Marloes peninsula

4 whinchat and a spotted flycatcher the pick of tonights circuit. Some great looking weedy fields between Trehill farm and Martin's Haven, with some nice flocks of linnet to keep me scanning and a lot more meadow pipits than of late. 4-5 robin were new in. 5 buzzard, a kestrel and a sparrowhawk. A hawker sp. at 8pm but not enough light to ID.

A grand day out!

A nice birding day with Stevo! Highlights included a Common Sandpiper and Greenshank, at the Parrog! Around 12 to15 Sandwich Terns came into the harbour after a brief shower, but star bird of the day was a Hobby seen hawking insects along the railway line opposite Stena customs shed, which was photographed and videoed by Dawn Nelmes, who lives above the line!

Ortolan bunting, near Porthgain quarry

From Steve Jones. Pied Fly, Spotted flycatcher, Tree Pipit, Blackcaps etc. Didn't know which way to look! Ortolan was the first bird i clapped eyes on. 

Dale Airfield & The Gann

A decent selection of birds at the Gann late afternoon yesterday (27/8) including a Ruff, 20 Ringed Plover and 9 Dunlin.  At least 17 Mediterranean Gulls amongst a decent flock of Black-headed, as well as my first Wigeon (3) and Teal (4) of the autumn here.

On to Dale Airfield where I bumped into Dave O, Huw & Anne Lewis, and could see a distant Roger & Helen.  No sign of the Baird's Sandpiper, but as Dave mentioned 2 lovely Ruff (what a size difference!) and 6 Dunlin.  I decided to check the gulls in the field in the north-west corner of the airfield and was pleased to find a Caspian Gull amongst a large flock (c.240) of Lesser Black-backed Gulls (the vast majority of 80 or so Great Black-backed Gulls decided to sod off, as the tend to, before I got anywhere near them!).  A single Skomer-ringed Lesser (green LJ) was the only colour-ring I could find.

The spectre of hybrids clouds the identification of Caspian Gull, but this one looked good to me

I passed Dave O again on my way to the car, he off to try and find the Casp, me off to get back to cook dinner (mission not accomplished, sorry Lisa). I stopped to admire a large flock of hirundines low over the eastern runway, a nice mix of Barn Swallow and Sand Martin, when amongst all the chattering I thought I heard the Baird's Sandpiper call. And again.  And again.  But I couldn't see it, so decided to walk back to the wet patch and check it for a third and final time.  There was the Baird's!  I put the news out on the Pembrokeshire Rare Birds WhatsApp group and was soon joined by Dave, and then Huw, and we enjoyed the bird together before dinner called.

Dale Airfield - Baird's Sandpiper, Ruff and Reeve

The Baird's Sandpiper dropped into the flooded runway late in the afternoon. Thanks to Dave A for detecting it and guiding me on to it as I was at the other end of the runway when it appeared. What a stunning bird it is. 

Earlier in the afternoon a juvenile pair of Ruff and Reeve were pottering around in the now more extensive water and mud on the runway, in the company of 6 Dunlins.

Lots of White and Pied Wagtails and Wheatears also present.

Skokholm

Melodious Warbler still, Montagu's Harrier headed for Marloes at 0930, a Quail was around the Obs and more migrants included three Pied and 16 Spotted Flycatcher, six each of Tree Pipit and Yellow Wagtail

Skokholm

A remarkable day with full totals as always on the Skok blog. Highlights were a colour ringed juvenile Montagu's Harrier, a juvenile Long-tailed Skua overhead and a Melodious Warbler. 

Flagpoles Fishguard

 Sandwich tern 3 juv

Med gull 6 ads 2 juv

Whimbrel 2 

Greenshank 1

Redshank 2

Oystercatcher 10

Turnstone 15

A Suffolk Kestrel in Pembrokeshire

On 14th July Richard Rees discovered the remains of a bird of prey on Glen Beach, Saundersfoot.  It was ringed, including yellow colour-ring FJ.  He sent me the details and I managed to track down the ringing scheme through the magic of European Colour-ring Birding.  The bird was a Common Kestrel, ringed as one of a brood of five on 16th June at RSPB Lakenheath Fen in Suffolk.  Quite how it came to be on a beach in Saundersfoot just four weeks later is obviously a bit of a mystery, but I would think at the very least it got to the Bristol Channel somehow. The ringers are pretty amazed at this recovery.  Let's hope the fortunes of the other four chicks have been more positive

Cattle Egret at Llanunwas

A message from Rob Davies at Llanunwas, Solva. 

A cattle egret today in a rewilding meadow with ponies. Visitors are welcome to come and see the bird, but there are no guarantees how long it will stay! 

Rob's photo.

Baird's sandpiper still on Dale airfield

Arriving at 4pm there was no sign of any waders at the leaky trough pools. I returned around 4:45pm just as the Baird's flew in accompanied by two dunlin. It pottered around for 10-15 minutes but didn't seem settled with lots of nervous calling and after a couple of fly arounds it disappeared along with the dunlin over the field behind the trough not to reappear until around 6pm with its dunlin chums. This time they were much more settled and fed around, still there as we left at 6:45pm. 13 snipe the only other waders. 

Grab from a video, looks like the Baird's and the dunlin were picking up midge larvae from the pools, they seem to be finding a surprising amount.
 

Baird's Sandpiper on Dale Airfield

 Tuesday evening

The Baird's sandpiper was still near the broken trough, in the company of 2 dunlin.  Completely unconcerned by the (very welcome) rain or the cows crossing slightly further along the runway.  Some lovely views of it directly head on showing the oval shape of its body.

Yellow legged Gull

 Yellow legged Gull roosting below the cliffs at Dinas Head, Monday 23rd .

Dale Airfield - yesterday

It's been ages since we looked at the Blog  or added any records - we've been quite busy with various projects. 

Annie and I were with the Pembrokeshire Recording Group yesterday over at Dale Airfield doing some general biodiversity recording. We were fortunate to see the Baird's Sandpiper feeding with two Dunlin and a Ringed Plover at around 1600hrs. A Green Sandpiper was also present flying around occasionally. Earlier in the day, the whole group had quite good views of a Short-eared Owl which made a couple of brief flights over the grassland. 

It was also nice to see the Blue-eyed (Southern Migrant) Hawkers at the virtually dried up pond. 

NB we have been very busy checking various invertebrate records etc and only confirmed this morning that we had indeed recorded the Baird's Sandpiper when checking photos of it.  

Curlew Sandpipers - Teifi Marshes

2 Curlew Sandpipers and 2 Ruff..  

From the Curlew hide  - Teifi Marshes

Possible Cartlett Lady Survey Trip ; Wed 28th August 26

Really short notice, I have identified a possible short weather window for Wednesday and would be looking at meeting at Neyland Marina Cafe 12.30 for 13.00 hr sailing. returning 20.00hrs. Please let me know if interested, not sure if it will happen, but no other suitable weather this month! Repy: seatrustwales@gmail.com

Baird's Sandpiper - Dale Airfield

Lisa and I decided on a pre-dinner bit of birding, and opted for Dale Airfield before the Gann, somewhere we haven't been for a few months.

Imagine our surprise when, less than 10 minutes into our walk, we discovered the Baird's Sandpiper seen by one lucky observer on 17th August but not since (see this post).  It was on the only wet part of the airfield with a single Ringed Plover.  We got some great views until the large herd of cows that are on the airfield decided to come through the very same spot.  The bird called several times in flight and soon returned to the wet area.  On our second look on the way back to the car it was still there, and we left Toby Phelps with it and he watched it until at least 20:00.

A quick look at the Gann on the way home: there were plenty of birds which were sadly systematically flushed by a couple and their two spaniels.  Highlight was a Ruff.

Showing the long primary projection

The classic oval shape to a Baird's when viewed head on

Osprey - St David's

An Osprey seen from the cliffs near St David's Head yesterday around midday..   (Carol Wakeford)

Manorbier and Skrinkle Haven

 A nice morning with a few migrants around including my first Whinchat of the autumn at the top end of Manorbier valley and a Spotted Flycatcher at Skrinkle Haven. 

Things got a bit more exciting just before 8:40am when an Ortolan Bunting flew through low, calling frequently. It followed the line, as most birds do, over the RAF range and eastward over Skrinkle, unfortunately showing no sign of stopping.

Marloes peninsula

Early start in the hope of a few waders on what's left of the mere (hopefully it'll have a bit of a top up soon). A snipe the only one. 6 yellow wagtail including some very bright birds. 10 teal, 2 shoveler. An arrival of willow warblers with around a dozen in the withies and hedgerows, 2 chiffchaff. The thistles were full of young goldfinch. Tree pipit flew over nearing Martin's Haven. Three sightings of marsh harrier (looked like 2 birds) a dark juv and a slightly lighter female-type, which flew over Jack Sound out to Skomer. Young peregrine spooking the jackdaws. 3 chough and 4 young wheatear on Wooltack Point. Golden plover flew east over the Deer Park and whilst scanning the rough ground for migrants I noticed a resting Short-eared owl. Couple of clouded yellow among the many small white and a female Southern migrant hawker.

West Williamston

Very quiet on the river, about 6 little egrets, a few swans, the black swan. A few curlews and oystercatchers. A couple of days ago there were 4 whimbrel. A family of spotted flycatchers by the car park. 

Rosebush Resr

1 ringed plover, 3 green and 6 common sandpipers, 7 teal and a male tufted duck on Rosebush res. Yesterday evening, even 'dabbling' dabchicks - the excellent, huge muddy margins are that shallow! 3 snipe this morning. The NE end shallows are now mostly visible from the path at that end (Den Vaughan)

Wheatears on the move

 At St. Govan’s this morning a minimum of 21 Wheatears between the car park and New Quay beach via Trevallen Downs. Also singles of Whimbrel and White Wagtail. To the west of the car park a further 11 Wheatears.

A huge surge of White Butterflies was evident with thousands all along the coast and on the vegetation just inland. Likely a mass synchronised emergence. Mainly Small Whites but many Large too.