Ring Ouzels - Rosebush

Three Ring Ouzels on the Rosebush Quarry cotoneaster this morning, one a very boldly marked male. Den Vaughan 

Angle Bay

Eight hundred Wigeon and 8 Pintail at Kilpaison this morning.

Turtle Dove

A Turtle Dove with Collard Doves at St Brides was the highlight of our day out today.  It was up at the castle, feeding on the lawn opposite the entrance and in the adjacent trees.  It appeared to be un-ringed (ref. controversial releases of captive bred birds in parts of the UK).

Gann / Dale

Lots of birds at the Gann this morning as the tide dropped out.  Nothing unusual, but it was nice to find 5 colour-ringed Great Black-backed Gulls (3 from Skokholm, 1 from SE Wales, and 1 unknown/unread).  Wader highlights were 10 Bar-tailed Godwits and a lone Golden Plover calling and circling before heading off towards Marloes.  On a second visit this afternoon a single Ringed Plover was the only 'small' wader all day.

The highlight of a circuit of Dale, Dale Fort, Castlebeach Bay and Merryborough was a stunning Firecrest in Dale village.

Yesterday at the Gann a colour-ringed Rock Pipit from the Skokholm study.  Worth keeping at eye out for!

(Dave & Lisa)

Wiseman's Bridge/Saundersfoot 19 Oct

A pleasant surprise during a late afternoon walk was at least 3 Crossbills feeding on Spruce cones behind the beach at Wiseman's bridge, and a Hummingbird Hawk-moth nectaring on Valerian in Saundersfoot.

Black Redstart

Nice to see my first Black Redstart of the Autumn / Winter, as the light faded this evening. (Castlemartin area)

Black Redstart 

Manorbier 18/10 - Ring Ouzel and Firecrests

A 1st-winter Ring Ouzel was nice to see feeding on hawthorn berries by Manorbier beach yesterday afternoon. Seemed quite happy there, although I couldn't find it later in the evening but the weather was not ideal. Also still plenty of Chiffchaffs and Blackcaps in the willow scrub below the castle - 2 Firecrest there yesterday afternoon too. 

Ring Ouzel

Glossy Ibis

 Another bizarre encounter with these birds. I`d had a walk through the woods at St Brides with my dog & on impulse on the way home, I decided purely on spec to drive to Dale to see if the Glossies were still at the usual site, however as I drove past Crabhall I met Brian on the way back to his car, offering him a lift as it was raining, he jumped into my car he asked me where I was going to which I replied that I was wondering if the Glossies might still be about, we both agreed it was a "long shot - but you never know" scenario & as he was showing me camera shots of a Wader he`d seen, a Glossy Ibis flew over  from the Gann heading towards Philbeach / Marloes! A brief view but unmistakeable, it was about 5:15pm, I did  drive round to Dale but it was probably heading to roost. As for Brian`s Wader.......

Eastern Arm Bosheston Lily Ponds

Had been hearing Kingfisher all morning and seen odd distant blue blob on far side of lake so it was nice to see one closer up for a split second before it went off again. 

Female Kingfisher 

Yellow-browed Warbler

Yellow-browed Warbler Keeston this morning.

Stackpole Headland

Compared to other entries a much more benign entry from me.

Was nice to see the Chough pairs in their usual spots. Quite a few rock pipits and even the odd skylark and Stonechat made an appearance. The Jackdaws always have potential to create a bit of interest when it is otherwise quite quiet. One Cormorant seen fishing in the shallows and a Shag was on one of the lower ledges. Only the one Raven today. Other sightings included two Wheatear and a Red kite.

Chough having a preen 

Jackdaw

Wheatear

Red Kite 

Perhaps less expected was a handful of swallow on the warren.

The highlight today was a Merlin that flew past me and carried on along the coastal strip.  

Merlin

More sightings

From Jason Coppock: 

Gann:

Spotted Redshank 

Greenshank c5

Dunlin

Lapwing 3

Stonechat 4

St Brides:

Yellow-browed Warbler called repeatedly behind the pink cottage c11:40 but not again by 12:30

Blackcap c6

Chiffchaff 2+

Redwing

Water Rail

Chough 3 flew over car park 11:30

Porthclais-Porthlysgi

Two visits to Porthclais failed to turn up any of the YBW that George and Fiona had had in recent days, or any firecrest, best were 2 brambling with chaffinch at 8:30. Plenty of tits, chiffs and goldcrests to keep me lifting the binoculars. And lots of blackbirds and a few song thrush and redwings on the hawthorns. More chiffchaff, coal tits and blackcaps in the hedges on the walk over to Pencnwc/Treginnis. Nice looking weedy beet field in the valley to Porthlysgi had numbers of chaffinch and a few goldfinch to look through. Curlew on Porthlysgi. And as always good to see Jon B out again, 3rd sighting in a week, at Porthclais.

Gann and St Brides

From Jason Coppock:  Spotted Redshank still at the Gann plus

Greenshank c15

Redshank c30

Turnstone 

Kingfisher 

Mediterranean Gull c15

At St Brides:

Firecrest 

No sign of the YB Warbler

Marsh Harrier flew over the road at the red pin drop

Manorbier

A Yellow Wagtail buzzing around the fields south of Jameston this morning. Sounded like a typical western but it was quite distant so would like to hear it again. Otherwise a steady movement of finches eastward. 

A lunchtime walk produced a Yellow-browed Warbler and a Firecrest in the valley below the castle.

Yellow-browed Warbler

Yellow-browed Warbler Llangloffan Fen this morning.

Yellow-browed warbler, St Brides

YBW, in the ash tree by the pink cottage at St Brides this afternoon, and likely the same an hour later with a tit flock in the scrub opposite. It was calling in the tree but silent later. 6 Blackcaps pecking at the sloes and remaining blackberries. Redwings looked like they were also pecking at the sloes. A peach of a male bullfinch, don't see many these days. Good to see a few chaffinch as well. Firecrest by the pile of fallen apples in the woods opposite the pink cottage. 2-3 silent chiffchaff. Waterrail squawking from the undergrowth by the car park. 2 jays.

A look around Dale village and the track to the airfield, another jay and just a couple of chiffchaff and goldcrest.

Stopped off for the last few hours at the Gann. Spotted redshank gave its chew-it call as it chased a redshank at the top of the pools. 10 little egret chasing fry by the reedbed. 15 redshank, 5 greenshank, 3 barwit, single snipe, no small waders. Kingfisher on its pole. 10 teal. 3 little grebe. 22 Med gulls mostly adults.