tetrad-bashing in SM92

Walked through several tetrads during a four-hour stroll whilst Annie watched the sea (where very few birds were seen) at Ramsey Sound for three hours. Despite blustery winds it was nice to find between Wolfscastle and Little Newcastle yellowhammers on territory; dippers at two separate locations on the Cleddau (including fledged young); grey wagtails feeding young in one location; red kite hunting near Little Newcastle; several stock doves on territory, treecreeper breeding (feeding young) in a crevice in the stonework of a bridge; grasshopper warbler singing in scrub patch; good numbers of whitethroats around (including a few nests with young). Along some good low hedgerows territories seemed to be approx every 150-200 metres. No cuckoos heard though and no spotted flycs seen in potentially good habitat for them.

Several sand martins were seen over farmland (no-where near any water) and seemingly still on migration. It was nice to see a farm-house with not less than 16 house martin nests (some birds back and prospecting) rather than noting anti-house martin deterrents that seem to be appearing more and more on houses that used to have martin nests in the past.

Overall, quite a few recently fledged young were seen - mostly robins, blackbirds, song thrushes, dunnocks, mistle thrushes, long-tailed tits etc. It seems that the resident species at least may be benefiting from the good spell of weather!