A short visit to the Castlemartin coast this morning to look for chough families produced a flock of 33 feeding on the slopes of New Quay valley. Various family parties were present including a veteran ringed male (now in his 22nd year) plus his un-ringed partner and their 3 young. Despite a fairly late season, chough breeding success has been quite good in south Pembs this year.
Offshore in the freshening SW wind were numerous gannets feeding along the coast.
Only 3 pairs of kittiwakes are still breeding at Elegug Stacks - two of these have small young and one is still incubating - so almost extinct there now but not quite!
In the afternoon, whilst doing a regular butterfly transect at Martletwy, a hobby flew towards Landshipping, being hotly pursued by an agitated flock of swallows. We've noted hobbies hunting in this general location in previous summers when walking our butterfly transect. Presumably this one is resident somewhere in the area this summer.
