Although Sand Martins are not particularly numerous as a breeding species in the county, it is nice to see some probable population expansion occurring in south Pembs. This includes a small new colony (possibly still developing) at Freshwater West. This is some way from and in addition to the existing long-established one. At least one, and possibly two, new colonies are within the Castlemartin Range. These colonies are all potentially vulnerable to natural predation and coastal erosion etc. Sadly, at a Manobier colony, some bright spark has stuffed plastic drinks bottles into a couple of the nest holes, indicating their vulnerability to human pressures too!
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| Only three occupied holes here so far at this new Freshwater West site, but it is encouraging. |
As noted by others, lots of whimbrels have been passing through the county over the last week or two, including small daily flocks along the south coast. Some have been seen resting briefly on offshore rocks and some (perhaps more unusually?) perched on ledges, halfway down the sides of c.100-foot sea-cliffs, in Castlemartin Range.
One small group resting on Brimstone Rocks, north of Linney Head on Saturday 7th May, was accompanied by two bar-tailed godwits in splendid full summer plumage. A few Turnstones, also starting to look quite smart in their summer plumage, have been noted with some of the whimbrels, e.g., near Wiseman's Bridge.
The weekly pattern occurrence of whimbrel in Pembs., based on long-term records entered to BirdTrack, indicates that the peak period for spring passage is during the first couple of weeks in May.
