Small numbers of waders and ducks
have been arriving at Landshipping this week, including up to 30 or so
Redshanks, several Greenshanks and c. 100 Teal. We noted about 20-25
Black-tailed Godwits in the upper millpond at Pembroke on Monday (partly
obscured views through the railway arch) and so there could have been more?
Yesterday we could only see half a dozen or so Black-tailed Godwits at the
Carew/Creswell rivers junction when we made a short visit to Lawrenny, but it
was too misty to see far up the channels.
Late this morning a short visit to Angle Bay
(Kilpaison/Rhoscrowther end) produced small numbers of expected waders: Dunlin,
Ringed Plovers, probably 100+ Curlew and reasonable numbers of Oystercatchers
at their usual roost locations. Offshore were 18 Mute Swans and 4 pale-bellied
Brent Geese, waiting for the tide to drop so that they could get at the Zostera
etc on the shore. There was also a small flock of Wigeon loafing around,
probably waiting for the tide to drop for the same reason.
Whilst chatting to Rob Lewis the resting Dunlin and ringed Plovers were suddenly spooked by a fine adult male Peregrine that swooped right in front of us and simply picked out and grabbed one of the Dunlin out of the resting flock on the shore and flew off with it towards Valero. It was so quick and all over in a flash!
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| Resting Dunlin and Ringed Plovers moments before.....! |
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| a Dunlin was grabbed from the beach in a split second |
