A fairly brief look at the Frainslake/Bluckspool area of
Castlemartin Range on Sunday afternoon didn't provide too many birds of
interest but there were at least 220 GBB gulls resting on Frainslake beach.
c.50% that were standing and none of these were ringed, the legs of the
remainder were not possible to see. At least 160 oycs were roosting at the
Furzenips end - quite a good number for the location (none of these were
ringed). Other waders included 5 ringed plovers and 60+ curlews.
Offshore, a small flock of
sandwich terns (at least 6 mixed adults and young) were feeding close to
the beach. They seemed to be catching small fish quite successfully nearly
every time they dived. Four white wagtails (two were smart adults) were feeding
close to the shelter of rocks on Bluckspool beach. As recorded by others
elsewhere, wheatears were generally numerous and distributed quite widely from
the dune grassland near the beach to inland grassland areas near the Castlemartin-Merrion
road. At Merrion a flock of at least 300 linnets was feeding in a stubble field
near the entrance to Castlemartin Range.
We were informed that a Manx
Shearwater had recently been found outside the guard-room next to the road during
the recent stormy weather, attracted by lights there we suspect. When
approached, it apparently flew off unaided. Hopefully it managed to get back to
the coast ok 2-3 km away.
A flock of 21 choughs was also reported at daybreak on Saturday
morning at Stack Rocks - these must have roosted somewhere very close by.