh and Short-eared & Barn Owls, Jack Snipe and Green Sandpiper are also possible. The journey back to the hotel will take approximately one hour.

Day Three: We move on to Ogmore Estuary and the large flocks of gulls that are usually present. These include regular Mediterranean Gull and the occasional Little Gull is also sometimes noted. Goosander is a regular visitor and one or two Water Pipits are sometimes noted on the shingle of Portobello Island. Purple Sandpipers can normally be found on the rocks, with up to seventeen birds in 2005. Dabchick, Grey Wagtail, Common Goldeneye and Mute Swan are found on or near the river. Peregrine and Eurasian Kestrel regularly hunt the area and Northern Goshawk has wintered. Rarer species seen here have recently included Snow and Lapland Buntings, Bewick’s Swan and Taiga Bean and Pink-footed Geese.

The afternoon is spent at Kenfig National Nature Reserve. The numbers of wildfowl here can vary from year to year, depending upon the water levels, but there are often good counts of Eurasian Wigeon, Gadwall, Eurasian Teal, Northern Shoveler and diving ducks such as Common Pochard, Ruddy Duck, Common Goldeneye and Tufted Duck. Black-necked Grebes are scarce but near annual visitors and occasionally Smew put in an appearance. A drake Redhead first appeared in 2001 and has returned in subsequent winters, attracting many visitors during its prolonged stays. Firecrest and Great Bittern are regular winter visitors here, but as elsewhere can be difficult to observe.

In the dunes, there is a good chance of Short-eared Owl, Merlin and Peregrine. Gulls of several species are often present. Small numbers of Chiffchaff and Blackcaps over winter here and other species we hope to encounter include Water Rail, Reed Bunting and Cetti’s Warbler. Finally, the sometimes impressive Starling roost often brings hunting raptors in for a spectacular end to the day. Several rarities have been noted during the winter period and these have included Bearded and Penduline Tit, Surf Scoter, Royal Tern, Pallas’s Warbler and Pied-billed Grebe.

Day Four: Our first stop this morning will be Tair Onnen near Cardiff, which is our only regular haunt of the elusive Hawfinch. An element of luck is always needed to see them, but they can show very well here. Other species likely to be encountered include tits, Song Thrush, Nuthatch, Common Treecreeper and Buzzard. We will also stop at a well-known site for Lesser Spotted Woodpeckers. In the afternoon, we head to Cosmeston Lakes near Penarth. Good numbers of gulls come into roost here and occasionally include Iceland, Mediterranean and Ring-billed Gulls. The West Lake usually holds good numbers of diving ducks and is also a reliable site for Bittern. Scarcer grebes are possible and a good selection of common woodland birds, as well as Reed Bunting, Snipe and Water Rail can be expected.

Day Five: We head westwards today for a visit to Swansea Bay and South Gower for sites including Rhossilli Bay and the famous gull- watching site at Blackpill. It was here in 1973 that the first Ring-billed Gull was recorded in Britain and it remains a regular visitor to the site in small numbers. Mediterranean Gull is also regular and several species of shorebird can be expected. A Ross’s Gull stayed briefly in February 2002 and a first winter Ivory Gull was present in November of the same year. At Rhossilli, we hope to encounter the large Common Scoter flock that winters here, European Shag, divers and the first returning Fulmar, Guillemot and Razorbills to the breeding colony at Worms Head. We also check Mumbles Head, where small numbers of Red-throated and Great Northern Divers should be present, along with Common Eider. Both Surf and Velvet Scoter, along with Little Auk were found here in 2002. At some stage during the afternoon, we will also stop at a roadside location for small numbers of Red Kites.

Day Six: Following breakfast, and checkout, we take the short drive to Candleston where we should see good numbers of winter thrushes and also possibly Eurasian Jay and perhaps a wintering Blackcap. We will also check for Red-legged Partridge en route. We spend time visiting a traditional farm, where we hope to see winter flocks of Tree Sparrow, Yellowhammer, Grey Partridge and perhaps Little Owl. Finally, we check on the resident pair of Red-billed Chough in a nearby valley. Northern Fulmar may also be present here, along with common woodland species. We conclude our tour at approximately 14.00 to allow time for the journey home.

Additional Information

What's Included: Four or Five nights accommodation in en suite rooms with private facilities, table d hote menu, breakfast and packed lunches as stated, transport in South Wales, services of guide and reserve entrance fees.
Not Included: Travel to/from Wales, travel insurance, drinks and any items of a purely personal nature.

What to Bring: Warm, waterproof clothing, wellington boots [essential], binoculars and telescope, small rucksack, thermos flask, alarm clock and field guide.