We did one of our longer walks this afternoon from
Landshipping to Lawrenny Quay and back, partly along the ridge, which provided spectacular
views up the Carew/Cresswell rivers.
Not many waterfowl about – a single black-tailed
godwit was feeding alongside a little egret as the tide receded and about 30
shelducks (mostly pairs) were on the shore. Yesterday, at Landshipping we noted
a similar number of shelducks there plus 92 teal avidly feeding plus a single
great crested grebe, probably one that has been around for at least a week or
more.
At Lawrenny Quay it was nice to
see a Mediterranean gull (a 2nd cal. year bird) with a few immature black-headed gulls flying down the estuary towards Pembroke Dock. There were clearly
many more chiffchaffs and blackcaps in the neighbourhood today. We must have
encountered at least 30+ singing chiffchaffs on route. Small flocks of linnets have also been returning to the area during the last week or so.
It was also interesting to watch a pipistrelle bat hunting
insects in a wooded glade at Lawrenny. It was quite a dark (blackish-brown) individual,
most probably a common pipistrelle bat (we've re-examined the photos and now believe it is this species). They’re never easy to photograph due their
erratic flight patterns but we managed to get a few record shots in good light.
It’s not particularly unusual to see a few small bats flying near trees in daylight
at this time of year. We watched two feeding in a lane near Ambleston a few
weeks ago when we were out looking for willow tits. Today’s bat had probably
been roosting in a crevice in one of the trees close to where it was feeding.
