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!

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. 

Waldo stone

 Hen harrier female 

Red kite 2

Buzzard 2

Sparrowhawk  male 

Stonechat  3 pairs 

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.

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).

Skokholm

 An Isabelline Wheatear between South Pond and North Pond today. 

Cattle Egrets continued

 At the Gann this afternoon, around 4pm, flying off towards  Mullock where  I saw them again about half an later as I drove past 

Female Black Redstart

 Female type Black Redstart catching insects on our roof (near Fishguard) in late afternoon sun

Pembrokeshire Bird Conference 2026 : 28th November at Pembrokeshire College, Haverfordwest

 

Always a great day out with fascinating talks and informative displays.

Full details and booking available via Eventbrite:

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/2026-pembrokeshire-bird-conference-tickets-2001249630517?aff=oddtdtcreator

Please don't forget to bring a reusable mug for hot drinks.

We look forward to seeing you there!

St Florence

 

An influx of Thrushes with a dozen Blackbirds in the garden together with 5 Song Thrushes and 20 plus Redwings. All having a feast on Hawthorn and Pyracantha berries.

The female type Black Redstart has now been joined by a male spending their time on the neighbouring roofs. A Red Kite passing by and a male Blackcap added to a good day’s garden birding.

Cattle egret, Mullock

Just a little egret in the usual field that the cattle egret have favoured around midday. 3 cattle egret in the field adjacent beside the farm buildings, 3 others in the sheep field across the road in quite long grass, and while I was watching these 3 more cattle egret flew in from Upper Mullock farm and joined them making 9 cattle egret.

Those Cattle Egrets

Six, at the usual place at Lower Mullock  farm junction yesterday  afternoon around 4.30pm

Redwings and fieldfares at Bosherston

 At least 20 redwings and 10 fieldfares plus 2 song thrushes and several blackbirds feeding on the sloes just off the path on the northern side of the western arm of the lily ponds this afternoon.

Black Redstart

 A female type Black Redstart in my St Florence garden this afternoon. They used to be really regular here in October but this the first one for a couple of years.

Mandarin.

 A beautiful drake bird at Westfield Pill this morning.

Newport Iron Bridge.

Upper side of the bridge, no waders visible-pm. 120+ Canada Geese with Egyptian Goose on the left bank. 1 Kingfisher busy over the brook and main flow.

 

Turtle Dove

From Philip Lees: We’ve just watched a Collared Dove and another dove feeding in the garden below our fat ball feeder. The other dove was smaller than the Collared with speckled feathers on its back - see photo below. Looking at the ID book it would seem to be a Turtle Dove, but that would be quite unusual from looking at the Birds of Pembs book, (we are in Penparc near Trefin). 

(Comment:We get one or two per year wandering through at this time of the year, but where they are going from and to is anybody's guess!) 

Newport

 From Cliff Benson - I had this Egyptian Goose at the Iron Bridge, Newport yesterday late afternoon. Its my first ever for Pembrokeshire  and  I can't remember hearing of any others. Also present was a red-head Goosander and a Kingfisher that twice hovered for several seconds over the river at a height of about 6 feet. The second time it dived in and caught a small fish!

Skrinkle Haven

Grey Phalarope the highlight on the sea off Skrinkle Haven this morning, first seen flying west it landed on the sea, started feeding and promptly disappeared! 3 Great Northern Divers past too. 

Good variety of overhead passage this morning including several large flocks of redwings east, totally 416. Westward movement included 205 Woodpigeon, 86 Chaffinch, 33 Meadow Pipit, 43 Skylark and best a Lapland Bunting.

Martin's Haven and Deer Park

A couple of hours checking the fields from Marloes Mere down to the Deer Park along the road. Mostly loose flocks of linnet (up to a max flock size of 75), skylark and meadow pipits that I could see and hear, plus a few smaller groups of goldfinch. Martin's Haven was quiet. Deer Park was a bit more interesting with a few birds flushing from the bracken included a flock of 10 redwing that headed towards Skomer. 2 Dartford warblers brightened the visit. Some big flocks of chough, one on the Deer Park reached 68 and another feeding by West Hook of 36. Peregrine sweeping across the fields the only raptor apart from a couple of buzzards. At least 5 cattle egret in the usual field by the St Brides turning. 20 greylag geese flying over Tesco, Hwest first thing this morning.

 

 

Snow Buntings

From Matt Scott: Hi I was running in the Preseli Hills this morning and as I reached the summit of Foel Feddau I came across 2 Snow Bunting. I only had my phone with me for photos. Wish I had more time to pop back with my camera. 

 

Redwings

From John Whitehurst: A group of 50 plus Redwing feeding up on Hawthorns in Manorbier Newton 8am this morning. They moved on south within 10 minutes or so.