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.