Pembroke Castle Pond 13th Feb

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.  

Bosherston Lakes - eastern arm - this afternoon

“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.

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.

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. 

Pembroke Millpond

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.  

Frolic

 Male and Female Goosander by the sewage outlet at freemans frolic yesterday afternoon.

Carew millpond

Went out with my old dog for potter at Carew late this afternoon. Highlight was a Great Crested Grebe and a very distant Kingfisher. 

The Kingfisher landed for a moment or two on the seaweed and rocks 

Great Crested Grebe 

Ring-billed gull, Flagpoles, Goodwick

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.

Carew Millpond

Two Med gulls just now, with the usual assemblage. Thanks to the two birders on the barrage who had already picked them out! 

Pembroke

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. 

Ring-billed gull, Goodwick flagpoles

George found a first winter ring-billed gull at the Flagpoles yesterday afternoon, still present today among the flock of small gulls.

Marloes Mere

From Chris & Karen Hatch: 

Marloes Mere 8.2.2026

Single Russian White-fronted Goose, 60+ Golden Plover, 200+ Lapwing, 6 Pintail, 8 Gadwall. Good numbers of wildfowl generally.

Milford Haven Waterway Gulling

I decided to do a bit of 'gulling' today along the Milford Haven Waterway from Neyland to Gelliswick.  What stood out was the sheer lack of gulls: amazing the decline just in the 35 years or so that I've been living and birding here.  One of the reasons is the improvement to sewage treatment infrastructure, long gone are the days when big flocks of gulls were feeding at the outfalls at Neyland, Pembroke Dock and Milford Haven.  Also the general decline in the use of Milford Haven docks for fishing boats, barely 40 gulls there today.

Anyway, highlight was a Skokholm ringed juvenile (2nd calendar year) Great Black-backed Gull.  W:479 will have been ringed as a pullus last year, it will be interesting to know if it has been seen anywhere else since fledging.  Details will be sent to the Skokholm wardens shortly.

Finally...seeing gulls at places like this is a great opportunity to study plumage and feather detail up close.  Can you tell your scapulars from your greater coverts?!

Also of note a Great Northern Diver and 2 Great Crested Grebes in Gelliswick Bay.

The 11 Whooper Swans remaining faithful to their favourite field next to Sandy Haven Pill today too.

Stackpole

In the bit of brightness today got out for a bit of a walk along the Eastern Arm of lakes. Though poor-quality images nice to see rather than hear a Cetti's warbler (Hidden Bridge) and a Water Rail (Reed Bed below Courtside). The other highlight being a lone Reed Bunting in the bushes not far from Broadhaven Beach. 

Best I got ... sorry I am missing half its face! 

 A Greater Spotted Woodpecker was heard drumming in the woodland above the main path a few times today and 3 Grey Heron were seen in the Heronry tree. The Mallards were starting to argue with each other around Hidden Bridge. I guess all signs that territories are starting to take shape for the coming season! I got to 4 Goosander 5 Little Grebe and 11 Coot today. 

Congratulations Rich Crossen!

We spent last week on the Somerset Levels mainly focusing on Ham Wall. The weather was iffy but lots of stuff that we would not see so much of  here in Pembrokeshire, so a nice change.The highlight was the Starlings which gave some phenomenal views. 

Interestingly, when i searched for up to date local birding news, there was not much worth having. I notice Pembrokeshire Bird Blog is not far from having six million views, is pretty up to date with up to date reports from all over Pembrokeshire, and some wonderful images shared.

So lets give credit to Rich, it will embarrass him a bit because he is incredibly modest and also prevented it from becoming a place for argument and negativity. Pembs  Bird Blog was his creation and is not only useful to Pemb's birders and visitors with its up to date news, but also a monthly archive going back to January 2008.has acedemic value! 

Nice one Rich and thanks! 

Pembroke sawbills

Drake Red-breasted Merganser and redhead Goosander still here late this afternoon, this time diving almost constantly near the road bridge on middle pond. Nice to get such close views...

Drake Shoveler at the far end, happily shovelling away by the reed bed...

Also Kingfisher, Grey wag and a sparrowhawk seen...

Llys-y-fran

It seemed all the gulls were on the water when I arrived at 4pm with very few others arriving before the light went. What looked like the adult Caspian was still there and a single adult Yellow-legged gull. 15 Mediterranean gulls and the big adult GBB was flying around noisily, and appeared to unsettle the roost, likely a ploy to reveal a target. Min 12 GC grebe with lots of courtship and 11 goldeneye (7m) also courting. Nice to see the days drawing out and the many song thrushes in good voice.

The Gann

A nice group of 25 Bar-tailed Godwit at the Gann late afternoon (Lisa had 27 a few days ago), presumably visiting from Angle Bay as this is an unusual number here.  2 were colour-ringed at the Gann last autumn (numbers 04 & 05 - I saw number 02 at the Gann on 2/10/25).  Also managed to read a Redshank and 5 Oystercatcher rings in the gloomy conditions.

Also really nice to see 13 Brent Geese - quite unusually 5 of them were dark-bellied.  Not much of a pre-gull roost gathering, but amongst the 200 or so smaller gulls were 17 Mediterranean Gulls (15 adults, 1 2CY & 1 3CY). (With Huw Lewis)

Spot the colour-rings...(red on left tibia, black with white numbers on right tibia)