Sunday, 24 June 2018
Saturday, 23 June 2018
Preseli woodlands
Beautiful morning out in the Preseli woodlands. Redstarts, Garden warblers, Blackcaps, Spotted flycatchers, Redpolls, Grasshopper warbler, Crossbills and Willow tit. Seems to be a good cone crop at the moment. Cuckoos have gone quiet and only a single Kite was surprising given the conditions.
Kestrel @ Abercastell
Just to add to the run of Kestrel records. I saw a male flying around Pen Castell-coch on thursday evening (Abercastell), around the Fulmar colony.
Kestrels
A report from Mike Dave of 3 young Kestrels outside the nest of a regular site near Manorbier yesterday.
Friday, 22 June 2018
Lots of linnets & a kestrel - Angle peninsula and elsewhere
Whilst out checking chough sites etc in recent days along various parts of the south Pembs coast the number of juv linnets around has been quite striking compared with the same period last year. There seem to be bumper numbers of linnet families along many parts of the coast where there is suitable gorse scrub etc breeding habitat. Loose flocks of between 30+ and 50+ have been noted in some places, such as along the Angle peninsula and around Trewent Point. Presumably the recent spell of warm, settled weather has contributed to good breeding success for this and other species this season?
A male kestrel was hunting along the coast near West Angle this morning. We wondered if he was breeding somewhere nearby as kestrels aren't at their usual location on the Angle peninsula this year. Then again, Valero isn't so far away so perhaps he was from over there?
A male kestrel was hunting along the coast near West Angle this morning. We wondered if he was breeding somewhere nearby as kestrels aren't at their usual location on the Angle peninsula this year. Then again, Valero isn't so far away so perhaps he was from over there?
Thursday, 21 June 2018
Kestrels....
Hi,...As I'm over here
for a few days I've been checking out your site. I notice that kestrel
sightings seem to be of note so, for what it's worth, I can say
definitely that a female kestrel was feeding over the cliffs at Little
Haven yesterday afternoon (19th) as I watched it for several minutes.
Hope this is helpful
Regards
Dave Burr.
Hello,
I was lucky enough to see a kestrel hunting last night, sat on the deer park by martins haven.
Posted photos on the Pembrokeshire-I love it! Facebook page and a Mike Townley said you guys would be interested.
Amazing site to see and so close.
Hope this is off use to you.
Kind regards
Richard Clark
Hello,
I was lucky enough to see a kestrel hunting last night, sat on the deer park by martins haven.
Posted photos on the Pembrokeshire-I love it! Facebook page and a Mike Townley said you guys would be interested.
Amazing site to see and so close.
Hope this is off use to you.
Kind regards
Richard Clark
Hobby, Llandeloy
Hobby being trailed by a couple of Swallows, between Brawdy and Llandeloy this evening.
Hobby at Llandilo
A sub-adult hobby spent about 15 minutes hunting over woodland at Llandilo this afternoon. Although the swallows were agitated, it seemed to be targeting insects of some sort, which had maybe been caught in updrafts in the brisk northerly breeze. It seemed to be hanging around, so I dug out a camera, and took about ten minutes worth of photographs of the bit of sky where it had been a couple of milliseconds ago! .. until it eventually stayed in the frame.
Beneath the canopy, a pair of spotted flycatchers were engaged in aerial maneuvers that were just as impressive, as they fed their brood of three in a nest just above the window. Luckily, in between chases for insects, they also perch for long enough to take a picture.
Beneath the canopy, a pair of spotted flycatchers were engaged in aerial maneuvers that were just as impressive, as they fed their brood of three in a nest just above the window. Luckily, in between chases for insects, they also perch for long enough to take a picture.
Out into the Blue...Cartlett Lady Boat Trip on Sunday with Sea Trust.
The weather is looking really nice for the weekend and so we will be hoping to run one of our Cartlett Lady Dolphin Safari's. Its a six hour trip on the Cartlett Lady, a fast motor cruiser with cabin and toilet, that gets us out to the Celtic Deep where we find hundreds of Common Dolphins as well as puffins and shearwaters. maybe also Storm Petrels...
Although with wildlife there can be no guarantees, other species seen out there have included Fin W,hale Minke Whale, Porpoises, Blue Fin Tuna, Sunfish, Blue shark and Leatherback Turtle. You just never know whats going to turn up! Great opportunities for some awesome photographs!
We sail from Neyland Marina @10 am and will be out for at least six hours. We share the cost of the boat which allows us to do a survey and record all the wildlife. Cost is £70 per head which is pretty good value at just over ten pounds an hour.
If your interested,
email seatrustwales@gmail.com
Although with wildlife there can be no guarantees, other species seen out there have included Fin W,hale Minke Whale, Porpoises, Blue Fin Tuna, Sunfish, Blue shark and Leatherback Turtle. You just never know whats going to turn up! Great opportunities for some awesome photographs!
We sail from Neyland Marina @10 am and will be out for at least six hours. We share the cost of the boat which allows us to do a survey and record all the wildlife. Cost is £70 per head which is pretty good value at just over ten pounds an hour.
If your interested,
email seatrustwales@gmail.com
Monday, 18 June 2018
Castlemartin peninsula
Despite some earlier remarks about a late breeding season for choughs, no sooner had this been mentioned when news came from Castlemartin Range Rangers Graham Clarke and Lynne Houlston that a few pairs had recently fledged young at the weekend. The sites that have fledged young are in fact only a few days later than the average for the area (based on first observed fledging dates recorded on the peninsula during the last 30 years). There are still quite a few broods to emerge of course and so the full picture for the season is still to be determined.
There have been recent reports of at least one kestrel regularly at Bullslaughter Bay area, noted by Lynne and others. Today a female-looking bird (conditions were a bit misty at the time and so it might possibly have been an immature male) left a crevice in the cliff, presumably going off to feed. This may just be an un-mated bird. It's interesting non-the-less that two territories at either end of the Range do appear to be occupied. Further observations will be made.
Eleven pairs of house martins are nesting on gazebos in Stackpole Walled Garden, a few nests with well-grown young, others in between and some just finishing off nest-building. At the nearby Stackpole Centre however, where 40+ pairs have bred in recent years, so far only a few pairs appear to be breeding. Hopefully some late arriving birds will increase the overall population here. At present the situation at the Centre contrasts markedly with the Walled Garden where the total number of breeding pairs and breeding status seems quite normal for the time of year.
There have been recent reports of at least one kestrel regularly at Bullslaughter Bay area, noted by Lynne and others. Today a female-looking bird (conditions were a bit misty at the time and so it might possibly have been an immature male) left a crevice in the cliff, presumably going off to feed. This may just be an un-mated bird. It's interesting non-the-less that two territories at either end of the Range do appear to be occupied. Further observations will be made.
Eleven pairs of house martins are nesting on gazebos in Stackpole Walled Garden, a few nests with well-grown young, others in between and some just finishing off nest-building. At the nearby Stackpole Centre however, where 40+ pairs have bred in recent years, so far only a few pairs appear to be breeding. Hopefully some late arriving birds will increase the overall population here. At present the situation at the Centre contrasts markedly with the Walled Garden where the total number of breeding pairs and breeding status seems quite normal for the time of year.
Sunday, 17 June 2018
Gann
Really quiet, no small waders. c40 Oystercatcher, single Turnstone and 6 Whimbrel plus a 2cy Mediterranean gull. Marloes earlier in the week, pair of Teal and 2 drake Shoveler but no sign of breeding. Resident male Kestrel dive-bombing a buzzard near Gateholm.
Choughs and kestrel at Castlemartin
Observations
of chough behaviour at several chough nests in Castlemartin Range today
suggested that some probably still had small young being brooded. It has been a
late breeding season and it looks like fledging will be later than usual.
A female kestrel drew attention as she entered a crack near the Furzenips at Freshwater West. She might have been just sheltering from the rain? It isn’t a known breeding site so will need to be watched further.
A female kestrel drew attention as she entered a crack near the Furzenips at Freshwater West. She might have been just sheltering from the rain? It isn’t a known breeding site so will need to be watched further.
Saturday, 16 June 2018
Sand Martins
The Aber Mawr Sand Martin colony was very active last night with about 30 birds feeding over the marsh behind the beach as well as low over the sea. A few House Martins joined them. A Reed Warbler was singing in the marsh adjacent to Pen yr Allt woods. The woods were quiet with a single Spotted flycatcher the highlight.