Sandwich Terns - Sprinkle Pill

 Unusual to see 2 Sandwich Terns today amongst the Black-headed Gulls at the mouth of Sprinkle Pill. Also 19+ Curlews and at least one Whimbrel. 

Mediterranean Gulls

 5 second summer Mediterranean Gulls Fishguard Harbour this morning.2 with full hoods. Also a Curlew.

Bullfinches

Bullfinches regularly come into our garden to feed on Herb Robert seeds, of which they seem particularly fond. (I let the plant grow all over the place because I like the smell and the foliage and I like the bullfinches!) In this last spell of dry weather they have also been feeding on the lawn, in amongst the flowering, and presumably seeding, white clover. I say they, because often there are two males feeding together - one is brighter than the other so we wondered if the duller male was perhaps a non-breeding first year. Today they were both feeding in the rain in the back garden where they had located some Herb Robert amongst the fuschias - see pictures below of a wet bullfinch. The puzzle became even stranger a few weeks ago when there were no less than four male bullfinches feeding in the garden! I look forward to seeing some juveniles shortly (always presuming there are some females somewhere in the background!)

Nightingale - Rhydwilym, near Efailwen (24th June)

David Griffith reports a singing Nightingale in an oak tree between Rhydwilym Baptist Chapel and the Burial Garden on 24th June, which looks to be about this location:

https://goo.gl/maps/ykEMW4oZp973qeoa9

David's neighbours also report a singing Nightingale near to the river here for 2 nights some 5 days earlier.  A very significant record for Pembrokeshire, got to be worth a look/listen.

Sighitngs from my recent Pembs trip (22/6)

From Jeremy Moore: The report of a sparrowhawk from Whales in Wales reminded me to send in my own sightings from my day in Pembs (22/6) . Firstly a female sparrowhawk above Pwll Deri (not far from the YHA). It was very close and was carrying a small prey item, presumably a passerine with its wings removed? It was heading east around the north side of Garn Fawr. I can't imagine where the nearest nesting site would be. Then another sprrowhawk heading west along the coast between Porthgain and Ynys Barry. Families of choughs were near there (4 young) and near Porthgain (3 young). I also saw the sand martin colony at Aber Mawr, which looked quite healthy.

Skomer Young Birders' Week

Calling all birders and wildlife enthusiasts aged 18 to 25 - Skomer Young Birders' Week is back, 3rd-6th September and 6th-9th September!

Join 15 like-minded young people for 3 nights of wildlife watching. The Skomer team will be helping you to enjoy all that the island has to offer, including Manx Shearwater chick weighing, moth trapping, cetacean watches, talks and night walks - perfect for early career conservationists and wildlife enthusiasts!

With support from both Pembs Bird Group and the Nature Networks Fund, a three night stay will only cost you £44 (plus boat fee).

This event is sold first come first served - to book, call the booking office today on 01656 724100. For any questions, please email skomer.vo@welshwildlife.org.

We hope to see you there!

The Teifi Marshes

 The first juvenile Black-headed Gull of the year,  with a Common Sandpiper and Redshank on the reserve this evening, both waders presumably on post breeding movements. 30 House Martins feeding over  were all likely fledged juveniles, and lots of noise from acros and Cetti's Warblers too.

Nightjar - Skokholm

This morning's Western Subalpine Warbler was exciting, but things got better this afternoon. A thick fret cleared to reveal a Nightjar on the Lighthouse Track, this the first Skokholm sighting since 1993 and only the second since 1979 (prior to which they were much more regular).

 

 

(photo and notes Rich Brown, Skokholm Bird Obs)

Western Subalpine - Skokholm

 There is a Western Subalpine Warbler on Skokholm today. This is our 11th 'Subalpine Warbler' in 11 years, but only the third Western for Skokholm (all between 8th May and 18th July in the last four years

(Photo and news Rich Brown, Skokholm Bird Obs.)

Numbers - the Teifi

 Over the next couple of months, particularly when low tide late in the day, large numbers of some species are seen. Late this evening the following on the estuarine mud, 800 Jackdaw, 200 Rook, 450 Canada Geese, 48 Black-headed Gulls, 14 Curlew and one adult Mediterranean  Gull. A further 30 B h Gulls on the muddy lagoon of a river through the reserve.

A small raft of Manx Shearwaters in the bay this evening , with 450 west in 15 mins and 10 Gannets feeding at 9pm.

Sandwich Terns

From Clive Harrison: 1400hrs at the Flags Fishguard, I saw 2 Sandwich terns flying in ...just after the rain.

Storm Petrels - Strumble

Strumble Head during the night -  14 Storm Petrels ringed and one re-encountered that was ringed on Skokholm last July. (Teifi RG)

St Davids albino Blackbird

 A completely white Blackbird on the Golf Course, a brief sight but couldn't find it for a photo! Lots of Whitethroat and Stonechat with Red Kite much in evidence this year. 

In Lochvane the constant Peregrine activity slowed last year and virtually no sightings this year. I certainly miss their screams and alarm calls.

Nightjars / Barn Owl - Plumstone Mountain

A Nightjar was churring from the forestry area at the edge of Plumstone Mountain for about 10 to 15 minutes from about 10.10 pm this evening. Later, what was probably a second bird could be briefly heard churring from the open heathland further up Dudwell Mountain. In addition, to this two Cuckoos were calling, and we heard three (possibly four) Grasshopper Warblers reeling away. Then, as we walked back towards the rocky outcrop at the top of the hill, a Barn Owl flew across in front of us..

Red Kite

From Margaret Wynn: Red Kite over cliffs at Newport beach.

(Frequent visitor from Buckinghamshire, where the most common bird we see flying is the Red Kite.)

BTO Breeding bird survey this morning...

Helping Fran with our second BTO Bird survey Transects; Morfa Farm/and coast path from above Abermawr to Pen Morfa this morning. We did our first of the spring on the 7th May and with poor weather and other commitments we ended up doing the second leg later than we would have liked.

In May there was a big influx of hirundines with literally hundreds of them, mainly swallows and house martins coming in and feeding on the coast. The smaller birds were much more vocal and visible before the bracken grew up.

We were certainly down on stonechats, with none recorded at their usual coastal sites but one pair with young on the farmland transect. Less goldfinches but as both species probably had fledged young perhaps they had just dispersed.

Unsurprisingly only a couple of swallows and no house martins, but lots of sand martins, foraging away from their nearby (Abermawr) nesting site. Ravens, Crows and Rooks all with young but young don't count apparently which seems odd for a breeding bird survey although an adult starling with four young probably did not breed locally.

The Kestrel is a regular tick on our list but a high flying Sparrowhawk drifting off towards Aberbach was a first, followed by a Cuckoo winnowing its way across the bay, The first I have actually seen in Pemb's this year!

Invertebrates added interest, with meadow brown butterflies particularly plentiful with one every ten yards or so along the path. A small blue butterfly (common blue?) was particularly pleasing and sadly I can't remember the beetle, (oil beetle?)

All in all, a pleasant wander, with purpose, in the most beautiful of surroundings!

Pied Flycatchers to Puffins

We finished monitoring Pied Flycatchers and other nest box species in Pengelli last week. An excellent season - and an early one with the first of 5 boxes of Pied Fly fledged by the 5th June and the last by the 16th June. In total 30 fledged and no young failed in the nest, with few infertile eggs. The best year for Pied Flycatchers in Pengelli for at least 13 years. (Teifi RG)

Pied Flycatchers bred in Fynnone too fledging 5 young, and we will have some data from nest boxes in the Gwaun soon.

More in details in the Teifi RG blog in the coming weeks. 

On the 15th (as a trial with A Bay to Remember) we travelled 12 n miles along a transect broadly  6 n mile out from Cemaes Head to Strumble Head. Of interest amongst 28 small rafts c(20-80 birds) of Manx Shearwaters, and small numbers of Auks (mainly Guillemots) we recorded 2 Storm Petrels and 20 Puffins. Puffins either alone or attached to rafts of other species.

 The first Goosander was back on the Teifi on the 17th June. 

Sightings

From Mike Duckham: I'm in Pembs for a short visit.

On Mon I had a Willow Tit a couple of times in the Ty Rhŷg Forestry.

Tue a Hobby on Puncheston Common and 2 worn and faded Marsh Frits.

Privet Hawkmoths

These hawkmoths were on a 2.5 inch square post in our garden in Crundale this morning. They are the largest resident hawkmoths in the UK.

St Margarets Island and Caldey Island

 

We have obviously finished the counts of the seabirds on the cliffs and islands while the seabirds were sitting on eggs but we are miles off collating the seabird counts from the sea and the cliff photographs!  We will let you know when we have adding everything up.

The seabird breeding season is clearly late on Caldey and St Margarets island this year. 

Its the most synchronous season in years, probably to do with the cold wet weather in March which stopped everything doing anything for a time. Its very different to most years in the last decade.

 On Thursday last week we ringed 99 Cormorant chicks in the largest sub-colony of Cormorants on the south coast of  St Margarets island.

 Most of the chicks were about half grown and so are two to three weeks behind recent years. 

There were a few large chicks which were not approachable and a few nests with tiny newly hatched chicks, no clutches of eggs.

  The great black-backed gulls (GBB) seem to have also had a good year, although the dry trampled vegetation towards the edges of the island helped to find the big chicks.

 

We ringed 26. We found very few in the thicker sea beet inland maybe the clouds of pale yellow pollen obscured our vision!!

We found a decapitated grey squirrel in one of the GBB nests - perhaps a road casualty scavenged by the GBB's. 

On another note the Kittiwakes all seemed to be incubating whereas by now they would traditionally have small chicks so maybe also affected by the poor March weather.

It sounds like some Kittiwakes on Skomer may have chosen not to breed this year so we need to get another look at the St Margaret’s Island birds in the next couple of weeks.

 

Today we visited Caldey again to ring a sample of Herring Gull chicks  and between two of the sub colonies managed to find 156 well grown chicks, a few almost ready to fledge but most about half grown.  More surprising was the number of dead chicks especially around Sandtop where at least 100 were found and at both sites we recorded no regurgitates so our conjecture is that they are starving.  In most years we have seen a lot of worms regurgitated and we wonder if the dry conditions of recent weeks have meant the adults are finding it difficult to forage.

The Caldey Herring Gull colony count this year was 1,620 pairs which was down slightly on 2022 and compares miserably with 1976 when over 3,700 were breeding there.  All the other seabird numbers were very similar to 2022.  Steve recalls over 400 pairs of guls nesting between Tenby and Saundersfoot with over 100 on St Catherines Island, today there are less than 20 and just 3 pairs respectively although there may be a few more on the rooftops of Tenby now.

 

Anna & Steve Sutcliffe  and the Pembrokeshire Ringing Group

 

From Steve Smith: Well I finally managed a record shot of the Hobby over Thomas Chapel (near Begelly).  Fourth time it's appeared in a week.  Got 2 more days to get a proper picture before I sadly have to go back home but I will be back in October.   

Nightjars

 Two male Nightjars at Ty Rhyg this evening one male sitting on the path around 10 metres away and a second bird heard churning about 300 metres from the first bird.

Tenby Choughs

It’s that time of year again; choughs are fledging all over the place. Having been watching various breeding pairs since the spring, we will soon discover how successful their breeding season has been. 

This year it was evident that choughs were attempting to breed in some additional locations. One of these being at Tenby of all places. Steve Sutcliffe had observed some early season behaviour which suggested something might be happening on the Tenby seafront. There has been an increase in chough activity in the Tenby area in recent years, including birds reported and photographed feeding on ants on garden lawns in the summer (initially reported on the sightings blog a couple of years or so ago). They had also been seen near the bandstand and flying along the Tenby seafront on various occasions since then. 

Having been intrigued by Steve’s observation this spring and by earlier reports, Annie and I decided to have a closer look at what these birds might be up to. Sure enough, they were present, and behaviour indicated that they were breeding in a potentially suitable cliff crevice location. It has been fascinating to watch them coming and going from the golf course (their main feeding area), sometimes flying over the hotel roofs and circling around the church spire alongside resident town feral pigeons and jackdaws.

This evening we were able to confirm that the Tenby pair has now fledged (probably earlier today) a minimum of three young. The Rev. Murray Mathew, some years prior to his 1894 publication, The Birds of Pembrokeshire and its islands, was aware that choughs had been common on the coast “all the way round from Tenby to St. David’s Head”.  Whilst it is possible that they have bred at Tenby in recent years, as far as we know this is the first confirmed breeding by choughs there for possibly more than 100 years! If anyone has information of chough breeding success at Tenby in recent years, it would be nice to have more details.

Steve has mentioned that choughs are now much more regularly seen feeding on the golf course than they used to be, and this area is undoubtedly an important feeding area for them. Due to the persisting dry weather, much of the grassland there is currently very parched and arid - it looks more like a desert. So it will be interesting to see how the chough family party copes when the young start to move around to feeding areas with the adults before becoming independent. For now, they are sticking close to their nest site crevice and the adults are still having to fly back and forth, mainly from the golf course, to find food for them. 

Quail, Brynberian Moor

Whilst enjoying a full-house of three of our scarcer damselflies out on the moor a Quail started singing close by late afternoon. The bracken has shot up and sheep paths disappeared so harder to cover than a few weeks back. Just a single singing Whinchat and a vocal family of Redstarts tick-tick ticking. A few Green hairstreak still around. 

Nightjars - Pantmaenog

Last night we did a walk into Pantmaenog to see what Nightjar activity was present and had definitely two singing males. (Den Vaughan)

Lesser Whitethroat

Talking of warblers, an unusual view of a Lesser Whitethroat singing from the top of an ash tree in West Williamston. Normally darting about below the scrub canopy, this one was going from the top of one dead or dying ash tree to the next. Perhaps it had a territory but not a mate? 

Yellowhammer Survey

From Josh Maynard: A male yellowhammer singing yesterday in tetrad SM90K - Goldborough lane (near Hundleton).

I love Reed Warblers

Small, brown, non-descript - Reed Warblers are the classic example of a LBJ (little brown job).  But that song, and when seen close up: stunners.  We are privileged to have perhaps 3 pairs at the end of the garden at Crabhall, and when I stopped to admire a pair this evening I realised one was ringed.  It is a British ring, but can't see much of the code, but at a guess I would say ringed nearby at Winterton Marsh by Anna and Steve?

Yesterday I spent an hour or so on the Deer Park after a trip to Skomer.  Enjoyed watching a pair of Chough entering a cave there, clearly feeding young, and nearby there was a non-breeding flock of 20 birds chattering around Renney Slip.

Colour-ringed Great White Egrets

Here is some breeding Great White Egret information from Somerset.  Please note the request at the end. I know we don't them see that often but you never know!

I thought you might like an update on this year’s breeding season for the Great White Egrets.

70 pairs attempted nesting, and we now have 54 active nests across 11 sites on Shapwick Heath, Westhay, Ham Wall and a couple of adjacent sites.

1. We think that 128 chicks hatched. 89 of those are currently alive of which 11 have fledged. All these numbers are approximate, based on the regular drone images.
2. We have been able to colour ring 16 chicks on 9 of these nests and we think 15 of these chicks are still alive and well.

So, it looks like another record year. Fledging has now begun; this is a request to keep eyes open for any colour-ringed birds even if they are now regular visitors to your local patch. We know that juveniles scatter all over England and even reach Scotland. Every record is useful so please check them out for us.

Saturday shearwater puffin cruise

Thinking of an evening trip on Cartlett Lady, 18.00 22:00 Saturday, look around the islands, shearwaters puffins maybe dolphins etc. Bring picnic supper. let me know if interested, £60 per person, meet Neyland Marina 1750 if interested let me know, seatrustwales@gmail.com

Hi all boat full, will (weather permitting) be doing more trips soon now CL is back in the water!

  problem with the boat, trip cancelled ,

Not so high...

 I have just been told by a local lady dog walker, of a Red Kite found dead on the lower path through the woods to Abermawr beach I have informed the National Trust who own the land and hope they will deal with it quickly. It may have scavenged a Bird Flu casualty or it might have been poisoned or just died of natural causes. I am pretty sure they breed nearby so if it is a breeding adult the consequences for any young might be sad. If seen on a walk there, keep dogs away.

Nightjar(s), Pantmaenog

Had a visit to the top clearfell in Pantmaenog last night, at least one and most likely a different bird churring either end of the clearfell from 10:30pm. Blustery wind picked up soon after dark muffling any other sounds but a promising first visit.

Quail - Maenclochog

Possible Quail calling behind my back garden a week ago heard by Linda, confirmed this morning at 0400. (Den Vaughan)

Barn owl, South Hook

From John Bearne. I was very surprised and delighted to watch a barn owl hunting in the dusk over rough ground near South Hook Point. It then flew the back into the terminal grounds. First one I have seen in the Milford area for a couple of years.

Skokholm

 Spoonbill and Turtle Dove today. 

Hobby, Thomas Chapel

From Steve Smith. Had a Hobby chasing House Martin and Swallows today over the cottage near Thomas Chapel and I've just seen a single Swift which I sadly never see around here on my visits also a massive thanks to the guy who pointed out the Guillemot with the orange bill and feet while I was at Stack Rock on Sunday evening. 

Curlew news

From Sam O'Donnell

This Curlew which I saw on the Nevern Estuary on the 2nd of June is quite amazing! 

It was part of a head starting project and was released in the summer last year in Sussex. Then it stayed in Cornwall for a while before heading North to Pembrokeshire!

Nightjar - Ty Rhyg

Ty Rhyg, a male Nightjar perched high up in a tree churring from 2305 - 2315 when flew. See Dave's post below. The late evening in Ty Rhyg was made far more comfortable wearing anti-insect head nets.

 (Alison Rees and Rich D)

Dale Airfield

Very surprised to see last Sunday's Short-toed Lark on Dale Airfield this evening.  First picked it up on the southern runway of the central 'triangle', it soon took off and went west, scrapping with a Skylark and then rising high presumably in a song flight (which I couldn't hear due to the wind).  I then picked it up again on the western runway, before it flew to the eastern runway, where I caught up with it and managed a couple of photos and a short digi-scoped video.  A really smart bird.  Also the Little Ringed Plover still present (Lisa had it yesterday too whilst out running), a Lapwing, and on the ploughed field at the west end 20 Ringed Plover and 6 Dunlin.

Hobby, Pantmaenog

A Hobby hunting over the upper clearfell late afternoon was good to see, it briefly perched up on one of the standing poles before disappearing out of sight. 

Hen Harrier

Male Hen Harrier flew north along the coast path between Newport and Ceibwr about 07:30 this morning.

Nightjar

A churring and wing-clapping male Nightjar in the Preselis yesterday evening at Ty Rhyg. Fantastic experience, despite the clouds of midges.  Sound up - I have added audio to a still image to create this video....because my actual videos were basically dark (Dave, Lisa & Brian)

Minwear

This morning the highlights were a singing Wood Warbler, two singing Willow Warbler, a Garden Warbler, at least three Spotted Flycatcher, and a Tree Pipit.

The Tree Pipit flew on to the footpath and then into this tree.

Nevern estuary and Dinas

From Sam O'Donnell. Newport this morning produced my first Grasshopper warbler at the site. It was reeling distantly in the reedbed to the East of the Ironbridge along with a singing Reed Warbler. A shelduck brood has hatched. 8 chicks. Also around 3 Ringed Plover, c10 Sanderling and 10 Dunlin, 1 Curlew and Bullfinch. Dinas Head this afternoon: Guillemots and Razorbills on Cat Rock. Fulmars, Ravens, Meadow Pipits all very plentiful. Also 2 Choughs. 

Spoonbill, Monkton - update

From Melanie Felton - The spoonbill was still present until Wednesday afternoon when it was seen flying up river towards Pembroke at 4pm, couldn't relocate it yesterday. 

Higgons Well

Yesterday, a minimum of 18 Black-headed Gull. As said on Skokholm perhaps dispersing early as a result of colonies effected by Bird Flu. 

Also around were ten Swift, four Reed Warbler, two Willow Warbler which have been singing for a while, and two singing Garden Warbler.

This unusual duck turned out to be a Mallard (thanks Dave A)!

Bee-eater

 This afternoon Bee-eater called twice high over Grove Hill/Underdown Bottom on the southern edge of Pembroke. (1620 hrs) Unfortunately, from the garden, my view of the sky was obfuscated by huge trees. But, as the "proot" calls were quite high up I may not have seen the bird(s) anyway. Figured from the position and slight delay between the two calls that the direction of travel was south east to north west. (Or it was a call and response 2 bird theory!) Heard nothing further after that, so presumably it/they was/were heading away.  After consuming Darryl's Golden Oriole yesterday, this was a nice dessert.

Phil Baber