Caldey

 On Caldey there is an ongoing attempt to encourage Manx Shearwaters and Storm Petrels to breed there now the rats have been eliminated.  The Bird Group funded next boxes and sound playback systems and they are installed near Sandtop. 

 Early signs are very encouraging with Manxies both calling over the site and being seen almost every night on the ground around the speakers and the burrows.  These are likely to be immature birds and with luck they may make breeding attempts in the next few years and form the basis of a new colony.  Similarly the sound system has encouraged Storm Petrels to visit the wall system and maybe will be encouraged to breed there but in 2026 we hope to survey the 6,000m or so of stone walls on the island - they may be there already!!

It will be interesting to see what happens in 2026 when a second system may be installed near the lighthouse and also on St .Margarets Island.

Hirundines

From Ian Bartlett: 10 Swift over Pembroke town this afternoon and a count of 25 Swallow on the telegraph wires behind the Milton Bridge Inn this evening.

Caldey

From Matt Sutton: A few manx shearwaters calling soon after dark around the south end of Sandtop Bay, Caldey last night - is there maybe a small breeding colony here now? Also water rail calling from the scrubby cliff below the pond here. Common sandpiper on the beach and 9 turnstone on rocks.

Also a flyover great white egret heading east near Redberth a week or two back.

Ty Rhyg

 Still plenty of nightjar action at Ty Rhyg with three males singing and wing-clapping last night and a recently fledged juvenile was sat on the track near the central clear fell, so they have managed to breed successfully this year. Young tawny owls are still begging for food in this area too.

The bushes are alive with various warblers, particularly young blackcap which must have had a fantastic breeding season. Also plenty of willow warblers, chiffchaffs, garden warblers and a few whitethroat and grasshopper warblers.

At least 2 juvenile willow tits were also seen, and small flocks of crossbills, redpolls and siskins buzzing overhead.

Hirundines at Carew Millpond

From Ian Bartlett: Max count of 16 Swift this evening. There are a few separate groups around and every now and then they all group together. At least 25 House Martins at one point and good numbers of Swallow too. Two Peregrines over the millpond around 9pm 

 

 

 

Swallows

We normally get quite big aggregations of Swallows on our electricity wires in late summer. But it is only mid-July and we are aleady up to 35!

Curlew at Angle and Hirundines at Carew

From Ian Bartlett: 5 Curlew today at Angle, viewable from The Old Point House. Last night 8 Swift flying around the Mill at Carew millpond along with similar numbers of House Martin and Swallow.

Swift

from David Butler: A minimum of 5 active house Martin nests in Johnston but last few days they have been joined by 4 swifts. This evening a swift has been paying particular attention to this nest, presumably nest prospecting but it does hold juvenile house Martins.

Stock Dove

 Heard calling yesterday & this morning at St Brides, in the old rectory/ pink cottages area.

Ed: Yes we heard it too! 

The Gann 9/7/25

From Bryn & Ros Burgess: 

The Gann 9/7/25 - 1630 - 1740 hrs

Common Sandpiper at least 2, Dunlin 3, Redshank 14  L Egret 2, Oycs c25, 1st Summer Med Gull, Teal 2, Swallow c17, Linnet 4, G Heron 2, Mute Swan 2, Cormorant 3, singles of Buzzard, Whitethroat, Meadow Pipit & Pied Wagtail.

Haverfordwest Swifts

 Had a good number of swifts over the crow hill area about 5pm I got to about 26 but it was difficult to be accurate as you know, so perhaps as many as 35? Presume youngsters in the mix?

Also so pleasing to see summer starlings round, not been here for some time.

Sightings 9/7/25 Broad Haven north

From Bryn Burgess:  9 Common Scoter from Broad Haven today.  I would have thought this an early record.

Marloes Peninsula

Went for a walk after work.

One of the highlights was with some carrion crow was a hooded crow. Seen at distance and so apologies for the terrible quality image. 

Hooded Crow at distence 

One of the family of chough were hanging out on headland. One of the juveniles not for the first time I have observed not lifting with the other birds when the adults call time and hanging back to feed a bit longer. On this occasion a few minutes later one of the other juveniles appeared back over one of the fort banks and joined it in the adjoining field. 

Two Raven feeding on the far side of the open access area.

Nice to see a few young wheatear and Stonechat about. One adult Wheatear was still taking food over cliff edge so assume some young there somewhere! 

A moth for someones meal! 

A small flock of about 35 starling in the field between the fort and the mere. 

One of a small flock of starling 

Mere quiet excluding a large number of coot! The family of Canada geese are still about.

North Pembs Greylag Goose breeding success.

 First seen 16th June: A pair of Greylags with at least 5 well grown goslings hanging around the newly created pond near the new YFC club house on the link road that goes from Scleddau to the St Davids Road near Mathry. A pair were seen a year ago with much smaller goslings but not sure what happened to them. Hopefully we will see more of them as the weeks go by!

Yesterday 7th July, Greylags still about, goslings looking good but down to four

from five, plus the two adults. Not a great pic, but taken at distance with my phone!

Not sure how many Greylags breeding in the county , it will be interesting to see if they prosper, a nice bit of rewilding by the landowners

Yellowhammers

From Ian Sefton - during a cycle ride around Manorbier Newton, Freshwater East and Lamphey at least 5 Yellowhammers present, all singing males. 

Butterhill House Martins

 41 active nests this year!! Good news. 

Swifts on the move

Yesterday morning the Swifts were on the move and a group of four were initially seen feeding low over the sheep fields at Mullock building quite quickly to a group of at least 22 birds zooming low around the meadow with occasional high swoops over Winterton Marsh.  At least 5 were still present at 1430.  After a summer where Swifts seemed to be really scarce watching such a big group was a real pleasure.

Med Gulls.

 Numbers have been building up at Llanstadwell over the last three weeks.35+,mostly adults this morning.