Historical sighting

As  excited as I was last April to see my first Hoopoe at Marloes, I was saddened today to read an account of the fate of a Hoopoe in Pembrokeshire at the turn of the Eighteenth Century. In his 'Historical Tour Through Pembrokeshire' Richard Fenton on his section travelling from Fishguard to St Davids, writes

"At Penyrhiw, the farm to which this wild uncultivated tract is a sheep walk, was lately shot a Huppoo, a solitary bird, two being seldom seen together, and in this kingdom very uncommon; even in Egypt, where common, not very gregarious" (p11)

He goes on to describe the bird from Bewick's description with an illustration, adding that  "In Sweden the appearance of this bird is vulgarly considered a presage to war, and it was formerly deemed in our country a forerunner of some calamity" (p12)

 

David Meanwell

Llys-y-fran

Arriving later than usual at 4pm there was already a decent roost forming between the first inlet on the east side and midway to the hide which saved me a walk. 1500 LBB had soon risen to 2500, BH gulls were coming in in waves of 100 or so, mostly from the south, final count was 1900 with more continuing after sunset. Big numbers of Herring gull with many 1winters, final count 910 (which likely topped 1,000 with the late arriving stragglers which seemed to also come in from the south and SW). The late LBBs came in from the east and appeared to have come down from the adjacent fields just above the reservoir. 8 adult Mediterranean gulls, only 20 Common gull seemed a bit on the low side. 4 adult Yellow-legged gulls. A sad sight of a 1w Herring gull trailing 5m of black twine from its legs, I could only imagine the mayhem if other gulls got entwined in it. The adult GBB was again making itself unpopular, it looked like it might have grabbed a victim as it was pecking at a corpse out from the hide but too far for a clear view. I attempted a final total gull count just before I left at 5pm, totalling 6670 with more gulls still coming in. 300 Canada geese, and the 120 Greylag again flew down the reservoir from beyond the hide and dropped into a field on the west side at dusk. 8 GC grebe, definitely 2 courting and one calling in the first inlet. Single Little grebe, single male Goldeneye.

Tenby

 On the side of and under the ramp of the old Lifeboat station 16 Purple Sandpipers, 3 Turnstone and 6 Oystercatchers this morning. Out in the bay off North Beach 9 Great Crested Grebes.

Skrinkle Haven - Seawatching

An hour or so look at the sea in the rough weather this morning produced a few birds of interest, headlined by 3 Little Gulls (2 adults and a 2nd-calendar year). Unexpected was a single Manx Shearwater - I think my first winter record in Pembrokeshire. Otherwise a single Common Scoter and 8 Red-throated Divers. 

A look from various points between Swanlake Bay and Lydstep yesterday in much calmer conditions produced over 50 Red-throated Divers, a handful of guillemots and razorbill and 5 Common Scoter on the sea. 

Bosherston, Llys-y-fran and Marloes

I had a lunchtime walk from Stackpole Court down to Broad Haven South and back in the week, surprisingly quiet waterfowlwise. Only duck were a couple of teal and mallard beneath the Court. 4 goosander (3m) and a dozen coot by the reedbed. At least 12 Little grebe, a group of 8 just above the 8-arch bridge were flushed out into open water by a male otter.  

Llys-y-fran yesterday afternoon. In the chill north-westerly the geese and gulls were all above the hide. Viewing from the hide did give some good views though those beyond it were obscured by the bankside willows. 2 Yellow-legged gulls (adult and a 4 cy bird, that posed for a few photos before taking flight showing its open wings), 10 Mediterranean gulls (8 adult and 2 1w) and the big male adult GBB was on patrol. 6-8 GC grebe some look like they're pairing up, single little grebe. 5 male Goldeneye. 87 greylag that flew up to the fields at dusk.

At Marloes mere this afternoon, 918 lapwing and 1170 golden plover that were regularly being flushed by something unseen, the buzzards didn't seem to be the culprit so I suspect a peregrine, 140 wigeon grazing on the Varna bank along with 30 Canada geese and 12 black-tailed godwit. 14 Pintail (10m), 12 gadwall, and 5 Tufted duck (2m) (in the north irrigation reservoir).

On the way to Milford at 4:45pm, the 11 Whooper swans were visible between Sandy Haven and Rickeston (SM 86298 09034).

 

Whoopers

 11 still at Rickeston. They saw me from c1,000 metres!

Newport/Nevern estuary

 Highlights this morning were singles of Sanderling, Grey Plover and male Shoveler