Very large flocks of Canada (c850 birds) and Greylag (275 birds) at the mouth of Sprinkle Pill this evening. In amongst them 5 Russian Greater White-fronted Geese (2 adults, 3 juveniles) and 5 Pink-Footed/Tundra Bean Geese. Their legs were not visible to allow a definitive call one way or the other on leg colour and other plumage details were inconclusive at distance. If not for the recent westerly influx of Bean Geese, Pink-footed would be the more likely candidate.
Saturday, 7 November 2026
Manorbier/Skrinkle - Richard's Pipit and more
A Richard's Pipit the highlight this morning. Initially in the sheep field above Presipe before flying NE over towards Skrinkle. Appeared to landed but unfortunately wasn't relocated. Also a female-type Black Redstart on the Manorbier ADR fence line.
Small numbers of finches and thrushes over this morning too.
Rose Coloured Starling - Solva
From Dafydd ap Siôn - Juvenile Rosy Starling spotted near Solva football pitch this morning, in the company of an adult. (Non Rosy)
Newport Iron Bridge.
4 Whooper Swan, 3 Tundra Bean Geese, 7 Wigeon, 3 Red Shank, 1 Green Shank, Egyptian Goose, 15+ Stock doves flew over, 2 Little Egret, 2 Curlew, and 4 Snipe, one out in the open for ten minutes or so.
Friday, 6 November 2026
Bean Goose
I found just one Bean Goose in amongst Canada Geese in a stubble field, below Newport bridge and up to the right. Also a Knot, Bar-tailed Godwit and Greenshank on the estuary mud. Above the bridge an Egyptian Goose.
Thursday, 5 November 2026
Tundra Bean Geese - Newport
Three tundra Bean Geese found by Clive Hurford this afternoon c 200m below the iron bridge at Newport. Surreal watching the Bean Geese with the family party of Whooper Swans in the background - in north Pembs !!
White-fronted Geese - Teifi
A party of 21 (European) White-fronted Geese was seen and photographed by Jason Medcraft, this afternoon. After a short spell on the river, they circled in flight over the Teifi Marshes and headed up river.. a few of us connected as they flew.
Time to look for the geese in the valley tomorrow. The Bearded Tit (see below) has not been seen or heard today.
Ring-tailed Harrier
A bit of a surprise this afternoon looking back from Pwllgwaelod beach, watching two larger raptors circling. One was clearly a Buzzard but the other was a Harrier sp. It broke away and flew out over the sea towards Fishguard. The light was very poor but I was able to discern a white rump as it flew away.
Bearded Tit - Teifi Marshes
Out of county by c 100m..
A Bearded Tit photo'd from Mallard Hide on the Teifi Marshes Tuesday.
Wednesday, 4 November 2026
Whoopers, Red-b Mergansers
Newport today, two adult and two juvenile Whooper Swans, the Egyptian Goose, a male and female Red-breasted Merganser and 7 Goosander. (Josh Brown)
Rosebush reservoir: a two duck visit
A brief visit to Rosebush res early this morning in the grey gloom:
A smart drake Goldeneye and a male Tuftie were the only ducks. There was also 2 Little Grebes and 3 Cormorants.
A large mixed flock of over 100 Fieldfare, Redwing and Starlings were over the hills to the north and there were two Kites and a Buzzard.
Tuesday, 3 November 2026
Crossbills, Brambling - The Teifi
Four Crossbills and one Brambling the highlights from Ewan Turner's vis mig on the Teifi Marshes this morning. Flocks of Fieldfare and Woodcock too.
A Great Crested Grebe on the river off St. Dogmael's Quay yesterday.
We appear to be down to 3 Cattle Egrets (usually on Ceredigion side), we did peak with ten on the 28th. Maybe they have moved sw into Pembs.
Pen Caer farmer Rob Johns, had his first Woodcock of the season yesterday
Snow Buntings - Kilpaison
Two Snow Buntings were present on farmland at Kilpaison last week - photo from farmer to John Hayes today.
Male Hen Harrier
From Peter Law: Spotted this morning flying across St Brides Bay and then onwards over the coast path between Broad Haven and Haroldston Chins, heading inland. Possibly the same grey and white male that was seen yesterday on Skokholm. It was looking gorgeous beneath a clear blue sky.
Mathry
From Cliff Benson - Today early morning, flocks of Redwing and Field Fares passing by Mathry, with a male Hen Harrier spooked at the Wildlife Trust Llangloffan reserve nr Mathry which flew in general direction of Mathry. Interesting behaviour by a Magpie picking up fallen seeds from below garden feeder, which suddenly pounced on and eventually killed what looked like a Wood Mouse. Having done so it flew out of sight with it. Would love to know if it actually ate it!
Monday, 2 November 2026
Skokholm
Although Hen Harriers are very regular at this time of year, we don't see many grey males so a treat today. Also Lapland Bunting and Brambling.
St Brides Bay Tour
A beautiful sunny day with the wind in the east was perfect for a visit to the coast for a check on winter visitors. A single Red-throated Diver was off Newgale beach and a summer plumage Great Northern Diver was off Maidenhall Point preening and splashing for a while before finally diving. About 80 Common Scoter and four Wigeon were not far away. A big surprise was a chattering and squeaky flock of about 70 Fieldfares that flew up the coast then turned in towards Southwood fields.
Further south at Nolton Haven a Chiffchaff was calling in the scrub by the stream beside the car park and two Chough flew overhead. On the headland north of the haven a second Great Northern Diver was busy feeding, never surfacing long enough for a picture, but obviously a different bird - much greyer and lacking the strongly patterned back, so probably a juvenile. 62 Common Scoter were mainly in a couple of rafts just to the north. Several butterflies, probably all Red Admirals, were on the gorse and swarms of flies were along the path.
Further south were more scoters, another pair of Chough and a single Grey Heron. A rolling flock of about 200 Starlings was in a field full of black bales. A scan back northwards produced a count of about 150 scoter in a tighter grouping, possibly some groups merging at their feeding grounds off Rickets Head as the tide was falling. None of them appeared to be rarer cousins.
A noisy Peregrine was resting amongst a patch of feathery debris in a favourite location. A single Gannet flew down the coast near Broad Haven and a single Turnstone was on a slab at Shag Rock, but no sandpipers were visible.
A bonus picture of a pied Blackbird from the weekend on the coast at Manorbier where I was, ironically looking for exotic thrushes:
Hook / Sprinkle Pill
No unusual birds today on the rising tide in Sprinkle Pill but good numbers, for here, of Cormorants (28), Greylag Geese (203) and Redshanks (95). Nice to see Lapwings (190) have appeared now. 4 Shovelers are also a new addition for this winter. 2 Kingfishers flew together over the estuary, looking for a landing spot. A buoy looked a likely location but the resident Black-headed Gull had other ideas and so they flew on. A single Bar-tailed Godwit with the Curlews (38+).
Yesterday, in the woods in Hook a first Woodcock of the winter.
Hen Harrier
From Gareth Jenkins: A visit to Dowrog common yesterday (1 Nov) provided a brief view of a male Hen Harrier. I had parked about 100 yards past the cattle grid along the track by the yellow trailer/bowser and was scanning thre common in the direction of Carnhedryn when the bird appeared from the left across the common, flying right and was harassed by a Carrion Crow before flying behind the belt of trees. Time was 15.48, visibility and light was good, I stayed until 16.30 hoping it would reappear but sadly I had no further sightings of it.
Yellow-browed Warbler
A Yellow-browed Warbler was ringed at Kilpaison yesterday. 5 (collybita) Chiffchaff too
(John Hayes)
On Saturday on the Teifi Marshes near the river view point, 1 Firecrest, 5 (collybita) Chiffchaff, 1 tristis Chiffchaff and 1 Blackcap.
Sunday, 1 November 2026
Manorbier - Wryneck
A late Wryneck was quite a surprise along the coast path at Manorbier this morning at approximately (https://maps.app.goo.gl/UCbGG7SSPwVFWhgR7). Otherwise quieter visible migration that the last few days with 2 Brambling and 2 Redpoll the highlights.
Common Scoter 1/11
From Carl Mitchell: flock of 207 Common Scoter offshore from Druidstone Haven (SM8516).