Skokholm

 A Nightingale was ringed today. 

Gannets etc

From Mike Browning: Shocking picture taken on my phone - I've just had 3 Gannets fishing between the port road and the breakwater in Goodwick. 

The Gannets are the white dots about 10.00 and midnight to the light.

Are they just taking advantage of the receding tide, or is food in short supply?

Went up to Minwear Forest this afternoon, new birds to yesterday were Willow Warbler, Coal Tit, Mistle Thrush and a single singing Wood Warbler.

 

Grasshopper Warbler

From Clare Ryland:

Grasshopper warbler reeling behind the polytunnel at Dyffryn Fernant garden near Fishguard this morning .

Kilpaison.

 A visit to Kilpaison this morning, 2 Hours after high tide.

Dunlin 100, Ring Plovers 27, Whimbrel 2, Curlew 2,Oystercatchers 25.

St Davids Airfield

 An enjoyable visit to St Davids Airfield between 6.30 and 8.30 am this morning, in the rather distant hope of finding either the Stone Curlew, or my tripod, which I had absentmindedly left there on Wednesday evening. 

They both seem to have left, or were hiding, but it was great to see a Grasshopper Warbler reeling just near the entrance, and also good to see 3 Wheatears, a pair of Stonechats, a few Whitethroats, and plenty of Skylarks, as well my first Cuckoo of the year.

The Teifi

Another wave of Sedge Warblers arrived this morning, maybe more Reed and Grasshopper Warblers too.

This Reed Warbler was first caught as an adult in 2015 and we have seen him in every year since ! Of the 26 Sedge Warblers caught this morning one was wearing a French ring.

Yesterday a 2nd cal year Iceland Gull was feeding on the scraps left by the diving Gannets feeding in the estuary and waders included 62 Whimbrel, 62 Ringed Plover, 3 Sanderling, and 36 Dunlin.

Fishguard Way

 From Mike Browning (who has clearly had a full day!) - Back again in Pembs for a few days. Sightings/Sounds for today !

New Hill - Goodwick 

Pair of Great Spotted Woodpeckers 

Road between Goodwick & Strumble 

Heard Chough calling in fields before Tresinwen

Strumble Head

1 Whitethroat

2 Chough

1 Wheatear 

3 Stonechat

1 or 2 song flight Rock Pipit

Gannet

1 Fulmar

Various Gulls

1 Oystercatcher

8 Linnet

1 House Martin

Swallows

1 Blackbird

3 Jackdaw

Newport Bridge

2 Common Sandpiper

7 Shelduck

1 Canada Goose

1 Mute Swan

5 Curlew

1 Whimbrel 

Pengelli

Great Spotted Woodpecker 

Nuthatch

Blackcap

Chaffinch 

Chiff chaff

Pied Flycatcher probably 3-4 singing males

Bank Vole

Speckled Wood

Garden Warbler

Wren

Goldcrest 

Robin 

Pheasant

Buzzard

Crow

Blackbird

Great Tit

Blue Tit

Siskin 

Orange Tip 

Sprawk

Long-tailed Tit

Marsh Tit

2 Grey Squiggles 

Goodwick Ferry Terminal

Black Guillemot

Fishguard to Strumble Head this morning

Lesser Whitethroats are obviously arriving, probably in good numbers, this week. There were at least 4 singing along the coast path between Carregwasted and Strumble Head this morning. Three were in quite dense willow scrub, the other was in mixed scrub (blackthorn and gorse). Hopefully we'll see them back in the Martletwy/Landshipping area in the coming days.   

There was a gradual build-up of passage hirundines during the morning. By lunch-time at least 4-500 Swallows and c.100 House Martins had been estimated moving north or east. 

A fine male Yellow Wagtail and a couple of Swifts were noted moving east along the coast near Penrhyn mid-morning. A Hooded Crow was also flying eastwards along the coast from the Strumble Head direction, being mobbed by local ravens. Has this one been around since last summer? There were good numbers of Razorbills at the Needle Rock colony, near Fishguard, this afternoon.

As well as a couple of likely breeding pairs of Chough (one east of Strumble and another east of Fishguard) there was also a small flock of five non-breeders near Carnfathach this morning. 

HIggon's Well

From Toby Middlemist:

Had my first Lesser Whitethroat today singing at Higgons Well. Also had a Sedge Warbler singing in the same spot in a reedbed yesterday and today,  and a Reed Warbler yesterday. Common Sandpipers are living up to their name, seen them on the river lots recently. 

Lesser Whitethroat and Blackthorn Scrub

Having read yesterday's blog by Richard Ellis I asked myself: do Lesser Whitethroats favour blackthorn scrub here in coastal Pembs? 

For the third consecutive year, here on my Pencarnan patch, a Lesser Whitethroat holds territory in a dense patch of blackthorn behind, and to the left, of Waun Rhosson.

Another patch species that is on course to breed successfully having taken up residence three years ago is Chough. The present low Spring tides enabled me to confirm that "my pair" are in residence in the cave below the campsite.

March Bird Diary

The Bird Diary for March 2021 is now available here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sYO9DP_6h1k  Many thanks as usual to Annie for a very professional and interesting video.

Castlemartin Corse, West Angle

The Corse - a group of 6 wheatear between Starman's and the road, 6 chough feeding in the field inland from the car park. Whitethroat and sedge warbler territories filling up, reed warblers singing competitively in the reeds. The wheatears were presumably just passing through, though this one did dart down a rabbit hole. 

To West Angle in search of something new, and sure enough a lesser whitethroat was singing in the usual area in the blackthorn scrub along the north side of the beach. I tracked it along a 50m stretch, from above and below - lots of song but only brief views. Angle is pretty reliable for this species, either this area or along the lane to the Point House. I took a quick walk up to East Blockhouse - access is shamefully restricted to the coast path these days, on what was once de facto open access land, as former members of  the Range Recording and Advisory Group and others will recall - the hinterland, including the gun emplacement (and migrant and bat shelter) and orchids, now off limits. Just the usual breeding birds and a couple more wheatear, and a kestrel hovering below me as I started back down. 

Stone curlew (Tuesday)

From Cheryl Hewitt

Following up on the super info, I was lucky enough to see the stone curlew in the described field. I thought you would like to see the photo taken today. 

 

Stone curlew - update

The Stone curlew was in the field on the north side of the main runway SM 79527 25988 (N of yesterdays location). I've suggested the nearest parking, from here easiest viewing spot is to go along the grassy footpath and the Stone curlew was actively feeding on the opposite side of the fence that runs parallel to it. If disturbed it crouches down and disappears from view. But hopefully with patience (maybe a lot of patience) it will appear and start to feed.

Brian S

Saundersfoot Bay/Wiseman's Bridge this morning

Small numbers of Brent Geese occasionally turn up in Saundersfoot Bay on passage in late April. This morning 20 pale-bellied Brents were resting on a calm sea off Wiseman's Bridge at High tide. They were some way out initially, but gradually swam in closer to the shore. 

The only other obvious waterfowl in the bay were several hundred Common Scoters, but they were much further out.  

Passage of Whimbrel Continues

This Spring's exceptional passage of Whimbrel continues with a flock of 110 feeding adjacent to the coast path NE of Porthselau. With them, 9 Bar-tailed Godwits, 2 of which were in full breeding colours.

Stone curlew - still St Davids airfield

From Jack Williams.

Stone curlew still at St David’s airfield also cuckoo and grasshopper warbler. 

NB Same location as previous postings, on the runway where it was first spotted

That Stone-curlew...a Pembs mega (as they say)

Great find by Ian, and really appreciated the information being shared.  Lisa and I arrived not long after 18:30, and after a brisk walk to the magic spot we met Clive Hurford who sadly informed us that the bird had flown but he thought it had come down somewhere near by.  By 20:00, and after a full circuit of the airfield (outside and in), and a 2nd check of the original location, we were still Stone-curlew-less and the sun was going down.  

Deflated, we headed back to the car (parked as per Brian's excellent map, although we hadn't seen the map at this point) when, as we reached a dip in the hedge bank just after 20:15, a glance left and we both saw a sandy coloured lump in the last rays of sun...

Pure joy!  The bird was less than 200m from where we had parked the car!  It was initially sitting down, but was very aware of our presence and walked a short distance to partially hide itself behind some stones.  Still present when we left it at 20:30.  See map below for location - the bird was roughly at the turquoise dot, on the right as you walk up the footpath from the road, just west of Whitchurch.

Evening show at the Gann

 Barwits & Dunlin spread out along the sandy shoreline at hightide, the noise the Dunlin were making was a constant twittering, hard to explain - never heard it before - soft & at the same time quite audible. The Barwits again stunning in the evening Sunshine, numbers about the same as yesterday. 1 Sanderling was a recent addition.

Minwear & Pickle Woods - BBS this morning

The first of two breeding birds survey visits to Minwear and Pickle Woods was undertaken early this morning in the company of Paul Culyer of Natural Resources Wales. This was the 16th year of annual BBS recording along a standard transect route in the area. Most expected species were found, including Wood Warblers (3 singing males) at this locally important location for them in the county. 

However, no Willow Warblers were heard or seen anywhere along the transect route. This species has been declining within the transect zone for several years now, but one or two are usually found by late April. Blackcaps were the most numerous warbler species - their population has been increasing here over the years. This species is now probably the most common woodland warbler in our area. 

There was no sign of any Tree Pipits near the Minwear picnic site. The roadside clearing that had been colonised a few years ago is now probably too scrubbed over. The Tree Pipits have probably moved to another more recent clearing elsewhere in the forest. There wasn't time to check other potential areas this morning.

Today was very much a Robin-day - by far the most numerous species recorded. On the other hand, numbers of Wren (usually an abundant species here) were well below the average over the previous 15 years. Were they hit by the short but very cold spell of weather back in the winter? If they have a good breeding season, their numbers will almost certainly bounce back quickly. 

Great bird

 A tremendous heat haze in the breezy easterly, I think this cracking bird was exhausted, looks like it hasn’t moved since early afternoon.

Good to see Kev and Brian.

A Most Rewarding Morning

Our day (JB and MB) began in Porth Clais at 06.45 where the verges were white and my focus fingers blue: by necessity, I engaged listening mode. 

Songs/calls of 27 spp were listed in as many minutes (including 2 Redpolls and 2 Siskins); an encouraging session of chorus ID because only a few days earlier, while in the company of younger ears, I realised I had lost the sounds of the Gropper - condemned never to hear them again. Or so I thought.

Imagine my delight when I was walking beside Trefeiddan Marsh later this morning and I heard the briefest snatch of song broadcast at the lower end of the scale. An immediate turn of the head - direction finding - revealed the reeler sat atop a nearby gorse bush with its bill wide open with (at least for me) no sound forthcoming, confirming I can't hold back the aging process.

Back on patch, at Pencarnan, were 3 Yellow Wagtails in close tow with the horses in the paddock - 2 females and a truly dazzling male; that's three consecutive days YW's have been attracted the campsite paddocks. (1+2+3).

Earlier this morning Jonathan Bennett reported seeing a Sandwich Tern in Whitesands Bay.

This morning was perhaps not so rewarding as the previous blog by Ian, but memorable nonetheless.

 

Swift

 

A single Swift at St Davids Airfield this afternoon

Stone curlew

Directions: Park opposite farm building SM 79306 25362 near Whitchurch village, north of Solva
Walk approx 500m NW along the footpath with banks either side until you come to the intersection of the runways, go right through a metal gate and walk E another 500m along the runway.
A fence crosses the runway VIEW FROM HERE, the otherside is PRIVATE (do not enter), the Stone Curlew is about 100m away on the righthand side of the runway by the fenceline.

Ringed Whimbrel

 The colour ringed Whimbrel at Newport on April 22 was there again today, with 41 others & 3 Barwits.

It was ringed in Guinea-Bissau in Oct 2018, was sighted there again in April 2019 & then not reported till the Newport sightings.

By far my longest travelled colour ringed bird.

Stone Curlew

Here is Ian's orignial message about the Stone Curlew. 

Seen at St.Davids Airfield 10.30 today.. At the eastern half of the main W-E runway, (SM796258) I flushed a stone curlew. Recognised it immediately from the pale washed-out buff plumage but more instantly from the striking wing pattern of black and white barring and white spots on black flight feathers. Long wings, loose, flappy flight. It landed further down the runway and through binoculars the most obvious features in bright sunshine  were the insanely long chrome-yellow legs and ditto yellow base to the stout beak. Legs vertical, body horizontal. I thought the eye would be more obvious but it wasn't at 1-200m. I moved away so as not to disturb it. When I retraced my steps to leave, it had moved, but scanning further to the eastern end of the central runway I could see it just next to the runway,  behind the post and rail fence  which runs from Whitchurch vicarage to join the runway. A remarkable, unmistakable vagrant, rare enough in Wales, even rarer in Pembs. A long way from the Brecks or Downs, perhaps forced west by the strong easterlies we had yesterday.  Ian Bullock

Stone Curlew

 

The Stone Curlew was still at St Davids Airfield at around 4pm.  I am sure many birders will want to see it so for the sake of others please keep a good distance from it as everyone did this afternoon without disturbing it for that best photo or view.  

Stone Curlew - St David's Airfield

 A Stone Curlew seen by Ian Bullock on St David's Airfield whilst carrying out his annual Skylark survey. The bird was on the main runway at the eastern Whitchurch end late morning.

West Dale (Sunday)

 From Toby Middlemist

Had a nice flock of 14 Chough and a female Whinchat on the coastal path around West Dale Sunday afternoon.

The Gann (Sunday)

From Jack Williams

Day at the Gann with a list containing
3 wheatears
1 tree pipit
5 greenshank
1 common sandpiper
15 bar tailed godwit
3 black tailed godwit
2 redshank
2 turnstone
30 + ringed plover
50+ Dunlin
1 grey plover
50+ whimbrel
5 curlew 
1 med gull
1 Reed warbler
3 white wagtail

Gann

Our totals from a look after dinner, up until we got cold (1900-2020):

Single Ruff and Turnstone, at least 150 Dunlin, 26 Ringed Plover, 1 Grey Plover, 11 Whimbrel, 4 Curlew, 6 Greenshank, 2 Redshank, 21 Bar-tailed Godwit, 1 Black-tailed Godwit & 85 Oystercatcher (including yellow X4) brought up 12 species of wader!  2 of the Ringed Plover had metal rings (unreadable) but no colour rings, other than the Oystercatcher.

A singing Rock Pipit was interesting, a group of 9 Swallow went east and 2 pairs of Shelduck on the lagoon.  4 each of Common Gull and Black-headed Gull (the latter has been down to 1 bird lately).

By sitting still (and with a bit of luck) managed a few nice photos - some of the Bar-tailed Godwits were sumptuous. (Dave & Lisa)

Bits and pieces over the last few days

Over the last few days we have been to various places along the south coast, mainly in search of Choughs. It was nice to see a small flock of 10 non-breeders feeding on the Golf-course at Penally and to note an increase in Wheatear numbers in the last week - lots of them on the Limestone coast at Penally and at Castlemartin where we have spent quite a few hours in the last couple of days.  

We've noted quite a strong passage of Whimbrels during the last few days: flocks varying between half a dozen or so to c.50 have been moving along the coast, some stopping to feed in the coastal grassland. We must have seen at least a couple of hundred or so in the last 2-3 days. Recent postings have suggested a good passage. Flocks in the spring in excess of 50-100 are not so unusual; the highest count we know of is of  a spring max of 200+ at Whitesands on 6th May 2001 (Pembs Bird Reports/Avifauna).   

One of the many small flocks of Whimbrel seen in the last few days - this one was near Swanlake Bay. 

There was a small passage of Sandwich Terns in Caldey Sound on Thursday, but probably only a dozen or so.

Back over at Landshipping we noted a couple of 2CY Med Gulls feeding in an arable field with a mixed flock of Herring and LBB gulls, resting in the field. A single White Wagtail was a slightly unusual bird at our end. 

This morning, at Castlemartin we had our first Common Swift of the spring at Mewsford Point, but not an Alpine one of course that we saw briefly near here earlier in the month. 

We don't tend to see many Med Gulls at our end of the Cleddau 

We were reasonably impressed to see the small Sand Martin colony on the Old Red Sandstone sea-cliffs near Manorbier the other day - probably around 14 nest-holes in use. It was reported last year but was a new colony to us. There seems quite a lot of similar potential nesting habitat in various places along the ORS coast between Manorbier and Freshwater East.  

Sand Martins visiting some of the holes - there is plenty of room for expansion

It is nice to see that Kestrels are back, and probably breeding, within Castlemartin Range, where there was a pair yesterday on the big Mount Sion cliffs. It also looks like a pair is back on the Angle Peninsula - the adult male was not at  all happy with a couple of Ravens while he was hunting near Sheep Island this afternoon. A female/immature Kestrel was flying over Kilpaison later in the day.

A couple of evenings ago we visited Templeton Airfield where three Yellowhammers were singing. Otherwise, it was generally quiet, apart from a good population of Willow Warblers, a few Wheatears (probably passage birds) and a single Snipe also probably on passage. 

Swift, Cuckoo and waders...

This evening a Swift  feeding with the hirundine flock over the river / reserve centre on the Teifi marshes.

A Cuckoo sitting on the hedge being moving off here in Boncath this morning.

Around the Teifi maximum wader counts included, 36 Whimbrel, 16 Bar-tailed Godwits, 2 Sanderling, and the small wader flock containing c60 Dunlin & Ringed Plover.

(sev obs)

Walking in a wheatear wonderland...

Apologies, I just had to get the title in, though it could have applied to Whimbrel, whose bubbling calls seemed ever present or warblers, who were flitting from every bush and hedgerow. Cracking evening with lots of birds on the usual walk out to the Deer Park and back. 40+ Wheatear along the whole stretch, (11 in the stoney field near the Earthworks, 21 in the rough pasture by Martin's Haven). Warblerwise: 20 Blackcap, biggest numbers in Martins Haven, 12 Sedge warblers, 9 around the mere, 10 Willow warblers, 10 Chiffchaff, 6 Whitethroat. Chough: single birds by Renny Slip, Gateholm and towards Musselwick. Whimbrel: c40 likely an under estimate with groups of birds in most fields or drifting north. Male Kestrel near Gateholm. Many of the ploughed fields had a few pied/white wagtails c40 in total. Mute swan still on nest, Shoveler 4pr, 1 m, Teal 4pr. Ringed Dunnock, Martin's Haven.

The Gann

 From Bryn Burgess

At The Gann on this evening's high tide.

Singles of Curlew, Grey Plover, Turnstone, L Egret & Moorhen.  Tricky to count the small waders accurately as very active so best counts of Dunlin 86 and Ringed Plover 9.

Whimbrel 13

Bar Tailed Godwit  21

Greenshank 4 (far side of pools near the reedbed)

Redshank 2

Oystercatchers 89

Cormorant 3

Mute Swan 3

Shelduck 3

Also a Red Kite near Talbenny.

A lovely evening and always brilliant to see waders close up.

The Gann

Around high tide this afternoon, another good crop of common waders, over 100 Dunlin on the shoreline moving up the beach looking for food - Ringed Plover too - maybe some 30 birds, impossible to count due to their constant mobility. 16 Bartails on the shingle bank washed off on the rising water flew onto the lagoon, Whimbrel - about 6 - I didn`t count them, also 1 Turnstone & 1 Grey Plover picked out by Bryn Burgess. Another splendid afternoon!

Late sightings

Couple of late records from this week.

Broadhaven - Slash pond 22 and 23 april - 2 reed warblers 1 grasshopper reeling

Abereiddy 23 april

2 male peregrine competing for 1 female peregrine  over blue lagoon

1 grasshopper warbler

1 cettis warbler

1 ringed plover

Over whole of week whimbrel everywhere!

 

(Matt Hunter)

The Teifi

This morning's visit produced 4 Wheatears on Poppit beach along with 1 Sanderling, 1 Ringed Plover, 1 Dunlin and a number of washed up Barrel Jellyfish

(photo Wendy James)

In the main estuary, 12 Whimbrel, 9 Bar-tailed Godwit, 1 Common Sandpiper, 60 Dunlin and 40 Ringed Plover. This evening we added 2 Greenshank and it looked like c 6 Black-tailed Godwits had joined the Godwit flock.

Toby's travels

 From Toby Middlemist

Yesterday afternoon around the Gann with Dave, 5 Brents, 10 Ringed Plover, 15 Whimbrel, 4 Barwit & 1 Blackwit, 3 Dunlin, 5 Common Gull, and 2 Singing Reed Warblers. Also nice to meet Derek.

This afternoon around Pencarnen, had a few brilliant birds, the best of which was an extremely large Whimbrel Flock of about 100 birds in a field on the coastal path. The amount of Whimbrel around was quite ridiculous, with the total coming to 157! Also a Shag and a Buzzard, 3 Sand Martin & 28 Swallow, a nice Cetti's Warbler on the stream down to the Beach, 3 Sedge Warbler around, 12 Whitethroat(!), 11 Stonechat, 20 Wheatear, 21 Medpips, and 42 Linnet. Sadly didn't manage a Yellow Wagtail.

Gann

From Bryn and Ros Burgess

Sightings at High Tide early evening

Bar Tailed Godwits 15

Whimbrel 3

Ringed Plover 16

Dunlin 18

L Egret 2

Redshank 2

Shelduck 2

Cormorant 2

Med Gull a 1st Summer 

Nice to have a chat with Derek Grimwood

The Gann

Where else?! With the main main attraction at the moment being these Bartail Godwits passing through it`s  so good to them in decent numbers especially these tabasco males. 16 on the foreshore this afternoon enjoyed watching them with Bryn & Ros,who were scoping the small Waders, so I believe they will post their numbers.

More Whimbrels

 Is the recent large numbers in Pembs a record?. Certainly my Newport record was beaten again with 44 at the bridge, along with 5 Barwits, a Knot & a 3cy Herring Gull from the Isle of Man.

Yellow wagtail, St Davids

 Yellow wagtail on St David’s golf course this morning. From Robert and Jenny Briggs.

A stroll around the Outer Breakwater, Fishguard Friday.

 The seaward side seemed pretty quiet with none of our hoped for Dolphins or Porpoises. I had expected odd wheatears and possibly Alba Wag's but nothing except a couple of Linnets on the wall. It was not until we got about three quarters of the way to the end that we spotted both a Whimbrel and a Grey Plover close together on the concrete blocks.

Earlier in the day I heard Whimbrel calling over towards the Flagpoles from The ocean Lab and seen a large flock of circa 40+ ascending up and heading east over Fishguard. From previous posts and my own sightings, was a bit of a Whimbrel Day! When we rounded the point of the breakwater, another four flew off before landing further down the breakwater , They and at least a dozen Wheatears continued to move along in front of us giving some great views but keeping about twenty yards between us,.

As we   completed the circuit and returned to the seawards side we disturbed a further 24 Whimbrel that flew out and landed on the Cow rock! certainly a Whimbrel day with a couple of nice additions!

 

Ridgeway Steppes

Two wheatears in my inland migration corridor this morning, male and female. Pretty flighty in the fresh breeze. Line of sight to the next service station (see yesterday). For location purposes, that's Houghton Farm in the background. 

The Teifi as the tide drops...

Convenient tide times on the Teifi this weekend, passage waders on the falling tide this evening - 48 Whimbrel, 18 Bar-tailed Godwits, 40 Ringed Plover, 36 Dunlin, 2 Black-tailed Godwit and 1 Sanderling.

Birding in Pembs

Goodwick Breakwater 11.00 - 4 Wheatear, 1 Rock Pipit, 5 Oystercatcher. 

Newgale Beach - Cracking flock of 50+ Whimbrel, 5 Gannet, Sand Martin colony

Strumble - 2 Chough, 1 Whimbrel, looking for food on the rocks, 2 Shag, male Stonechat, Linnet, 2 House Martin, 3 Sand Martin, 6 Swallow, 12 Gannet and 2 Wheatear 

(Mike Browning)

The Gann (mostly)

Not sure where to start really, I`ve been  to & fro from the Deer Park  & the Gann over the past few days, with nothing much to say other than a titanic struggle between two Herring Gulls on the Gann early Wednesday morning, both seemed to want to drown each other but after an exhausting five minutes they broke apart as if nothing happened, I took loads of pics but without going overboard (no pun intended!) I kept them to a minimum, finishing from when they swam off together.                                                           Other than that fairly quiet till this morning, when an early morning stroll again at the very windy Gann turned up some more Waders, difficult to count but something like 18 Whimbrel, 12 RPs, 10 Dunlin  6 Brent, 7 Barwits, 2 White Wagtails, 2 Knot(?) This afternoon on the incoming tide the 6 Brent on the shingle spit. Also nice to meet Toby Middlemist, a keen young man honing his skills with Dave. To finish I went to St Brides Woods -  almost tropical out of the wind - where my first (& pobably only) Cuckoo of the year was calling.

     

Something more peaceful from today....