Changes at the main guillemot colony ledge on Stackpole Head - how many will be nesting there this year?

Following the winter storms that battered Stackpole Head, a cursory look this week showed that quite a large chunk of Stackpole Head's guillemot ledge and crevice location (on a fault-line) has disappeared since the winter, leaving a large overhang and considerably reducing the extent of ledge/crevice feature available for guillemots to use.

It will be interesting to see how and if the colony redistributes itself, but quite a chunk of the colony site (where there are usually some 500-600 birds present) has simply gone! See the two images below, taken from slightly different view points. The first (upper image) was taken during the first (January) storm; the second today.

What a difference a day makes! Yesterday, being a warm spring day, with a gentle southerly breeze there was a small movement of whimbrel and sandwich terns along the Stackpole coast, plus several Alba wagtails (some being white wags) and just inland at least 2 lesser whitethroats were among the numerous birds singing. I also saw my first clouded yellow butterfly of the spring.

Today it was hard to find much bird activity on the storm-battered coast. Even the local oystercatchers were roosting on the cliff-top. With 5-10 or more metre waves pounding the cliffs, conditions were probably too difficult for them to feed on the beach and on the rocky shellfish areas below.

(Bob)