A reasonable variety of birds was noted Ramsey Sound today. First to greet us on arrival at St Justinian was a flock of 20 chough flying south along the coast near the lifeboat station (perhaps these were part of a flock that was on St David's Head back in the autumn). A couple of pairs and a single bird continued to feed most of the day on the coastal slope and in nearby stubble fields.
Other birds included an adult med gull (present probably most of the day at one end of the Sound or the other, with numerous kittiwakes and black-headed gulls). Several divers passed through, including a few red-throated and at least 3 great northern. One GND initially spent a few hours avidly feeding in the bay between Whitesands and Porthselau, before eventually moving off through the Sound during the early afternoon. From it's general plumage, this was almost certainly not the bird we recorded feeding there about a week ago.
Other birds flying south through the Sound included several common scoters and a very dark dark-bellied brent. Four eiders (including a fine adult male and three female-types) appeared during mid afternoon. They landed in the Sound and, after several minutes resting close to the St Justinian coast, swam south beyond the lifeboat station and were lost from view.
A peregrine was hunting in the area during the morning and, as we headed back to St David's in late afternoon, a merlin flew over the hedge near Trefeiddan.
