Some recent observations in south Pembs - including yellow wag passage today

Noting the recent wonderful images of wood warblers prompted me to consider them following my recent BBS first (early) visit to a 1km square taking in part of Minwear Wood. My last weekends count of 8 singing males was the highest I have had there in 5 seasons in this particular location. Mind you it is all really a matter of timing. In my first BBS year (2006) the count was done on 17th April (too early for most Wood warblers to have returned by then). Pretty well all the other first visit counts have been within a few days either side of beginning of May so perhaps the population is going to be higher this year - time will tell!

I was surprised to see (hear) that wrens and goldcrests were not really that much down on other years. At this site there was no real indication of a winter-induced slump in numbers (based on the same area visited and counted the same way each year).

I always enjoy watching treecreepers and looking for their nest sites. One nest in the Leat wood, Blackpool Mill, will probably not appeal to many photographers though, being about 30 foot up, behind ivy! Soft, rotten bark excavated from an equally high rot-hole was being collected to form part of the nest-lining.

My first visits to chough territories in South Pembs have been somewhat disappointing. So far the breeding population (based on occupied nests by end of April) is down quite significantly on the Castlemartin peninsula - by about 40% - the lowest breeding population recorded here for some 20-30 years! Three wet summers may have influenced poor survival of juvs, so there has not been much recent recruitment. The 2008/09 short cold snap possibly had a negative affect and this winter (frozen ground) and possibly the cold dry March (inverts may have been hard to find) seems to have taken quite a toll. We now need a warm dry summer to hopefully help a good productive chough breeding season, followed by better post-fledging survival!

I wonder if tufted ducks may be attempting to breed at Bosherston Lakes this year? A pair were around in early April, the male is still here patrolling - hopefully we shall see something? On the other hand a pair of Canada Geese were resting on Central Lake today - behaving as if they owned the place - not a good sign!

First LT Tit brood noted fledged at Stackpole today (close to where I found early nest-building late this winter). Are they going to have another good year?

Migrants coming through Stackpole today included a small passage of yellow wagtails. They seem to pass through quite regularly at Stackpole in early May. Of at least 4 I saw well, feeding near the coast path this morning, all were males of the flavissima race.

Bob