A day down south

A great day out with Renate Thome, started with the 2 Firecrests showing well at Rosemarket sewage works.  If you are less than 6 foot 6 (I am), it is worth taking something to stand on so that you can see the sewage bed from the gate, as both birds fed together on there for a while (my wellie boot tub did the trick).  The sewage works can be found on the road that leads towards Neyland from Rosemarket, on the right at the bottom of the hill.  We scooped a nice selection of waders at Cosheston Pill and Pembroke River, including Greenshank, Black-tailed Godwit and 2 Knot, at the latter, where there was also a distant Great Northern Diver.  Tide was way out at Angle Bay, but we managed to pick up 17 Brent Geese (pale-bellied).  At least 6 Grey Plover at Freshwater West, and nearby a single female Marsh Harrier at Castlemartin Corse, remaining quite faithful to some bushes roughly midway along the corse.  A nice female Merlin here too, as well as a drake Pintail and hundreds of both Lapwing and Golden Plover, quite a spectacle, best viewed from the footpath behind Castlemartin Church.  Final stop at Bosherston, where we failed to locate either the Bittern or Long-tailed Duck, but a daytime calling Tawny Owl was nice, as were the 22 Goosander (including 10 adult drakes).