A circuit around the coast at Stackpole and Bosherston Lakes Eastern Arm this morning was generally quiet bird-wise. A pair of ravens (likely to be egg-laying soon at a traditional coastal site) kept a close eye on us, but they found a bit of time to relax and undertake some mutual preening. A pair of choughs were also in a regular breeding territory. Two reed buntings were on a Stackpole Warren fence above the lake but, apart from good numbers of jackdaws, herring gulls etc, the coast was fairly quiet. We also found a small pile of woodcock feathers in the dunes, presumably having been predated by something recently. Waterfowl were also few, although probably the same 7 goosanders (5 males and 2 females) were present on the Eastern Arm.
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| Male and female goosanders at Bosherston Lakes East Arm where, so far, numbers this winter seem to have been quite modest compared to those in some previous winters |
In the afternoon, we made another visit to Pembroke Castle and Middle Millponds. There was a lot of exposed mud again for a time in the Castle Pond. We noted 44 black-tailed godwits (a resting flock of 37 plus 7 individuals feeding) before the area flooded again at high tide, by which time and all had left the area.
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| Some of a resting flock of 37. All left in the direction of Pembroke Dock-Cosheston as the levels rose |
The male red-breasted merganser was still present on the Castle Pond, as was the female goosander who, for a while, was busy feeding in the outlet channel below the castle. There was no sign at all of a male goosander reported a few days ago. A kingfisher was perched near the roadside outlet for a while. It might have been the bird seen later at a usual resting place on the far shore, opposite Barnards Tower on the Middle Pond.
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| For a while, the goosander was closely watched by a black-headed gull, hoping to snatch a quick meal |
The overwintering male blackcap was chuntering away again below the Castle wall this afternoon, in more regular song, perhaps stimulated by nearby blackbirds in full song.
Numbers of black-headed gulls are clearly lower now than they were earlier in the winter. Today there were also several (returning) adult lesser black-backed gulls present. All bar one had typical smart breeding plumage with bright yellow tarsi. The tarsi of one individual (possibly a young breeding age adult?) were a much less bright, more greenish-yellow, intermediate between the bright yellow of a typical adult and the tarsi colour of a 2nd winter bird.
The drake shoveler was still present. At one point he swam across towards us and started to feed right in front of us, at one point almost too close to photograph.
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| A very inquisitive shoveler |