Glossy Ibis

Still at Marloes Mere,viewed from the car park - hard to find & see. A couple from Essex, trying to see it before they left, drove out of the car park as it appeared from out of the reeds! How many of us have been there? Starlings seem to be increasing, now c50.

Red Kite

1, flew over the Westfield Pill bridge, towards Neyland Marina, around 3:30pm

Glossy Ibis...

Finally emerged this morning from the reeds, at Marloes Mere. Also the lone Curlew is still around. 30 - 40 Starlings, a mix of adult & juvs, + a few Swifts.

Teifi ..and Ffynone Pied Flycatchers

Shelduck, 4 juveniles at Jewsons doing very well, 9 juv's on the main estuary about a week younger.
30 Black headed Gulls around the estuary this evening, including the 1st juvenile of the year, all pulling worms out the mud - nearly as effectively as the Lougher Est Gull-billed Tern, which has moved somewhere....

Today a final visit was made to a new nest box scheme in Ffynone Wood. 
Organised by Wendy J with the woodland management and a local school.  Only 1 pair of Pied Flycatchers used a box this year, and they failed to get past 4 eggs stage.

Nice to prove a  breeding  attempt at this historical site in Pembs -- the 1st proved breeding site in the county back  in 1978.

Newport

A busy avian view from my kitchen window in my garden are ~ 1 Greenfinch, pr Siskin, 2 Goldfinch, numerous adult & juv Blue/Great Tits, House Sparrows & Dunnocks. And on the neighbours roof  7 Starlings (4ad 3juv) & 3 Mistle Thrushes (1ad 2juv).

Glossy Ibis

At Marloes Mere this evening. Also 1 Curlew again, flew over from the North, thought about landing, circled & headed off towards Skomer. As on Tuesday evening, there wasn`t a breath of wind.

Newport Wed pm

2 Summer plumage Black Tailed Godwits should surely still have been in Iceland.

Marloes / Mere

Something out of the norm today, a Cuckoo at Winterton early this morning, this evening at the Mere, a smart Turtle Dove on the track by the barbed wire gate, allowed me to look at it for a minute or two before flying off. c30 Starlings feeding in front of the white cottage & 1 Curlew over, N-S. Not forgetting our single Glossy Ibis, appears to be happy on it`s own.

Storm Petrel ringing at Strumble

5 Storm Petrels caught and ringed during the very short night at Strumble Head, the 1st  early session of the year.

The two birds pictured above showing typical suspended wing moult, making ageing very difficult.

See Strumble Seawatching  and Teifi Ringing for more photos and comments.

(Teifi RG, photo Adrian R)

Re Byron's below

 Pyrrhocorax leucophrys?

Glossy Ibis

1 at Marloes Mere, still pulling in the birders.

Quail

A Quail was singing on Brynberian Moor this afternoon. SN123347
Also 2 Southern Damsels.

North Pembs

1 Storm Petrel and 2 Bonxies the highlights off Strumble today
(Strumble Seawatching Blog)

1 Common Sandpiper on the Teifi at Jewsons.

Return visits to Red Kite nests seems to confirm the failure of the Pembs breeding population due to the weather. We did confirm more breeding Whinchats today.
See Teifi Ringing and Pembs Ringing for more.

Porth Clais

Could this bird, seen near Porth Clais yesterday, be a completely new species ??

Marloes Mere

1 Glossy Ibis, 1 Cormorant on the Mere - can`t recall seeing one here on the water.

Pantmaenog - Friday

Blustery evening - pretty much usual customers but more noticeable for absentees, despite looking in a few regular spots not a sign of any wheatear on last few visits, cuckoos no doubt heading off to warmer places as no sign this evening. A Great tit family of adult and 5 youngsters in tow. Spotted flycatcher, lots of Redpoll, 3 Grasshopper warblers. Kestrel hovering on ridge. Dead sheep with an assortment of scavengers inc fox, 2 magpies, 3 crows, 2 buzzards, 3 LBB and a raven. The fox, which looked liked he'd swallowed a football, was eventually pushed off by the gulls.

Teifi...gulls

2 returning Common Gulls with 23 Black-headed Gulls were a surprise this evening from The Webley.

Not as surprising as Steve Sutcliffe hitting his 1st hole in one !!
A 189 yard hole at the Cradoc Golf Course in Brecon Beacons today.. Steve did manage to record Jackdaw feeding fledged young  whilst playing today.
Congratulations Steve and back to birding and ringing in Pembs soon !!

Glossy Ibis

1 Still at Marloes Mere today.

Red kite over Pembroke

At 1430, a red kite was circling lazily over the Well Hill roundabout end of Pembroke Main Street and the railway line. It always amazes me how people can go about their daily business oblivious to what's just overhead - nobody taking the slightest notice! 

Recent sightings.....

A few days spent in Pembrokeshire 19/20 june some sightings that I thought might be of interest.

Kestrel over Fishguard fort 19/06. Also 1 over strumble head 20/06.

The highlight has to be short-eared owl at Dowrog Common which I watched hunting for 10 minutes before flying towards the air field also 2 cuckoo being chased by pipits.

regards alan.hill

Swifts - a recent record??

Yesterday (Wednesday) high over Tenby Golf Course and rapidly getting MUCH higher was a tight group of c.60 swifts.  A little screaming but mostly quiet - its the largest group I have seen for many years.  Can anyone beat it??

Skokholm ponds

Following Chris's post on the Skokholm ponds, today we've had Curlew, Black-tailed Godwit and the first Teal for a month on them. Also 25 Common Scoter past the Lighthouse.

Brynberian whinchats

The second visit to survey the moor for breeding whinchats took place on Tuesday and again found 15 pairs, nine of which were feeding nestlings - more details are found on the Pembs ringing group blog

Glossy Ibis

1, Still at Marloes Mere.

Fishguard Ferry

As the ferry was leaving at lunchtime yesterday (Tuesday) there was a yellow legged gull interested in the "stirred up stuff". Also seen 1 tystie in the harbour. C.J Wilson.

Monday 18th redshank. skok

Think it is this start of autumn! Redshank on south pond, skokholm. during day trip. Think those ponds are going to have a cracking time this autumn given the amount of water
Chris

Storm Petrel -- and a Skokholm visit

1 Storm Petrel flying past us on way to Skokholm at 9am this morning. Above a photo of the main pond on the island, an amazing amount of water present across the island...! What will passage migrants think ?
The visit today, 2 plumbers, 1 engineer, 1 film cameraman, 3 ringers and 2 volunteer helpers. The tasks to remove generators that powered the Lighthouse light, plumbing work, colour-ring 60 Puffins for ongoing EGI Puffin research, and some filming for a 6 part TV series on Skokholm.

See Teifi Ringing Group for lots of photos of the colour-ringing.
No other birds of note seen, except the resident breeders.
Renate with 2 of the 5 big lumps of generator moved from 1 end of the island to the other !

 (Pembs and Teifi RG's)

Black Guillemot - Ramsey Sound

Black Guillemot in Ramsey Sound for third day running, just off island's east coast. Thanks to Gower Ranger skipper, Mike, for the photo.

greenfinch

Graham (again unscientific), I would say that after the recent couple of poorer years this year has been better for the greenfinches here. I would have said "recovering!"

Greenfinches

Admiring the song flight of a Greenfinch at Picton Ferry today, led to the thought that I could think of six localities where they bred in recent years but could not be found this year. One of the sites was my garden. Not at all a scientific survey but if Greenfinches have decreased due to Trichomoniasis in anything like this proportion they are in a bad way. Please tell me that I have just been unlucky.

Otter

1 female carrying a kitten across the river in the Haverfordwest yesterday evening at 6pm.
(Allan Morris)

Stack Rocks

It was much windier at Stack Rocks than I had expected this evening - and colder too! Nevertheless the conditions proved ideal for watching and photographing the Guillemots which seemed to be revelling in the onshore wind. Many birds were flying round and round the Stack and high in the air making for some wonderful close encounters. The Stacks seemed to be as full and active as ever so hopefully the recent heavy rain and gales have not had too detrimental affect on the colony.

Pied Flycatchers...success

Even some nest box schemes seemed to have produced poor results with this recent weather.
A recent record of 4 boxes were occupied by Pied Flycatchers in Pengelli this season, with very encouraging results. Karen returned  today to check that broods had fledged successfully. They had !!
Broods of 8,7 and 4 were successful. The 4th pair never was expected to get past 1/2 very young as the female appeared alone, the male suspected of  favouring a second female in a box nearby !!
At least 4 out of the 7 adults involved are ringed, presumably Pengelli offspring of the previous 2 years?
Many thanks to Mike Snow for  managing the 60 boxes and data for the BTO Nest record Scheme.
The pair of Redstarts nesting in a natural tree cavity near the entrance fledged young successfully too.

Have a look at our Teifi Marsh Ringing to see our early thoughts on warbler breeding  from the Teifi.

(Teifi RG)

Marloes Mere

10 Bar Tail Godwits in full sumplum, flew in, had a look around & kept on flying West. 1 Pair Teal, a few Starlings around Trehill & f course our remaining Glossy Ibis, looking a tad faded now.

ramsey

black guillemot in ramsey sound again today close in to island

kestrel

One male kestrel sat on the wire by Frenni Fawr about 2 o'clock this afternoon.

Pembroke Dock

From Dean Maiden - This summer has been the first one in Pembroke Dock that we have regularly had goldfinches on our feeders. Up to five at a time with ten in the trees at any one time. Best of all this week, three juvenile goldies minus the red and black head. Young sparrowhawk made a brief appearance. Amazing what you can see from your kitchen window!

Pantmaenog

Whinchat male there this morning on top path, first sighting for a while, noticeable how aggressive pipits appear to be to it pushing it from perch to perch. Reed bunting singing away. Pair jays checking the brash piles. Red kite drifting around.

Fishguard area

2 Black Guillemots in the Harbour this afternoon,A summer plumaged Golden Plover at Pen Anlas this morning.

Teifi -1st Little Egret back.

From St. Dogmael's Quay this evening the 1st Little Egret has returned -- an adult.
Also 3 Black-headed Gulls...the 1st Med Gulls back due any day too.
The summering  drake Gadwall from Creek Hide this evening.

Strumble Head 16.45 - 18.45

Storm Petrel - 19
Puffin - 14

Whinchats...

A successful visit to The Carn Ingli site this afternoon for Whinchats, a couple of birds seen. Several Lesser Redpolls flying around too.
 There is a BTO chat survey taking place in Wales this year, 3 males (pairs) and some young Stonechats in the Penlan clearfell area of Bedd Morris this afternoon too. Sedge and Grasshopper Warblers, have moved in, as well as Reed Bunting.
 About time we found Nightjars in some of this clearfell / regrowth plantations, in the Presellis.......

Newport Sun am

3 Sandwich Terns off the main beach.

Marloes Mere, in the summer time

A beautiful morning at last - 1 Glossy Ibis, looks like it`s starting to moult now. c10 Starlings flew across, 8 Collared Doves, West, the topic of some recent debate.... 3 Chough, 2 Swifts.

Storm Petrels - Strumble

3 Stormies past too.
(per Strumble Head Sea-watching & other Stuff)

Marloes Mere

1 Glossy Ibis, on a cold windswept Mere today.

Sanderling and Dunlin

There were c6 dunlin and c8 sanderling at the Gann this afternoon, all in summer plumage, feeding in the wrack on the high tide line.

Storm Petrels

2 Storm Petrels feeding over the top of 4 adult and a calf Bottle-nosed Dolphin at Pen Anglas this afternoon

Marloes Mere

The 1 remaining Glossy still hanging in, in a December like gale.

Teifi

10 Dunlin feeding in the estuary this evening, 4 Black-headed Gulls, and 13 very young juvenile Shelduck. also 30 adult Shelduck from the Quay.....more around the river. 4 fairly well grown juv. Shelduck at Jewsons.

Commenting on Sam's Sanderling post below... 1 Sanderling and 3 Dunlin present on the 12th June on the Teifi.

Glossy Ibis

The immature bird was still at the Mere this morning, seems to be moving into a different area lately, towards the Britton hide. Just musing, the two adults that flew to Somerset, left with a strong SW wind, which took them roughly 45 degrees - to Steart, today the wind has been SE-ish, what are the chances?

Ringing in Pembrokeshire

With spring migration pretty well over we are entering a quieter time of year in the birding world - at least in terms of postings on the blog. So, a timely reminder that ringers in the county are as busy as ever. There is plenty of fascinating information to be seen on the Teifi Ringing Group and Pembrokeshire Ringing Group blogs and a regular click on the links to the right is well worthwhile.

St Davids Hd

The Redpoll passage continues. First recorded here on 26th March, there have been birds moving in the last few days including today. The peak numbers appear to have been at the end of March and again in late May and there appear to have been both Lesser and Common Redpolls. It's hard to imagine it can continue much longer. A Red-breasted Goose on Penberi Reservoir (below) provided a bit of colour to the morning.

Newport

Little Egret, pair of Shelduck with 3 young, 8 House Martins (collecting mud/sand for nest building!!).

Grey Gaggle

This morning at about 7.30 i noticed a string of large birds heading towards my house (nr Goodwick)  from the direction of Scleddau.Grabbing my bins they were obviously geese, grey geese and by thier large size and general appearance appeared to be Greylags.  They continued  north heading for the coast. It seems early to have fledged young capable of flying far?

Glossy Ibis

1 at Marloes Mere today.

Sanderlings

Yesterday at Newport beach a flock of 15 Sanderlings (including 1 apparently still in Winter plumage) & 3 Dunlin. Donovan & Rees' latest date for Spring passage was June 11, but recent annual reports have several later dates (without details) up to June 30. I saw no sign of the small Shelduck brood, which were still there on Sunday.

Hobby - Pantmaenog

Hobby dashing across ridge just west of Foel Cwmcerwyn heading Brynberian way, as Grahams sighting with swallows showing their disdain. 2 cuckoos (presumed females) quietly stalking the slopes another bird calling towards Bwlch-gwynt, also a Jay on lookout for nestlings flitting between brash piles. 3 young pipits out being fed. Pair kestrels together - one appeared to be the young female.

Marloes Mere

1 Glossy Ibis, 9 Swifts.

starlings

A flock of 90 including many juveniles at Old Castle Head, Manorbier today.

St. David's area..

Cetti's Warbler(Porthliski) Reed bunting (Treginnis) 

 (Roger Cooke) 

Hobby

A Hobby being mobbed by Swallows passed through Rudbaxton this afternoon just after the rain stopped.

Marloes Mere

Mid morning - the solitary ibis feeding at the waters edge below the white cottage. Six dunlin in bright summer plumage flying about on the Mere.

From Mike & Cilla Watson - Came across this Little Owl at Porthgain quarry on Sunday.

Glossy Ibis

1 imm still at the Mere this evening, while I was there, I had a text from Dave saying that 2 birds were seen at Steart (Bridgewater) Saturday PM. Last seen Marloes, Sat AM. Wandering again?

Ramsey - Black Guillemot

Black guillemot close in to the island today in the Sound - seen while doing boat based seabird counts.

Cuckoos etc

Still one male cuckoo at Whitesands this morning, they've been present around St Davids virtually daily for weeks, up to 3 males and I've seen two females also. Then, while gardening, I heard another male here at Sealyham this afternoon, then a Kingfisher visited the pond where I had just found a colony of Banded Demoiselles. All pretty stunning.

Glossy Ibis

Still the one immature bird at Marloes Mere this morning.

Common Sandpiper -- Teifi

1 adult at Jewson's this evening....the first returning bird ?
If so, the earliest that I have recorded on the Teifi estuary.....Our first birds are usually in the first week of July.

See The Teifi and Reed Warblers for some notes and thoughts about our Reed Warblers.

Ty Rhyg

2 Red Kites dropping onto carrion with 3 buzzards, LBB gull and crows nearby.

Pantmaenog yesterday - male kestrel catching and eating vole, cuckoo calling, couple of Redstarts singing.

Marloes Mere

Only 1 imm Glossy Ibis visible today

Manxies

From Ben & Andre - 
Went out on a survey today, finally after 10 days of bad weather.

 Saw loads of porpoise off Penllechwen,

 and while we were there we saw a lot of Manx Shearwater

 passing by towards Ramsey,three hours straight! 

At about 400 meters away from the coast.
 
Also saw 2 individual Fulmars flying back and forth past us,

 and 5 Gannets who were actively diving near our study subjects, the porps.

Shelducks.....

15 juveniles on the Teifi, 3 juveniles at Newport

Cuckoo - St. David's Airfield

Saturday 7.30pm - St Davids Airfield

Cuckoo heard and seen called from the top of a tree near the Solva entrance over the first stile.

Fox seen at the side road.

(Sandrajane Y)

Woodpecker

This is where our local woodpecker chose to breed this year. In fact, there are no electricity wires attached to this pole thought the man who comes round and attaches the notices obviously did not spot this!

North coast breeders...

A morning visit to several North Pembs sites to see how birds are faring today.
Pengelli ;-
As Mike Snow's visit last Wednesday, adult Pied Flycatchers actively feeding at occupied boxes, carrying lot's of fat caterpillars this morning. Also 1 female Redstart carrying food.
Fishguard ;-
1 Black Guillemot in the harbour, and from the Flagpoles, 1 Turnstone, 23 Oystercatcher, 5 Black-headed Gulls. On Goodwick Moor, 2+ Cetti's singing, Reed Warbler singing and another Reed warbler carrying food.
Newport;-
1 Bar-tailed Godwit from the Iron Bridge.

(Teifi RG)

Marloes Mere

3 Glossy Ibis 0715 this morning, on the edge of the reeds midway between the white cottage & the scammel hide.

Glossies

3 Seen today at 1030 (hide record book) by some brave & no doubt moist person!

Stackpole/Bosherston

A very stormy Stackpole Warren this a.m. - and something of a rarity these days, a cuckoo flying about, low, in the scrubby vegetation near Lady Margaret's Seat (the cairn/folly above the Central Lake). It was silent, no idea what sex it was.

Strumble and Plovers

A couple of hours at Strumble this morning produced the usual suspects, lots of Manxies, Fulmars and large Auks but not the Stormie I'd hoped for. Also there's a very interesting post on the North Wales website (We Bird North Wales) at present by 'Marcbuzzard' regarding Ringed Plovers (including the information that 'tundrae' is now 'psammadrama'). It's more detailed than the post I blogged earlier in the spring and suggests they're getting quite a few of them. I highly recommend it to anyone watching waders in Pembs.

Great Grey Shrike

Late news of a great Grey Shrike see on Tuesday (5th) by Richard Wilson at Pontyglasier - turning right off the Crosswell to Pontyglasier road heading up to the foot of the mountain range, it was by a holiday cottage.

Perhaps the Pantmaenog or Ty Rhyg bird wandering?

Martins Haven & Marloes Mere

I had a thoroughly enjoyable walk around the Mere this morning with Richard Ellis. Highlights were a flock of 26 Chough, the three Glossy Ibis taking a short recreational flight around the mere in the high winds, and good numbers of Sand and House Martins, as well as a solitary Swift.This evening the strengthening winds have pushed good numbers of Manx Shearwaters very close to the South side of the Deer Park, with at least two loose flocks of several hundred birds flying in towards Renny's Slip before being lost in the mist at around 2015.

St David's

From Sandrajane Young - St. Davids Airfield (7.30 Wed evening). Short-eared owl still present -wonderful displays over field to the right of Solva entrance. Also Kestrel & Whitethroat

Manxies galore

We went for a short trip outside Milford Haven this evening at about 2000 and were amazed by the numbers of Manx Shearwaters. A stream that can only have been in the thousands came straight past (and very close to) St Anne's Head up towards Skomer and Skokholm, with a continuous flow for well over an hour. I suspect conditions for sea watching will be pretty good in the next few days and, in this bit of mid-ish Pembs would recommend either St Anne's Head or Wooltack Point. We have had great views of huge numbers of Manxies off the latter in recent days and, with the poor weather forecast, both mornings (for storm-driven birds) and evenings (for big rafts) could be good. In the strong winds on Sunday afternoon I had a glimpse of two Storm Petrels, which was a treat.

Newport - waders

High tide this evening;-
1 Black-tailed Godwit, 4 Sanderling, 6 Dunlin, 2 Ringed Plover.
(Paul Leafe)

Glossy Ibis

3 This evening. Not sure about having a look tomorrow, seems a winter storm is imminent.

Cuckoo

Cuckoo on Skokholm, being mobbed by Swallows and Meadow Pipits.
Shelduck with 7 very young ducklings yesterday, today attempting to take 5 down to the sea.
3 Bar-tailed Godwit, 2 Whimbrel and 1 Short Eared Owl.

Ramsey

First chough fledglings on 4/6. Few waders passing through over the last couple of days. Bar-tailed godwit at north end and dunlin on one of the ponds.

Freshwater West

The wader passage seems to have pretty much by-passed Kilpaison this spring with few birds despite several visits. This morning was no exception with 1 Curlew the only bird on show.
Freshwater West was slightly better with 4 Sanderling and a Ringed Plover though even these soon departed when people started to come to the waters edge in a brief spell of sunshine.

Glossy Ibis

2 visible this morning at the Mere.

Teifi..

A 17:00 wander to see if any wader overspill from the Dyfi...c1500 there !!
7 Sanderling my reward, though a Greylag Goose flying in from the open sea through a frenzy of feeding Gannets and  heading straight upriver was more interesting ...

8 juvenile (2 day) Shelduck at Jewsons, 15 Black-headed Gulls and 3 Curlew off the Quay.

Birdguides: an apology

I walked around the Deer Park for a good hour this evening grumbling about uncorroborated reports on Birdguides. No self-respecting Starling, of whatever colour, would be silly enough to hang around the Deer Park in the gale (and rain) that has swept across Martins Haven all day. So I was going to write a short note about the Linnet chicks that have all fledged, and the flock of 12 Chough. Until, at 8.45 this evening, pudding finished and thinking about coffee, we looked out of the window to see a full adult Rose-coloured Starling sitting on the gorse 15 yards away. We had time enough to get the scope out, so 6 other witnesses. Magic.

Newport Tues am

In the rain,at high tide, a flock of c15 Sanderling,12 Dunlin & 5 Ringed Plovers.

Rose-coloured Starling

An adult on the Deer Park today according to Birdguides.  No further details.

Rose-coloured Starling -- Deer Park

Report on Bird Guides 13:46
 An adult on the headland west of Martins Haven.

Greenshank

Greenshank and two Whimbrel off the moorings teifi Monday pm,
John O'Sullivan

The same.. or 2 more Whimbrel  flying North over Patch  at 1830, Monday.

Glossy Ibis

A brief look before work this morning, just 1 immature bird visible, at the b/w gate.

Carew & a Red Kite

From Dean Maiden - Monday morning paddling up to Carew Mill on the high tide, what

beautiful views. Some shellduck, herons and lots of martins and swallows at the Mill

but the treat was a red kite being mobbed back at warrior way (Pembroke Dock) by two

crows. 

Pantmaenog

Early start at Pantmaenog. Tree pipits seem to be displaying with vigour. Lesser whitethroat singing. A family of goldcrest. Cuckoos calling all over initially, with just the Rosebush bird persisting later on. Grasshopper warblers, Reed Buntings and a Whinchat. Met up with Paddy and did another circuit - new birds were a fine male Redstart, and whilst watching a young female kestrel a sparrowhawk put in an appearance after a wheatear for breakfast. A Red Kite was having a tussle with a buzzard by car park.

Glossy Ibis

3 This morning at 0730, 1 very close at the barbed wire gate.

Coed Glynaeron

There is a good variety of woodland species to be seen at Coed Glynaeron  at the moment. As well the usual crossbills, redpolls, siskins, a walk round in the afternoon on Saturday recorded wood warbler, redstart, tree pipit, cuckoo, pied flycatcher (nesting in a box) and spotted flycatcher. A pair of willow tits was along the edge of the road with at least five youngsters.

Teifi waders....still coming

Around the estuary mouth at high tide this evening, location depending on disturbance -- 26 Sanderling, 18 Dunlin, 1 Sandwich Tern

Howard, Siwan and Rich D

3 Glossies

I came upon Sash, as we squeezed our cars past each other on the lane at Marloes. He said he couldn`t see the Ibis at the Mere. When I arrived someone else was looking for them too, without success & they left. When I was sure I was alone, I gave a whistle & three Ibises emerged from the rushes. I checked them over for a couple of minutes, gave another low whistle & they vanished back into the rushes again.

Glossy Ibis

3,This morning at Marloes Mere. 1 Red Legged Partridge, close to Marloes farm.

Teifi -- waders

Late afternoon, before the expected rain and high tide....
c18 Dunlin, c35 Ringed Plover, c20+ Sanderling from the Railings. Most flew off high c1715.Worth a look for waders in the morning..

Glossies back !

Did they go anywhere at all? Maybe just had a quick flight to stretch their wings, I don`t know. What I do know is, I have to make an abject apology to a load of Irish birders, who`ve spent all day in the rain, all their bins, scopes & expensive cameras pointing towards Wales for nothing! I can`t afford that much Guinness I`d be a pauper in 15 mins.

Dartford Success

After such a wet, cold April I was pleased to see a juvenile Dartford Warbler together with one adult at a regular site in the south of the county this morning. The photo is from spring 3 years ago at the same site showing that they have stayed faithful to the area.
Just a reminder that it is useful to alert the authorities in Pembrokeshire which manage habitat in which Dartford Warblers breed, to e.g., prevent gorse burning at inappropriate times. Jon Green, County Bird Recorder, will forward the information so please send details of breeding pairs to Jon at jonrg@tiscali.co.uk with a six figure grid reference.

Pantmaenog

Cuckoos active and vocal; one seems to favour the Rosebush village area, another was calling distantly towards Coed Glynaeron, a female was near Pantmaenog House with an entourage of pipits. Quite a few Tree pipits doing their display flights, particularly on the top path. Also 2 Whinchats giving their abrupt scratchy song. What looked like a young kestrel was sat out admiring the view.

And still they come.

At Newport, yesterday lunchtime, in the mist, a flock of c20 Ringed Plovers, 25 Dunlin & a Sanderling.

Glossies gone - again?

The 3 Ibises took off & circled the Mere a couple of times, flew right over me at the hide & headed South towards Skokholm. With a SE breeze could they turn up in Trecumsin? I`ve emailed my man on the ground there & put him on watch, bins facing East! Or else the unthinkable.....gulp.

Dowrog

Two pairs of very vocal Cuckoos were flying round Dowrog Moor this afternoon, the females especially were warbling loudly. After a while I noticed that a couple of of Magpies were persistently following one of the pairs. It crossed my mind that these canny Corvids might be using the Cuckoos nest finding skills for their own purposes, which would of course be bad news for both Cuckoos and their hosts. On the positive side, it does appear to be one of the best Cuckoo springs for some time.

Marloes Mere

3 Glossy Ibis, 3 Ringed Plover, 3 Swift, 5 Chough, 3 possible Dunlin.

St Justinian Kestrels

This morning Paddy, with the assistance of Tansy, repeated his derring-do of last year by descending the cliffs north of St J.  3 chicks, from a brood of 5, were sufficiently mature to receive ID rings.

Glossy Ibis

3, from the b/w gate this morning. Also 12 Plover, high & quite distant flying S-N, is it possible they were Golden? That`s all I could think were.