Birds and Cetaceans s at Strumble this morning.

Wind SSW 3-4 overcast: Arrived at Strumble about 09.30 to see a steady stream of swallows and House partins passing byfollowing the coast heading towards the Lighthouse. A small passerine flying parallel to the coast but further out had a red tail but on it to late for more conclusive ID than Redstart sp. Around 60 Common Dolphins crossed the bay R to L, giving nice views inclusing mothers with small caalves,for over half an hour before dissappearing beyond the light'. A while later four or five commons came in close to us and were seen feeding which attracted a dozen or so Gannets. At one point four Gannets plunged in and remained down for some time all with Mackrel /Herring sized fish in their beaks which they then swallowed! Interesting was an obvious subadult, feeding close to what was presumably its much larger mother. As the small tide gathered porpoises arrived on the scene one group of maybe five or six just beyond feeding common dolphins, both visible at the same time in my bins. The porpoises were less obvious and also seemed to be surface feeding although around twenty metres apart from the dolphins. The flow of swallows and Martins had eased off but a few spots of rain brought down more hirundines. A nice single fulmar swept past just as we left!

Waldo stone area

 Grasshopper warbler 2

Cuckoo  male  calling 

Willow warbler 5

Chiff chaff 3

Blackcap 3 

Swallow  4

Linnet 5 pairs 

Stonechat 6

Stackpole Estate

Started off on the headland today. There were a few Razorbills on cliffs or rafting and the Jackdaws were collecting material to nest with. A couple of Wheatear along the route. A few fulmar trying to get some updrafts off the cliffs. 

A cormerant had found a wrasse to have for lunch! 

Saw a distent Red Kite and was a little surprised to see it come down to sit on headland for a little while. 

The highlight though was a Merlin just sitting on the headland. 

The lakes there were a lot of chiffchaff singing. First thing I did see 2 Common Sandpipers sitting on the logs on side of ponds. Difficult to see but only just saw a glimpse of one heron in the Heronry 

Martin's Haven

A lovely hour at Martin's Haven / Deer Park early evening.  Nice to see a sprinkling of migrants, includin Swallow, Willow Warbler and Wheatear.  Highlight were the Chough: a pair and 2 singles.  Hard to beat a Chough in a location like this on a beautiful spring evening. (Dave & Lisa)

Mating Chough

A chough pair (presumably the "Furzenip pair") mating in a field behind Freshwater West. The male took the initiative by spreading his wings (at first I thought it was the female soliciting food, before it  became apparent which was which...). There are more photos but this captures the essence. Afterwards they flew off   towards the coast. 

Marloes Peninsula

To add to recent records.... 

Yesterday while up on Deer Park I saw a lone Sandwich Tern, long way out into Jack Sound. 

Todays highlight at Mere was a small flock of 6 Grey Plover  

Manorbier - Osprey

A short walk around Manorbier this morning in the blustery wind produced a few Blackcaps, and a few Swallows and 2 House Martins. Also 4 Sandwich Terns offshore. 

Later on whilst out in the garden, just before 10am, the alarming gulls alerted me to a low passing Osprey. It came low straight over the garden and disappeared off north!

Marloes Mere

Last hour on the mere, best sighting was the sunset, wow. The wind had dropped away and a good hatch of midges in the warm evening air were welcomed by the most chiffchaff so far who were launching themselves from the cover of the blackthorn. The ducks, grebes and coots likewise enjoying the banquet. The male lapwing had a competitor tonight,  another male appeared (maybe there's some commuting between here and Skokholm) plus the female still. The displaying male chased off a pair of ruff that tried to land too close but seemed unbothered by the black-tailed godwit. A snipe the only other wader. A couple of Red Admirals in the sheltered spots. Despite the clouds of midges there were no hirundines. Stonechat nest building. 3 chough.

Martin's Haven

Pretty quiet at the start of the weekend due to the wind(!), but Sunday and Monday were lovely.

Not much in the way of passerines: 2 each M&F Wheatear passed through, and a trickle of Swallows.

There is a very wet corner of one of the Trehill Farm fields just by the entrance to West Hook Farm. This still has some standing water, and looks good for attracting migrants for as long as the water remains. We had a Ringed Plover there Sunday morning, and a pair of Shelduck yesterday. 

Several Snipe heard in the valley in the evenings, but noting flushed there, or on the Trehill fields.

A big blitz of Gannets and likely 30++ Common Dolphin off Martin's Haven mid-day Saturday.

Easter porpoise watch at Strumble Head

Twenty + visitors turned up for our Easter Porpoise watch and were rewarded with great views of close Porpoises and also Common Dolphins for the whole two hours! Birdwise, star of the show was a single "commic" Tern. Several Wheatear were feeding in the field nearest the car park and towards the end of the watch, small flurries of hirundines. Mainly sand martins with a few swallows, swept by low and fast in the blustery SE blow.

Preselis

Nice to see 2 Willow Tits at a traditional site in the Preselis today, and at the same site we heard our first Common Cuckoo of the spring.

A single Black Guillemot in Fishguard Harbour late afternoon. (Dave & Lisa)

2 Ospreys fishing at Llys-y-fran Reservoir today (Cerianne Palmer).

Brent Geese

From Carl Mitchell: Three (late) Pale-bellied Brent Geese (hrota) off Pickleridge (SM814066) at tide edge.

16:00 on 6/4/26

Hirundines and wheater NT Castell

 Steady passage of swallows along the coast south of the Fishguard Bay caravan park this afternoon (all heading towards Fishguard) , a few sand martins in with them and 2 house martins . 

2 male wheatear in the field in front of Tŷ Castell 

Marloes Mere

An hour at the mere late afternoon. Pair of lapwing with the male displaying and later chasing off a raven and a herring gull that got too inquisitive. The black-tailed godwit still here the only other wader. 32 coot. Shoveler 22 pair, plus 16 m, 1 female, Teal 15 pair plus 1 m, 3 f,  Gadwall 3 pair, plus 5m, 3 f. C20 wigeon. 3 pair Tufted duck. 2 pair Little grebe, 2 pair moorhen. Chough feeding in the car park. Couple of nice flocks of 50-100 linnet in the fields on either side.

Late afternoon at Strumble 2/4/26

  A brief watch at the lookout, WNW breeze, circa 30-40 well spread out  Common Dolphins  feeding.  Manxies coming out of the bay in dribs and drabs 5-10 at a time, where on recent visits just odd singletons.