St Davids  Leucistic Blackbird

 Blackbird at St Davids Golf Course Summer 23

There they were... gone!

At last the recent gales had calmed down and yesterday I revisited the site where I had witnessed a communal Red Kite roost a couple of days ago. As dusk approached i scanned the sky but no kites I waited on until it was almost too dark to see and nothing! Had they been displaced from elsewhere or just passing through? send answers on a blank signed cheque! Still no sign of any kites last evening, very strange!

Leucistic Blackbird

From Phil Spence: Interesting to see the photo of the Leucistic Blackbird at The Croft,Tenby on the 15th.

I attach a photo I took on my iPhone from the same spot in November 2021.

I see the bird regularly and now have a male Blackbird in my Tenby garden (close to The Croft) with white eye rings. I wonder if they are related?

 

The 2025 Heathland Breeding Birds Survey

The BTO and RSPB have recently launched a national heathland breeding birds species survey, some 20 years after the last survey was undertaken. The prime target species for our region are Dartford Warbler and Nightjar.

The survey aims to cover selected 1km squares with potentially suitable habitat that could support the target species. Records of other important heathland bird species are also required. These include cuckoo, wheatear, stonechat, grasshopper warbler, tree pipit and linnet.

The link below provides more information and details about this important survey: https://www.bto.org/our-science/projects/heathland-birds-survey?dm_i=1L9X%2C8RX1Z%2C659SXK%2C10HJPH%2C1

Here is a link to the "request a square" page: https://app.bto.org/heathland/square/request_square.jsp?%40=2

A big thanks to those who have already registered for the survey and have been allocated squares.

The BTO have yet to provide 1km square details for the nightjar component, but these are expected soon.

Willow Tits Pantmaenog

 Willow tits calling at Pantmaenog this morning, 2 birds possibly 3 feeding with more vocal coal tits. Additionally one male redpoll and several siskin.

Bit of a surprise!

While at a N Pembs site at around dusk on Saturday, I saw a kite coming towards me and then another and another. The first went into a tree followed by at least forteen others. It was getting pretty dark, there could have been more, in what I suppose must be a communal roost. The weather has not been conducive to follow up, but I have to say, I was quite pleased!

Delayed postings from Steve the Manchester Birder (in Spam)

15th Jan

On a quick visit to Tenby this morning looking for any Black Redstarts that I have seen on previous January visits I came across this Leusitic Blackbird in the public gardens opposite the Croft overlooking North Beach.  There was also a couple of Rock Pipits around the Bandstand overlooking St Catherine's island 

17th Jan

I visited Dowrog late yesterday afternoon seeing 2 harriers.  1 was definitely a Ring tail.  The  2nd despite it going dark seemed a paler bird but cannot confirm it was the Pallid.  Other birds 1 sparrowhawk.  1 Woodcock, 12 Redwings, bit quieter than I was expecting but definitely not disappointed . Never am.  

I have had a Male Bullfinch visiting the garden of the cottage I'm staying at in Saundersfoot. Sadly back to Manchester tomorrow morning.  

SPRING WALK ON THE GANN AND MARLOES MERE

 

Castlemartin Corse

The upper section below the church held plenty of water but no wetland birds at all apart from two little egrets. A 2CY female peregrine bombed through. Water levels up again around the hide area - the tunnel leading to the outfall on the beach is blocked with trashed reed which was not removed, we are told - whatever, it's resulted in an excellent winter for wildfowl on the Corse. Numbers of wigeon, teal, mallard, shoveler and pintail similar to on our WEBS count, I didn't attempt a count. Lots of snipe in the field nearest the pines, and I too (cf our WEBS count) nearly trod on a jack snipe. 200 lapwing and 4-500 golden plover [? - I haven't yet tried to count the dots in the photo, I may be way out] feeding with outwintering cattle on Chapel Farm, the next farm east from Gupton. A Cetti's was singing up the little scrubby valley, about 400m S of the Corse. I flushed a water rail while crossing the ditch, lovely close view. Two marsh harriers - ad female, and 2CY bird probably female. The juv whooper and two mutes were still there. 

Memories of Ian - those Sea Empress flights Bob mentioned (I was the newbie in the team). I took a party of UK and Spanish work camp volunteers from Stackpole to Ramsey for a trip on a day off circa 2000, the return boat never showed, Ian coming to the rescue in the RSPB boat was a welcome sight. Terrible news, my condolences also.

Those golden plover. A Cetti's was singing up the little valley.

Juv whooper in the lead

Wigeon, pintail, teal

Dartford Warbler

 A female or immature male at Pen Anglas this afternoon.  50 + Common Dolphins off shore.

North Pembs

 From Jack Williams - Productive day around sites in Pembrokeshire.

Goodwick harbour-2 Male Goldeneye, 6 Med gull, 4 kittiwake, 2 Red throated diver, 1 Great northern diver, 1 Great crested grebe and 1 Ringed plover with 10 turnstone.

Whitchurch village- Female type Black redstart flitting around by the church.

Nothing much at Newgale  Beach/Campsite or solva harbour.

Trefeiddan, St. Davids- Juv Iceland gull by the pond and then headed towards the farmers fields near pencarnan campsite. Male Hen Harrier hunted for a good 30 minutes and a Merlin putting up lots of snipe and few Teal.

Ian Bullock - A Ramsey Stalwart

I would like to echo Bob's sentiments below regarding the very sad news of Ian's passing. Ian was Site Manager (then called Pembrokeshire Warden) for Ramsey and Grassholm for 10 years, from the time the RSPB took over the island in 1993 to 2003.

Apart from his many other achievements on the island, he was instrumental in the rat eradication project, arguably the single most significant ecological project to have ever taken place on Ramsey. Over the years I kept him informed of progress and he was always delighted to hear the fruits of his considerable endeavour were paying off handsomely. The Manx Shearwater population in particular has benefited, increasing from less than 800 pairs the year before the eradication in 1998, to over 6,000 pairs at our last survey in 2021.

On a personal note, Ian was a huge help to me when I first started on Ramsey. The handover with my predecessor had been cut short and, thrown in at the deep end, I received enormous support and advice from Ian in those early weeks and months. No phone call or email with a request for help and advice was too much and that unselfish act of kindness will always live with me. From one islander to another, I salute you.

So from a personal viewpoint, and that of the RSPB, I would like to extend our sincere condolences to Gill, Heulwen and the rest of Ian's family at this difficult time.

 

Ian Bullock

We've had some very sad news (via David Astins) which I (Bob) cannot quite take in, that Ian Bullock (a former RSPB warden of Ramsey, a great naturalist and all round decent bloke) has died. 

My first contact with Ian was back in the late 1970s when I was managing NNRs in Breconshire and he was looking after the South Stack area on Anglesey for the RSPB if I recall. We were both interested in choughs and we did a short joint note of our individual observations of choughs being attracted to burnt heathland habitat for food (his observations on Anglesey and mine on the Calf of Man). The note was published in British Birds. 

I got to know Ian well when I moved to Pembs and he moved to Ramsey. Ian was a member (as was I) of the then Wildlife Trusts grandly-titled Pembrokeshire Ornithological Research Committee (PORC). His  contributions to PORC and to knowledge about choughs, to aid their conservation, were immense. He was organiser of the 1982 national chough survey (see Bullock et al. 1983. The chough in Britain and Ireland, British Birds 76  (9) pp 377-401. 

During the Sea Empress (1996) Ian myself and others were at the coal face. I'll never forget those flights over Carmarthen Bay and elsewhere looking for scoters and other seabirds that were likely to be affected by the oil spill. Ian came into his own navigating us along transects to count the scoter flocks in his own measured, calm, confident and inimitable way.

There is so much more that could be said about Ian. His loss to natural history in Pembs is considerable. Our thoughts right now go to his partner Gill at this very sad time.  

Sandy Haven - caravan park road , and Lydstep

 From David Ramsey - Winter Thrush fest at field by sports ground; 20ish Redwing, 5 Blackbird, 2 Song Thrush and Fieldfare. Further down, field by new double gates; Well over 1000s of Lapwing, 100s Golden plover, 40-50 Curlew, 10 Stock dove.

I didn't have my scope so probably other species too. Its worth a good look. All seemed quite relaxed feeding and sitting. 

 

From Carl Mitchell- Lydstep Haven (SS091979) 14:00 21/1/2025 Juvenile Great Northern Diver

Red throated diver - Ceibwr Bay

 One red throated diver at Ceibwr this afternoon during a chilly WinGS count, also a rock pipit and 2 oystercatchers. 53 herring gulls still on the water at dusk along with 3 black headed gulls, 1 common gull and 1 great black backed gull on a rocky outcrop. 

Fishguard Outer Breakwater

The annual walk around the breakwater, organised by the Wildlife Trust; Mid Pembs Group in conjunction with the Bird Group, took place this morning. c60 keen bird and animal observers braved the chill on an otherwise very promising day in terms of good visibility and calm sea state. A few porpoises and a seal on the north side of the breakwater were a welcome start but after that sightings of marine mammals were limited. Other mammal news - we found what we thought to be otter spraint at the start of the breakwater on the north side - at the start and at the base of the high wall extending west from the breakwater.

By the end of the walk a good variety of birds had showed themselves albeit observers at the front of the group undoubtably saw a different selection to those at the back. Some of the birds such as the divers seemed to appear later, after the morning's boat activity in the harbour had died down. The following list combines Clive H's with mine.

Cormorant 2+, Shag 1, BH Gull 50+, Kittiwake 2+, Common Gull 2+, Herring Gull 2+, GBB Gull 3,  Red-throated Diver 3, Great Northern Diver 2, Common Scoter 3, Guillemot 15+, Turnstone 1, Dunlin 4+, Sanderling 1, Oystercatcher 10+, Curlew 3, Robin 1, Black Redstart 1, Rock Pipit 3+, Carrion Crow 1, Rook 1.

Thanks once again to Dave Ramsey for organising the event both beforehand and on the day.

                                                    A wing stretch in between dives. 

The Gann

A cold Easterly wind kept me from loitering for too long, an Eider duck on the high tide river by the footbridge was the only highlight & an entertaining six Long tailed tits at the car park were nice to see. Other birds were three Shelduck, c150 Lapwing, c80 Wigeon & the " resident" Shag. Otherwise quiet.

 

Minwear matinee murmuration returns! 15-17/1/25

After apparently abandoning the reed bed roost opposite the Minwear woods view point in early December the starling roost is back, but this time in conifers about 0.5 km to the west at approx SN047135.

They put on an impressive display as they crossed the river from the north, sometimes in very long, thick, undulating, boa-like rivers of black! Took a good 10 minutes for them all to cross....50,000 birds?? The roost is just south of the road, difficult to view once they are down but very noisy!

On Wednesday the streaming flocks were closely shadowed by the menacing presence of 2 Goshawks which followed them over the trees! and on Thursday a Peregrine was in on the act..plus another brief appearance by a Goshawk.

Other birds of interest included a pair of Shelduck, a nice flotilla 10 Goosanders (3 males), kingfisher, Greenshank, 65 Redshank, 3 Little Grebes, a small flock of Lapwing overhead, a Little Egret, Mistle Thrush and Song Thrushes in good voice.

St Davids peninsula walks yesterday and today & some belated Castlemartin peninsula observations

We did some long walks between Whitesands and Abereiddi yesterday morning and between Porth Clais and Newgale today. A ring-tail hen harrier was hunting over the St Davids Head area yesterday and ravens were displaying near nest-sites, but it was generally quiet for birds, including far fewer thrushes compared with December when we did similar walks. 

Today there were 2 smart adult yellow-legged gulls in Solva Harbour, along with 3 Mediterranean gulls (2 adults and a 2CY bird), 20+ common gulls, 100+ black-headed gulls, 30+ herring gulls, plus small numbers of lesser black-backed and great black backed gulls. Fulmars were on the cliffs near St Nons. Small numbers of chough seen were mostly pairs feeding close to their breeding sites. 

Raptors today included kestrels near Solva, and Cwm-bach, 2 red kites hunting along the coast and 3 peregrines (2 males and a female) displaying over the A487. Three greylags flew up from the south and headed inland near Penycwm. A small flock of 10 common scoters was feeding close to the shore near Cwm-bach. On the beach here there were at least 40 common gulls (mixed ages) resting with other gulls. 

[Some of us will be out checking potential gulls roosts for the national Winter Gull roost survey (WinGS) over the weekend].

Last Sunday, not less than 3 merlins were hunting in separate parts of the Castlemartin peninsula and  razorbills were back at breeding crevices in a few places. 

Sadly, the recent cold snap most probably contributed to the demise of a 20-year old female chough (ringed as nestling by Bob). She was raised at Stackpole, but had spent most of her adult breeding life at Linney Head. Her predated remains (and a couple of her colour-rings) were found by Castlemartin Ranger Lynne Houlston last Saturday.

The old female chough (upper ringed bird) with her partner, during better times. She had reared many young during her 20-year life-span.

 

Newport

 Green winged teal and water pipit both still upstream of bridge at Newport this afternoon. Red throated diver in the bay . 

Crossbills

 A group of 40+ Crossbills feeding on pine cones at Pantmaenog this afternoon also a fly over flock of 22 Fieldfares

Dipper, Lower Fishguard

From Paul Fraser. Lone dipper on rock just below the road bridge in Lower Fishguard, was there for over 5 mins viewed at 1600 today from car parked in harbour car park, Curlew feeding in harbour on the low tide. 

Newport Estuary

 Water pipit 1

Green winged teal 

Both by the bridge 

Little egret 3

Oystercatcher 10

Ring plover 15

Dunlin 15

Curlew 100

Hook - Great Northern Diver

 A Great Northern Diver fishing at the mouth of Sprinkle Pill this evening. The wintering Peregrine put the Golden Plover and Dunlin flocks to wing, the Golden Plovers now numbering in excess of 4000 birds. 

North Pembs

At 1630  flock of 12 swans passed, came from south and headed East for fishguard too foggy and distant so see what they were. (Rob Johns - Pen Caer)

On Sunday morning a Cattle Egret seen flying along the Ceredigion side of the Teifi estuary. Later presumably the same Cattle Egret was photographed on the Reserve flying towards Cilgerran Gorge. Most "local" Herons and Egrets roost up river of the Gorge.

Dowrog - Harriers

The now 3CY Pallid Harrier swept through the Dowrog at 16-30h, heading south. Before and after this a male Hen Harrier showed a few times, hunting both north-east and south west of the viewing road. A ringtail Hen Harrier showed earlier a few times amongst the bushes to the north-east of the road. Other raptors - Kestrel, Sparrowhawk and Red Kite.

At about 15-00h a single Whooper Swan, no doubt the one reported below by Lyndon, flew over the fields to the north of Dowrog and dropped into a smaller pond to the south east of Penberry pond.

St. Brides Bay - Divers

A quick scan of the southern inner bay from Littlehaven. Large numbers of Red-throated Diver, I stopped counting at 25, plus a Great Northern Diver and a Black-throated Diver. A few scattered flocks of Common Scoter. At Broadhaven, 4 Purple Sandpipers at their usual location of Emmet Rock.

Marloes Mere

A couple of hours around dusk turned up a Ringtail hen harrier, it flushed a flock of linnet from the fields behind the Britton hide before hunting around Trehills side until the light went. A female Pintail, 7 Gadwall and the 6 Tufted duck. A Woodcock in front of the car just before Dreenhill.

Whooper Swan

 

Whooper swan on Penberry Pond this morning

Rosebush and Llys-y-fran

Good to see Alison at Rosebush doing her WEBs. 8 Tufted duck was as good as it got here. Llys-y-fran wasn't much better. A pair of Pochard at the top end the pick. Gull-wise a really frustrating roost with just 150 LBB, 80 HG, 50 BH gull on the water at 3:30pm. Gulls would drift in and looked to settle before constantly getting up and going back to the fields. Final counts around 4:30pm were 1500 LBB, 1200 HG, 850 BH gull, 4 Yellow-legged gulls, 4 Common gull and a marauding GBB. The gulls left it very late to come in to roost as they often do in calmer conditions with the biggest concentrations up by the hide (unfortunately with light going and bank side cover it was impossible to view or make a count). 2 Great spotted woodpecker were hammering away on either side of the reservoir. 300+ Canada geese dropped on to the reservoir briefly before going back to the fields and didn't reappear before I left just before 5pm.

WeBS Castlemartin Corse

Thanks to David Ord, Richard and Rob for helping with todays count.

David and Rob had a Black Tailed Godwit and Curlew on their walk up the corse, along with Fieldfare. 

The highlight for me, as Richard and I walked down to hide, was I nearly trod on a Jack Snipe!

Rob spotted sparrowhawk bombing through while we were in the hide. A total of 3 Buzzards and 2 Marsh Harriers made up the rest of the raptors.

As Toby reported recently there are a large number (for the corse) of Pintail present, though we only got our count to 19. Our other counts for the ducks were 80 Shoveller, 80 Mallard, 80 Wigieon and 240 Teal.

The young Whooper Swan is still hanging out with the 2 Mute Swans. 

There were 4 Little Egret on the upper section along with 4 Greylag. We also had 2 Common Gull, 42 Herring Gull and 43 Black Headed Gull. 

Our Golden Plover count was again low this month at 29! 

Other birds included 250 Lapwing, 81 Snipe, 3 Moorhen, 2 Little Grebe, 3 Pied Wagtail, 1 Grey Wagtail and a couple of Water Rail were heard in the reedbed. 

Somehow the resident Grey Heron for the second time has eluded the WeBS count and we failed to hear the usual Cettis warblers today!

Lone Lapwing that landed near hide

Take off! Pintail making their exit

Whooper still present

One of the two Marsh Harriers

Pemboke Castle Pond

Male Bull Finch by old building used as boat store near the slip way, moving in and out of the ivy near the steps at the side of the building. we walk round the pond at least twice a week and this is our first sighting of a Bull Finch in the area around the Castle.

Carole & Paul Fraser.

More Goosanders onTeifi and Marloes Stuff

Another six Goosanders were on the river at the Welsh Wildlife Centre this afternoon, four males and two females, along with a lonesome male Goldeneye. One pair of the Goosanders were doing some displaying. The ponds were frozen, so birds were on the river, four Curlew, two Black-tailed Godwit and about ten Snipe, along with over 200 Teal and a few gulls.

Yesterday afternoon at Marloes Mere a Barn Owl was hunting  over the northern edge and a ring-tail Hen Harrier flew from Runwayskiln westwards over fields south of the hide. Five Tufted Ducks and two pairs of Gadwall were on the unfrozen part of the mere. About 250 Lapwing were in a turnip field with with sheep to the west. Off Wooltack Point a single Gannet was circling over four porpoises and a few Kittiwakes were flying low over the waves. At least four auks were on the water, but too far out to be identified without a scope.

Higgins Well Haverfordwest

 2 pairs of Goosander and a female Goldeneye at Higgins Well yesterday afternoon.

Goosanders.

 For the first time since the corresponding date in 2010.Four at Westfield Pill first thing this morning.

Yellowhammer

From David Meanwell: 

In a friends garden at Whitehart crossroads Dale Road a single yellowhammer today. Hopefully the first of the 5/6 that usually gather on their lawn.

Slavonian Grebe

Slavonian Grebe still at Kilpaison today (Paul Warren)

Hook

Just starting to see the product of the cold weather now. 2 Blackcaps in the garden this morning, the first visiting here since July.

Haverfordwest

 Nice to see a female type Black Redstart on the roofs at St. Martins Church hall this morning seemed to be going towards the old chapel that’s currently being worked on.

Angle Bay & Bosherston

 A quick look around these two sites this afternoon. Much the same as reported recently with the following additions:

Angle Bay (West),  a large flock (at least 78 birds) of Black-tailed Godwits.

Bosherston: a female Goldeneye and female Pochard on the western arm. A candidate for a sinensis Cormorant on the eastern arm.

Castlemartin Corse yesterday

Footnote to others' obs from the Corse yesterday (it's amazing how many birders can visit the Corse without meeting) - I had a look at the upstream section below Castlemartin Church. Still a bit of standing water but not much, very few ducks. There were 15 greylags, about 180 lapwing and about 110 golden plover, 3 little egrets and 1 grey heron. 16 herring gulls and 10 black-headed. Also 1 curlew and 1 black-tailed godwit in the field.

Fishguard outer breakwater visit

 

Little Haven

From Bryn Burgess:

3 Red Throated Diver off the Point at Little Haven this morning (1110 hrs)

The Gann

Early afternoon yesterday.  Several dogs & walkers around so quiet birdwise,  the only interest being a fishing Shag on the lagoon & a colour ringed GBB Gull W433 (?)

 

Bits and pieces over the last several days

Glorious weather tempted us to go over to Freshwater West for a change.  Annie visited the Castlemartin Corse and Gupton area, whilst I had a look at Broomhill and Kilpaison Burrows. Three Marsh Harriers were seen plus two red kites. Several stock doves were also noted over the farmland. Two choughs were feeding (as usual) in the damp fields near Starmans Hall. A small flock of 6 lapwings flew over the Angle road  and around 50 fieldfares were feeding with a similar number of redwings in Kilpaison Burrows but it seemed fairly quiet for waders otherwise (compared to some previous winter visits).

Yesterday afternoon, we briefly visited Pembroke Millpond to see if there were any more ringed Black-headed Gulls there. We noted two metal ringed adults (one ringed on the left leg; one ringed on the right leg) but they were never close enough to determine any details. The likely over-wintering blue colour-ringed TJJ7 (now a 2CY) from Poland was still present. We also noted red-ringed 2C19, an adult which had been ringed in north Norfolk in 2022. We recorded it previously at the Millpond back in December 2023. There were around 20 little grebes on the middle pond and a kingfisher flew down Pembroke River from the Castle Pond, but there was not much else of note.

2C19 turned up at the Millpond in December 2023 too

During the last few days we also noted similar species and numbers of birds to Toby at Angle Bay, Angle Harbour and at Bosherston, where there were six goosanders (4 males and 2 females) in the lower eastern arm on 29^th Dec. A male blackcap was near the birdfeeders alongside the upper east arm path. The otters were again very much in evidence.

Numbers of goosander (and other ducks) have been poor so far this winter at Bosherston

At Cosheston Pill yesterday, there were around 70 Black-tailed Godwits feeding along the tidal edge, a few days earlier there had been 103 present there.

At Landshipping on 29^th there were around 1,000 Dunlin feeding on the Eastern Cleddau shore, plus several hundred golden plovers and 500 or so lapwings. Higher up the estuary there were at least 500-600 teal and 200+ Canada Geese and 20 greylags.

Perhaps the short cold-snap will bring in some more lapwings and golden plovers etc.

Wishing everyone a very Happy New Year!

South Pembs (again)

A day out in the south of the county today with the aim of seeing as many species as I could. In total I managed 98 species. 

Starting at Castlemartin Corse: lots of ducks (Teal, Wigeon, Shoveler and 23+ Pintail), 2 Marsh Harriers, Little Grebe and a juvenile Whooper Swan with 3 Mute Swan. Lots of Skylarks, Linnets, Chaffinches and Goldfinches in nearby fields on the walk out. 

Freshwater West reef had 2 Grey Plover in a quick look. 

 

Angle Bay (village side) - waders roosting at high tide: 18 Black-tailed Godwit, 4 Turnstone, c200 Dunlin, 3 Ringed Plover, 1 Greenshank, 20 Redshank, 8 Curlew, 20 Oystercatcher. 

Offshore: 4 Great Crested Grebe, 10 Cormorant and the Slavonian Grebe still. 

Elsewhere in the sunshine a Siskin, Chiffchaff and an elusive Black Redstart around the houses out to the Old Point House. 

Slavonian Grebe 

Roscrowther shore on the falling tide: 7 Knot, 7 Bar-tailed Godwit, 1 Greenshank, 150+ Wigeon, 25 Brent Geese (24 Pale-bellied, 1 Dark-bellied), 13 Oystercatcher and 200 Dunlin (same as seen at Angle).

Castlemartin Range West: 62 Golden Plover. 

Bosherston Ponds (Stackpole Court to 8 Arch bridge): Tufted Duck, 4 Goosander, 8 Coot, 10 Moorhen, 6 Cormorant, 3 Mute Swan, 12 Mallard. 2 Chiffchaff in the reedbed. Plus at least one Otter. 

Freshwater East fields (quick look): 1 Yellowhammer, 50+ Skylark, hundreds of corvids. 

Tenby South Beach: 3 Ringed Plover, 3 Oystercatcher on beach, 3 Great Northern Divers offshore. 

Tenby North Beach: 1 Purple Sandpiper, 2 Turnstone, 2 Oystercatcher on the Lifeboat station ramp.

Amroth: Common Scoters, 2 Red-breasted Merganser, 25 Red-throated Diver, 7 Great Crested Grebe, 400+ Black-headed Gulls roosting on the sea. Dipper on the stream by the Amroth Arms Pub. 

Llanteg: Woodcock and 3 Snipe over at dusk. 

The Gann

From Bryn Burgess: The Gann 2/1/25  0900 - 1020hrs

A beautiful crisp morning with no wind.

A Common Eider and Great Crested Grebe in the bay.  On the pools: Oycs 30, Kingfisher, L Grebe 5, Wigeon at least 37, 7 Teal, Redshank 4, Greenshank 4, a Bar - Tailed Godwit, Snipe 2, 2 L Egret c100 Lapwing in flight, single Moorhen and Sparrowhawk (m), Curlew 69 on the marsh & field behind.  Also a Red Kite seen  from the car just before the pools.

Hen Harrier

Ringtail Hen Harrier foraging close to the Fishguard Road N of Ty Rhyg yesterday afternoon. (Den Vaughan)

Newport estuary

 Green winged teal male 

Teal 50

Mediterranean gull 1 ad

Sparrowhawk male 

Little egret 4

Little grebe 5

Curlew 25