A belated but intriguing record from the Preseli Hills in Sept 2023

Recently we have been checking/verifying c.50,000 records entered to BirdTrack in 2023 before they go off to Jon Green for the county bird report and to WWBIC for archiving.

 
Among the species input to BirdTrack was one of a Red Grouse in the Preselis on 13/9/23 entered by Skip Hook from Lancashire, presumably on  a cycling holiday in Pembs. Naturally such a species was flagged up as needing more information as "unexpected in Pembrokeshire". It must surely have been a young pheasant or perhaps even a red-legged partridge but it was  up on the the Preselis in potentially suitable habitat. So we asked Skip for more details and whether he was familiar with grouse and young pheasants etc. 

 
This is his reply, received today:
Morning Bob, you recently contacted me to verify a Red Grouse recording which I reported on BirdTrack on 13/9/23. On the day I was cycling in an easterly direction in the Preseli hills along the ridge approximately between Carn Sian and Carn Menyn at 300m plus above sea level. As I was stopped taking a breather and admiring the views my attention was caught by the unmistakable sound of a Red Grouse on my RHS. I saw it flying low over the moor for about 50 to 60 yards before landing on the ground and disappearing from view. I was brought up near the Forest of Bowland in Lancashire and have seen many Red Grouse in my time. If the bird I saw wasn't a Red Grouse it was doing a pretty convincing imitation of one. I am pretty certain (bearing in mind the height and terrain) that it wasn't a young pheasant or red legged partridge as you suggest. Let me know if you need any more information. Unfortunately I don't have a photo to support what I saw.

Has anyone else  seen a Red Grouse up on the Preselis last autumn or this winter? 

As far as we know, the most recent records are those published in Birds of Pembrokeshire 1994 (Graham Rees and Jack Donovan) who say:  "No more were recorded until up to three were reported from the Preseli Mountains in December 1952, one from there on 2 January 1953 and the remarkable record of one at Ramsey on 15 October 1975. None have been reported since". 

Caroline's Pallid shots

Caroline's a.m. sightings, between 09.34 and 10.15, last a.m. sighting at 11.50, more stunning pictures. Between these and Brian and Paul's sightings, we can safely say it was in the area all day. Forsman says "Pallid has a fast, strong and direct flight (especially when hunting), covering the ground with the speed of a falcon. They appear in the distance, fly straight across the hunting area and disappear at the other end, to return perhaps only hours later". Which sounds about right.

Corse again

Paul and I had a visit this afternoon. We watched from the track that leads to the hide for a more panoramic view. The Marsh Harrier was showing all the time we were there from 3-5:30pm. It roved up and down the whole length of the reedbed with occasional rests in one of the willow clumps to the east. By contrast the Pallid harrier left it late, with it and the female Hen harrier not appearing until 4:45pm. The Hen harrier appeared close in and followed the hedge that leads down to the hide before dropping out of sight presumably to roost. The Pallid then showed as it hunted the bottom of the fields along the far edge of the Corse before drifting higher up the slope and eventually disappearing over the opposite skyline. It reappeared at 5:20pm from Starmans side and again hunted the fields the whole length before disappearing out of sight to the east. It was interesting to see its fast agile flight style as it chased passerines with it doing tern-like loop-the-loops, fascinating. Also the big flock of Lapwing and Golden plover that Richard mentions, 2 Heron. Merlin, kestrel, sparrowhawk and buzzard. Earlier the Lesser scaup was still above the 8-arch bridge towards the reedbed at Stackpole Court end of the lakes. Nice to see Kim G and Martin C at the scaup.

Corse - a 3-harrier day

Upstream, notable was a very large flock (>1000) lapwing, and around 600 golden plover. 8 little egrets in the field, one grey heron in the fen, a buzzard on a fence post.

I met Mark Saunders struggling through the mud on the way to the hide, Caroline Pickett was there already. She'd had a close encounter with the pallid harrier flying over the hide, hopefully a photo to follow, Mark and I got there just in time to see it reappear from the east and fly across the Corse to hunt on the north side. In a crazy few minutes a male sparrowhawk buzzed it, and it interacted with another ringtail, presumably our hen harrier, just as the female marsh harrier appeared. Looking at my photos later I seem to have caught all three harriers in the same two shots, although which ringtail is which at this point I have no idea. The 4th bird is a shadow, I think. Things went a bit quiet after that, though there was a large stock dove flock on the Kilpaison side. A little egret pottered about in front of the hide, a few ducks (mallard, teal, shoveler) in the stretch of water just to the R of the hide which you now can't see, on account of the new fencing. Parties of snipe flying about. I left around 11. 

Aberrant plumage House Sparrow

This apparent aberrant plumage House Sparrow has been frequenting a garden near St Davids recently.  It is associating with House Sparrows. It is plain pale apricot coloured all over with a pale bill.

Pwllcrochan Flats and West Angle - WinGS

A WinGS count at Pwllcrochan Flats this evening produced a small roost of 42 Common Gulls and 47 Black-headed Gulls in mid-channel, 3 Great Crested Grebes were also loafing near the roosting gulls. 

Other species of interest included 89 Oystercatchers, 12 Curlews, 4 overwintering Whimbrels and 5 Redshanks.  All the waders were feeding low down the shore at low tide, but all moved up channel (some probably into Pembroke River) when the shore began to flood on the rising tide.

As noted on Friday last week at Llanreath, further up the Milford Haven Waterway, numerous Herring Gulls flew down channel heading towards South Hook. They were still moving down that way when it became too dark to see anything much at all during increasingly murky/misty conditions.  

Annie, doing a WinGS count over at West Angle/Chapel Bay, recorded a roost of 114 Herring Gulls and a single LBB Gull on Thorn Island. Sadly, there were no roosting Cormorants though at this former colony.

Angle Bay - low tide counts and WinGS

We did some low tide counts at Angle Bay this afternoon and ended the day with a WinGS count there.

Highlights included 21 Pale-bellied Brent Geese, c.400 Wigeon, at least 85 Pintails feeding in a tight group, at least 34 Shovelers (quite good total for Angle Bay, probably the highest for 10-years), 700+ Dunlin, c.100 Curlews and a similar number of Oystercatchers, 52 Black-tailed Godwits (mostly at the harbour end), 12 Bar-tailed Godwits (at the eastern end), 70+ Redshanks and 8 Turnstones. 

Various gull species arrived, many bathing in the freshwater channel pre-roost. Almost all the larger gulls (90-100 Herring and half a dozen GBB) left the bay before dusk and headed across the Milford Haven Waterway towards South Hook. 43 Common Gulls and 384 Black-headed Gulls and a few Herring Gulls eventually settled to roost on the sea at the eastern side of the bay.  

Castlemartin Corse

Approaching from the east I saw the female marsh harrier over the reedbed, and a buzzard. I had barely sat down in the hide at around 10.45 when the pallid harrier exploded out of the reeds 50 metres in front of the hide, flew towards me and then west at point blank range. Eye-watering views. It flew on down the fen meadow, putting up around 1200 lapwing and 3-400 golden plover. After causing chaos for a few minutes it made its way up the Gupton fields and disappeared over the ridge. Photos entirely redundant after Alan's efforts yesterday (and Dave O's the other day), and I left it late to pick up the camera, just enjoying the view, but this was my best record shot. 

A peregrine tore through the lapwings in the distance by Starman's Hall. The lapwings and goldies were constantly in the air for the next half hour. Brian's 100+ fieldfare flock still around. Re Brian's little egrets, there have been up to 11 on the upper Corse recently (8 in this photo) though no sign of the GWE for a few days.

Making my way back to the track it was a pleasure to meet Dave and Lisa, who had approached from Gupton and were ploughing through the mud on the track. Returning through the fen meadow east of the hide I put up a jack snipe, my first there in a while. With a red kite near the Speculation Inn and a merlin in the hedge near Kingsmill, a great day for raptors.

Tree Sparrow, late news...

 Late news: Ben Gloag a keen young ornithologist, currently studying at Aberystwyth University turned up a Tree Sparrow at Crin Coed near Pen Anglas, Goodwick, on Jan 19th. Crin Coed and the cliffs above Pen Anglas has turned up several goodies over the years.

They used to breed nr Jordanston (N Pembs) but so far as i am aware they no longer breed in Pembs?

Pallid Harrier

Alan Merrett's amazing pictures of the pallid harrier

Llanreath and Pennar Gut WinGS etc

Late this afternoon and evening we checked out the Llanreath/Llanstadwell gull roost again. This time I stayed at Llanreath and Annie went to Pennar Gut to see what, if any, gull movements there were into Pembroke River.

During a couple of hours of observation around 1,000 Herring Gulls (in small flocks) and a few LBB and Common Gulls gradually made there way from Pembroke Dock towards Milford Haven, while some headed further west over Pennar Gut, possibly to roost  out on the islands? About 500 BH Gulls also moved down the Haven but, unlike last week, none turned into Pembroke River, although some mixed gulls flew down Pembroke River and out through the Gut into the Haven. This was quite a contrast with the situation a week ago. 

Around 2,250-2,500 Black-headed Gulls eventually started to settle on the Milford Haven Waterway between Llanreath and Llanstadwell. At first there were two distinct flocks, one of around 700 that settled first closer to the Llanstadwell shore and another of around 1,500 nearer to Llanreath. Eventually the birds on the Llanreath side gradually started to move over to the northern side of the channel just as it was getting too dark to see much activity.

A very small proportion of the BH Gull flock moving from the Port of Pembroke to settle on the Milford Haven Waterway 

Although almost all were BHG, 7 Common Gulls and 3 Mediterranean Gulls were picked out from the flock as it was gathering on the sea.

Annie, over at Pennar, had nice views of 3 Great Northern Divers resting on Pembroke River and watched 5 Cattle Egrets fly out through Pennar Gut at dusk. A small wader roost on the rocky shore at Llanreath  included c.90 Oystercatchers and 40+ Dunlin.  A flock of c.50 Pied Wagtails left the Port of Pembroke area just after 17:00 hrs, heading down channel towards Valero, presumably to a roost down there. 

It was nice to see 3 GN Divers close together and in good light

Pallid harrier still at the Corse

Stopped off for a look at the Scaups at Stackpole. Still above the 8-arch bridge, just before the old boat house hide, diving under the nearside bank before drifting further out towards the far bay. The Lesser scaup looking very smart now as it comes into adult plumage with its silvery back, sides and dark head. Nice to bump into Caroline P.

I was then treated to some excellent views of the Pallid harrier at the Corse in perfect light. Stunning bird. The female Marsh harrier was quartering the eastern side around 3:20pm when up came the Pallid harrier providing lovely scope views for 10 minutes before it dropped back into the reeds and willow. It was soon back up and appeared on and off until I left at 5:30pm mostly favouring the eastern side though did hover right in front of the hide. Met Alan Merrett who managed some really nice photos and had news of it having been photographed over by Popton Fort just after Christmas. Distant views of a Hen harrier, 2 Merlin inc a smart male flushing the skylark, chaffinch and reed buntings from the surrounding fields. Kestrel also checking the fields. Flock of 100+ chuckling Fieldfare. Lots of snipe (50?) and teal (60?) being flushed by the harriers. Greylags honking in the distance.  6 egrets, all looked like Little egrets in the failing light, roosted in what looks like some leylandii behind the pines.

Waxwings - Teifi Marshes

We are now on day 19 of the Waxwings on the Teifi Marshes. The feeding flock has now increased to seven including a new bird colour-ringed in Newtown, Powys on 2nd Jan 2024. With the increase in temperature and flying insects the birds have taken to sallying forth from the upper branches to feed on these insects. They now do spend time in Pembs feeding, ie today at 1130 as well as roosting in Pembs.  (many observers)

Bosherston Ducks.

 The 3 Tufted ducks, 3 Greater Scaup, And The one Lesser Scaup, Still present at Bosherston lily ponds this  morning.

Garden Bird Watch

 ....... but where are all the Blue Tits ..... oh......     

And it was only a foot from the peanut feeder!!

Rosemary Royle (picture by Peter)

Fishguard harbour

 Great northern diver 4

Red throated diver 1

Great crested grebe 7

Guillemot 10

Razorbill 3

Black guillemot 1

WinGS - Rosebush and Llys-y-fran

Paul, George and myself met up at Llys-y-fran this evening to do the gull count. A bit of a different mix today. Among the early arrivals between 3 and 4pm were 10 GBBs (9 adult and a 2cy) and 7 Mediterranean gulls (inc 2 3cy and a 2cy), both decent numbers for here. These were joined by 700 BH gulls, 500 LBBs, 50 Herring gull and 30 Common gull. 

Between 4 and 5pm numbers of BH gulls built quickly with 880 soon reaching 1700 by 4:30pm with gulls arriving from the south. LBBs rose more gradually, birds coming down from the surrounding fields to the east and a wave from the south, counts of 1300-1850-3500 eventually peaking at 4900 at 5:15pm. A count of 70 Herring gull was a bit conservative. 6 Yellow-legged gulls (5 adults and a 2cy) was more typical of recent visits. By contrast final counts of 90 Common gulls and 26 Mediterranean gulls were higher than usual. Pick of the roost was an adult Caspian (from its size presumably a female) and what appeared to be an adult LBBxHerring gull cross. Otherwise 6 Goldeneye (4m),  8 GC grebe and 2 Little grebe. 

Rosebush reservoir earlier: 7 LBBs the only gulls mid afternoon. 7 Tufted duck (5m), single drake Goldeneye, pair GC grebe and a heron. A Tawny owl over the road near Clarbeston Road.

WinGS etc

Third time lucky counting the Dale gull roost today for the BTO Winter Gull Survey (WinGS), with attempts #1 and #2 thwarted by 1) no birds and 2) weather.  A total of 827 birds, including 56 Mediterranean Gulls and 349 Common Gulls.  As usual hardly any large gulls.

Earlier today a pair of Tufted Ducks on the upper of the Bicton Irrigation Reservoirs (St Ishmaels). Other than a one-day Goldeneye, no other diving ducks have been present here since the reservoir was cleared.

Very interested to read the news of Oystercatcher #58.  I last had it at the Gann in April 2023, and have also seen it on Skomer a few times where I believe it breeds (this photo taken in June 2021).  The ring had started to fade back then.

Ringed Curlew.

 Ringed by Pembrokeshire R G, BTO FJ06102 As a 2nd year male at the Gann in March 2016, All sightings since  at Angle Harbour 2020 and 2021 also this week 2024 by myself.

Thanks to Paddy Jenks for info.

Hen Harrier

 A ring-tailed Hen Harrier up on Dinas Mountain this morning also 6 Chough and a small flock of Fieldfares.

Female Blackcap has been around the garden the past week.

The Fishguard Cetacean and Carew/Cresswell WinGS

 

This morning we made the pilgrimage to Fishguard to see the Humpback. It was also nice to bump into Ciff Benson, John Green (second time in less than 7 days) Steve Berry and Lyndon Lomax while we were there. It took a while to get on to the whale and it was never very close to our viewpoint on the breakwater. Whale-watchers at the fort would have had better/closer views. However, we were rewarded with several impressive (if rather distant) views of it breaching in fairly reasonable light. 

A couple of record photos - views from the Fort would have been closer

Birds in the area (which we should be reporting here and not mammals!) included at least two great northern divers, red-throated diver, several razorbills in transition from winter to breeding plumage and seven great crested grebes resting in the harbour and a kittiwake with the whale.

This evening we looked at the Carew/Cresswell confluence near Black Mixen and at the outlet to the Daugleddau channel for possible roosting gulls. None roosted here but several hundred (c.500 Herring, c.550-600 Black-headed, 5 Common and 2 Great black-backed) (mostly heading down-channel) had been feeding in nearby fields where slurry was being piped onto the grassland. Some gulls bathed in the river, probably to wash off the horrible sticky stuff from their feet, before moving on downstream. Some of the larger gulls went high over land towards to the coast but the majority of the BH Gulls headed to roost on the Haven, probably in the Llanstadwell-Pennar Gut zone. However, interestingly, about 100-120 appeared to turn upstream at Lawrenny into the Daugleddau. Perhaps they were heading to a  roost that can occur on occasions further upstream. This roost is to be checked by a few of us on Wednesday evening (weather permitting!).  

Colour-ringed oystercatcher left leg orange/metal; was this evening showing its right leg which has orange 58 (now turning black). It was roosting at Lawrenny Quay with 54 others (about half the number that were there several days ago). These included a metal-ringed bird with no colour rings. It was not possible to read the numbers unfortunately. Many hundreds of corvids (mixed jackdaws and carrion crows also gathered to roost in the estuary woodland just before we left the area.

58 is viewable on one side of the ring but black obscures the numbers on the other side

Gull roost count - Milford Haven (Llanreath-Llanstadwell area)

A coordinated gull roost count between Llandstadwell and Llanreath by Jane Hodges, Annie and myself this evening was quite productive. At least c.2,000 Black-headed Gulls roosted on the water in the Haven. An additional c.2-3,000 BHG moved through Pennar Gut towards Pembroke River before darkness fell. We thought it likely that they would have roosted near the Power Station. 

At one point a blizzard of perhaps 2,000 mostly BHGs suddenly burst out from the Port of Pembroke area. Many dispersed towards Pennar Gut; others landed on the Haven or on the shore on either side of the channel. It was an unexpected but quite impressive sight! 

As well as BHG, small numbers of Herring Gulls, c.30 Common Gulls and 2-3 Med Gulls came in to roost on the Haven. A few hundred larger gulls (mostly Herring) flew down channel, possibly heading for a roost somewhere on the sea along the open coast, or perhaps in Angle Bay.

In addition, a Great Northern Diver was swimming in mid-channel between Llanreath and Llanstadwell.

Hopefully counts of other roosts are going well. However, this coming Sunday 21st (the priority WinGS date) looks like being impossible due to the predicted weekend of stormy  weather.  Let's hope that  conditions for counting gull roosts will be better next week!

Thanks to Mike Sherman I think we have confirmed that colour-ringed Oystercatcher (left leg plain orange darvic over metal with ???6166) roosting at Lawrenny Ferry on Sunday and Monday earlier this week is FJ06166. It has a black ring 58 on its right leg (the black ring was seen too briefly at Lawrenny to confirm any numbers). 

It was ringed at the Gann in 2018 where it has been seen many times since, as well as on Skomer. This appears to be its first confirmed sighting higher up the Milford Haven Waterway/Cleddau Estuary system, although I briefly saw a similarly-marked bird at Black Mixen near Lawrenny two winters ago. 

Mike wishes to remind everyone to continue looking for and reporting colour-ringed Oystercatchers, Curlews, Redshanks and Whimbrels that could be anywhere along the waterway or along the Pembs coast.   

Down South - Ducks and Harriers

Bosherston - Lesser and 3 Greater Scaups still there today, in the company of 4 Tufted Ducks. It was nice to see 10 Gadwall there also as well as the multiple Goosanders. 

Castlemartin Corse - Generally quite quiet this afternoon, but not for raptors. The ever present female Marsh Harrier, 2 ringtail Hen Harriers, a Pallid Harrier, 2 Buzzards and a Kestrel were keeping the rest of the birds on their toes and wings. A single egret showed - a Little Egret.

Westfield Pill/Neyland Prom.

 Westfield Pill,  Great White Egret,Firecrest,pair of Gadwall,single Wigeon,and flock of  about 30 Siskins.

Neyland Prom,  Black Redstart,and Great Crested Grebe,

Jack Snipe (almost in Pembrokeshire)

From Huw Lewis: Yesterday 17th January.

Not actually in Pembrokeshire, but very close at the Teifi Marshes Marshes Mallard Hide, a Jack Snipe feeding in the sunshine. No doubt forced from its usual deep cover because of frozen ground. Four waxwings were also at the reserve, but I managed to miss them twice, which, to be honest, is not that unusual.

More Yellowhammers

For the third if not fourth year in succession (early Spring) we have a party of at least six Yellowhammer at Ty Llosg near Clarbeston Road.   Derek Davies

Teifi Marshes - Waxwings etc

With limited opportunities to get out and about this week (meetings and vehicle service) we decided to head up to Teifi Marshes this morning to check out the waxwings. The four were found quite quickly, in trees beyond the Curlew Hide, feeding on rose hips and hawthorn berries. As typical of this species, ignoring birdwatchers, passing walkers, cyclists and joggers etc. Although they were in Ceredigion, we reckon that at times (with a telescope!) they could probably be seen from Pembrokeshire!

Other birds there included 50+ snipe in the air, water rails and several reed buntings taking advantage of seed along the old railway line track.

Later on, we noted 60+ turnstones feeding along the rocky shore at Neyland, near the mouth of Westfield Pill. Quite a good number for this location. A great crested grebe was feeding in the Haven. A few Mediterranean gulls flew downstream with hundreds of black-headed gulls to roost somewhere between Neyland and Lanreath. This area will be surveyed for roosting gulls for the WinGS later in the week.

WeBS counts on the Carew/Creswell yesterday produced generally modest numbers of waterfowl but six pintails were nice to see at New Shipping. 102 oystercatchers roosting at Lawrenny Ferry was quite a high count at this location. They included a colour-ringed bird. However, typical of this species, it roosted on one leg, ignoring passing dog-walkers etc and simply refusing to show its other leg well enough to obtain the other ring details. Despite waiting patiently for half an hour or so, all that could be seen well enough was left leg plain orange darvic above a metal ring with 616 in the digit sequence. It was not possible to see other digits on the metal ring. A black ring was seen briefly on the right leg, but views were too short to make out if there were any digits on the ring. 

It was seen roosting there two days running, on both occasions standing on its left leg and hiding its right leg. Is this a locally ringed bird? Hopefully someone will see its other leg and be able to confirm the full colour combination.

Brent Goose

A first winter, black bellied Brent Goose was a slightly surprising find, walking around the field next to the car park for Fishguard Fort

Angle bay.

 Some Angle bay Bar-tailed Godwits and Knot.

Teifi Marshes

 Waxwing 4 ceredigion side 

Mediterranean gull 1 adult

Common gull 4

Black headed gull 50

Wigeon 30

Black tailed godwit 1

Cutlew 10

Little Egret 1

Hook WeBS Count - January

Gulls: Common (3), Herring (5), Black-headed (17)

Waders: Redshank (83), Greenshank (6), Black-tailed Godwit (3), Curlew (19), Oystercatcher (32), Turnstone (1), Grey Plover (1), Golden Plover (2), Lapwing (294), Dunlin (324), Spotted Redshank (1), Snipe (3), Knot (1)

Waterfowl: Canada goose (329), Greylag Goose (4), Mallard (61), Wigeon (28), Teal (749), Great-crested Grebe (1)

Others: Kingfisher (1), Peregrine (1)

Angle bay.

At Kilpaison this morning.

8 Little Egrets, 40 Black tailed Godwits, 35 Bar tailed Godwits, 8 Knot, 300 Dunlin, 50 Oystercatchers,

40 Curlew, 6 Brent Geese.

Angle harbour. 15 Oystercatchers, 9 Curlew, 7 Turnstone, 7 Shelduck, 7 Bar tailed Godwits, 4 Brent Geese.

Jack Snipe

Probable Jack Snipe at Newport Iron Bridge on Sunday morning. Flew up from cover and landed quickly on mud/grass margin for short period before disappearing. No bobbing observed and crown not seen well but bill length, size and flight behaviour suggest likely Jack Snipe.

Andrew Crowder

Winter Gull Survey (WinGS)

We are looking for volunteers to help survey various sample sections of the Pembrokeshire coast and Milford Haven Waterway for the BTO Winter Gull roost survey (WinGS). 

This survey will provide the first opportunity to determine if there have been any significant changes in the numbers and winter distributions of the six commonest gulls (Herring, Lesser Black-backed, Great Black-backed, Black-headed, Common, Mediterranean) since the last Winter Gull survey in 2003/2004-2005/06. 

The priority date for this winter’s survey is Sunday 21^st January, although counts will be welcomed up to a week either side of the preferred date. 

Information about how to take part and how to select a site can be found here. We hope you can help.

Bosherston Lily Ponds

From Caroline Pickett: After doing WEBs count with Richard and Rob I decided to make a quick stop at the Courtsite end of the Lily ponds before heading home. 

The three Scaup and one Lesser Scaup were still present. The male Scaup and Lesser Scaup have noticeably changed in plumage versus when I saw them in December. 

So often heard but rarely seen, it was lovely to see a water rail amongst the undergrowth!

Rosebush and Llys-y-fran reservoirs

Rosebush reservoir: Pair of GC grebe doing a weed dance. 8 Tufted duck (6m), pair Wigeon, single Teal and drake Goldeneye. 3-4 Coot.

Llys-y-fran: hardly any gulls on the water at 3:15pm with only 50 large gulls. By 4:15pm numbers had risen to 810 BH gull, 350 LBB, c50 HG, 16 Common gull, single 2cy GBB. BH gulls started to arrive in numbers from 4:30pm with 1,200 soon rising to 2,300 at 4:45pm and more coming in as I was leaving at 5pm. LBBs didn't arrive until 4:45pm too spread out and too late for a count. A bit of quality though, with an adult Caspian obligingly bathing and showing spread wings (my digiscope efforts are just too pixelated), 5 Yellow-legged gulls, 5 Mediterranean gulls. 210 Canada geese, 8 Goldeneye (5m), single female Wigeon. Kingfisher and a heron (not as regular here these days, increased bankside disturbance perhaps). 5 GC grebe and a Little grebe.

GOODWICK OUTER BREAKWATER

The Goodwick Outer Breakwater Outdoor Meeting today, organised by the Mid-Pembs Group was relatively quiet on a cold but calm day with the following sightings:

Several Divers both Red-throated and Great Northern inc 3 RTD together in the outer harbour and a GND in the harbour itself.

Several Cormorants

Distant Gannets and Kittiwakes

Oystercatchers

Turnstone

Rock Pipit

Curlew

Stonechat

Herring and Black-headed Gulls

1 Purple Sandpiper which flew away was reported by some of the group

Castlemartin Corse

WEBS with Rob and Caroline - water levels dropping fast, though still good duck numbers with record number of shoveler for here - 120. Five little egrets and the great white were feeding in the ditches at the eastern end, along with two grey herons. Female marsh harrier and buzzard the only raptors. 

Grey heron and fox

Yellowhammers

From David Meanwell: 

Regularly 6 Yellowhammers feeding at White Hart Dale Road 

Castlemartin Corse - Harriers

In an hour or so before dusk tonight, 3 harriers showed. The female Marsh Harrier made a couple of sorties the full length of the corse. An explosion of snipe activity heralded the approach of dark, ringtail Hen Harrier that hunted down the corse before flying north. Shortly afterwards, another harrier approached from the north, flew directly over the hide and disappeared up the hill to the south. From first sight this bird looked very different in structure to the Marsh and Hen harriers being obviously slimmer and 'lankier' in appearance. A pale collar was clearly visible even in head on view and the pattern on the head closely resembles that of the Pallid Harrier that has been around the Gower recently. This is a different individual though - much paler in body colour and having the odd feature of 5 prominent primaries on the right wing whilst having the standard (for Pallid) 4 on the left. Potentially a Pallid x Hen hybrid?

Med Gull yellow AZ.UK

As expected, Wednesday's colour-ringed Med Gull was from Rehbach Gravel Pit near Leipzig, ringed as a nestling in 2019.  She appeared in Devon in January 2020, and then northern France that July-September, before a brief spell at a site on the coast NE of Hamburg in May 2021.  She wasn't seen again until April 2023 when she appeared at a German North Sea colony, NW of Hamburg.  She went on to have 3 chicks with an un-ringed male that hatched on 2nd June, but one died soon after and the remaining 2 had succumbed to Avian Influenza by 25th June when she was alone in the colony.  This is the first sighting of her since.  Let's hope she has more success in 2024.

Martin’s Haven 12-14 Jan

 Wonderfully quiet day weekend: you can hear the calls of individual Lapwing and Golden Plover many fields away. The Lapwing are very well spread across the Trehill Farm fields, but the Golden Plover seemed more concentrated in a couple of fields overlooking the Mere: I originally counted “over 200” in the flock on Friday, but Steve, when we did the Mere WEBS count on Sunday, estimated c.1400 in a “super-flock” which formed.

In the valley on Friday, the only bird initially was a super-confiding Robin, but a Snipe flew low along the stream - not sure if I had flushed it - and a Little Egret flew up from the beach to the pond.

Finally, at c.1645, I flushed a very pale-looking Short-eared Owl from the garden, and it flew across the Deer Park in the direction of Skomer. This bird (or another?) came out from the same place and at the same time on Saturday - probably roosting there.

On Sunday, an immature Black Redstart, initially bathing in a pond, then on the Deer Park wall and the grass overlooking Renny’s Slip. It was often chased off by the resident Stonechats, which lacked any sympathy for fellow chats. 

Newport Estuary

 Great northern diver 1

Red throated diver 3

Eider imm male and female

Oystercatcher 15

Little Egret 2

Wigeon 50

Red kite 1

Down south

Paul and I paid a visit to the south of the county late this afternoon. Richards Great egret was almost hidden as it fed along the channel deep in the reedbed at the partly frozen Crickmarren Pond. Next a brief stop above Corseside nursery to scan the Corse turned up the female Marsh harrier and about 20 Stock dove. Down to Angle harbour, 30 Black-tailed godwits and 46 Pintail the pick here. Final stop at the Corse just before dusk. The Marsh harrier was still busy covering the western side of the reedbed. The other Great egret was stalking along a ditch beside a concrete water trough on the inland side beyond the pines, before flying closer towards dusk, 3-4 Little egrets were moving around, at one time it looked like they were heading out to sea but turned around, and a Cattle egret appeared after sunset and settled on a little rushy island just out from the hide. A female Hen harrier put in two appearances, on the second it was joined by a smaller ringtail, with both flying side by side for a few minutes before they drifted inland and lost to sight. Annoyingly I had been following the female harrier in the scope as it approached from Starmans end giving nice views as it drew nearer but had gone to the binoculars as it came closer and only then noticed the second bird coming in to join it, frustratingly by which time, given the failing light neither Paul or I could get anything more apart from it being clearly a lighter bird.

St Davids Airfield

This afternoon - 11th. Intermittent and distant views through the reeds of two whooper swans on the far, unfrozen, edge of the ponds - farm in the background. Two wigeon also present.

Robert & Jenny Briggs.

Plumstone Mountain Crossbills

A group of about 10-12 Crossbills were in the upper part of the forestry plantation on the edge of  Plumstone Mountain this morning. Numerous other birds were also present in and around the forestry included some Siskin, Redwings and a Fieldfare.

Gann / Marloes Mere

A short walk at the Gann after a bout of Covid this afternoon, it was good to see the sun and breathe in the fresh air!  Plenty of Wigeon and Teal, and a single Great-crested Grebe in the bay.  A yellow colour-ringed Med Gull (AZ.UK) was a new one for me, although I am expecting it to have been ringed at Rehbach Gravel Pit, near Leipzig, Germany (all of the previous eight yellow ringed birds at the Gann were all from there: AL.HE (now AS.UJ), AL.JA, AL.LP, AT.HT, AZ.HV, AZ.PA, AZ.US, AZ.UT.

Had a quick look at Marloes Mere, basically as Krystal describes (including a Marsh Harrier).  I did spot a lone Canada Goose at the western end from the car park that looked a bit different (small(ish), shorter necked, shorter billed?) so I traipsed west to have a closer look. Not entirely sure what it is: there was no other geese to compare it to!

Orielton Decoy and Crickmarren Pond

WEBS a few days early - there were actually some birds on the decoy, 3 cormorants, 3 mallard, 2 moorhens and a BHG.

Crickmarren was lovely in the sunshine - it's a place of contrasts with some deep shade. The great white egret was having a preen, enabling new views of this bird. Little grebe 1, grey heron 4, moorhen, mallard, teal, gadwall 4 -  and a new species for me here, a pair of shoveler. 

"Did anyone see that?"

Marloes Mere

From Krystal King: 5 tufted duck in the pool close to the path and bird hide. Plenty of shoveler, wigeon and mallard further out, amusing to watch them waddling in the frozen sections of the Mere. Coots and little grebes. I'd say close to 200 lapwing in the sheep fields beyond the wetlands, looking fabulous but being a bit boring. Marsh Harrier took a few fly overs. Beautiful morning, but soooooo cold, even with a hot water bottle! Here are a few (poor) pics. 

Castlemartin Corse

Marsh harrier (3CY♀), buzzard  and great white egret at the inland end. Red kite at both ends, 1 or 2. Alan Merrett was in the hide. Lots of ducks in that area, at least 70 shoveler and 6 wigeon, probably 300 teal. Two water rail scrabbling about near the hide, I managed to take an excellent shot of stock netting with purple blurs behind. David O's 3 whoopers dropped in again, flying in from the west, stayed about half an hour and then flew back west. Two of the three posed prettily. 

A flock of 90-100 stock doves were flying around the low fields at Gupton, flew across to the Kilpaison side after a particularly loud burst of gunfire from the Range. 

Waxwings - Teifi Marshes

Three Waxwings as yesterday on the Teifi Marshes - mobile around main  track in both counties

Castlemartin Corse

A relatively quiet day on the corse. Early on a ringtail Hen Harrier shot down the corse and then, half an hour later, back up the hedge line. A Marsh Harrier was present throughout but kept mainly to the eastern end. I retired late morning to thaw out and, having done so, returned later in the afternoon - at which time 3 Whooper Swans flew in from the north and landed on the open water. They stayed for about an hour and a half before taking off to fly eastwards.