Fishguard Harbour

On the Stena side of the harbour this morning a group of 5 Great Northern Divers, a single Great Crested Grebe and a Sandwich Tern. 

Millin Pill WeBS 23/3/26

Like reports from other WeBS counters on here numbers of waterfowl were quite low, although there were still a group of 31 Teal. Was nice to see the 2 Green Sandpipers still present in the upper Pill reaches. There were 8 Redshank and a single Greenshank at the Pill mouth. 

Flushed 4 Snipe from the field by the Pill and later a bonus Jack Snipe got up from about 2 feet from where I was walking, if only I had looked down a split second earlier! (thinking of Caroline Pickett's similar comment!)

I could see David O's flock of Black-tailed Godwits on the far bank of the main river although there is now 18 instead of 16!

Incubation at the mini Heronry is underway with what looked like 3 birds sitting, plus an apparently unoccupied nest.

It was nice to a pair of Skylarks over an arable field adjacent to the farm, which although winter sown may provide some nesting opportunities due to the uneven take up of the crop as a result of poor weather over the winter. 

Minwear & Pickle woods this afternoon

A visit to Minwear and Pickle woodlands this afternoon, to undertake some recording for the BTO Cudyll Cymru (Monitoring Raptors in Wales) project, produced target species, e.g. buzzards displaying. 

Among numerous woodland residents seen and/or heard, at least a dozen or more blackcaps were singing in expected territory areas (based on where they have been recorded in previous annual BBS observations). Several chiffchaffs were also singing in the woodland, in usual/expected places. 

A look over the Eastern Cleddau below the picnic site produced several swallows and others near Blackpool Mill. There must have been at least 20 or more feeding over the river but, surprisingly, no sand martins. A single dipper was seen in a usual territory zone near Blackpool Mill. 

NB all species were identified (as usual) by trusted human eyes and ears only! 

Hoopoe

From Craig Nicholl: Walking down from the car park towards Runwayskiln a Hoopoe flew across the access road into the field on the left and sat on the hedge next to the telegraph pole. After a few moments it flew off in the direction of Marloes hopefully back to the Church it favours! 

Marloes peninsula

Made the most of the warmer weekend weather with a good look around the peninsula. The mere is looking great, still plenty of water and lots of shallow margins. Some nice scrapes towards Martins Haven as well have promise. There's been a lone male lapwing for a few weeks (probably the same that was here last summer) and he was doing his evocative call and display flight. Let's hope there's a mate soon. 3-4 pairs of chough, with one pair carrying balls of what looked like wool towards a nest site. Carrion crow sat on her cliff edge nest. Stonechats and pipits nest building. Pair of buzzards displaying. A pair of gadwall were quietly tucked away and look like they may be nesting. Pair of shelduck. Coot also starting to build a nest. c20 sand martin over the mere, single male wheatear on Renny Slip, a willow warbler, about 6 chiffchaff, a blackcap and 2 swallows and another striking male rubicola-type stonechat (always seem to get them early spring but don't seem to hang around). Dozen peacock butterflies enjoying the sunshine. 

Small grebe

From jajosullivan: There was a small Grebe Species on the flat calm sea just off the end of the southern cliffs at Freshwater East around 4pm today,. It was clearly a smaller bird than usually seen there even though distant. Despite clambering over the rocks I couldn't get close enough to be certain of species. It appeared to have "horns" so was perhaps a summer plumaged Slavonian, it was however distant and the views were not helped by my being perched on top of a rock. 

Stackpole Head

From Debbie Head: 3 male wheatears on the top of Stackpole Head

Razorbills have been rafting the last couple of weeks, now going in and out of nest holes, ( only had my phone for photo)

Dinas Mountain

4 Wheatears and 6 Golden Plover this morning. 

Skokholm

Hoopoe, Black Redstart and a five-figure Puffin count today. 

WeBS Castlemartin Corse

Thanks to Richard Ellis for covering the top section while I covered the lower section of the Corse today. 

As is usual for this time of year at the Corse, the count values are not as high this month and less species seen. The water level are noticeably dropping now the perpetual rain has ceased.

Count ended up as 6 Canada Geese, 3 Grey Heron, 2 Little Egret, 13 Mallard and 142 Teal. Only had 5 Lesser Black back Gulls and 3 Herring Gulls. 

The field I walk for Snipe was the highlight of the count along with the 32 Snipe 2 Jack Snipe were also present. Though wish I could spot the Jack Snipe before I accidently nearly stand on them!

Nice to see 3 Wheatear on the walk in, heard 7 Cetti Warbler and totalled 4 Pied Wagtail along the route. 

Rock Pipit

From Steve the Manchester Birder: Sadly my last day in Pembrokeshire on this trip  until I return in 9 weeks time.  Rock Pipit on the Esplanade in Tenby this morning . So close that I took this on my mobile phone so please excuse the picture quality.

St Govan’s

8 Wheatears at St Govan’s this morning- 6 male 2 female.

Sandwich Tern

 A walk from Fishguard Fort to Fishguard Bay Resort this morning produced a Sandwich Tern, a Great Northern Diver, a summer plumaged Black Guillemot and 7 Common Scoter. Also seen were a pair of Chough , a Red Kite and a few Fulmars on the cliffs.  

Dartford Warbler

From Ellie Jones: I thought you might be interested in my sighting of a singing Dartford warbler on the coastal path between Manorbier and Freshwater East this morning around 10am. He was showing very well only a couple of metres from the path.

Skokholm

 Hoopoe still

Wheatears and other recent sightings - Manorbier area

6 Wheatears (all male) this morning. 2 at Lydstep Point and a further 4 in fields by Manorbier ADR. This evening 89 Golden Plover over the coast path, c20 Turnstone and 5 Oystercatcher roosting on the rocks near Presipe bay.

Other recent highlights over the last two weeks or so include a Firecrest above Skrinkle Haven (yesterday), a young male Marsh Harrier flying through on the 5th and a superb adult Glaucous Gull which flew west around Old Castle Head on the morning of the 16th! 

Skokholm

Records keep falling, today four Willow Warbler matching the earliest ever single. The highest Wheatear count for this time of year. Two each of Swallow and Blackcap, a third Firecrest and a Hoopoe. Photos and numbers on the Skokholm blog as always. 

A nice birdy day out at Strumble,

 Weather was too good not to have a look at Strumble this afternoon despite low tide usually not too productive for cetaceans!

But i was on a bit of a mission as Fran had a few Wheatears yesterday walking the Coast Path from Porthgain to Whitesands.

Cetaceans first and i had a couple of porpoises including a mother and small calf, but they were few and far between.

The resident Rock Pipit was good value.

But another Pipit sitting prominently on the gorse as I made my way back up to the car was a bit of a poser. its belly and chest were snowy white with just a small amount of flecking up to the throat on eiher side of its breast. It was also continiously tail flicking but the most striking feature were its long bright orange legs. The light was strong so it may have exagerated the orangeness but either way i am stumped. It was a relatively brief view, and no camera so not sure what it was!

Last year i did not see a single spring Wheatear but happily, i broke the duck at the lighthouse today!

There were two, but they were a bit elusive, nipping in and out of the gorse bushes standing proud for a couple of seconds then as i tried to get a better view flipping out of sight. Eventually i got good sightings of both a cracking male and a peachy female! Deffo spring!

Also a resident pair of Chough were feeding on the western grassy slope one of which has a growth on/around its foot which could possibly be a condition known as Bumble Foot..

Milton

From Paul Fraser: A number of Chiffchaffs heard on the walk between Milton and Carew Cheriton today, one sighted by the stream near Carew Cheriton along with a couple of Robins. Merlin picked up the chiffchaff song all the way on the walk and return. 

Coast Path Porthgain-Whitesands 18/3/26

 Fran Egby and a friend walked the Pemb's Coast Path yesterday and encountered wheatears , one between Porthgain and Aberaidy and 5/6 flitting around St Davids Head. they were accompanied by singing SkyLarks for much of the way!