Was nice to see a pair of Pintail amongst the growing numbers of teal, wigeon and shoveller at the mere. The four Tufted duck were still around. A flock of c110 lapwing lifted at one point. The Marsh Harrier made a distant, brief appearance, with a crow in hot pursuit chasing it off!
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| Pintail |
Earlier today a pleasant hour or so birding at the Quay on the falling tide and noted the following of interest:
Great Egret one on the west side of the river feeding in the shallows off Fowborough point
Little Egret 2
Dunlin 21
Ringed Plover 1 on east shore
Lapwing c350
Redshank 5
Golden Plover the flock on the west side of the river (Sprinkle Pill) seems to be growing, at least 2500 now perhaps closer to 3K?
Greylags 70+
Canada Geese 15 (all geese Sprinkle Pill)
Linnet flock of 44 by Landshipping quay (flying down from trees to field to the north)
Teal about 35 Landshipping side
Wigeon 20 on Landshipping side plus many more on east side river (poss 60+)
Also recorded Great Crested Grebe, Kingfisher, Curlew (small numbers), Oycs, Grey Wag, Cormorant, Heron, etc
The Corse now holding lots of water, so a good couple of hours in the hide. A female marsh harrier (visibility too poor for detail) cruised briefly up and down, putting up lots of mallard and teal from the reedbed. At least 6 moorhen, several water rail and 2 little grebe, one of which caught an actual fish in front of the hide, 2 little egrets and a grey heron. A great spotted woodpecker was a surprise. Lots of small birds for BirdTrack, the bramble patch in front of the hide this morning featuring a chiffchaff.
I've seen the impressive flock of Golden Plover on the western bank of the
Cleddau from Landshipping several times over recent weeks. I had not made a serious
attempt to count them, my various estimates ranging from 800-1000 to 1800+.
On 31 Oct, by estimating blocks of 50 and then a hundred, firstly with the birds on the mud, but mostly when in flight (they to take to the air fairly often), I reckoned there were about 2000-2300...
Anyway an interesting exercise and a wonderful sight in any case........
We had a brief walk around the upper eastern arm area of
Bosherston lakes this afternoon. Very dull weather and generally very
quiet bird-wise.
Not very many waterfowl, other than a few mallards, moorhens
(one adult eating algae that we often see one doing on the One Arch Pool weir) a
mute swan family, a couple of water rails in the reedbed, three little grebes and several cormorants resting in the trees.
Several noisy jays might have been watching a family of nearby
otters (female and two large cubs) feeding in the swampy
shallows.
At this time of year, black redstarts usually turn up on the Stackpole Centre roofs. Today was no exception. Two birds were there, one a young male just starting to get some black feathering around its head and throat; the other was not seen well enough to determine its possible sex. A robin was busy chasing them around and they did not stay in one place for very long.
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| Young male black redstart - too dull for a decent photo, and not helped by an aggressive robin |
A female Ring Ouzel on Dinas Mountain this morning also present a group of 16 Chough and 22 Golden Plover
Pallid Harrier 2 winter male
Hen Harrier male
Kestrel male
Buzzard 2
Red Kite 1
Grey Heron 2
Stonechat 2
Sorry have not posted until now no internet at home the photos were taken from my friend Thomas Wheeler. on the drive home a woodcock flew over the car near Cillgerrean
It started early with a walk along Pickleridge at the Gann, where it was good to see a female Goldeneye fly in - the first for some years, plenty Pipits,Wagtails, to look at as well as Gulls but the most obvious thing was the background soundtrackof the Corvids, mostly Jackdaws "clacking" & there were thousands of them! Along the tide wrack, in the surrounding trees high in the sky both near & far, my photos can`t justify the the scale, an impressive sight. Later I cycled to Marloes Mere hoping find the two Whooper Swans that have been seen a couple of times, my expectations were more than hoped for with six on the water with the the three Barnacle Geese, I was joined by local birder Harry from Camrose who picked up the Marsh Harrier that was causing some unrest in the duck population, giving good views begore it dropped onto something in the reeds,just as a visiting couple from Dale joined us in the hide As I was leaving & packing my camera into my saddlebag the Swans took off heading West & a Great White Egret flew over heading West also. I finished the day at Dale enjoying the Jackdaws flying into roost in Starling style murmerations!
Numbers of duck are building up on the Mere, making a great spectacle from the path on the South side. There is also a flock of c.100 Canada Geese, which had three Barnacle Geese attached to them for a couple of hours this afternoon. Then six Whooper Swans flew in and stayed for about an hour, before flying off roughly in the direction of the Gann.
Song Thrushes are the most numerous thrushes in and around the Martin’s Haven valley currently - although Redwings call regularly all through the night, few seem to stop here during the day.
2 Reed Buntings paid a brief visit to a small reed bed in the valley this morning, and a super-smart Goldcrest in the sallows. A Peregrine over West Hook Farm at 1600.
High tide this afternoon at Kilpaison, 26 Brent Geese ( presume all L-b, most are) 1400 Wigeon, 53 Mute Swans and four Pintail ( Paul Warren)
Two new Ring Ouzels in the Quarry at Rosebush over last few days and an unidentified crake/ rail calling from the marshy woodland behind the marsh at Abermawr yesterday evening (Den Vaughan)
A glorious warm and sunny afternoon was accompanied by both a Chiffchaff and a late Willow Warbler a singing in the sea buckthorn between the golf course and the south beach. Also Cetti's warbler singing near Penally bypass, Stonechats around as everywhere round the coastal fringe, Skylarks on passage and single Chough scattered around the golf course. Nice day.
A juvenile Rose-coloured Starling feeding along the garden wall steps leading to the beach in Tenby behind Upton Farm kiosk. (Mark Waldron)
Two, calling ,flying West to East over St Ishmaels this morning around 6.30. Looking to settle on the pools at Bicton?
