Rooks have taken up most of our time over the last few weeks, but the survey is gradually coming to an end. The overall coverage has been excellent so thanks to everyone who contributed records.
Over the last few days we have been trying to find some free time to get back out on to the coast to check on the progress of breeding choughs etc. Happily, most of the pairs in south Pembs. appear to be getting down to breeding in expected places, although some pairs seem to be settling in a bit later than usual. It was pleasing to see that a colour-ringed female (yellow over black (left leg) red/BTO ring (right leg), now in her 18th year, (she was ringed as a nestling on the Castlemartin peninsula) was back in her usual territory. She has bred successfully for most of the last 15 years or so that she has occupied the site concerned and hopefully she will do so again this year!
Yesterday we noted a Merlin (probably a non-breeding immature male) hunting along the coast near Freshwater West. A Dartford Warbler also made an all too brief appearance at a coastal heathland site yesterday. It was also nice to see a male Kestrel back in a usual territory in Castlemartin Range and another near Manorbier today. Ravens were close to fledging 3-4 young at one nest and Stonechats were feeding young at at a couple of sites yesterday and at other sites today.
Whitethroats were quite numerous along the south coast today, with singing males at most of the places we usually see them each spring. We must have seen at least 20-30 territorial males, probably more. A female was nest-building near Freshwater East this morning, so breeding here seems to be well under way. This morning, it was nice to hear a Common Whitethroat and a Lesser Whitethroat singing together from opposite sides of the same patch of scrub near Swanlake Bay - both only glimpsed briefly unfortunately.
Small numbers of Swallows were passing along the coast but we did not see any Sand Martins at their Manorbier site. Yet a week ago, on our way back from a trip up to North Wales, we noted lots of Sand Martins at an established river-bank colony on the Dyfi in mid-Wales.