Cattle Egret

 A single individual in with the resting Gulls on the edge of the stream at the Gann about an hour ago.

Martin’s Haven & Deer Park

A steady trickle of migrants all morning, many stopping to find a bit of shelter from the wind, and feed. 

Best in the valley were 2+ Spotted Flycatchers, feeding in the sallows by the Deer Park gates. And a (late?) Willow Warbler, looking bright yellow in the rather poor light.

Out on the Deer Park a couple of Swallows, and 3 very striking apricot/peach Wheatears.

Eastern Yellow Wagtail (?) - St Brides

Lisa and I needed a break from household chores so headed to St Brides mid afternoon to look for migrants.  We started behind the Pump House next to the walled garden (sadly locked - please open it up PCNPA!).  Almost immediately a wagtail landed on the roof of Preseli Cottage and almost immediately we realised it was a Yellow Wagtail - and a very grey one!  We saw the bird twice over the next hour or so, on the roof of the cottage and the roof of the Vicarage, and once on the grass behind the gate next to the cottage.  It called at least 5 times, none of which we managed to record, but the call was very strident and raspy, spot on for Eastern Yellow Wagtail rather than Western.  The long hindclaw, which is also a useful feature, was evident in the series of photos I took when we first found it on the roof of the cottage.  It needs to be sound recorded (or a poo sample obtained) to prove it - hopefully it will still be there tomorrow.  Also there a Firecrest and a Chiffchaff.

Cattle Egrets - Kilpaison

 Seven Cattle Egrets in the field with cattle as you drive down into Kilpaison. (Paul Warren)

Milford Haven/Cleddau Estuary - WinGS

Several observers have been doing WinGS in the Milford Haven Waterway/Cleddau estuary this week, taking advantage of a more settled spell of weather. 

Four counters (Bob, Annie, Caroline Pickett and David Ord) covered the long stretch of the Daugleddau between Landshipping and Garron Pill/Lawrenny on Tues 1 Oct. Sprinkle Pill had a nice roost, where David counted just under 1,300 Black-headed Gulls, over 200 Lesser Black-backed Gulls, four Common Gulls and a small number of Herring Gulls. David also reported that earlier in the evening 3 Red Kites had disturbed the birds there, but they settled down again.

At the Garron Pill end, gulls initially resting on the water in the Pill included 200+ LBBGs, a gradual build-up of a few hundred BHGs and small numbers of HGs. At around dusk and just afterwards, all the BHGs started to move up channel, passed Caroline's watch-point at Llangwm Ferry crossing, seemingly heading in the direction of Sprinkle Pill. Before dusk, Caroline had seen small numbers of BHG apparently heading up Llangwm Pill. Possibly  these were taking an overland route, perhaps towards Milford Haven? All bar 32 LBBGs moved off up channel from Garron Pill, but a bit later than the BHGs. A few Herring Gulls also appeared to be staying to roost at Garron.

The WinGS Daugleddau section  

In total there could have been at least c.1,500 BHGs and c.400 LBBGs roosting in the Daugleddau section, plus an additional c.500 hundred unidentified gulls that Annie watched from her observation point at Landshipping. These gulls drifted  down-stream on the falling tide from the Western Cleddau zone as it got quite dark.

Just before dusk, an Osprey circled over Lawrenny Wood and probably roosted there, having probably come from the Carew/Cresswell direction. It seemed to spook the BHGs especially and might have influenced (or hastened) their departure upstream.

On 2 October  Annie and I did a WinGS survey of the Carew/Crewell system; no gull roosts there at all and no sign of an osprey either!

Last night, we went down to the Martello Tower, near Pembroke Dockyard to count roosting gulls  in Milford Haven Waterway between there and approximately Wear Point on the opposite side of the channel. We counted at least 2,200 BHGs (a similar total to one we had for the January WinGS). It was getting too dark to see much by 19:20hrs when we left, but gulls were still flying in, so our count was an absolute minimum.  

Numbers of Black-headed gulls started to build up a couple of hrs before dusk at Front Street. Some might have roosted close to here, but most are likely to have joined the main roost just south of the Dockyard 

We could not see any obvious Mediterranean Gulls in the roost, nor any Common Gulls. About 25 HGs  roosted with the BHGs. Most of the HGs  (at least a couple of hundred or more) and a small number of LBBGs flew down channel to roost at another location. On Monday evening this week, Jane Hodges, from the Milford Marina-side (but no gulls roosting there) observed c.400 HGs and a few LBBGs that appeared to go to roost on the Valero jetty, where perhaps some of last night’s birds might also have been heading to.  

There was quite a nice industrial scene sunset over Valero

Redwings over Llawhaden

First Redwings of the autumn, (for me and the slowly increasing new garden list!), south west over the house this morning. Only 2 but a welcome sight and sound.. 

Swallows still moving through eastwards intermittently over the last few days....

Skokholm

Red-footed Falcon, Yellow-browed Warbler, Redwing, Whinchat and Firecrest today

St Brides

Plenty of small birds were flitting around in the area behind the Pump House at St Brides at about 10 am this morning. Among them was a Spotted Flycatcher, which I was able to watch for some time.

There were also Chiffchaffs and some fleeting views of what I took to be Goldcrests. However, having just sorted through my photos, I have realised that one of them was actually a Firecrest. 

I expect there will be some other interesting arrivals there over the next week or two. 

Great White Egret - Angle

 A Great White Egret at Kilpaison, but flew towards Angle at 1650.   (Paul Warren)

Bar -tailed Godwits

 5 Bar-tailed Godwits at the Nevern Estate this morning 

Common Tern.

 An adult at the entrance to Westfield Pill this afternoon,is my first sighting here,since one on the corresponding date 28 years ago.

Visit to Bug Farm & Dowrog Common

Details of the Pembs Bird Group visit to the Bug Farm and Dowrog Common are now on the Events page. 

The latest version of the full poster is available HERE

Angle Bay – WinGS count and a late WebS count

Late yesterday afternoon we managed to do a late Sept high tide count of waterfowl for the WeBS and an evening count of roosting gulls for the Winter Gull Survey (WinGS).

Roosting gull numbers were very disappointing (14 Black-headed, 9 Herring and 2 LBB). Four Med gulls had been present before dusk but these (and almost all of an initial c.120 Herring Gulls that had been feeding in ploughed fields near the bay) left to roost elsewhere.  

However, there was a reasonable variety of waterfowl, including: 4 (probably recently arrived) Light-bellied Brent Geese,  29 Mute Swans (only one full grown cygnet), c.230 Wigeon, a few Mallards, 7 Pintails (all immature/female types), 11 Great Crested Grebes, c.180 Oystercatchers, 1 Grey Plover, 3 Ringed Plover (we noted 30+ roosting near the Point House c.10 days ago), c.190 Curlews, 10 Bar-tailed Godwits, 4 Black-tailed Godwits, 12 Redshanks, but only 2 Dunlins seen. A Gannet was feeding in the bay when we arrived. Little Egret numbers, roosting around the bay in small groups, had increased from 28 10 days ago to 32 by yesterday. Small numbers of alba Wagtails included at least 10 White. Cetti's Warblers were singing well in the reedbed at dusk.  A passing female sparrowhawk might have disturbed 100s of mixed corvids before they headed off to roost.

There was quite a nice sunset to end the day, just very few roosting gulls!

The official WinGS roost counts should actually be this evening, but the forecast does not look particularly suitable!

Evening roost counts for WinGS can still be undertaken during the following week, up until 6^th October. There are still vacant sites available on the coast should anyone wish to help with the survey.

To find out more and to select a site, click here on WinGS