Tenby

 On the side of and under the ramp of the old Lifeboat station 16 Purple Sandpipers, 3 Turnstone and 6 Oystercatchers this morning. Out in the bay off North Beach 9 Great Crested Grebes.

Skrinkle Haven - Seawatching

An hour or so look at the sea in the rough weather this morning produced a few birds of interest, headlined by 3 Little Gulls (2 adults and a 2nd-calendar year). Unexpected was a single Manx Shearwater - I think my first winter record in Pembrokeshire. Otherwise a single Common Scoter and 8 Red-throated Divers. 

A look from various points between Swanlake Bay and Lydstep yesterday in much calmer conditions produced over 50 Red-throated Divers, a handful of guillemots and razorbill and 5 Common Scoter on the sea. 

Bosherston, Llys-y-fran and Marloes

I had a lunchtime walk from Stackpole Court down to Broad Haven South and back in the week, surprisingly quiet waterfowlwise. Only duck were a couple of teal and mallard beneath the Court. 4 goosander (3m) and a dozen coot by the reedbed. At least 12 Little grebe, a group of 8 just above the 8-arch bridge were flushed out into open water by a male otter.  

Llys-y-fran yesterday afternoon. In the chill north-westerly the geese and gulls were all above the hide. Viewing from the hide did give some good views though those beyond it were obscured by the bankside willows. 2 Yellow-legged gulls (adult and a 4 cy bird, that posed for a few photos before taking flight showing its open wings), 10 Mediterranean gulls (8 adult and 2 1w) and the big male adult GBB was on patrol. 6-8 GC grebe some look like they're pairing up, single little grebe. 5 male Goldeneye. 87 greylag that flew up to the fields at dusk.

At Marloes mere this afternoon, 918 lapwing and 1170 golden plover that were regularly being flushed by something unseen, the buzzards didn't seem to be the culprit so I suspect a peregrine, 140 wigeon grazing on the Varna bank along with 30 Canada geese and 12 black-tailed godwit. 14 Pintail (10m), 12 gadwall, and 5 Tufted duck (2m) (in the north irrigation reservoir).

On the way to Milford at 4:45pm, the 11 Whooper swans were visible between Sandy Haven and Rickeston (SM 86298 09034).

 

Whoopers

 11 still at Rickeston. They saw me from c1,000 metres!

Newport/Nevern estuary

 Highlights this morning were singles of Sanderling, Grey Plover and male Shoveler

From Roger Wilkinson: Walking from Treleddyn: 7 shoveler on the farm reservoir.

Trefeiddan: beautiful male Hen Harrier hunting over the pwll and then robbed by a buzzard after a bit of a tussle. Couple of snipe.

Along the coast path from Porth Clais towards lysgi: pair of Dartford Warbler, pair of Med Gull in the fields. Plenty of auks working their way out of St Bride's Bay past Carreg Frân.

Dowrog: male and ringtail Hen Harrier from 330.

Pen Beri pond: WF Goose with Canadas.

Newport - Shoveler

On the river, seaward of the Iron Bridge this morning, was a handsome adult male shoveler, hanging out with a female and a male mallard.

Another Firecrest

Along the northern Nevern coastpath, just beyond the limekiln. One close up (& possibly another nearby). Many Snipe flying around the bridge.

Your 2025 bird records...

A plea for everyone who watches birds in Pembrokeshire to please ensure your records are submitted to County Bird Recorder Jon Green by the end of January.  Details of how to do this are on this page.  If you put your sightings on eBird there is no need to do anything, Jon will have access to these records.

Your records will also contribute to the Annual Bird Report, which you can also find on the blog on this page.  If you don't submit your sightings then your records are essentially lost, and the historical record will be that bit poorer.  Thank you!

Gann

A low tide wander at the Gann produced 21 Brent Geese, all adult birds and 2 of them were dark-bellied. Another bird may have been a hybrid as it showed mixed characters, the rest obvious pale-bellied.

Spring low tides tend to attract a lot of gulls, accessing tasty morcels that are usually not accessible.  Most notable was a lot of Common Gulls - I decided to try a count and got to 401!  Less than 5% were young birds (2025 juveniles). (Dave & Lisa).

On 2nd a Hen Harrier flew south over the Dale/Milford road at Mabesgate, near St Ishmaels, and yesterday (3rd) the 11 Whooper Swans were still at the top end of Sandy Pill, in the field on the west side near Rickeston.

Tenby

 Just 2 Purple Sandpipers under the ramp of the new Lifeboat station and a female type Black Redstart on the roof of the Tenby Museum late morning.