Ceibwr Bay

 Short eared owl 1 flying around the red roof house 

Sand Martin 6

Wheatear  female 

Chough 2

Chiff chaff  2

Kestrel male 

Buzzard 1

Stonechat 2

 

Skokholm

Another Firecrest today - the last decade has seen a big increase in records. Chiffchaffs still arriving in small numbers. 

Marloes Peninsular

 A quick tour around some of the birding sites on the peninsular this morning. On the drive in a Merlin was sitting in a tree by the B-road (close to Walwyn's Castle). 

Deer Park: Very quiet with a strong, cold southerly wind. 4 Choughs were prospecting in the short grass, a Peregrine flew from the cliffs, across the sound to Skomer. Just off Wooltack Point a Common Dolphin, 2 Porpoises and 5 Grey Seals were hunting, accompanied by Gannets and 9 Shags above. A male Dartford Warbler was singing from the gorse before deciding it was too windy and then starting to flit between grassy clumps in the shelter of the gorse bushes.

Marloes Mere: A scan from the car park. 8 Tufted Ducks, many Shovelers, Wigeons and Mallards a single Pintail, 4 Gadwalls, a few Teals and a couple of Little Grebes were showing. In a field north west of the mere, a flock of c20 Canada Geese.

The Gann: Many tens of Common Gulls on the mud flats in front of the car park. A sizeable mixed group of Herring, LBB and GBB Gulls having a wash above the walkway. The pools were quiet, a small group of Wigeon and 6 Redshank only.

St Davids Head

 Cold and quiet, a distant ring tail Harrier mobbed by Corvids over Carn Llidi, a couple of Chough and a small group of Golden Plover completed a wintery scene! Very different to March 2nd when we had our first Sand Martins and Skylarks soaring!

Dipper / Red Kite

Steve Smith the visiting Manchester birder back again in your amazing county!  Monday lunch time a Dipper was about 100 mtr below the weir in Haverfordwest town centre and a pair of Red Kites displaying just by the Golf club on the A40 as I was heading East from the town.  

Oystercatcher - orange 22

Oystercatcher - orange ring inscribed 22.

Ringed on The Gann on the 4th Jan 2017, seen on The Gann 65 times since and in most years.

Seen on the 6th March 2026 on Burray Orkney, presumably there to breed or on the way further north to breed. This may explain why Oystercatcher Orange 22 has never been seen March - June (only once in July) on The Gann.

(Pembs Rg and Paddy Jenks)

Polish Mediterranean Gull

The red colour-ringed Mediterannean Gull (PMEN) at Westfield Pill on 3/3/26 was ringed as a pullus in southern Poland on 30/5/25.  1,000 miles in a straight line between the 2 sites: amazing stuff.

Reservoirs...

Friday - Highlights of a couple of hours doing the reservoirs this morning: 5 sand martins, 13 tufted, 1 male goldeneye and 3 GC grebe on Rosebush; c.80 sand martins, 4 fieldfare, 8 pairs GC grebe, 3 goldeneye (2 drakes), 5 chiffchaff in song and a woodcock at Llys y Fran.  (Den V) 

Corse and Kilpaison

I could see the cattle at Starmans as I started to walk down Castlemartin Corse, was partly relieved to see that there was an electric fence creating a strip along the edge as if it was a path. Only the electric fence is attached to the fence line further down so you have to ‘negotiate it.’ I assume it will only be in place for a day or two till cows are moved on but thought worth a mention so people are aware.  

There were 6 Canda Geese hanging out in front of the hide today, when the Mute swan arrived on the scene it was not overly impressed by their presence. A handful of Teal and Mallard. Other ducks included 2 Shoveller, 3 Pintail and 2 Gadwall. There was also 3 Grey Heron. Odd Cetti’s on territory singing away. Did have brief sighting of a Marsh Harrier, a Kestrel far off towards Starmans being the only other bird of prey. Though not birds also saw my first Peacock butterfly of the year. 

I then went to Kilpaison with Richard Reees. There were 6 Shelduck and 7 Brent Geese on the shoreline, latterly joined by a flock of Oystercatcher and mixed flock of gulls, mostly Common with a few Black Headed, Herring and Lesser Black Back Gull. There were quite a few Gannet diving in the distance in the main waterway.

On way back, thanks to another car stopping and occupants spotting them, there were two Buzzard in a field looking for food.

Its spring!

A quick visit to Strumble this afternoon cut short by cold NW breeze. Three R.T.Divers on the sea, several groups of Kittiwakes heading West and my first Manxie of the year, makes it officially spring!  

Pembroke Castle Pond 13th March

From Paul Fraser: On a late morning walk to the barrage today, the female goosander was seen fishing with great energy on the rising tide as the exposed mudflats were covered with the rising tide.  

Skokholm Annual Report 2024

2024 was a cracking year on Skokholm, full of surprises. Our FREE report chronicles everything from bird numbers to a ship wreck, from new moths to volunteer work parties. Notable birds in a Pembs context included Squacco Heron, Nightingale, Rose-coloured Starling, a couple of Common Rosefinch, Red-backed Shrike, Barred Warbler, Marsh Warbler, Pallid Harrier, Red-footed Falcon, Corncrake, White-rumped Sandpiper and Richard's Pipit. There were daycount records for Spotted Flycatcher, Blackcap and Tree Pipit. Just click on the link and hit download. Enjoy bit.ly/4cHizoM

Causeway Plantation Crossbill

A very smart male Crossbill was hanging around on the leeward side of Causeway Plantation this afternoon. He did not move around much, just sitting around in the relatively warm sun with no singing or calling. I guess he might have a partner nearby doing something more important

Nearby were the usual resident species and only one singing Chiffchaff, surprising after hearing a handful in Haroldstone Woods  a couple of days ago.

Plumstone Mountain was pretty quiet, with only a few Skylarks having a sing in the sun despite the stiff chilly breeze. One large distant non-Buzzard raptor flew around the corner of the Plantation towards Dudwell Mountain just as I was leaving and did not reappear.

Tefi Marshes 16.00 Kingfisher Hide 10/3/26

 Mandarin Drake splashed into pool at Kingfisher hide for about 15 minutes (Teifi Marshes), This afternoon, also Chiff Chaff heard and a handful of Sand Martins overflying.

Belated post - Stackpole Estate 09 March

Went for a bit of a walk around Stackpole Estate yesterday. No auks on the cliff as I passed though aware that they have been seen on the cliffs at Stackpole Head and at ElegugStacks recently. There were a few Fulmars on strategic ledges along certain sections. Plenty of Jackdaw about. The Skylark were singing and being territorial on the Warren. A Herring Gull took umbrage to a Raven passing along the coastal margin resulting in some impressive aerial aerobatics by the Raven. The lakes were quite quiet other than seeing some Cormorant in full breeding plumage and spotting a female Blackcap in some thick undergrowth. A Grey Heron returned to Herony as I passed, I only clocked two nests by the resulting necks up and noises. 

Jackdaw 

Fulmar

Skylark

Raven in avoidance mode!

Cormorant

Skokholm

The first Firecrest of the season today.

Newport Beach 8/3/26

 Thanks to very calm sea, seven dots about 300m off the beach, turned into seven Great Crested Grebes in my telescope.

Newport - Fishguard coast

A Great Northern Diver at Aber Rhigian yesterday and at Aber Bach today.  Also a pair of quite magnificent Cormorants displaying, on Carrig Duon.