Checks of chough sites along the whole of south Pembs coast from Tenby to Fresh West revealed 25 pairs (21 on Castlemartin peninsula); at least 23 pairs are feeding young. Its pleasing to know that probably our oldest male chough (resident at Trewent Point) is now at least 16 years old (he was ringed as a full grown bird in winter 1992/93). He is still going strong and feeding young as well as chasing off the local ravens as usual; even for a male chough he is noticeably quite a large bird.
Ringed plovers have 2 chicks at Castlemartin, but over two days I could only see one adult looking after them, hopefully the other bird is on a second clutch and not dead.
Peregrines are having a dreadful season in south Pembs and at some other more northern coastal and quarry sites I have checked. Very few around with many sites/territories apparently unoccupied. This weekends weather will not have helped!
Concerning raptors, noted on the Atlas "bird of the day" page today that, unlike most of the rest of Wales we have not apparently recorded any goshawks in Pembrokeshire so far in the breeding season (see map below).
For my part I must say I haven't confirmed any yet in usual areas I see them, have they also had a bad spring? if you know of any, then please put them on the Atlas as roving records or via BirdTrack if you can.
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