Sightings from Castlemartin Range

From Carl Mitchell:

Belated posting:

9/8/2026

1 ring-tail Hen Harrier at Frain's Lake, nr Freshwater West (SR8997)

2 Dunlin and 2 Whimbrel at Bluck's Pool, nr Freshwater West (SR8897)

(seen while on guided walk through range)

Tenby area

Again no sign of the Ring-billed Gull on south beach this evening but 150 Black-headed Gull and 14 Mediterranean Gull. 

20 Ringed Plover including a colour ringed bird (white 57C - first seen on Saturday) and a juv Dunlin.

At Proud Giltar a single Wheatear and a Greenshank flew over calling unseen.

At Manorbier this morning a Tree Pipit flew north over the castle - my first of the autumn.

Turnstones

From Dave Butler: The first returning turnstones noted today 11 at Mackerel quay, Milford Haven, three days later than last year.

Swifts 9/8/26

Still at least half a dozen Swifts flying over St David's Cathedral lat night, seen from Orchard Cottage, Quickwell Hill.

Weekend - out and abouts

A bit quieter at Marloes Mere Saturday evening. 7 snipe, 2 dunlin and a flyover redshank. 2 yellow wagtails were snatching what I think were yellow meadow ants that were swarming in numbers. A female sparrowhawk was hunting around the mere, making the waders and youngsters jittery. 2 Southern migrant hawkers and more 2nd generation red-veined darters starting to appear with around a dozen by the mere. Continuing the dragonfly theme good number of Black darters at the top pool at Pantmaenog yesterday afternoon along with common hawkers. Plenty of cones on the spruce but no sign of any crossbills.

West Williamston marsh harrier!

A cautious trip down to the shore with my new hip - my first in over 6 weeks. I was sitting on the memorial benches, looking across at the black swan and idly hoping for an early osprey, when a female marsh harrier flew past low over the salt marsh, downstream in the direction of Lawrenny. It had a go at a passing curlew. All over too fast for a photo. Clearly a female from size and build, almost certainly a juvenile from clean brown upperparts and small white cap. I didn't dare proceed any further as the path gets very uneven.

I've been waiting for a harrier here for 34 years, if anything expecting it to be a winter hen harrier. Coverage at WW isn't too bad actually, though in the summer months there can be little to see and lepidopterists outnumber birders.

The black swan helped pass the time

Singing male quail

 A couple of weeks ago we had a singing male quail near keeston 

Black Swan Carew River

There was a single Black Swan on Carew River yesterday off West Williamston, initially alone and then later associating with four Mutes.  It may not make any bird lists, but, if it is the same bird that was seen in June, it shows how even a big distinctive bird can be lurking unnoticed in the Cleddau tributaries.  Perhaps we spend too much time at the coast?

Common sandpiper

 breeding common sandpiper at Goultrop Roads. Earlier in the year we saw a pair of adult birds along the wooded coastline near little haven. Yesterday we saw at least three or four birds here presumably the adults and juveniles.

Ring-billed Gull Tenby south beach

A second-calender year (1st-summer) Ring-billed Gull was a bit of a surprise sat with the gulls at the south end of South beach this evening! Stayed until c21:20 when it flew towards Caldey Island presumably to roost. 54 Mediterranean Gulls on the beach this evening - two colour rings amongst them both of which I was unable to read! 

Marloes Mere

A few waders tonight, 7 dunlin (6 adult, 1 juv), 2 ringed plover, a redshank and a Green sandpiper. All flushed by a couple of buzzards who had a few flyarounds. 5 yellow wagtails. 20-30 mallard, 4 teal and 4 shoveler.

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Wilson's Storm Petrels - Celtic Deep

Fantastic views of 2 Wilson's Storm Petrels today in the Celtic Deep.  Also a single bird on 1st August which I forgot to post here, which makes it 3 West Coast Pelagics in a row recording this species.  Can we make it 4 on our next trip?!  A steady trickle of European Storm Petrels today ended with a tally of 24.

Also a brief Great Shearwater, and a nice selection of other marine wildlife including a brief Porbeagle Shark, great views of 2 Blue Sharks, and a single Ocean Sunfish.  Once again we came back via  The Smalls and RSPB Grassholm to round the trip off nicely.

Wilson's Storm Petrel (our 2nd, which came to less than 4m from the boat at one point!)

Penally beach

A small flurry of passage waders at the south end of the beach early morning. 1 Dunlin, 1 Sanderling, 1 Whimbrel and 9 Ringed Plover. At least one of the ringed plovers looked a good candidate for Tundra Ringed Plover (subspecies tundrae), notably smaller and darker mantled than the other nominate hiaticula it was with.

Otherwise 5 Sandwich Tern and 8 Mediterranean Gull on the beach.

St Davids Swifts

I was delighted to see a pair of swifts and what looked like two newly fledged young, while sitting in a garden near the cathedral on sunday Also at least a dozen swifts flying around Marloes a week ago!

?Ring-necked Parakeet

From Melanie Felton: I have just seen a parakeet flying over my garden in Monkton being followed by magpies it was green in colour potentially a ring neck but only got a quick look.  Guess it is an escape. 

Quail

From Mark Piercey: I am not sure if it is of interest but there was a singing male quail calling from 9.10 pm to 9.50 pm this evening at Sutton - approx grid ref 51.802N W005.033

Leucistic or albino Swallow

 A "white" Swallow was seen by Rob Johns on  Pen Caer farmland on Friday. Reported by others two miles away too. The Swallow appears to be an adult with full length tail streamers..