Chough flocks and roosts

Over the last week or so we have been out most days looking for chough feeding flocks in south Pembs.  and checking communal roosts at dusk. Numbers in flocks have been quite good, ranging from 13 on Penally Golf Course (five of these roosting on St Margaret’s Island) to 51+ on Castlemartin Range. Two separate communal roosts there of 20 and 26 and a smaller roost of 18+ at Manorbier. 

Today we had a trip up to Dinas Island for a change. A nice walk but we only saw a probable local resident pair of choughs. One is colour-ringed (green right tarsus; white left tarsus). We need to go back and check the rings again though as we didn’t get close enough views to determine if there might have been an inscription on the white ring. 

If anyone else sees this bird and can confirm the ring details, please post them on the blog as it would help to confirm its origin. The pair are likely to be feeding in a sheep field near the coast path at Pwllgwaelod, or up near Dinas Head – seen in both places this afternoon. 

A single whinchat was perched on a fence at Dinas Head this afternoon. A grey squirrel was also walking the coast path near Dinas Head - some distance from the nearest tree cover! They similarly appear on the cliffs in Castlemartin Range at this time of year - juvs searching for food we assume?