This afternoon in the Daugleddau area

Numbers of waterfowl were much reduced, although 7 Greenshanks were present, along with c.170 Teal and 15 Wigeon, at least 16 Redshanks and 5 Snipe in one marshy area. Not far away, a Jack Snipe silently took flight from right under our feet, in typical Jack Snipe-style.

Quite a few woodland resident birds were displaying/in full song, on this early spring-like day, included a very fine adult male Goshawk who was displaying over his territory during the afternoon. 

He never came close enough for a better photo

Newport estuary

 Merlin female

Common sandpiper 1

Little egret 5

Ringed plover 1

Greenshank 1

Redshank 10

Red-throated diver at the Moorings Pontoon on the Teifi

From Liz Snell. Seemed healthy and comfortable fishing the shallow waters at the edge of the mud. Eventually drifted downstream and into the main channel.

Snow Bunting South Pembroke

 Out in the garden feeding the birds around 2pm this afternoon, when I heard a call from the south-west, which I've heard before. A soft, ringing, plaintive "peeooo". Heard a few times, until it passed directly overhead at about 30 feet, lit by the strong sun from beneath. Snow Bunting was added to the garden list. It continued on directly north-east, still calling. Obviously on the move. Clearing the crest of the hill where we live. (Phil)

On 24.2.22 an afternoon walk around the Pembroke Mill Ponds produced little, apart from a calling Chiffchaff at the western end of Castle Pond. However, at the eastern end of the Main Mill Pond, near dusk, 2 Otters were cavorting about only metres away. Obviously a dog Otter forcing his attentions on a female. She was having none of it and was re-buffing his advances with face to face combat. (Got quite noisy at one point!) Two prolonged mating "dances" took place, with equally prolonged respites for active fishing. This lasted a good hour. All this going on while people continually walked by.

A visit to Bosherston Ponds on 25.2.22 again produced little, but there was a calling Chiffchaff south of Broad Haven car park, a female Grey Seal in front of Church Rock and we found some Stoat poo on the bridge parapet leading to Lodge Park. Which was nice.

Phil & Pam

 

 

Millin Pill

 Just before lunch, 119 Black-tailed Godwits flew past me as I walked the north bank of the W. Cleddau, landing to feed at the mouth of Millin Pill. At the junction of the Cleddau rivers, Teal (50), Mallard (2), Redshank (12) and Wigeon (6). A female Goshawk circled past on the fresh breeze.

        A few of the Godwits

Castlemartin Corse

An excellent hour on the Corse, the 2CY ♀ marsh harrier putting on a fine display. Alan Merrett who was already in the hide had seen a distant hen harrier earlier, two buzzards were patrolling. Small parties of teal and mallard flew about, a dozen shoveler were in the patch of water next to the hide, small numbers of snipe and a single lapwing, and water rail and Cetti's could be heard as usual. 

Most unusual was a flock of a dozen stock doves, which touched down in front of the hide for a nanosecond before taking off again and continuing south - too quick for a photo.

Rosebush reservoir and Llys-y-fran

Rosebush: 6 Goldeneye (4m), single GC grebe, single Little grebe, pair Teal.

Llys-y-fran: very modest roost this evening, 500 LBB and 250 BH gulls at 5:30pm with very few others arriving before dusk. Single adult Yellow-legged gull and single 2cy Med gull. A 2cy GBB. 2f Goldeneye, 3 Teal (1m), 12 GC grebe was the most for a while. Single Little grebe. The Little egret was fishing around the eastern arm as the light went.

Neyland

 A Black Redstart was on the dry stack at Dale Sailing this morning. 

Marloes

 From Alan and Anne Hewett - About 600 Golden Plovers are settled in a ploughed field north of Glebe Lane, Marloes.  They’ve been there all morning, with occasional aerial exercises.  Nice view from the warmth of our living room!

About 5pm, a ring-tail Hen Harrier near the eastern edge of Marloes village, moving slowly NW before disappearing over the ridge towards St. Brides.

Withybush Woods

Today on a speedy WeBS count it was intresting to watch the two adult Mute Swan seemingly agresivley chasing their now well developed immiture chick, as if they wanted it to leave. Strangely, the adults showed no intrest in the other immiture bird. 

Five Siskin the only notable sighting.

Bosherston

Around the lakes today an impresive seven Chiffchaff around the woodlands. Only duck of note was a single Gadwall. On the coast a solitary Woodcock flushed and five Chough.

Lydstep Point/Haven 22.2.22

 An afternoon to dusk walk yesterday produced at least one pair of Chough and Raven respectively. A large female Peregrine flew over the point causing panic amongst the Jackdaws. A few Fulmar were out over the sea and Rock and Meadow Pipit and a Stonechat pair were seen. A summer plumaged Great-crested Grebe was in the middle of the Haven. At dusk there was a good corvid roost around the holiday camp. Where, nearby, 10-20 Redwing were around the woods and 2 Tawny Owls were calling.

Phil Baber & Pam Buckle

The Gann

Managed an hour at lunchtime in the very pleasant sunshine.  Apart from 2 Brent Geese it was fairly quiet, but I did manage to read 3 colour ringed gulls, all familiar.

First up was Cornish ringed Herring Gull (blue W:572 otherwise known as Courtney, who left her GPS device on Middleholm).

Then Mediterranean Gull red ZHT4, ringed in the Czech Republic in 2019.  This was its sixth re-sighting at the Gann, the last exactly a year ago on 22/01/2021.

Finally Common Gull orange 2H79, which dropped in right next to red ZHT4.  Ringed on the Ythan Estuary in Scotland in 2016, the first re-sighting was at the Gann on 28/02/2021.

Starting to get the hang of using my new 'phone-scope adaptor...

Tenby and Wiseman's Bridge

A day out down south started in Tenby town where a Black Redstart was along the Esplande road. At Castle Hill a single Purple Sandpiper was with ten Turnstone, and my first singing Chiffchaff of the year. 

At the bottom end of Wiseman's Bridge a scuffy drake Eider was not to distant offshore, along with 4 Great Crested Grebe, 2 Red-throated Diver and a distant Great Northern Diver.

Hook

Relatively low overall numbers of birds on the WeBS count today. Most abundant were Teal (248), Shelduck (74), Redshank (74), Black-headed Gull (71) and Dunlin (79).    Mallard (15) and Wigeon (19) numbers were significantly less than recently.    Good numbers of Greenshank (11 - 7 of which were together at the head of Sprinkle Pill estuary) and Little Egret (8). Solitary Great Crested Grebe, Oystercatcher, Cormorant, Black-tailed Godwit and a presumed Golden Plover that flew past - 'presumed' only because it looked surprisingly dull, grey and un-golden despite the strong sunlight, but lacked the black armpits of a Grey Plover. No sign of Lapwings or other Golden Plover.

Angle bay.

 At Kilpaison this morning, 50 Dunlin, 20 Ringed Plover, 36 Oystercatchers, 7 Redshanks, 9 Bar tailed Godwit, 2 Curlew, 21 LB Brent Geese 1 Dark bellied Brent Goose, 2 Little Egrets, 21 Pintail Ducks ( 6 Males).

Around at Angle harbour 21 Black tailed Godwits, 3 Redshank, 9 Oystercatchers.

Daugleddau WeBS yesterday morning

A weather-delayed WeBS count, on a still blustery morning high tide on the Daugleddau, produced lower numbers of waders and wildfowl overall. Many of the birds, including 50+ Shelducks, and probably a couple of hundred Dunlin and a similar number of BH Gulls (observed from near Brickyard) were resting/feeding on the more sheltered shoreline at Sprinkle Pill, although there were in excess of 200-250 teal in the Landshipping area and Annie recorded a pintail in the Garron Pill area which is a slightly unusual species there.

An initial distant view of a male wigeon sporting paler than usual forehead plumage got us wondering for a moment. Probably just an aberrant rather than a hybrid. Overall numbers of wigeon numbers were quite low however. 

  

Gann and Marloes Mere

Gann low tide: 375 Common gull, 17 Mediterranean gulls (with about 6 of the adults sporting black hoods), 3 PB Brent, 3 GC Grebe and a Grey Plover.

Marloes Mere at dusk: 12 Gadwall and the female Tufted duck.

Druidston

A blustery walk and seawatch at Druidston produced a male Velvet Scoter not far of shore with about 30 Common Scoter, a further 15 were also present. Six Red-throated Diver and a Kittiwake too, plus a Kestrel overhead.

Rosebush reservoir and Llys-y-fran

Rosebush reservoir: 4 Goldeneye (2m, 2f), 1 GC grebe and one Little grebe. Male Crossbill top of nearby spruce. And a few Fieldfares and Redwings.

Llys-y-fran: Roost started to form almost adjacent the hide before gulls repositioned slightly further down. 3 adult Yellow-legged gulls, 3 Mediterranean gulls (adult, 2 2cy), adult GBB gull, just 2 Common gull. Lot more LBBs than recent visits but many gulls leaving it until 6pm before arriving. 3 RH goosander. Min 7 Goldeneye (4m). And 7 GC grebe.  The Cattle egret appeared briefly at 4pm opposite the hide but bankside disturbance drove it away. It's intended roosting spot being taken around 5pm by the Little egret. Pair Stock doves flying over were new for the site. With Paul.

Amroth

2 adult Little Gulls flew west past the sea front at Amorth this morning in a brief watch between 08:00-08:30, as well as 22 Kittiwakes. 

This afternoon and a significant increase in large gulls between Amroth and Wiseman's bridge, presumably brought in by the large numbers of marine invertebrates washed up by yesterday's storm. 

An adult Great Black-backed Gull with a red ring W:254 (from Skokholm Island) was at the east end of Amroth with about a hundred other large gulls and even more gulls were further towards Wiseman's Bridge. Worth keeping an eye on in the coming days.

2 Choughs feeding on the cliffs in the afternoon sunshine were really nice to see!

Iceland Gull

 A 2nd winter Iceland Gull Whitesands beach this morning.

Bramblings

It seems to be a good year for Brambling sightings. Here are 5, 3 male, 2 female, that visited together today. A couple of days ago a black-headed male also visited - so there are at least 6 around the Hook area at the moment.

Gann post Storm Eunice

Lisa and I ventured out late afternoon, still very windy (gusts touching 60mph or so at Mid Channel Rock off St. Ann's Head at that time, but significantly less than the 90mph recorded this morning!).

A flock of Black-headed Gulls were having a good time feeding along the tideline north from the parking area, expertly dodging the waves crashing in (which were getting bigger as the tide came in).  Along the same tideline 25 Turnstone (by far the highest count this winter, perhaps some birds brought here from more exposed coast) and 2 Dunlin.

Further along the beach at the far end a sizeable flock of mainly small gulls, containing a minimum of 47 Mediterranean Gulls (33 adults, 4 3CY, 10 2CY).  For the third time in recent weeks a red-ringed adult that I could not read (either Czech or Polish).

Westfield Pill - Herons

During a brief visit to Westfield Pill this afternoon we noted that the heronry was starting to get into full swing. It is still early in the season, but we could see that birds were sitting and probably incubating at three nests out of four nests observed. The fourth was at the late nest-building stage. Hopefully there will be more pairs resident and breeding in several weeks time. 

This bird was sitting low and tight, probably incubating

Late stage nest-building, a small twig was delivered to the sitting bird

If you know of any breeding herons it would be useful to make some counts this spring for the annual national heronry census. For more details here is the link Heronry Census    

Higgon's Well

The highlight from this afternoon was a Firecrest first heard calling in some pines before flying over to some bushes. A Water Rail calling in the reeds and a Greenshank on the river. Three Little Grebe were showing fine breeding plumage, and four Shelduck were downstream bellow Hanton Bridge.

Nevern Estuary

 Little Gull on the estuary (per Alex Lees on twitter).

Bosherston Lily Ponds

Afternoon visit produced 4 Goosander (one male), 3 Tufted Duck (2 males), 180+ Lapwing, and up to 5 Raven. 2 Chiffchaff were noted: 1 calling from North Hill woodland and one seen below highest viewpoint between central arm and bottom eastern arm footbridges. A Firecrest was seen (briefly) well in the same area. 2 Chough were reported from Mere Pool Valley.

Phil and Pam

Angle Bay this afternoon

A blustery afternoon on a rising tide at Angle Bay (Rhoscrowther side) produced 24 pale-bellied Brents, c. 40 Pintails and around 200 Wigeon. The waterfowl were all pretty nervous; the ducks flew to the eastern side of the bay and the Brents across to the harbour side of the bay. 

A little while later in the harbour, we noted 22 Black-tailed Godwits, c.100 Dunlins, 30 Shelducks, small numbers of Oystercatchers (c.30), Curlew (c.20), a few Redshanks and a Greenshank. Gulls resting further out in the bay included Black-headed and Common, but they were too far away to obtain decent views. 

Assuming that they hadn't flown over from the Rhoscrowther side, an additional 8 Pintails were inside the harbour and another 18-20 a short distance to the east along the shore. A single Great Crested Grebe was resting out in the bay and an adult Shag, sporting its full breeding crest, was feeding in the shallows where Cormorants are more typical. 

Haverfordwest

Another day, another missed Glossy Ibis, no sign along Freeman's Way. Was hoping to check Higgons Well but today not able too. Chiffchaff and Greenfinch on the way back.

Yesterday in Old Mill Grounds, a Grey Wagtail and the pair of Stonechat which I found in October seemingly never left as the were here yesterday but further upstream. Also 45 Blue Tit was a decent count.

Toby M

Rosebush / Llys-y-fran

Drake Ring-necked Duck at Rosebush and Cattle Egret Llys-y-fran yesterday (Alex Lees on Twitter).

Glossy Ibis - Haverfordwest

One this morning along Freemen's Way, in the 2nd field with ponies from Merlin's Bridge towards town (Helen A).

Purple Sandpipers

At least 9 Purple Sandpipers on the Old Lifeboat Slipway, Tenby at low tide today (Owen Leyshon on Twitter).

Great Northern Divers

Two, close in at Black Rock, Dale this afternoon, en-route  to see the if the Glossy was still about - it wasn`t - but still nice to see these at close range for once.

Goodwick flagpoles

From Chris Dighton:
A brief visit to the flagpoles at Goodwick just prior to high tide at lunchtime today gave good views of the solitary and long staying purple sandpiper.

Haverfordwest and St Davids Head

First signs of spring in Haverfordwest recently, with plenty of common species singing including a lovely male Greenfinch singing daily in the same spot as last year.

This afternoon at St David's Head was very quiet and yet again Purple Sandpiper avoids my Pembrokeshire list despite a thorogh look in the best areas. Like I said, otherwise typically very quite with three Chough and five Great Black-backed Gull (Including a pair seemingly on territory) the highlights.

Toby M

Gann

The Hooded Crow still present today, as usual on the beach feeding on shellfish.

At least 22 Mediterranean Gull this evening (12 adults, 6 3CY, 4 2CY) included 3 colour-ringed birds (2 white, 1 red: 1 read, 2 not).  Also an adult Common Gull with an orange ring which was partially read (2H) and almost certainly 2H79 seen here on 28/2/21.  Had better luck with this red-ringed bird yesterday: AXOA was ringed on the island of Amrum, Germany, on 5/7/21 and this is the first sighting since then.

Morning chiffchaff in song; evening Withybush wagtail roost

A lovely spring-like morning in the Martletwy/Landshipping area, with lots of birdsong from the local resident species. A chiffchaff in full song for several minutes in one of the hedgerows near our garden was a bit of a surprise though; an overwintering male or an early arriving spring migrant?

We watched the Withybush pied wagtail roost this evening and reckoned there were at least 480 at the roost. Counting them in was more difficult this evening due to the presence of a merlin (young male) that flew over the roost from the north. It flushed out about 150 of the wagtails that had just started to settle, but they all returned several minutes later. A little while earlier one of the resident carrion crows chased some of the wagtails out from pre-roost locations. The behaviour of the crepuscular merlin, was not unlike that of hobbies we have previously seen chasing bats leaving their summer roosts (e.g., at Stackpole). 

Sprinkle Pill

High tide today at the pill mouth and a nice surprise as 43 Black-tailed Godwits flew in to feed on what remained of the mud flats. A relatively small flock of c600 Golden Plovers included a colour-ringed bird - from a mid-Wales ringing project where the birds are ringed in passage. 23 Oystercatchers was a high count for this location. 1000+ Dunlin, c500 Lapwings and large numbers of Redshanks contributed to the bulk of the birds numbers. Today, apart from 48 Shelducks, ducks were relatively thin on the ground here. The bulk of the Teal seem to have moved to the main arm of the Western Cleddau, for today at least. 

Whitesands Purple Sandpipers

From Robert and Jenny Briggs: Just two purple sandpipers found sheltering on the tip of the Ram’s Nose at high tide today. Very blustery!

Gann Yesterday

Our first visit to the Gann yesterday late afternoon. Two Bar-tailed Godwit showing well from Pickleridge on the receding tide and a couple of showy Greenshank on the lagoon. 4 Little Egret and the Hooded Crow eventually appeared on the beach (thanks Dave A!) Nice carpet of Wigeon, small parties of Teal and a female Pintail flew in. 4 Great-crested Grebe were in the bay. One Turnstone on the beach. Amongst other more usually expected birds. As dusk fell a very vocal female Peregrine was making life difficut for a smaller male over the carpark area. The Corvid roost flock was something to behold. And hear!

Pam Buckle & Phil Baber

Rosebush reservoir and Llys-y-fran

Rosebush: 5 Goldeneye (2m, 3f), 2m Tufted duck, 2 Coot, 2 Moorhen, 2 GC grebe and single Little grebe. 12 Cormorants was more than the usual 3-4.

Llys-y-fran: For a change the roost formed considerably closer than it had done recently, though gulls wouldn't linger for long, just dropping in for a bit of a bathe, before drifting back to the fields with the main arrival of larger gulls not until 5:30pm. 2,500 BH gulls gathering earlier was a good number. One of the regular juv Iceland gulls appeared at 3pm, stayed 10-15 minutes, returning next at 4:45pm when it promptly settled down to roost. 3 Yellow-legged gulls (2 adults and a 2cy),  8 Mediterranean gulls (3 adult, 3 2cy, 2 3cy), a lot more Common gulls this evening, A single GBB gull was worrying the smaller gulls by hovering a metre or so above them looking for a weaker bird. Couple of interesting larger gulls, a dark mantled intermedius LBB and what looked like a LBB/ Herring hybrid. As Paul mentions Goldeneye, and GC grebe, were courting, 7-8 Goldeneye (4-5m, 3f) and 7 GC grebe. 2 red-headed goosander, 3 Heron, Moorhen and the Little egret. 22 Cormorant inc a sinensis bird. With Paul G and George M (who had the Ring-bill hybrid and Cattle egret on Sunday).

Firecrest

 A Firecrest was feeding with some Goldcrest in the trees behind the bird hide at Llys-y-fran this afternoon. The Goldeneye displaying well with at least 2 male and 3 female.

Marloes Peninsular and Martin's Haven

 A bit of a wader theme in the wonderful calm morning:

- Multiple flocks of Golden Plover were the highlight: mainly parties of 40-60, sometimes three groups in the air at once, generally circling quite high over the fields. And a much larger flock to the East over the Haven: it was a very large black smudge, far different in density or size to the birds around me.

- Fewer Lapwings evident: just a single flock of c.30. But I didn't have the opportunity to look at the West Hook fields, where I think most of the birds are feeding at present.

- the Trehill Farm coastal fields were lifting with Snipe: I counted 20+, including two Jack Snipe.

Just after lunch, a ringtail Hen Harrier floated over the garden and onto the Deer Park.

Old Mill Grounds

Yesterday after school the usual wonder around Old Mill Grounds. A Water Rail calling in the marsh, a Cormorant fishing on the Weir (the furthest up the river I have ever seen them), 2 Sparrowhawk calling in the wood, a Grey Wagtail and an impresive 79 Goldfinch including a flock of c.40 in a tree.

Toby M

The Teifi - Iceland Gull

Plenty of gulls on the river through the reserve this morning (0930) including an adult Iceland Gull presumably the bird seen previously near the Webley and on the Nevern at Newport. Otherwise birds as expected, Wigeon numbers dropping only 87 today, Fulmars and Guillemots on their ledges on Cemaes Head, and a couple of Meadow Pipit flocks moving through Poppit dunes.

Otter

From Mike Jones: I know some of your members often are on the look out around Broad Haven, especially for surf scoters, but today at about 13.30 I watched a Otter in the sea for about 15 mins near Sleek Stone. This is a first in this area for me, I thought Pembrokeshire birds would be interested in this sighting. 

 

Med gull Yellow AKKN and have the Starlings gone from Slebech & if so, where to?

We have now received news that the Med Gull yellow AKKN that we saw at Newport/Nevern Estuary last Friday is from the Elbe estuary west of Hamburg, Germany, 985km away from Newport. 

There were record numbers of breeding birds there last summer, but this is the first sighting of yellow AKKN. Ringing details in the summary provided below (click on it to enlarge). 

The ringing team over there is keen to have sightings of ringed Med Gulls from Germany so it is worth looking out for them.  

Starlings:

On our way home at dusk in recent days and this evening, we have failed to see any starlings gathering at/heading to the Slebech roost near the A40. It appears to us that they have probably gone, although we still need to do a more thorough check. It has been mild but even so starlings usually continue to roost here throughout February in most years. Is another roost  being occupied now? 

Gann / Dale

The Hooded Crow still on the beach at the Gann this afternoon as the tide headed towards low.  A colour-ringed Lesser Black-backed Gull amongst around 150 birds (black with yellow letters) could not be read - looked like it ended in a L and had a Z in it!  Would be a new one for us here so a shame we didn't get it.  32 Mediterranean Gull on the beach this afternoon (27 adults, 3 3CY, 2 2CY).

No sign of the Dale Glossy Ibis whilst running through the village this morning.  The field is a lot drier now, so perhaps feeding at Marloes Mere?  Plenty of places that would suit it there that are not easy to see (or impossible to see).

September Bird Diary

Annie's latest bird diary - the September edition - is now available to view here https://youtu.be/wel5QV_L5_M or via the Bird Diaries link on the right.

Marloes peninsula and Hook

A really good day for Peregrines: walking along the Mere this morning a female swooped over my head, chasing another bird (I could not see the target). Shortly afterwards, another bird, with far stronger head markings, and looking remarkably black and white at a distance, was sitting in one of the ploughed Trehill Farm fields, possibly on a Skylark. 

On the Mere, the most numerous duck I could make out in the wind were Wigeon; a female Tufted Duck was a nice surprise.

On the Trehill fields, c.500 Lapwings, and 30+ Golden Plover over. Plus a single Snipe.

This afternoon, walking from Hook to Little Milford, a large immature Peregrine, hunting lazily along the woodline above the western bank of the Cleddau. On the river itself, a Little Egret, 47 Teal, 50-60 Wigeon, and a Spotted Redshank that flew across the river, calling, and then swam around for a while.

Dale Area

Down south to Dale this afternoon, which began in the village where sadly yet again I've missed a Glossy Ibis. Will likely increase in coming years so they can't hide from me forever! 

Next at St Anne's Head where in the wind it was almost devoid of birds, just eight species and thirty birds with 3 Guillemot and a Razorbill offshore the highlights. Much more exiting was a pod of at least 10 Bottlenose Dolphin which were lingering in and around the shelterd Watwick Bay. These were my first of this fantastic species.

Finaly a breif stop at the Gann at low tide where the shore was full of gulls, I estimated 450 Black-headed, 5 Mediterranean, 50 Common, 70 Herring, 50 Lesser, and 70 Great Black-backed Gulls. Otherwise quite quiet, exept for about 70 Wigeon which is one of my favorate species so nice to watch for a bit, and finaly 30 Teal, 3 Little Grebe, and a Greenshank.

Toby M

Cosheston Pill.

Cosheston pill from the car park low tide.

55 Black tailed Godwits, 4 Redshank, 1Greenshank, 1 Common sandpiper, 2 Curlew.

Probably more birds over the mud banks.

Kilpaison.

 At a blustery Kilpaison this morning.

300 Dunlin, 20 Ringed Plover, 7 Turnstone, 12 Bar tailed Godwit, 30 Oystercatchers, 1 Redshank. 6 P B Brent Geese, At least 12 Pintails, About 50 Wigeon.

Goodwick and Newport this afternoon

We made a brief visit to Goodwick late this morning. Three Great Crested Grebes, in summer breeding plumage, were resting on the water inside the harbour. About 30 Common Gulls were also resting in a mixed flock of mainly Black-headed. An adult Shag there too was in full breeding plumage displaying its crest. Apart from the usual/expected waders near the Flagpoles, it was fairly quiet there although gull numbers on the beach (mainly Herring) increased at low tide to a couple of hundred, although we did not see anything unusual with them.  

It was busier up at Newport, later in the afternoon, where nine Goosanders (2 adult males) came down stream and eventually began to rest on the shore above the Iron Bridge. There were good numbers of mixed gulls bathing and resting on the shore downstream of the bridge. 

One of the adult drakes is hidden behind some of the females

The gulls included at least 200 Common Gulls of mixed ages (none obviously ringed), a similar number of Black-headed Gulls (at least 2 with metal rings, impossible to read from our vantage point!) and at least five adult/near adult Mediterranean Gulls (one with a metal ring and another with a metal ring above the tarsus on its left leg and a yellow darvic AKKN on its right leg). This one is probably from The Netherlands or Germany - has it been seen in Pembs previously by anyone? 

It was some distance away, but the letters were possible to read from a photo

After speaking to Huw, a birder from Haverfordwest who, like us, was in search of the Iceland Gull, we watched an overwintering Common Sandpiper feeding in the sloppy mud near the bridge, close to a small resting flock of 21 Curlews.

Just a few Lapwings

 This morning just 400m west of Sandy Haven a large flock of Lapwings.  At a guess at least 500 birds but they quickly settled again into one of the fields north of the road and just disappeared.  I wonder how many more are around and not showing themselves easily.

At Tenby golf course later at least 20 Chough feeding on the fairways almost daily at the moment.

Quoits Mill Pill

From Melanie Felton:

A mixed flock of 28 little and cattle egret flew in on the dropping tide - at least 6 were cattle egret at Quoits Mill Pill 

Also heard a woodpecker drumming in the woods on the far side of the pill from my garden

Little egret

 

A Little egret in Solva Harbour today    I first photographed a single bird here in 2007 and we have seen a single bird in winter in the Harbour over the years since then.  With a life span of 5 to 20 years I would like to think it is the same bird.

Llys-y-fran and Rosebush reservoir

Rosebush: (no sign of the R-N duck). 5 Goldeneye (3m), 4 m Tufted duck, 4 Little grebe, 2 GC grebe, Llys-y-fran: juv Iceland gull on the water at 3:30pm, 5 Yellow-legged gulls (4 adult, 1 2cy), 10 Mediterranean gulls (5 adult, 3 3cy, 2 2cy), the pair of GBB and an adult Argentatus Herring gull. 1200 BH gulls on the water early with the main flocks of larger gulls arriving, bathing and going back to the fields before finally coming down to roost around 5:20pm. A lot of gulls but very scattered and stretched down into the western arm.  4 GC grebe, 2 m Goldeneye, 2 red-headed goosanders, the Little egret was fishing around the western arm. 220 Canada geese and 23 Greylag feeding in the surrounding fields. A local farmer walking his dog, stopped to tell us a Cattle egret has been feeding with the stock in one of his fields beside the reservoir.  With Paul and George.

Bird Group Events

We have organised three outdoor events this Spring, offering the opportunities to meet up with fellow birders and to hone your bird id skills and knowledge.

Sat Feb 19th.    Angle Peninsula with Chris Taylor.  0900 to 1300

Sat March 19th    Woodland Birdsong at Canaston Woods with Bob Haycock; 0830 to 1100

Sat April 9th.     St David's Head for migrants  1000 to 1300.

Numbers for each event are limited to 15 and places must be booked in advance.  All these events are free, but places must be booked via Eventbrite.

Go to the Events page on the right hand side for more information and to book.

The walks in the autumn booked up extremely quickly so I suggest you act quickly if you want to go on any of these events.

If you find that you are unable to attend after booking a place please cancel your booking so that someone else may have your place.

Broad Haven

3 Eider and 3 Purple Sandpiper at the north end this morning.

Dale Glossy Ibis in the wind

From John Freeman: A couple of photos of the Ibis taken earlier today, it`s been a long while since I ventured out to do any form of birding /photography. Anyway, glad to venture out today, hope you don`t mind me sending in a few pics.