Choughs have been fledging in various places along the south coast since sometime before 9th June. It seems to have been a reasonably early breeding season at a number of locations. Today 12 choughs (2 families each with 4 young) were feeding in the dunes overlooking Bosherston Lake (observed from a boat whilst surveying lake vegetation).
A red kite put in a brief appearance over the central lake and this afternoon a green sandpiper flew in off the sea and up the western arm.
On the subject of house martins, numbers nesting at the Stackpole Centre appear well down on the 40+ pairs nesting their a few years ago. They have always had to put up with some competition with house sparrows too and no obvious changes there. In our local area (near Martletwy) we lost house martins as a breeding species on nearby houses several years ago. On the coast they are still nesting in probably usual numbers on the cliffs near Broadhaven (south). Further west over at Great Furzenip (near Freshwater West) at least a dozen pairs are nesting in the cliffs. The population here also seems quite normal.
Swifts, on the other hand, although still probably breeding in the Limestone cliffs at Stackpole and at St Govan's Head, seem to be present in much lower numbers than they were a few years ago.
