Not much but...

A Kite seen off the A40 near the "Corner Post" pub between Scleddau and H/west late afternoon, moving west (21/12/11) may have bee...

One last look...

At the Gann this afternoon, only 8 Brent, 14 Wigeon, 19 Turnstones, 15 Dunlin, 4-5 Goldeneye 4 Little Grebe, 1 ad Med Gull. Earlier at Sandy...

Tresinwen (31 Dec 11)

1 Short Eared Owl hunting after 4pm tonight (after the low cloud finally lifted a little).  Hunting over sheep fields between Tresinwen and ...

Ramsey - Little Gulls

2 Little Gulls in Ramsey Sound this morning - 1 adult winter and 1 1st winter

Marloes Peninsula

There seem to be around 1,500 Lapwings in the fields just south of Trehill Farm at the moment. Very hard to count with any degree of certain...

Pembroke Mill Pond

Hi,there was a smart male R-b Merganser on Pembroke mill pond at about 4.20 this pm.He was diving close to the road bridge near the bread-...

Water Pipit @ Newgale

A veritable Pipit-fest on the campsite at Newgale this morning with a Water Pipit, 11 Rock Pipits and 7 Meadow Pipits. Poor light and not e...

St.Davids Airfield

A mid morning walk round the Airfield produced two Short-eared Owls and Peregrine. No sign yet of the Shoveler that normally Winter on Vache...

Strumble

A seawatch at Strumble this morning (08:55 - 11:10) didn't produce anything unusual, best spectacle went to the auks (most were Guillemo...

Ramsey

4 Balearic shearwaters off the north end of the island in a feeding frenzy that formed in the same area as yesterday on the ebb tide. 4 gann...

Glaucous Gull

1 imm. in fields between Scleddau an Fishguard this afternoon. (Ed Hunter)

Tresinwen (29 Dec 11)

Short sea watch from the garden this morning before horizontal rain stopped play produced streams of Auks flying West and one Juv Pomarine S...

Plumstone Mountain last night

Another astonishing spectacle as thousands of starlings flew in almost continuous carpets of birds to roost. No aerial displays, they just f...

Tresinwen (28 Dec 11)

Over the last 4 days, in very poor weather, I have been studying the Owls here to try to understand where they like to hunt.  There is one f...

Glaucous Gull

A trip down south this morning to search Carmarthen Bay produced a single Eider at Amroth, and between here and Wiseman's Bridge at leas...

The Gann

200 meters out at low tide & blowing a gale - to concur with Dave, Brents now 34, 4 Grey Plover, in amongst some 500 B/H/Gulls I counte...

Ramsey Sound 27th Dec - Med Gulls, little gulls, divers etc

From St Justinan end, watching for several hours, noted usual "resident?" mixed small gull flocks feeding in the tide-race mostly ...

Ramsey - Balearics

Quick seawatch from 10:40-11:40. Highlights were 3 Balearic shearwaters and 6 gannets. Also a flock of 40 teal and auks passing at a rate of...

Great Grey Shrike - Pantmaenog

GGS was relocated up the valley beyond Pantmaenog House, SN087316 it flitted along the path infront of me eventually moving between the tall...

Pembroke Dock & Bosherston

From Dean Maiden - 30+ Black Tailed Godwits, 10 Shellduck and a Mallard or ten down at Warrior Way in Pembroke Dock today feeding on the b...

Mandarin & Gann

A walk at Westfield Pill this morning finally produced the female Mandarin, half way up the pill on the right hand (east) side in front of t...

Tresinwen (27 Dec 11)

Another sea watch and another Owl watch.... On the sea watching front, from the bottom of the garden, the Manx and at least 4 dark Balearics...

Cold Turkey...

The desire to break free of the vicious circle of Pinot Noir, dark chocolate & other blood pressurising foods, found me taking a walk fr...

Newgale / Goultrop

Had a look at Newgale marsh, plenty of gulls coming & going, no RBG, but another one of those LBB/Herring crosses, with so much streakin...

Newport

An excellent view of a single black tailed godwit from close to Newport Boat Club (2.00 p.m.), about 15 ringed plovers and a number of tu...

Tresinwen (26 Dec 11) (The Long & Short of it)

In between prolonged periods of horizontal rain this afternoon I tried to do some sea watching from the bottom of the garden.  Lots of birds...

Ring-billed Gull

A brief stop at Newgale Marsh this morning was rewarded with an adult Ring-billed Gull bathing on the flood, after a few minutes it flew off...

Brents & Meds

A late morning walk at Blackpool Mill produced 3 Dippers and a selection of woodland birds including Marsh Tit and Nuthatch. And lots of dr...

Newport, Teifi.....

Newport;- Gulls.......and c1000 at Newport this morning, surprisingly c800 Black-headed. 1 adult Med. and c50 Common Gulls alongside the l...

Westfield Pill.Mandarin Duck Records.

Still present this morning,and likely to remain until the end of winter.This site has claimed the majority of Pembrokeshire records.The firs...

Tresinwen (24 Dec 11)

Tried to see whether the Short Eared Owl was still present (see blog 2 weeks ago).  While scanning from the bottom of the garden just after ...

Merlin

A Merlin flew west over Westfield Pill this morning, sadly no sign of the Mandarin (again). At Newgale Marsh this afternoon an impressive 9...

Happy Christmas!

Happy Christmas to all from Pembrokeshire Birds. Many thanks to all contributors. Enjoy the festivities and good birding in 2012! Click on t...

Black Redstart

Still present at Pembroke Dock - feeding in the covered slipway, good views, a lovely little bird. Won`t see him until Jan 3rd, hope he`s st...

GP

There was a large flock of GPs in their usual spot between Frenni Fach & F-Fawr this morning. Unfortunately we were running late so an e...

Newport

A hop (not a skip, yet..) down to the boat club found ~ 9 Ringed Plover, 4 Dunlin, 1 Barwit, 5 Turnstone, 1 GC Grebe.

Black Redstart & Others

Still present today at Pembroke Dock. also 3 Woodcock flew over betwwen the 2 Cleddau bridges around dusk. 1 Barn Owl, close to the Old Haki...

Hooded Crow

A Hoodie flew over Carn Llidi at 11:20am, heading Sw out towards Porthmelgan and the Head. No idea how far it went but could well be in the ...

Ramsey Sound - sooty shearwater, little gulls, Med gulls and colour-ringed kittiwake

The local feeding flock of several hundred small gulls in Ramsey Sound included mainly kittiwakes and black-headed gulls but also several co...

Hen Harrier

Cracking view of male hen harrier this morning on the north side of the angle road right opposite the Freshwater West turning. Took off fro...

Eider at Amroth

An Eider was off the rocks at the eastern end of Amroth at high tide this morning. From Amroth to Wiseman's Bridge - at least 60 Red-thr...

Pantmaenog and Ty Rhyg

Pantmaenog - Kite and kestrel beneath Cwmcerwyn Brief look in at Ty Rhyg - Great Grey Shrike very distant to north side SN056300, kestrel an...

Plumstone Harriers...

At least 4 Hen Harriers at Plumstone Mountain tonight. 2 males and 2 females were trying their luck. There might have been more but light ...

Another Black Redstart

From Melanie Felton in Monkton - I don't know if this bird is of any interest but she has been in and around my front drive and deck in ...

9 Wells

Down Nine Wells Valley today a party of Long-tailed Tits had some 'hangers on', namely 3 Goldcrests and a Chiffchaff. After a very w...

Black Redstart

The male still around the workshops at Pembroke Dock today.

GPs

Many small groups of golden plover all heading west (towards the Frenni) passing over here in pretty poor weather conditions after lunch. Gr...

Black Redstart

From Trystan Parry - walking along the clifftops from Barafundle to Broadhaven yesterday (Sunday 18th) and had a suprise male black redstar...

Strumble..

From first light to 9:40;- Red Throated Diver 34 inc two flocks of 6 and two of 5 Great Northern Diver 3 (plus another probable) Black Th...

WeBS and Westfield Pill

My WeBS count at Hook/Sprinkle Pill was bird filled this afternoon, with a total of 4,663 waterbirds counted including: Lapwing 1,580 Golden...

Bosherston, Angle

At Bosherston this morning a Bittern showing briefly in the reed bed up by Broadhaven Beach. Also on the ponds 13 Goosander and a Kingfisher...

Westfield Pill.

The female Mandarin has returned for the third winter running.

Ramsey

A dunlin on one of the central ponds this morning was an unusual winter record out here. Woodcock today also. Three short eared owls hunting...

Water Pipit at Pennar

Found by Paul G on Thursday, a Water Pipit on the north shore of the Pembroke River at Pennar again this afternoon. It was feeding along th...

Strumble Head 17th Dec 10.00 - 15.00

Wind : NW 6 Wigeon - 1 Common Scoter - 37 ( 15F ) Scaup - 2 ( Pair ) Red Throated Diver - 19 Black Throated Diver - 2 Great Northern Diver -...

Strumble Hd

An hour's watch 10:00 -11:00 at Strumble today produced a Great Northern Diver, 9 Red Throated Divers and 19 Common Scoter. There was a ...

Castlemartin & Angle

Plenty of Lapwing scattered about over Castlemartin Corse this morning - over 900 in all. Also 130 Golden Plover, 48 Curlew and on the flood...

redpoll

In over 20 years we have only had one visit (that I am aware of) from redpoll to the feeders, so I am particularly pleased to have 2 (m &...

Fishguard Outer Breakwater catch up to date

Been a bit busy so a bit of a catch up.  On Monday with quite a gale blowing from the wast I had a look at the outer breakwater and found th...

Nov 2008 Fishguard OBW

Snow Buntings - name that subspecies!

Top - Dale Airfield September 2011 Bottom - Traeth Llyfyn January 2011 Over to Mike & Paul!

Angle

The wind was howling in at Kilpaison this morning and with no birds visible from the shelter of the car I went round to Angle Harbour where ...

Black Redstart

The male I saw in our workshop last week has turned up on the covered slipway, right next to the fabrication shops. The boys tell me it`s be...

Snow Buntings follow up

I've received a number of helpful comments and ideas, particularly from Paul Grennard, regarding Snow B's and he put me on to a shor...

Great Northern Divers

Cwm yr Eglwys bay; 1 yesterday morning, 2 this morning.

Snow Buntings

In response to Mike Y-P's comments, the Pembrokeshire Avifauna entry on the origin of UK Snow Buntings is based on the information co...

Ramsey - snow buntings

A flock of 4 snow buntings went over this morning (heading west but may have come down). Black redstart 2 days ago around the farm

St Davids Hd

A Snow Bunting this a.m. again but different to the 2 on 9th. A 1st yr male or ad female based on grey-brown in wing coverts. Again a bright...

Fishguard outer breakwater snow bunting update

This afternon my dogs flushed three snow buntings, seemed to be two males plus one jv/female. They flew up, hesitated a bit and then headed ...

Guillemots at Stack Rocks

Several hundred Guillemots visited Stack Rocks today, 95% in summer plumage, and with a few 'bridled' individuals present.  Otherwis...

Plumstone roost

This evening: 5 Hen Harriers including 2 males, 2 Peregrines, Merlin, Sparrowhawk and Kestrel. The Starlings very impressive.

St. Bride's Bay

A short jaunt out in the cold this afternoon with Paul G, found a handful of Common Scoter at Druidston, around 40 at Broad Haven, and a fur...

Male Hen Harrier

Has to be the same bird as I saw yesterday, this time 1/2 a mile east, quatering the fields on the cliff top between Linsway & Monkhaven...

WOW!!! half a million visits!

I was pretty chuffed when the "Whales in Wales" blog passed the 50,000 mark of individual visits, but I just noticed Pembrokeshire...

Hybrid Gulls

Following Graham's comment, I've found the original paper by Mike Harris, and put the summary on the Avifauna as well as a link to ...

Tresinwen (11 Dec 11)

Short Eared Owl hunting coastal fields behind Tresinwen between 1030 and 1100.  No doubt hungry after the wet night last night.  My first fr...

Ramsey Sound

Another six hrs were spent watching the sound near St Justinan today. A few hundred black-headed gulls, dozens of kittiwakes and small numbe...

Lower Town.

Viewed from the end of the harbour~ 2 Great Crested Grebes, 2 f Common Scoter, 1 Great Northern Diver. Jordonstone~ c250 Lapwings. Janet &am...

Hybrid Gulls

Info sent in by Graham Rees (who is unable to post on the blog direct at present) with a useful link - M.P.Harris conducted cross fostering ...

Male Hen Harrier, Gt Northern Diver

A stroll from St Ishmaels to Monkhaven, via Musslewick this afternoon produced these two fine birds. The Diver was a target & I was plea...

GP

100 or so Golden plover this morning flying east from the Frenni direction; do they roost there & fly into Carmarthenshire for the day. ...

More snow buntings

CB A quick look at the outer breakwater today, revealed two jittery snow buntings. So, sorry not the best of shots but in common with Mikes ...

Those Hybrid Gulls

Its not quite so simple as a single hybrid type as the Skokholm experiments are 40 years ago which means that the progeny of the egg swaps s...

Snow B's etc

The etc was a Red Kite at Sealyham and a Water Rail running across the road nr Penberi. The Golden Plovers and Lapwings still along the Glas...

Lyndon's Larid

Looks certain to be a hybrid HG x LBBG - mantle colour is spot on for HG, the brightness of the bill points to LBBG, obviously the leg colou...

Hybrid gulls..........

This photo taken in 2005 was discussed at the time as a Herring x Lesser Bb Gull hybrid (Lyndon L.)

Hybrid gulls..........

I have just read with interest the recent postings about the possibility of Herring/LBB gull hybrids and looked at Derek's picture. On...

Green Sandpiper

A green sandpiper in Carew Cheriton this afternoon. (6th December) I've seen them in autumn over the years at Radford Pill or upstream ...

Strumble

I watched from 1500 to 1620 (the later part of the watch aided by a bright moon!) with winds around F6 WNW and large rollers crashing onto M...

Various sites in the north

At Heathfield GP the Cetti's Warbler still present, it gives a single call frequently and once a bubbling kind of trill but no song so p...

Black Redstart

A male in the workshops, where I work at Pemroke Dock- flitting between the overhead cranes. I noticed him at 1:25pm & opened the roller...

Strumble and Milford Haven

A watch at Strumble from 08:30-10:30 this morning produced a single Bonxie, two Great Northern Divers, one Black-throated Diver, four Red-th...

Miscellaneous - British Birds - Digital SLR

Seeing Derek's recent gull image and Dave Astins comments re possible hybrid reminded us of a probable hybrid lesser x herring that bred...

Martin's Haven 4-6 December

A bit of a round-up of the last few days. Good numbers of Skylarks and Choughs on the fields of Trehill Farm, the latter regularly exceeding...

Strumble Head 5th Dec 10.00-13.00

Wind : NW 3-4 Common Scoter - 26 ( 3f ) Balearic Shearwater - 1 Red Throated Diver - 8 Pom Skua - 1 ( Juv ) Grey Phalarope - 1 ( Probably 2 ...

Med Gull AATL

Derek Grimwood emailed me about a colour-ringed Med Gull seen in Ramsey Sound on 1/12 – Green AATL. Following the fitting of its plast...

Teifi - Light-bellied Brent Goose

1 Still at the Webley yesterday with increasing numbers of Wigeon. 19 Dunlin, and 11 Ringed Plover on Patch.........otherwise a windy estuary.

Derek's Larid

Looks like some sort of hybrid LBBG & HG - not quite right for a Yellow-legged Gull (DA & PG conferring via e-mail!). Interesting n...

More from Strumble

A half-hour spent at Strumble around 1500 revealed a second pomarine skua - and a Lesser Whiskered Walrus: nice to see him again! There was...

Strumble and Dowrog

A 90 minute watch between 08:45-10:15 this morning produced one Bonxie, one Pomarine Skua, and four Red-throated Divers of note.  At the oth...

Marloes Mere

This rather dark Herring Gull (?) on the Mere this afternoon, having just read Dave`s post got me thinking..... Anythoughts ? 2 Merlin, c20...

Spoonbill - Sandy Haven

Out and about with Paul today the highlight was a Spoonbill in the creek below the chapel at Sandy Haven, very close to the road. Unfortuna...

Ramsey - Little Gull

1st winter Little Gull feeding with BH gull's just off the harbour this morning. 2 short-eared owls yesterday.

Great Grey Shrike - Ty Rhyg

Pleased to reacquaint myself with the shrike around midday today - keeping very distant on north side of track.

Strumble -- Sabine's Gull

Late on parade as usual ! 08:30 Clive H had a juvenile Sabine's fly past close in. Other December delights followed;- (0830-1015) inclu...

5th December Pembs Bird Group

The last PBG meeting of 2011 will be held next Monday evening starting at 7.30pm at the patch, Furzy park, haverfordwest. ‘The Xmas Bash’. ...

Bosherston Pools

The 2 Bitterns were showing well first thing at the edge of the reed bed at Stackpole Court. 1 flew a short distance into the open where it ...

Med Gull AATL in Ramsey Sound

Things were pretty quiet in Ramsey Sound, although numbers of razorbills and guillemots are increasing.  Lots of gulls passing through, and ...

Castlemartin & Angle

On Castlemartin Corse this morning good numbers of Lapwing & Golden Plover with 700+ & 600+ respectively. A few Teal & Wigeon on...

Teifi from The Webley

A quick reply as usual from The Severn Estuary Gull Group with details of a Lesser Black-backed gull I spotted on Tuesday. Blue ALS was ring...

Angle area

A party of 34 Pale-bellied Brent Geese was at Kilpaison this morning, and three adult Mediterranean Gulls were in the fields to the south of...

Harriers - Dowrog

Tuesday afternoon;- 2 male Hen Harriers, also 1 female, and 1 ring-tail .. a likely juvenile. 1 Short-eared Owl. (Jan Morris)

Strumble & Dowrog

Paul G & I undertook a seawatch from 8am to 11.30, joined by Wdigbirder & Rich D from 10am, totals included: Pomarine Skua 3 juvs (1...

The Gann at last light

Following in the heels of Kim, 12 L/B Brent, 3-4 of which looked juvs, 5 Redshank, 5 Ringed Plover, Common Gulls, B/H/Gulls, 1 Bartail.........

Various

A Mute Swan on the mudflats at the Gann was somewhat unusual, a smattering of Brent geese were also in attendance, heading towards Sandy Hav...

Hen Harrier - Watwick

Hen Harrier (female) snatching a skylark/chaffinch from stubble field above Watwick. Flushed about 50 skylarks and 20 chaffinch, managing to...

PembsBirdgroup Conference 26Nov2011

Many thanks to the Valero refinery at Pembroke for again hosting our annual conference and to all those who helped, came to or were involved...

City News

A most unusual sighting this morning by Jonathan B., a group of 7 Choughs feeding in amongst the Canada Geese on the bank side of Penberry P...

Pembrokeshire Avifauna

Congratulations to the Pembrokeshire Avifauna Committee - Graham Rees, Steve Sutcliffe, Bob & Annie Haycock, Jane Hodges - on Pembrokesh...

Pembrokeshire Bird Conference and Avifauna

Thanks to everyone who supported the Pembrokeshire Bird Conference today.  Those who weren't there missed a good day out! The beginnings...

Nordic Jackdaw & fun at the "Court of Crows"

The Nordic Jackdaw paid a brief visit to my garden feeders this morning, no doubt it's around the Dale Road/Furzy Park area somewhere. A...

Preseli Woodlands

Had a good look through Glynaeron and Pantmaenog with a quick check at Ty Rhyg. Very little of note apart from Red Kite over Glynaeron and s...

Ringtail Harrier

1, at Mullock Bridge marsh, 1 Merlin there also.

Newport

I stopped briefly by the Iron Bridge this morning and saw a Red Kite (on the white House side of the river) It's LHS outer tail feather...

Lapwings

Flock of 194 Lapwing and a lone Golden Plover in field just north of Rosepool on B4327 Dale Road, also large flock of Wood Pigeon in valley ...

Colour-ringed Little Egret

The bird I recorded at Sprinkle Pill on Saturday was ringed as a nestling in Bangor on 5th June 2011.

Dale airfield

Very blustery stroll from Kete to airfield. Peregrine ploughing through flock of bh gulls near West Dale. Large flock of Chaffinch (50+) in ...

merlin

A merlin seen in Frenni Fach area Wed lunchtime.

Eider

Not an award winning pic I know but as the Eider were so close inshore today (despite the low tide) I was able to take some digi-scope shots...

A windy 6 hrs watching Ramsey Sound

As part of a weekly input to the Ramsey Sound "tidal energy project", it is always interesting to see what flies through the sound...

Eider at Amroth

2 juvenile Eider still at Amroth first thing this morning, showing very well close inshore viewed from opposite Amroth Castle.  Very few sc...

Newport

10.15 ~ 13 pale belly Brents from the Boat Club. Sam Baxter.

Flagpoles 15.30 22nd Nov

7 Pale Bellied Brent Geese & Fishguards regular visitor Med Gull 3E71 back again.

Llys y Fran

Llys y Fran Peregrine, Red Kite, Sparrowhawk Little Grebe 3, Mallard 12, Teal 8'ish, Goldeneye 1 Ty Rhyg Female kestrel, Red Kite (could...

Strumble -- Pom plus....

0745-0845; 4 Pale-bellied Brent Geese, 14 Common Scoter, 1 Great Northern Diver, 1 Red-throated Diver, 1 juvenile Pomarine Skua, 2 Med. Gull...

Eiders -- Amroth

1 imm male and a female off the eastern end of Amroth c11:00 this am. (John & Marion)

Outer breakwater snow buntings and BTD.

Hi Rich, its difficult to keep tabs on the snow buntings but so far, I have seen several birds. A minimum of five on Friday in a group that ...

R T Diver, Saundersfoot

From Peter Cadogan visiting from Cheltenham -There was a red throated diver in Saundersfoot this morning (21st).  A dipper on the stream at ...

Teifi

WeBS over the weekend held no surprises. The Canada Goose flock is now up to 1,200 with 2 Bar-headed Geese, 2 Snow Geese and 49 Barnacles. T...

Solva

Merlin put up 38 snipe along St Elvis stretch. 2 chough. Rabbits galore with two buzzards out on the hunt. 1,000s of starlings on the telegr...

Strumble Head 09.45 - 11.45 21st Nov.

Wind : SW , very slight. Brent Goose - 6 ( Dark Bellied ) Common Scoter - 12 ( 10 M , 2 F ) Red Throated Diver - 1 Great Northern Diver - 1 ...

Llys-y-fran Resevoir & bits

Very low numbers of waterfowl at Rosebush & Llys-y-fran resrs....not unexpected. Black-headed Gulls numbers were a surprise though, with...

Skomer

2 Hen Harriers came in to roost tonight - juv male & female, but only saw 5 Short-eared Owls. That's it from Skomer this year, we...

Plumstone mountain roost

A great variety of raptors at Plumstone late this afternoon. 3 Hen Harriers (1 male) came in to roost, 1 Goshawk, 1 Sparrowhawk, 2 Peregrine...

Dowrog roost

Four Hen Harriers (two male and two female) came into roost at Dowrog between 15:50 and 16:30, waited until 17:00 but no sign of any Short-e...

Common Gulls

Took a late afternoon stroll around the fields between Trewarren farm & the Gann, hoping to find something - what did surprise me somew...

Out & about

Broad Haven: female Velvet Scoter with around 140 Common Scoter (in 2 flocks) also a drake Pochard and a drake Wigeon St. Bride's: 2 Bla...

This morning from Jonathon B

Jonathon had a great morning at St Justinians with a female (type) Black Redstart on the RNLI Station hand rail, a Merlin flying towards Ram...

Richard's Pipit & WeBS

Pleased to find a Richard's Pipit this afternoon at Marloes Mere. It was in the long grass/stubble field behind the Britton Hide, and t...

Mixed Bag

Early this morning a male Ring Ouzel showed briefly on a roadside post near the lay by’s at St Justinians whilst later as the sun was settin...

Skomer

Nice to be able to do a bit of birding again! Highlight of the day was a flock of 19 Short-eared Owls I flushed out of a 50m patch of bracke...

Freshwater West

A Great Black-backed Gull picking clean a Seal pup carcas on the beach at Freshwater West this morning. In the dunes the other side of the r...

Shrike alight

Ty Rhyg 8.20am - Great Grey Shrike (Shrike 1), south side of track. SN054296. Pantmaenog 9.00am - no sign of GGS in usual spot by paddock. 1...

Llanstadwell.

Neither the Scandanavian Rock Pipit,or the Whimbrel could be found this morning,but two Red Breasted Merganser added to this weeks unexpecte...

Marloes Mere

2 Ringtail Harriers this morning - 1 flew off East. Wigeon & Teal in good numbers, but all ducking & diving because of the Harrier. ...