Winter Gull Survey (WinGS) Report just published

The BTO has recently published a Report on the Winter Gull survey that many of us took part in during winters 2023/24 and 2024/25. See link to the full report here.

It is quite a technical report, and we have not had much time to read through the details, but a few things stand out:  

·     A good proportion of sites were covered in Pembrokeshire  (reflected in the overall Welsh total). 

There have been substantial declines at the UK scale for four of the five main wintering species (Black-headed Gull, Common Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull and Great Black-backed Gull), with Herring Gull being the exception. These declines are broadly consistent with declines reported in winter by the Wetland Bird Survey (WeBS) and during the breeding season by both the Seabird Monitoring Programme and the most recent national survey (2015-22)  “Seabirds Count”. 

·    WinGS data for Mediterranean Gull indicated a population increase at the UK level, although numbers are relatively small compared with other species. 

Regarding Pembrokeshire:

The total number of Mediterranean Gulls recorded in the Cleddau Estuary, although small (59 in 2023/24) was the highest at a Welsh WinGS site. Their total in the Cleddau exceeded the current nationally important (GB) threshold.

The total number of Lesser Black-backed Gulls at Llys-y-frân Reservoir, met (and data from other sources, e.g. WeBS, shows that it regularly exceeds) the International threshold. However, this site is not designated as a Special Protection Area (SPA) for this species! At least 4,900 (in winter 2023/24) was the highest at any of the listed UK sites in the WinGS  Report.

The significance in Wales of Caldey Island for Herring Gulls is highlighted in the Report, with at least 7,600 there in 2023/24 and 6,600 in 2024/25. Caldey is just outside the Bae Caerfyrddin / Carmarthen Bay SPA. 

Once again, a big thanks to everyone who contributed to the WinGS in Pembs.

Great Skua - St Ann's Head

From the sea, 1 Great Skua and 3 Storm Petrels passing St Ann's Head. A Puffin further up the Haven. (Dale S C)

May 18th Strumble Head'

11.00-13.00 SW 3/4 but surprisingly sunny as all the way from Mathry to the Ocean Lab in Goodwick and then from O lab to within half a mile of Strumble we had steady drizzle. I joined Fran and Lucy for the Monday Sea Trust Porpoise Photo ID survey this morning. As we arrived at 11am a vertual swarm of around 100 House Martins flew past the lookout, heading west. Presumably migrants brought down by the nearby rain? Others passed in dribs and drabs with a few swallows throughout the watch. five or six swifts also passed by in the same direction and then a few more swallows that flew straight out northwards. From the start we had 60+ common Dolphins with a similar number of attendent feeding Gannets which eventually moved off to the west with the tide. Interestingly, given the massive loss of Gannets on Grassholm i looked for subadults, but could ony find three second summer birds. As we made our way back up to the car park at the end of the watch at least eight Chough were feeding in the field behind the car park, some of which had yellow bills, marking them as Juveniles. I did not see the bill colour of all of them, perhaps some crecheing going on?

Carew Mill Monday morning

From Alan Collens: Lesser Whitethroat male , active around the north car park today. Also seen; Kingfisher, Peregrine and one Mute Swan cygnet with its parents upstream of the road bridge.

Teifi - waders

Mobile waders around the estuary as the tide dropped this morning, 53 Ringed Plover, 5 Sanderling, 55 Dunlin, 2 Turnstone, 1 Bar-tailed Godwit and 1 Whimbrel.

Hooded Crow

 Yesterday evening in the fields adjacent to the houses at Kensington Place, at the crossroads en- route from Orlanden to St Brides.

Marloes peninsula

Pleasantly warm out of the breeze. First 2 Spotted flycatcher and a couple of new blackcap. Numerous Painted Lady with around a dozen on my wanders, just a couple of whites the only other butterflies. A few dunlin appearing on the muddy banks 7 tonight, a ringed plover and a couple of whimbrel. The male lapwing still on station. Gadwall 4m, shoveler 2m, teal 1m, 3 shelduck. 15 coot but no sign of young just yet, can't be long.  Presumably a family group of 5 raucous raven tumbling overhead. 21 chough, inc a flock of 12.

Dartford Warbler

From Bethan Mary Evans: This afternoon at Penanglas Goodwick.

Nightjar

 A nightjar sang very briefly at Ty Rhyg yesterday evening before heading off in the direction of Puncheston.

Whimbrel

From Alastair and Gill Proud:  Newport 10th May.

A total of 19 whimbrel feeding on the golf course late afternoon.

Marloes

To add to Brians post on the Dotterel. They were still present between about 1:40 and 2pm. I only spotted 2 today. With Northerly winds set to remain for a couple of days I guess they might hang tight a little longer! 

Marloes update and Brynberian

It appears the lapwing may have failed. The male was there last night (Friday) but showed no intention of chasing off multiple gulls and corvids that in recent weeks would have been driven off, so I'm fearing the worse. There was no sign of the male or any other lapwing in an hour first thing Saturday morning. A pair of Little grebe that had made a nest out from the Britton hide have been evicted by a pair of coot who are in the process of adding an extension. Gadwall and shoveler appear to be breeding (2-3 male shoveler, and up to 5 male gadwall around the mere), teal and shelduck may also be breeding, there's a lone drake teal and up to 3 shelduck. Two of the Dotterel were still in the same field near West Hook.

On a more positive note a first visit to Brynberian moor this afternoon turned up 6 Whinchat including two pairs at likely nest sites.  Also a redpoll, 2 wheatear and a kestrel, despite the chilly breeze and sometime misty conditions.