An American Wigeon found and photographed by David Clarke yesterday at Gwbert was present again this morning. (Photos on Ceredigion Birds and Wildlife Facebook)
At 8am it was just upstream of Cardigan boat club slipway then it flew across the estuary to Pembrokeshire to the salt marsh by the Teifi Waterside Hotel. It was present with 250 Eurasian Wigeon until 9.30 when the flock started splitting up as the tide dropped.
I also ventured to Fishguard at the crack of dawn today, searching unsuccessfully for the Ring-billed Gull. There were plenty of gulls from the flagpoles, including (as reported) quite a few Meds, Commons, and a Kittiwake. Some were closer in, but the majority were not, all heading out a bit later in the morning in a large movement.
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| See (just about) many of the gulls leaving pretty early in the morning. |
There were also two Ringed Plover, and ~20 Turnstone on the beach and around the harbour. Along the breakwater, quite a few auks too, including a single Black Guillemot distantly toward the outer breakwater. Three Great Northern Divers, a single Red-throated Diver and an unexpected Shelduck were also present.
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| After several tries, my first Pembs Black Guillemot. |
I walked up to Pen Anglas, where there was a Sparrowhawk. A short sea watch produced quite a few Gannets and a large flock of Guillemots and Razorbills. Also exciting to have quite a lot of Dolphin movement around, and a small group of Porpoise moving along the coast.
Another nice day, so we headed up to Newport/Nevern estuary this morning, having not been up that way for ages (possibly since last spring!).
Among the usual waterfowl were c.50 wigeon, 70-80 teal including the green-winged. Other birds included at least 5 little egrets, a greenshank, several redshanks, curlews and snipe and a fine male goosander that drifted down the river above the Iron Bridge.
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| A nice bird anyway, even if its taxonomic status has changed back to subspecies again |
A mixture of typical gulls included herring, lesser black-back, great black-back, black-headed, a few Med. gull and around 70-80 common gulls. One of the 2CY common gulls was colour-ringed white left leg. It was too far away to read the digits from photos taken, although the sequence possibly started with 11. Sadly, there is no Sam Baxter up there anymore. He recorded many common gull colour rings at Newport over the years.
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| Hopefully someone has managed to get a better view of this ones colour-ring |
In the afternoon, we went down to Fishguard, where we noted
a couple of great northern divers inside the harbour. Quite a few auks were feeding
inside the harbour and out in the bay, including at least 20+ razorbills and
around 50 guillemots. A single great crested grebe and a dozen or more gannets
were also feeding with a flock of cormorants. Around 15 or so turnstones were busy
feeding along the shore with a couple of ringed plovers and a redshank.
Med gulls were quite numerous. We noted around 30, but that was
probably an underestimate. George Mee arrived just before we left to look for
the ring-billed gull again, which we (and others present at the time)
had not seen. Hopefully, it put in appearance later on. Common gulls were
reasonably numerous, including a white-ringed immature spotted by George. A photo was
taken of this one too, but it was too far away to determine any of the digits. Its colour-ring was on the right leg, so it was not the Newport bird seen earlier.
A tour of St Bride's Bay was rewarded today with an adult Red-necked Grebe at Goultrop Roads, starting to come into breeding plumage. Lots of divers in the bay today, over 70 Red-throated at the south end, between Goultrop Roads and Stack Rocks, and a concentration of Great Northern just south of Nolton Haven with at least 15. Very few Common Scoter - we managed a total of just 37 between Broad Haven and Newgale. 5 Purple Sandpipers on the rocks at the north end of Broad Haven.
Later this afternoon we had great views of the 2 Russian Greater White-fronted Geese (subspecies albifrons) at Marloes Mere, found earlier by Andy Sims. (Dave & Lisa)
From Paul Fraser: Short walk to barrage today two Goosanders both male and female very active feeding together with a Cormorant. Suspect a lot of small prey available as the barrage now seems to be back in action and was at a low setting. The first time we have seen the male Goosander on the pond. A number of black headed gulls on the pond were showing breeding plumage.
“Sunny” conditions by lunchtime were too nice to ignore, so we headed over to Bosherston Lakes for a change during the afternoon.
It seemed generally quiet, but we noted 7 goosanders (mostly males), 13 coot in the upper eastern arm arm and a couple of teal. Four herons were perched near their usual breeding area, one displaying its splendid plumes – for them, the breeding season has started.
Cormorants were the most obvious birds on and around the lake – not less than 20. Most were silver-headed adults, showing
their subtly colourful breeding plumage. Some looked to be good candidates
for P. carbo sinensis but, with the possibility of hybridisation etc, it was difficult to be
sure. Several settled to roost overnight in their usual tree.
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| Most of the cormorants seen today were adults in full breeding plumage |
Large numbers of woodpigeons were present in the
lakeside trees – easily 100+. We only managed to see a single stock dove this afternoon, but there
were almost certainly others.
We decided to wait to see if any greenfinches would come to their usual roost on the Court-site. Last winter, Chris Orsman noted good numbers going to roost, and we watched them coming to roost in early March. Today we were not disappointed! At least 100 greenfinches arrived and, quite quickly, settled in. Other birds probably roosting in the same dense evergreen shrubs included a dozen (or more) chaffinches, at least 2 goldfinches and a blackcap.
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| Some of the greenfinches that settled briefly in Court-site trees before going to roost |
About half an hour before dusk, two choughs flew over the Court-site from somewhere inland, heading towards Stackpole Head. The angle of their flight-path suggested that they could have been feeding somewhere on Belvidere Hill, which is at least 2.5 -3km inland from their likely coastal roost site. Over the last few years it has become increasingly evident that choughs at Stackpole are more regularly feeding quite well inland from their usual coastal habitat during the winter period.
Just before we left the area at dusk, several hundred
jackdaws were flying in from various directions and preparing to roost in the lakeside
woodland, and about a dozen redwings were also preparing to roost near the Court-site.
As I was driving past decided to go and have another look for the Red Breasted Merganser (better weather today). This time he was further along the millpond. Saw the Goosander just as I was leaving in area in front of the Watermans.
I kept being asked if I have seen the male shoveller which did duly turn up in the end!
Thanks to Pembroke residents that know the area so well I also got to see the Kingfisher just sitting in one of the trees.
A cormerant caught me unwares when it came up just off the wall in front of where I was perched.
I saw a small flock of birds fly into one of the ash trees opposite. With taking a grab image and zooming in on screen of camera worked out they were Linnets.
Went out with my old dog for potter at Carew late this afternoon. Highlight was a Great Crested Grebe and a very distant Kingfisher.
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| The Kingfisher landed for a moment or two on the seaweed and rocks |
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| Great Crested Grebe |
Nice to catch up with the Ring-billed gull this evening. Most of the gulls were sat about 400m off shore, eventually the ringer flew in around 4:15pm and settled about 150m out towards the front of the drifting gulls, giving nice views in the sunlight, it had a preen and a wash before flying back out into the bay at 4:35pm.
Earlier at Rosebush: 4 goldeneye (3m), 6 tufted duck (3m), 6-7 coot, 3 teal, 2 little grebe, 2 moorhen, no sign of any GC grebe - could well have joined those on Llys-y-fran.
Two Med gulls just now, with the usual assemblage. Thanks to the two birders on the barrage who had already picked them out!
Just to confirm that the Red-breasted Merganser that Bob reported on 4th is still present at Pembroke Millpond this morning. Seen in the rain in very poor light for images!!
The female Goosander was also still there. Brief view of a kingfisher flying along the pond too.
