Angle Bay - at high tide this evening

In between the showers at the Rhoscrowther/Kilpainson end of Angle Bay this evening we noted c.30 dunlin, 7 ringed plovers a curlew sandpiper and a rather nice pectoral sandpiper which we were fortunate to see reasonably well for a few minutes in the heavy drizzle before it flew off with some of the dunlin. It might have headed over to one of the the main wader roosts over at Sawdern Point, but it was impossible to see much over there due to the persistent drizzle and poor light. 

We noted it immediately when we arrived. After a few minutes it flew off towards Sawdern Point

c.70 wigeon were loafing offshore along with 12 mute swans and 2 great crested grebes which we saw later over at the village end. A single kestrel flew over the bay, the only raptor that we saw. Over at the Angle harbour area we noted another 72+ dunlin feeding on the shore at high tide, alongside a few turnstones and another curlew sandpiper. 

This curlew sandpiper was feeding in a mixed flock of mostly dunlin near the harbour

A kingfisher put in a brief but timely appearance just after we had commented that we don’t often see one here! Two Mediterranean gulls were perched on the spit with several black-headed gulls. There must have been a dozen or more rock pipits feeding with the waders in the harbour and at the Rhoscrowther end. There were also a couple of wheatears feeding on the shore.

Earlier in the week (on Wednesday) we noted a couple of garden warblers feeding on elder berries in a mixed flock of blackcaps (several), chiffchaffs, blue and great tits over on the old rubbish tip opposite Fortunes Frolic, Haverfordwest.