Swifts etc - S Pembs

Matt Lister (NT Stackpole) has reported to me this week that his swifts are back. He noted them breeding last August in the roof of his house on edge of Pembroke. He thinks there are four pairs breeding in his and adjacent houses this year. There are still quite a few over the main part of town and presumably breeding.

Also noted them entering buildings recently in traditional building nest-sites in Tenby. The cliff-nesting birds at Stackpole, St Govan's Hd and Stack Rocks are still present and apparently breeding but possibly in slightly reduced numbers? Hopefully they are responding to the recent warm spell. From behaviour I guess most are incubating eggs now. Trouble is we don't know how many there are anyway and by day many are tucked out of site in crevices of course. In the evenings though they seem to be fairly active.

Fledgling choughs are now starting to appear and it will be interesting to see what emerges following a reduction in the breeding population (especially along the limestone cliffs) this year.