Brief encounters on Sunday 12th and Monday 13 Dec

During timed-tetrad visits to the southern fringes of the Preselis on Sunday, chaffinches were fairly numerous but winter thrushes (redwings and fieldfares) relatively scarce. Small flocks of lapwing were obvious in several fields feeding with starlings and thrushes. The highlight of the morning being small flocks of crossbill (including at least 4 territorial singing males) on the edge of Glynaeron forest.

On Monday, during an early morning drive over the Preselis, on route to Rhos Lawr Cwrt, Ceredigion, with CCW colleagues Phil Newman, Mark Burton and Stewart Ryan, we were fortunate to see (all too briefly) a handsome adult male hen harrier just ahead of our car, flying low across the road in an easterly direction at Bwlch-gwynt. If we had been just a few seconds earlier or later, we would have missed it.

A bit earlier (0800 hrs) near Haverfordwest a few thousand starlings were much more obvious - they seemed to be coming away from the Dudwell roost area.