Stackpole today

Checked the kestrel nest site, it has failed; a week ago female incubating 4 eggs, today female on fence away from nest which was empty. No sign of the male for a few days now.

Seabirds counted - the first round of several planned for next 3 weeks. Interesting that occupied fulmar sites were down by 40%, razorbill numbers also low and like fulmar totally absent from some sub-colony sections checked, though guillemot numbers were quite high for the time of year. A few puffins on the Head but evening is best time to see them. Herring and LBB gull numbers were about the same as last year - plenty of small chicks but lower/beach nests all washed out. Its early days though - final totals for auks and fulmars later in June.

Swift numbers in cliffs along Castlemartin coast seem to be quite high this year; numbers of cliff-nesting house martins also high - prob 200+ pairs along the Castlemartin coast. I can still only be sure of one green woodpecker (a male) but female is hopefully on a nest. Great spotted woodpeckers breeding well - at at least 3 sites, young in nests incredibly noisy.

Fewer wheatears nesting this year but first young have recently fledged.