Thursday 13 December 2018

Black-tailed Godwits at Angle Harbour yesterday - a record count?

Clive Hurford emailed to say that he'd counted 451 black-tailed godwits on the shingle spit at Angle Harbour on Wedns morning.

This must surely be a record flock-size for this species in the vice-county or, if not, very close to one!

Purely based on WeBs data, the previous highest totals in Pembs are of 226 at Pembroke River in October this year, and 200 at Angle Bay just a few days ago.

The pattern of increasing numbers during the last 20 years is pretty clear though from the WeBs data below. This graph is based only on single monthly counts from the various embayments of the Cleddau Estuary/Milford Haven system, between Sept. and March each year (since Sept. 1965).

Although WeBs counts are a valuable means of recording species population trends, around the UK etc such counts will inevitably often miss peak numbers of birds passing through particular areas. 


Part of the Black-tailed Godwit flock photographed by Clive Hurford yesterday
Were any others seen at Castlemartin Corse, or in other areas of the county, that day?  
A very good count anyway!