A few snaps of what was a nice day of local birding around the Dowrog and St Davids Airfield... A little grebe was on Penberi pond presumably breeding. Whitethroats, Sedge Warbler, Chiff Chaff, Willow warbler and at least two pairs of stone chat and a reeling gropper (Grasshopper Warbler on the Dowrog)were nice but a sudden movement of around a dozen Wheatears heading east and past the Cattle grid had me wondering what might be on the opposite side of the road on the St Davids Airfield.
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Not a single wheatear did i find, on arrival at the Solva end of the Airfield, but i enjoyed the linnets and was surprised by a brief view of a short eared owl which took off near me then dissapeared into vegetation twenty yards on.
But of course when Fran said whats that!? and the Wryneck popped up on a bush ...WOW! It sat there posing for a couple of minutes and then popped down onto the path and began feeding on ants, we watched it for a few minutes until a couple of dogwalkers chatting quite loudlt passed by spooking it and it shot off into the thicker cover on the moor. I spent a few minutes trying to re-find it biut no luck. I have a feeling given the conditions there might be a few more surprises out there!
So a bit more on the Wryneck as requested ...
I arrived at the Western/Solva end of the airfield at about 11.30 with partner Fran and dog Bryn. Firstly walked on the rhs plough side but then crossed over onto the lhs moor side I tend to loiter around gates and as I was doing so on (i think the thrd or fourth gate along the main drag watching linnets and white throats the Wryneck popped up on a hawthorn about 15 metres away . I took several shots before it flew down onto the path beyond the gate about twenty metres in front of me . It began pecking on the side of the path presumably eating ants. I watched for perhaps five minutes and took pic's and some video. As stated before The dogwalkers arrived spooking the bird which darted off into cover. I tried to locate it but was unsuccesful. We then went for lunch in Solva!