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.