Firecrest

A superb Firecrest this afternoon in Cosheston, in a mixed tit flock between the village sports ground and the children’s playground.
Tawny owl calling as I write this (22.30hrs) at Llandilo.

Barn Owl

Barn Owl over the field opposite Broadway Garage at 1pm today
David Meanwell

Skok

Another Hawfinch (our third record of this bumper year) and another Firecrest today. A Woodcock and a Hoopoe were both new for the year and took our 2017 tally to 160 species, a new Skok record.

Castlemartin Corse and Gupton Farm

A black redstart was feeding around the Gupton farm buildings this morning, along with pied wagtails and a grey wagtail. Down on the Corse, female merlin, kestrel, brief view of marsh harrier, single golden plover very high. Cetti's and water rail calling from the reedbed, grey heron, snipe but no duck in spite of there being plenty of water.

St Davids Head am

Just a few Chaffinches and Starlings moving plus 4 Reed Buntings. A Ring Ouzel, Northern Wheatear and 3 Snipe present.

Short-eared Owl - Preselis

SEO around the Bwlch y Gwynt north cattle grid this evening (Preseli's)
(Den V)

Stackpole late morning & Angle Bay mid-afternoon

Three black redstarts noted today. The Stackpole Centre one was competing for roof-top insects with grey wagtails, pied wagtails and rock pipits. Another one was on the walls of the Walled Garden at lunch-time and on the way home later one was perched high on the walls of Carew Castle before sunset.

At Bosherston Lakes (lower eastern arm) a fine male goosander was on the water - one of very few waterfowl on the lakes at the moment!

Down at the Kilpaison-side of Angle Bay, yesterday's Brent flock was still present but the ringed bird wasn't any closer to enable good views. The whooper swan was also still there with the mutes.

Three great crested grebes were offshore. Typical expected waders were present. Numbers of roosting curlew, oystercatcher and dunlin on the Sawdern Point-side were each in the low hundreds; bar-tailed godwit numbers there were less than yesterday. 

A small number of mixed thrushes (including a dozen or so redwings) probably roosted in the roadside scrub along with small numbers of chaffinches, a couple of bramblings and reed buntings.

Dowrog Common

A Merlin was about the best early evening. Chris Grayell had a cracking male Ring Ouzel this morning at Rhosson Farm, St Davids.

Ringed Gulls at Newport

4 Readable ones today.
Herring Gull Blue MCW is a Newport regular. It was ringed as a subadult at a Gloucester landfill site in March 2011, & has subsequently only been reported (many times) from Newport.
Herring Gull Red W:897 was ringed as an ad on Skokholm this Summer. It had been at Newport before, on Sept 30.
BHG Black 2BAJ, was ringed as a pullus at Meridem (between Birmingham & Coventry) in June 2016. It was previously at Newport on Feb 7.
& 1 new one. BHG White VY96 was ringed as a pullus on Hirsholm, an island off NE Denmark in June 2014. This is the first resighting.

St Davids Hd am

Lively vis mig today with 500 Woodpigeons, c300 Chaffinches, 4 Bramblings, 10 Skylarks, 30 Long-tailed Tits, 9 Mistle Thrushes, Stock Dove, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Snow Bunting, Reed Bunting,  3 Siskins, Swallow, adult male Merlin, 3 Red Kites, c100 Starlings and maybe a lot of Jackdaws but hard to be sure what they were doing. Already a good few Song Thrushes and Redwings present and 2 Dartford Warblers. There was a distant Harrier very briefly which looked like a juvenile Pallid or Monty's (given the date almost certainly the former I'd imagine). Sorry about the photo quality.

St Davids

A Black Redstart was on the roof of the house at St Justinians and at least 3 Whooper Swans were still present at Trefeiddan to midday but not since.

Porthclais

10 Hawfinches were the highlight of another reasonable finch movement this morning. Also 6 Bramblings, 250 Chaffinches, 6 Siskin, 2 Blackcap and a Chiffchaff.

Great White Egrets -- Teifi Marshes

One of the two Great  White Egrets found by Tommy on the Reserve today, both just above Priory  Bridge.

Wiseman's Bridge

From David and Jane Finch - 15 turnstone, two oystercatchers, GBB gull off the beach at Wisemans Bridge late afternoon.

Angle Bay this afternoon ending at Stackpole at sunset

We had a look at Angle Bay at the village harbour end and also at the Kilpaison-side late this afternoon on the ebbing tide.

Not too many birds at the harbour-end apart from 34 feeding dunlin and other expected waders there, including 12 ringed plovers. It was much busier over on the Kilpaison-side, where a feeding flock of 44 pale-bellied brents included a colour-ringed adult. It was a bit too far away to read properly, even with a scope. Hopefully others have had closer/better views of this one.

A ringed brent in the centre looks like U on white (right leg); red (possibly 3) on left leg

Numbers of wigeon feeding alongside the brents were quite high -several hundred at least. Plenty of gulls there too - including 200-300 black-headed,at least 12 common gulls but only 2 Med gulls were noticed. So no obvious Med gull roost was forming over there at the time (as far as we could tell).

Among other shore birds there were at least 15 bar-tailed godwits and several grey plovers who, with their loud alarm calls, alerted more or less every bird on the beach to a passing sparrowhawk.

Last weekend's single adult whooper swan was still present in the same place but it had been joined by 10 mute swans. All the waterfowl were grazing the inter-tidal zone, perhaps feeding on the Zostera beds out there?

We ended our day at Stackpole where a black redstart was active on the Manor House roof-top at sunset prior to roosting. Perhaps this one will be overwintering on the Stackpole Centre buildings? 

A couple of noctule bats were hunting over Bosherston Lake just after the sun had set, just as large numbers of jackdaws were coming into their traditional lake-side tree roost.

Skomer

Eight Whooper Swans flew North this evening and a couple of flocks of White-fronted Geese passed over during the day, totaling 12 individuals. Also our fifth Yellow-browed Warbler of the Autumn was in between Captain Kites and South Stream

Bits & pieces

An hour or so at St. Bride's late afternoon produced a male Blackcap & 2 Chiffchaffs.

Best I could do at the Gann was a Red-breasted Merganser (female), Brent Goose & 3 Med Gulls (1CY, 2CY & adult).

Went around to Dale to see if the big numbers of Med Gulls seen off Skokholm over the last few days were roosting there - clearly not, not a single gull to be seen!  So where do they roost?

Poppit Dunes

Whopper Swan 8 adults flying east
Fieldfare  10
Redwing 15
Wigeon  300
Mediterranean Gull 2 adults
Little Egret 6

Ringed Oystercatchers

At the Gann, 01 (10?)  02,  03, A2, 16, 22.
13 Turnstone plus other bits & pieces, met Dave as I was leaving who had other things to add to the list.......

Marloes Peninsula

A vocal White-fronted goose flew over the mere at 2pm and headed towards Marloes. c3,000 starling, 30 Lapwing, dozen Pied wagtails in stubble fields nr Trehill. A couple of Song thrush in Martins Haven and a single Goldcrest. A murmuration of starling nr Hasguard Cross est 10,000, and near Ratford Bridge c200 Redwing.

Slebech starling roost

Having noted thousands of starlings crossing the A40 towards the Eastern Cleddau in recent days, the reedbed roost was checked this evening. Numbers of starlings at the roost are still quite modest - probably in the region of 30-50,000 birds came in. They were quite unsettled too, due to a very fine male goshawk hunting them over the roost and a buzzard hunting not far away. Will the starlings eventually move over to the Plumstone/Dudwell roost or will they move over to the Miscanthus again later in the winter?

Other species of interest included a single common sandpiper on the edge of the reedbed - perhaps one that occasionally (perhaps regularly?) over-winters here? A single firecrest was also near the rhododendrons in Minwear Wood, probably roosting there this evening. A dozen redwings flew over to the north side of the Cleddau estuary - presumably to roost somewhere in Pickle wood.

Skok

Two Long-tailed Skuas off our north side with 175 Mediterranean Gull.

Marloes Peninsula

A nice day out with plenty of birds on the move, most noticeable Woodpigeons, Skylarks and Chaffinches. Highlights included 12 Crossbills over St Bride's and a Firecrest there, a Merlin at Marloes Mere (also c.90 Lapwing), 2 Blackcaps at St Bride's, and Chiffchaffs at St Bride's, Martin's Haven and Dale. Lots of Long-tailed Tits around too. (with John Parker)

John also had 4 Whooper Swans at Trefeiddan and a dark-bellied Brent Goose at Newgale.

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Puncheston

From Maria Hemingway - Puncheston this afternoon.  Approximately  1000 Starlings and a group of approximately  500 Chaffinch with some Bramling feeding on stubble field - Summerton side of Puncheston.

Brent at Poppit

From John Ramm - At 5.30 p.m. there were 5 brent geese at Patch close to the beach at Poppit sands. Not a common sighting here.

Castlemartin Corse

Standing water at last at the Corse. I was down on Thursday - lots of snipe, a couple of kestrels, several water rail calling and minimum three Cetti's warblers. Rob and Christine Lewis today report female marsh harrier, female merlin drifted over the hide, and sparrowhawk perched in front of it (below). The NT have plans to improve screening and sightlines.

The Gann

Much the same as last evening with new arrivals being 5 Knot & a flock of  some 50 Lapwing on the shoreline at Musselwick. Nine Med Gulls were the only white wingers.

Sprinkle Pill / Hook

From David Ord - An hour on a falling tide Friday afternoon. 2 Shoveler, 3 Grey Plover, 100+ Golden Plover, 1 Great Crested Grebe, 10s Wigeon and Teal, 60+ Grey Lag Geese, 12 Canada geese, 10s Redshank, 9 Shelduck, 10+ Mallard, 6 Little Egret, 10s Dunlin, 10+ Cormorant, 23 lapwing, 1 greenshank, and 2 snipe

Whooper Swans - Trefeiddan

Skok

Our first Blue Tit, six years to the day since the last, was a personal highlight, although a Dartford Warbler was perhaps more exciting. Two House Martin and a Wheatear on the late side. Poss the second highest ever Pembs count of Med Gulls and a fine selection of common migrants.

Whooper swans, Teifi

From Dave and Julia Evans - Just after 1pm today, two Whooper Swans flew in off the sea and landed on the filling tide opposite The Webley Inn.

Another Hawfinch

Matt Sutton had another fly over yesterday...6th this autumn in Pembs so far!

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Glaucos Gull

At the Gann this afternoon, took off from the low water mark & flew off  towards Dale Fort & kept going, initial thoughts were 1st Winter but having checked the guide it may have been a 2nd W as it looked a dirty white as opposed to  a juvenile / 1st W at this time of year.
Other birds there, 7-8 Turnstones, 10 RP`s,  12 Barwits, as many as 12 Redshank scattered across the site, 1 Greenshank.
The footpath across Pickleridge has been reinstated and repaired after "Ophelia" but the car park is still a mess. 4x4 recommended!

Skomer

As Mike has said below, a Red-breasted Flycatcher in North Valley today. Hundreds of other common migrants as well, in keeping with the last couple of days but the variety was even better today. Totals will be on the blog later on but for now here's a picture of the Red-breasted Flycatcher

Craig-y-borion Wood (last evening) and Amroth (this afternoon)

A visit with Robin Taylor to Craig-y-borion and Little Craig-y-borion at dusk last evening to set up moth traps for the ellusive "sprawler" produced a firecrest preparing to roost in some holly trees near the footpath in Craig-y-borion.

Following this mornings moth ID session from six light-traps (sadly sprawlers remained ellusive!) we had a walk around Amroth. The sea was fairly calm and the light was excellent enabling flocks of common scoter to be seen offshore. There were several quite large flocks - none too close for particularly good views - totalling in the region of at least 4,000 to 6,000 plus at least 6 common porpoises feeding near the scoter flocks.

Red-breasted Flycatcher - Skomer

A Red-breasted Flycatcher was on Skomer today (per Birdguides).

Firecrests - Porthclais

Two around car park with 10 Bramblings over with a reasonable finch movement this morning. The four adult Whooper Swans were showing well in the sunshine at Trefeiddan at midday.

St Bride's

Yellow-browed Warbler and 2 Firecrests at St Bride's this morning but no sign of the Olive-backed Pipit (with Jonathan Bennett).

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Skok

Epic day with thick fog which grounded well over 1000 Redwing (haven't done totals yet). Plenty of other thrushes included a Ring Ouzel. Multiple Black Redstart, Firecrest and Brambling. Loads of other birds including a Radde's Warbler. Will all be on the Skok blog later.

Bosherston Lakes this afternoon

A walk around the lakeside paths on another extremely mild afternoon produced a couple more firecrests - along the lower east arm and along the western arm path. The latter one in a mixed flock of titmice, goldcrests and at least one chiffchaff.

Lots of hirundines were feeding over the lake in increasing numbers. By 1700 hrs there must have been close to 500 feeding over the central lake and western arm. Around 90% were swallows but there were also small numbers of (lateish) house martins and sand martins in the flock. They were still flying into the area over Home Farm buildings less than an hour before sunset - perhaps they roosted in the central lake reedbed?

We ended the day watching c. 500 greater horseshoe bats emerge from their roost.

Skok

Three Little Gull in Broad Sound and some decent vis mig. Totals on blog.

Pump House St Brides Bay

Olive Backed Pipit amazing little bird creeping around the undergrowth well done to Dave again for finding and getting the news out quickly

Chiff Chaff 10
Willow Warbler 1
Great Spotted Woodpecker 1
Grey Wagtail 2

Merlin  male flying across the pressellis on way home
Red Kite 6

Olive-backed Pipit - St Brides

Still near the Pumphouse this afternoon. Many thanks to Brian for the lift down to see this excellent bird.

Photo from Mark Hipkin.

Olive-backed Pipit

For anyone interested in seeing this excellent bird, Birdguides reports it as still being present beyond the Pumphouse at St Brides this morning at least.

Stackpole - Lodge Park & Court-site area this morning

Some bat-related things took us over to Stackpole. While there we had a walk through Lodge Park and around bits of Bosherston Lakes Upper Eastern Arm and the Court-site.

At least two firecrests were in the trees alongside the path that runs below the court-site, another typical location for them. Most likely there will be several others in the lake-side trees. You have to wonder just how many there are in the various wooded areas of Pembs at the moment. 

With numerous berries, nuts and seeds, Lodge Park looks highly suited to any hawfinches that happen to pass through the area. Sadly we couldn’t find one there this morning.

A few redwings were feeding on the berries alongside various blackbirds that were gorging on them. Later on a few more redwings were feeding in the hedgerow outside our garden.

A few swallows fed over the court-site and a couple of red admiral butterflies continued to fly around the ivy blossom, despite the dull misty, murky conditions and increasingly persistent drizzle.

A quick look at the estuary below Carew Mill on our way home produced a Med Gull (probably the regular adult that often accompanies a small black-headed gull flock during the late summer/autumn period). It seemed generally quiet in that area otherwise. 

Skok

They're still coming

OBP @ St Brides

Still there between 530-545pm, in its usual spot under the trees in the grassy area adjacent to Cranford, just beyond the Pump House.  Takes a bit of stealth to pick it up but it does show well.  Clearly also using the orchard, which is out of view/bounds.  Nice to share it with Steve & Anna Sutcliffe today.

Olive-backed pipit - St Brides

I met Allan Hansen at St Brides first thing this morning. As we walked through the rough grassy area that Dave describes, we flushed a pipit-sized bird. We couldn't relocate it so gave the area a rest. Returning 15 minutes later, we spotted it rooting around the leaf litter beside the stone wall adjoining Cranford, at the pumphouse end. It obligingly popped up onto the wall and then onto a tree branch. Lovely little bird. And yet another pint I owe Mr Astins (he reminds me).

Olive-backed Pipit

The bird is still present today at the St Brides site outlined in Dave's post below.

Preselis....

On a visit to the Preselis on Sunday I saw my first Fieldfares of the season and a juv Merlin.
On the 17th  a late Whinchat near Mynachlogddu.
Den Vaughan

Angle Bay - late afternoon

Our late afternoon short walk for some exercise around some of Angle Bay couldn't begin to match Dave's  excellent pipit find - well done! 

However it was nice to see a whooper swan resting on the sea on the Kilpaison side, not far from 35 pale-bellied brent geese feeding avidly near a small flock of wigeon (about 300 in total). 

The tide was too low really to see much at close quarters, but over on the village-side there were typical expected waders feeding including a few greenshank, 6 or more grey plovers, similar numbers of bar-tailed godwits and a curlew sandpiper feeding with several dunlin - all too distant for any decent photos. 

OLIVE-BACKED PIPIT @ St Bride's....Siberian Lovelyness

Once again I got a bit lucky with my late afternoon Sunday stroll, opting for St. Bride's for the 2nd week running, and after checking on a seal pup on the beach, I decided to look for shelter behind the entrance to Cranford beyond the Pump House, and almost instantly flushed a bird from the long grass which perched on a tree branch just long enough for me to get my bins onto it and immediately suspect it was an Olive-backed Pipit.  I lost it and it seemed like an age for me to re-find it, but re-find it I did and my initial suspicions were confirmed.  Boom!  It was hard to see in the grass but it regularly popped up into low branches, on the wall of Cranford, and once on a rope suspended between 2 trees.  An absolute beauty.  As luck would have it James Roden appeared and was also able to enjoy this first record for mainland Wales (the previous 4 have all been on the islands I believe: Skokholm 1, Skomer 2 & Bardsey 1).

Directions: park by St. Bride's church, take the footpath through the wall by the Pump House (adjacent to the public toilet block) and the bird was in the grassy area to the right, overlooking Cranford house.  Approximate grid reference SM804107.

Just before dusk 2 Barnacle Geese flew over, heading south-west.

Whooper swan, Church Lakes, Neyland

From Steve Ward - Young whooper amongst the mute swans at church lakes, 2pm today 

Skok

Yet another Sabine's Gull today and a lingering Firecrest.

Skomer Skuas

A few hours seawatching at the Garland Stone today resulted in some great birds. Totals will be uploaded onto our recent sightings page later this evening but highlights were 4 Pomarine, 2 Arctic, 2 Long-tailed and 7 Great Skuas. Also a Leach's Petrel watched for a small amount of time before being taken by a Peregrine! No sign of the Radde's Warbler today though, but not exactly surprising in this wind.

Before the storm

Yesterday  morning was calm and warm and around 1100hrs several flocks of Swallows were heading fro Caldey on their southern migration -over 200 in one flock and many smaller groups.  the movement only lasted half an hour or so.
From John Hayes - now over 3,000 Wigeon in Pembroke River and a roost of 20+ Little Egrets  at Goldsborough Pill.  He has also ringed 10+ Firecrest at Pwllchrochan in the last week.

Skok

A Long-tailed Skua in Broad Sound was bird of the day where the gull flock is down on what it usually is at this time of year (only 65 Meds). Little left in our few sheltered bushes bar a Firecrest and a few Blackcaps and Chiffchaffs.

Radde's Warbler

Radde's Warbler at the Garland Stone this afternoon. A cracking little bird. Second for Skomer

Stackpole Court area

2 very likely 3 Firecrest lunchtime today. One beside the 8-arch bridge on the track leading up to the NT Stackpole Centre. Another on the lakeside path, where the path splits, just beyond the Boathouse towards reedbed. And probably a different bird calling on the slope beneath the NT yard behind the Boathouse. About 50 Swallows and first Redwing.

Turtle dove

A Turtle dove was on the telegraph wires in the car park at Porthclais early this morning.

Angle

At Kilpaison this morning with the tide starting to drop just 5 bar-tailed Godwits.  At Angle Harbour on the shingle spit 28 Ringed Plover, 21 Dunlin, 19 Turnstone and 2 Curlew Sandpiper. Two ad. Med Gulls were amongst c.100 Black-headed Gulls.
Very quiet at Bosherston except for a dozen or so Swallows hawking over the ponds at the back of Broadhaven Beach.

Hawfinches

Just come off Lundy where I personally saw at least four Hawfinches on the 18th and two on the 19th. I believe they, collectively, have had as many as six in a day recently. Unfortunately one of them, a first winter, died of starvation. There was not a scrap of muscle on the thing. Also had two Leach's Petrels on the outward crossing, the day after the last storm.

How many hawfinches are there out there?

It's clear from a number of sources that high numbers of hawfinch are being recorded in Britain this autumn.

The graph below from BirdTrack shows that their reporting rate (as a proportion of complete bird lists entered to BirdTrack in Britain) is presently well above the average historic reporting rate for this species at this time of year.

So far we've not been lucky enough to find one in the Martletwy area, although we wonder how many others are likely to be around the county.

Another Hawfinch

Bird no.4 of the autumn seen this morning flying east over Redberth (Matt Sutton)

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Yellow-broweds, Firecrest and more

From Steve Jones - Porthclais - 2 or possibly 3 Yellow-browed Warbler with 5 Chiffchaffs and a flock of Tits. These were seen from the sewage works gate. Strumble - very little on the sea - a single Arctic Skua. Highlight was a Black Redstart on the fence (horse field just before cattle grid). Lots of small birds including a noticeable stream of Blue Tits and a Merlin. Llanon near Trefin - a Wheatear on a roof looked big and bright - Greenland race. Also 20 Swallows and a few Skylarks passing. St Brides - a Firecrest behind the church with Chiffchaffs. 

Whooper Swan and AGP at the Gann

The plover was still at the Gann 9am this morning, in the company of 10 Bar-tailed godwit, 8 Ringed plover 7 Redshank, 7 Turnstone, 5 Dunlin, a Common sandpiper and a Wheatear. 5 Med gulls (3 adults, 2 1cy). There were again plenty of pipits feeding on the tideline among them were a dozen Chaffinch and a Greenfinch. A young Whooper swan flew over and dropped onto the sea towards Dale .

Ouzels of Birds

Well not quite, but it did require an easterly wind to enliven sightings here in the Pencarnan 1k square.

2 RING OUZELS close to Rhosson Chapel was the most notable sighting this AM, though not unexpected given the time of the season. A single JAY was way beyond the most westerly of St Davids' Oaks, and a total of 11 SWALLOWS were logged during the morning period, but the most common of the viz mig species was CHAFFINCH with a morning passage of many small  flocks.

Storm day (Monday 16th) produced the 50th species to visit the caravan's bush - a female MERLIN  made three calls during the storm force winds, and on post storm day (Tuesday 17th) 4 PINTAILS were seen seeking shelter on Treleddyn Pond.

Whooper swans

Thanks to john and Marion Best for a call earlier giving me the chance to see three Whooper Swans at Treffiaddan.  Possibly 'new  arrivals' as they were all fast asleep until a 'man' passed on a Quad Bike

Cleddau

News from yesterday:-

From Jane Herbert - Took the boat round for a little jaunt between Landshipping and Sprinkle Pill. Well over 100 Greylag in the area: I made it 113 plus something like 90 Canada, also the first lapwing of the season.

From David Ord - A hobby flew low, straight and fast in a southerly direction over Hook at 6pm tonight.

Ramsey

No post storm megas to be found but a couple of island rarities with a cracking male bullfinch and another (3rd or 4th of the autumn) GS woodpecker. An influx of blue tits saw at least 20 birds on the island today

Stackpole/Bosherston this afternoon

We had a stroll around Bosherston Lakes and the Stackpole coast this afternoon. It was generally quiet really. A few jays were out and about collecting acorns (it seems to have been a good mast and good fruiting year). We did hear (but did not see) a firecrest. It called briefly up in the canopy of the ivy-clad sycamores, about half way down the track from the Stackpole Centre to the 8 arch bridge (quite a typical location for them). There didn't appear to be many other woodland birds of note in the trees. Firecrests often arrive at the Stackpole/Bosherston area from about this time of year, some regularly overwintering in the lakeside woodland. 

Out on Stackpole Warren it was very quiet apart from the usual resident rock pipits, the odd skylark here and there, 4 choughs and a kestrel resting on the cliff near Mowingword. Having opened its mouth wide, the kestrel looked like it was about to produce a pellet but nothing emerged. Maybe it was just having a good old yawn?  

There were quite a few red admiral and small tortoiseshell butterflies on the wing today - what a difference a day makes!

American Golden over still at the Gann

From Steve Jones: The American Golden Plover was still at the Gann as the sun set this evening - where it narrows. Also a few Turnstone, 3 Ringed Plover, 5 Greenshank, a Bar tailed Godwit , Kingfisher and a Wheatear on the beach. Pickleridge and the car park in a poor state after yesterdays tidal surge.

Not too many birds obvious on the Castlemartin coast

There were not many obvious birds about on the Castlemartin peninsula earlier this evening. Choughs flying to roost in a couple of places were keeping very close to the ground to avoid the gusty winds. A few cormorants were also battling against the wind as they too headed off to their Thorn Island roost (probably from Bosherston Lake where they would have been feeding earlier).

However, the boiling sea at St Govan's Head and at Stack Rocks was really quite impressive though. Numerous blow-hole crevices in the limestone were really roaring away today - sounding rather like extremely powerful rockets being launched. One that was not too easy to get very close to (near the appropriately named "Devil's Barn") being particularly energetic - spouting skywards c. 50 foot high or more plumes of spray at times. It and huge amounts of spray from waves crashing up and over c.100 foot high cliffs drenched the coastal grassland and also those of us trying to stand there in the wind as we watched in awe!

A "geyser-like" blow-hole near Devil's Barn - one of many on the edge of the coastal grassland that were active today

Green Bridge of Wales being buffeted by waves. A large chip on the end was probably smashed off earlier in the day 

You have to admire the energy in such storms but we fear for the small breeding seal population along the Castlemartin peninsula - young pups are present in some very exposed bays.  Perhaps something interesting will have been blown up this way but hopefully we'll not see too many wrecked seabirds in the coming days.

Skok

Hawfinch still here early on, 60 years to the day since the last autumn record. The evening twitch boat has been cancelled however...

Newport Estuary

Mediterranean Gull 2 ad
Little Egret  6
Kingfisher  2
Goosander  2 female
Red Kite  2
Linnet  25
Dunlin  4
Chiff Chaff 1

The Gann

Pre Hawfinch twitch - American Golden Plover still present attracting admirers.

Met Rob & Jenny Briggs, neighbours of a certain Lyndon Lomax with two friends of theirs, while we were talking a text arrived from Dave informing us of the Hawfinch  at St Brides, so we drove over there & spent some time looking for it without success. After returning home & reflecting on the afternnon`s events the hidden twitcher within surfaced & dragged me back to St Brides where Brian & David Ord had relocated it. Briefest of views- would liked to have seen more - however thanks to Dave for a really good find & staying conscious despite his manful!

Hawfinch

Glad a few others got to catch up with the bird at St. Bride's.  I managed a couple of record shots when I first found it.  At one point it perched on the church roof, but I wasn't quick enough to record the event!  Also here 3 Blackcaps & 2 Chiffchaffs, 1 of which was very grey looking with dark bare parts.

Skokholm

Finally got in on the Hawfinch action with a female appearing at the Well tonight. Now over 100 Mediterranean Gull in Broad Sound and a nice little fall of other migrants included Yellow Wagtail (later eaten by one of two Merlin), Common Redstart and Firecrest. Black Redstart yesterday first of the autumn.

Hawfinch still at St Brides

I met David Ord at St Brides at 4.30 and following some instructions from Dave A we managed to locate the hawfinch at the top of some ash trees behind the pink scouts cottage SM 80425 10820. Derek arrived just in time before it flew. As we followed it in the binoculars it seemed to have a companion flying with it! They may have come down somewhere behind the church or may have continued towards St Brides castle. Nice one Dave.

HAWFINCH

One at St Bride's by the Church at 215pm, attracting lots of attention from the local pipits, wagtails and tits!! A massive rarity in Pembrokeshire.

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Wryneck

One in a South Pembrokeshire garden this morning (Matt Sutton)

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Hoopoe, Carn Llidi, St Davids Head

Hoopoe found by Ken Thomas, Carn Llidi, St Davids head this morning. Report via Mike Y-P on Scilly 

Skomer

Hawfinch on Skomer this evening

Lovely American wader 1, Man-flu 1

Dragged my sorry man-flu ridden carcass down to the Gann late afternoon and was treated to lovely views of Derek's American Golden Plover, all very intimate, the views were that good.  Also 2 Med Gulls (1CY & adult), 9 Bar-tailed Godwit, 3 Dunlin & 2 Greenshank.  Had no effect on the man-flu though...

Whooper swans, Trefeiddan

4 Whooper swans at Trefeiddan this afternoon (Chris Grayell).

American Golden Plover

At the Gann still, very confiding though hard to find in the kelp. Also 3 Med Gulls,  10 Wigeon offshore & Seal close inshore. 1 Dunlin.

American Golden Plover - The Gann

From Alan Seago - AGP still at the Gann this morning, very cooperative posing at the shoreline. Curlew Sandpiper also there as well as Ringed plover and dunlin all very close to the ridge at high tide. Cormorants and Little Egrets in the pools.

Angle

At Kilpaison this morning approaching high tide there was a dearth of waders - just a couple of Curlew and Oystercatchers. Better on the wildfowl front with 18 Brent Geese, 13 Mute Swans and c.70 Wigeon.

Round at Angle Harbour a little more success with the waders on the shingle spit - 22 Turnstone, 21 Dunlin, 2 Curlew Sandpipers, 5 Ringed Plover, 1 Redshank and 2 Greenshank. 5 Little Egrets were in the roost tree.

Crymych area

Golden Plover 20
Woodcock 5
Perigrine 1
Buzzard 3
Red Kite 2
Great Spotted Woodpecker 2
Skylark 10
Meadow Pipit 25
Stonechat 2

Skok

Tree Pipit a bit on the late side and the first Brambling of the autumn.

The Gann, Deer Park

Having resisted temptation for a few days my twitching instincts got the better of me and I journeyed to the Gann. Arriving around 10:30 the tide was starting to drop and the American Golden Plover was the first wader I came across on the beach - just past the big rocks where the beach opens up. Amazingly confiding this wonderful wader ignored me as it fed and briefly slept just a few yards away. It did crouch down and freeze at one point but it had spotted a  peregrine passing overhead way before I did. Well done and thanks to Derek - another great find.

Also on the beach c.40 Dunlin with a lone Curlew Sandpiper feeding high up on the beach and c.15 Ringed Plovers near the waters edge.

On to Dale Airfield which was devoid of birds and then onto the Deer Park where I struck lucky with a very obliging Merlin which posed for me on a rock. Plenty of Seal pups on the beaches - 14 on one beach and 9 on another.

Click on the Plover for more photos.

This afternoon

Spotted Crake today from Mallard Hide Cilgerren -   Thanks to Geraint  James for quick identification