Ramsey Chough and Lapwing

The final late chough nest fledged a few days ago and it has been a record year for productivity. 22 young from 7 pairs - 3.14 per pair (the first time it has been over 3)

Our 2 pair of Lapwings managed to get 2 young away between them - so the best year for some time!

106 pairs of wheatear (same as last year!) and 78 pairs of Linnet (a record) also of note

Fulmar - 302 AOS (250 in 2010)
Kittiwake - 206 AON (191 in 2010)
Guillemot study plots - average of 1518 individuals (1259 in 2010)
Razorbill study plots - average of 401 individuals (278 in 2010)
Full seabird counts due in 2012

Herring Gulls

It looks like all the seabirds are doing well this year - an early season and lots of big Shag and Cormorant chicks (Shag success on Midland 3.89 chicks per pair) and all the auks are bringing loads of food in.

On Caldey the Herring Gulls have had an awful season - just 115 chicks ringed from 700 nests which equates to just 0.16 chicks per pair. BUT some chicks were too big to approach - we think about 22 and some may have hidden well in the grass so it will be better than that but less than 0.25 chicks per pair. One of the worst seasons ever.

We guess that the reason is that really bad Sunday about three weeks ago when it rained heavily all day and there was also lots of wind. The chicks would have been about a week old then and just a bit big for parents to shelter well so may have succumbed to the cold and then the bodies would have been quickly disposed of by the rats. There were also quite a lot of well built empty nests around which had clearly never hatched chicks so its a bit of a mystery.

Just to put things in context too the counts came in at just over 2000 pairs about 10% down on 2010 but the colony is still one of the largest in the UK and an important breeding location for this Red Listed species.

Stack Rocks Rock

Wonderful conditions at Stack Rocks this evening with the evening light shining onto the Guillemot colony and a strong breeze for them to fly into for landing. Much noise and birds flying back and forth and judging by the amount of fish being brought in there must be plenty of young, though they are very hard to find. Spot one in the pic below (click on photo for larger image). Hundreds of birds on the water as well, loafing, preening and fishing. An amazing spectacle..........and I was the only birder there! As with the Skomer birds a couple of weeks and the stacks will be deserted. For information on visiting Stack Rocks click here .

Swifts

Nine Swifts in and out of two holes in two houses at Maes Curig ,Newport. Karen

Skomer at full blast

A great trip to Skomer today on a warm, sunny day. Puffin activity really at full blast with birds returning with bills full of Sandeels - I wonder how many tons they bring in each day? Good views too of Razorbills and Guillemots in North Haven and loads of loafing Puffins. Catch it while you can as in a few short weeks they will all be gone. The recent excellent Springwatch programmes from Skomer have brought the crowds in so go early to get a place on the boats.

A thing of beauty !

The first Adult Med. Gull back at the Flagpoles earlier , with 2 1st summer birds , one sporting a green colour ring unfortunately just too distant to be read.The picture doesn't really do it justice i'm afraid , it was an absolute cracker !

More from the North

Newport;-
17:00 the 1st juv Black-headed Gull I've seen this post breeding season.
Teifi;-
St. Dogmael's Quay, 77 Curlew, 1 juvenile Little Egret, 33 Mute Swans, 1 juv Bh Gull with c20 older Bh Gulls.
Jewsons, 8 Mute Swans, 7 juv Shelduck.

Marshes, last night, c80 hirundines going to roost, Sunday night c300 hirundines went to roost I estimate c200 were Sand Martins. Also Sunday night Water Rail calling.

See Teifi Ringing Group for a Willow Warbler from Portland and other ringing activities.

Tenby Terns

From David Perry - 6 Common Terns fishing off Tenby South Beach, likewise a pair of Gannets having great fishing. Sunday: 2x kestrel on Castlemartin Range harrying a small bird in flight, very odd behaviour. 4 Swifts over range
And from Steve Thomas news of a Med Gull on Saundersfoot Beach on Monday.

More signs of autumn....

The first returning willow warbler of the autumn appeared last week, plus 4 today. 30 swift heading south over the past 2 days.

Black-headed Gulls

Black-headed Gulls breed in Ceredigion, so not far away. Last recorded breeding in Pembrokeshire in 1970.

City news

A bit on the quiet side just now, but Grasshopper Warblers are still reeling on Trefeiddan and on the track down to Pencarnan we saw Lesser Whitethroats carrying food. It seems With young mouths to feed they become far less secretive. On the coast path near the Lifeboat station we had a close encounter of the Kestrel kind.

Looks like autumn could nearly be here

Lots of Scoter (males) passing between Ramsey and Grassholm today and yesterday, also small groups of Sandwich terns, lots of Puffins, Manxies etc also lots of Porpoise and Common Dolphin

Gann this morning - questions

A surprise - about 25 Whimbrel feeding enthusiastically. Echoing RDs post of a few days ago, going or coming? I would hazard a guess that with the recent southerly airstream they are probably heading north - maybe young birds just playing around with the breeding and migration thing??

And another question - there were 8 adult Black-headed Gulls and one juvenile (what strange looking things they are) - where from? Where is the nearest breeding site??

Well at least there was something to look at.

Rosemary

At Holyland Wood, Pembroke - is it plane? is it a bird? No its quite a nice butterfly plus a bumblebee relatively new to Pembrokeshire

Today, after doing a training event with Pembroke 21c, we ventured down to Holyland Wood where, earlier in the summer, we had recorded birds and bumblebees, including discovery of the presence of tree bumblebees Bombus hypnorum (a colonist of the UK from mainland Europe since 2001, spreading north and west having reached Pembrokeshire some time in the last year or so). This species breeds in tree holes and will often take up residence in bird nest boxes, so its worth checking your nest boxes for this species! We couldn't find any more today but believe John Hayes has found them in a nest box in the Pembroke area.

We did have another nice invertebrate find though, a recently emerged white-letter hairstreak butterfly on the edge of the car park in Holyland Wood, present no doubt due to the magnificent elm trees that are growing well there (elm being the food plant of the caterpillar). They nectar on bramble, thistles etc near elm trees so its well worth the while looking in suitable places during the next few weeks that they are on the wing to see if any more colonies are around.


Not too much to report on the bird front but we did hear a willow tit calling on the edge of the wetland near Holyland Wood, which was nice. Later this afternoon at Martletwy, we noted an adult male goshawk carrying prey along the edge of a wood towards a likely breeding location (where we last saw them displaying a few years ago). So nice to be able to get out recording on a warm, sunny and relatively calm day.

Autumn already on Skomer?

At least 1 Common Sandpiper calling in the rain in North Haven a few minutes ago

Med. Gulls Flagpoles

Med. Gulls , 4 1st Summer birds at 17.30 & 5 very noisy adult Sandwich Terns on the very quick dog walk due to the conditions.( but all credit to Bella for making me go out ! )

Quail

One Quail still in the barley. Didn`t hear any more calling while I was there. Heard @12:20 along with skylark,yellowhammer,and feeding sandmartins. Lots of fledged house sparrows and linnets in the hedge.

Caldey

More on yesterday's Herring Gull ringing / productivity later...but 10 Turnstones on the south of the island. On a late May visit SJS had 20+ Sanderlings too.

See Teifi Ringing Group for more, and an update on Skokhom colour-ringed Puffins.

Quail

Up here, in very quiet Nth. Pembs , two Quail were heard this morning in barley fields close to Pantgwyn. On checking this evening,with Karen, one was heard briefly so we will check again in the morning.
Janet A.

Red Kite

Yesterday, around 5pm, 1 bird above the Sandy Haven/Rickeston area.

Newport Tues pm

5 Whimbrels over. Coming or going?

Starlings

A very quiet Teifi at the moment, still very few juvenile Shelduck about...
Following the news from The City, 10 Starlings came in to roost on the Teifi marsh on Sunday night....with c100 Swallows, surely more signs of early breeding success?

Butterfly Recorders in Pembrokeshire

As we enter that time of year when the birding scene quietens down for a few weeks many birders turn their attention to other flying creatures such as Dragonflies and Butterflies.
Butterfly Conservation are trying to increase the amount of records from South Wales and Paul Warren, the new Butterfly & Moth Recorder for Pembrokeshire, has asked if local birders would be prepared to record their butterfly sightings on recording forms which he can send to you. If you can help please contact Paul for forms at - paul.warren@rocketmail.com

City news

All it took was a bit of bright sunshine to transform one of our resident Starlings into a real bobby dazzler. They usually breed in the neighbourhood, but we haven't seen any young in the garden so far this year.

South Pembs choughs; quail nr Hayscastle and a plea for owl breeding records

Noted recent comments about choughs fledging on Ramsey etc. So far the season appears not so rosy on the Limestone in south Pembs. Of just 13 pairs known to be nesting on Castlemartin peninsula and apparently feeding young at the nest in May, so far we know of only five of these that have fledged young, though 2 or 3 are still to fledge something (if a bit late). The first young fledged by about 4th June which was good but mortality seems to have hit quite hard already with a few pairs that may have fledged young in early June now on their own with no signs of young around.

On the Old Red Sandstone though things may be a bit better. At least 5 pairs have fledged young from five known sites - including three successful on the Angle peninsula where there has also been a small regular party of 6-8 non-breeding birds (paired up) most of the spring and early summer. Here it seems that winter and spring-feeding may have been much better on the coastal slopes than it may have been on the limestone.

Although the weather in April was great and enabled a good early start to breeding chough, the cold drying winds in May/early June may have had an impact. The cliff-edge vegetation became very parched in quite a few places and so possibly soil invertebrates might have been impacted? What ever the reason, fledging success so far seems not to have been so great on the limestone - for the second/third year running.

Whilst out doing tetrads in Hayscastle area last Thursday, it was nice to come across a calling quail in a large corn field - presumably there are others around now? Also good numbers of yellowhammers in the same area and on the coast between Little Haven and Talbenny area.

This is the last summer for the current UK bird Atlas. Do you know of any barn or tawny owls fledging anywhere in the County? If so please add records to the Atlas. There are, for example, no records of tawny owls breeding at all in 10 km sq SM83 or SM92. Do know if there are any resident in those squares? Also confirmed breeding evidence is needed for 10 km squares SM80, SM82, SM93, SN04 and SS19. So if you have any observations please let us know.

Hedgehopping and flying high...

Over the past few days all sorts of our resident birds have been fledgeing their young with Goldfinches Greenfinches, Bullfinches and House Sparrows all flitting around the hedgerows around house in Pencair. Early morning today a summer plumage Black Headed Gull at Fishguard Harbour.
On the way to Ramsay today two tatty kites were circling high above the valley between Porthclais and St Davids, presumably some of the recent influx still hanging around. Lets hope some of them stick around and find terretories for next year. On Ramsay, it was relly great to see lots of fledgeling Wheaters and also a Blackbird feeding young.

Chough and Dartfords

News from Bethan Evans of Dartford Warbler sightings at two locations in the north of the county yesterday. This morning I had brief views of 2 Dartfords at a site in the south of the county. Seems we have a small population well spread through Pembrokeshire.
At Manorbier today an adult Chough feeding a juvenile bird.

2 Spoonbills @ Marloes Mere

2 today, news from Mervyn.

Little Egret - Skomer

1 In North Haven, Skomer, 06:40 this morning.
(Dave B)

Brynberian Whinchat

A look at a different part of Brynberian Moor for a change this afternoon was rewarding. Accessing the moor from SN120 351 near Crosswell and heading towards Carn Goedog good views were had of 2 Whinchat.
Also Wheatear, Lesser Whitethroats, Common Whitethroats, Stonechats and Skylarks.
The highlight though was finding at least 6 Southern Damselflies quite localised around SN122 346.

The Teifi -- Med. Gull

Today;-
Sanderling, Ringed Plover & Dunlin all present in front of the Webley...
the best count of 3 Sanderling made from a passing boat (Paul M)
Yesterday(sat);-
1 1st summer Med. Gull at the Webley with 17 Black-headed Gulls.
Patch, 4 Dunlin, 6 Ringed Plover.

Pembrokeshire Bird Report 2010

A reminder that the 2010 Pembrokeshire Bird Report is now out and what better way to spend a miserable,rainy day than leafing through the report to see what was spotted in Pembrokeshire last year. Click on the Bird Report link on the right for details of how to obtain a copy.
Well done and thanks to recorders Jon Green & Steve Berry, sub editors Adrian Rogers & Clive Hurford, the observers who submitted records and all those involved in getting the report together and published.

The Teifi to Senegal

This evening on Patch, 2 nice summer plumage Sanderling, 2 Dunlin, and 7 Ringed Plover. Still 7 juvenile Shelduck at Jewsons. Observations over recent evenings have shown that we have far more Swifts feeding over the marsh than in previous years.

See the Teifi Ringing Group for a map of our latest Sedge Warbler recovery, 1 of 3 foreign recoveries of Sedge Warblers we received today...........

St Govan's

A male Wheatear with two fledged young at St Govan's this morning. No sign of the female - perhaps busy with a second brood? Otherwise pretty quiet with a few Linnets and Stonechats about but the strong wind was keeping the birds down.

Ramsey Lapwing and Chough

In response to the below....just 2 pairs again this year. Both failed with first attempt (as usual) but both pairs look to have relaid. They usually have more success with 2nd attempt so fingers crossed.

On a more positive note chough continue to do very well this year with 5 of the 6 nests having young out now with numbers from each being 4, 4, 4 and 3. The 5th are out of nest but in a crevice so not sure how many young yet. 6th pair still in nest. A 7th breeding pair failed and there were 2 further non breeding territotial pairs this year.

Kilpaison

1 pair of Lapwings trying hard to raise young in a bund, are there any on Ramsey ?
1 1st summer Common Gull on the shore, and an adult Gannet in the bay.
(Pembs & Teifi RG)

Ramsey chough

First young fledged on 12/6 (4 from that site) plus another 2 sites yesterday (3 and 2 young resp) - another 3 sites still to go.

European Bee-eater -- Skomer

West over Skomer, 1545 this afternoon.........
(Ben Sheldon Matt Wood.....& Dave B)

Newport

4 Gannets fishing close to the shore, 2 Swifts, 3 pairs of Shelduck still without young (or that I have'nt seen yet).

Teifi, Puffins and thoughts

Teifi;-
Some typical mid June counts, 2 Dunlin, 34 Oystercatchers, 23 Curlew, 25 Black- headed Gulls all roosting along the Pembs side. The well grown 4 juvenile Shelduck still doing well but no other young? 250 Canada Geese.
The highlight of week-end ringing. a very old Reed Warbler, see Teifi Ringing Group for more, and details of Puffin ringing on Skokholm.

Thoughts (Strumblings with Adrian);-
Is this Reed Warbler's longevity success due to it being a pioneer of a new migration strategy?
Is it wintering somewhere closer? Some European Blackcap wintering patterns have changed in our lifetime..are other species adapting too?

Marloes Mere

Following yesterday`s encouragement from Wendy & Richard, I hauled myself out to the Mere in some inclement weather.

Quiet. Just a few Hirundines - however - 15 Dunlin in summer finery took of from somewhere & flew over the hide. Interesting......

Godwits -- Marloes Mere

Watch this place !!
4 Black-tailed Godwits, at least 2 of the birds in full summer plumage, (the other 2, we were looking into the sun !)
They have been here since the 8th........ and with the water being used for irrigation, shallows abound...what next ??
(Wendy J & Rich D)

Stack Rocks

Loads of activity at Stack Rocks today with the Guillemots bringing in fish and feeding young. GBB and Herring Gulls trying to find a way into the colony. Well worth a visit in the next couple of weeks - before we know it they will all be gone.

Cuckoos

From Helen Aspden - Good view of two cuckoos flying together and calling, across a field near St Davids Youth Hostel, below Carn Llidi.

City News

Down Treginnis way this morning we had both Rock and Meadow Pipits, also a single Red Kite returning from Ramsey and heading back inland.

Yellow Hammers & Red Kite

Seem to be the rarest of birds now, 3 Yellow Hammers at Fenton, (the lane that cuts through from Broadway to Walwyns Castle) this morning.

1 Red Kite above Spread Eagle Pill / Sandy Haven.

Rosebush/Pantmaenog

Good views of a Cuckoo by the car park with another calling over by the quarries. Pair of Spotted flycatchers. 2 Redstart families (A pair feeding 2 youngsters; and a male feeding a single fledgling). 3 young Grey Wagtails. 1 bullfinch. 2 Wheatear. 2 male Stonechats. Plenty of swallows and a few sand martins. Remains of a dead sheep on the hill behind the derelict farm catching the attention of a couple of bb-gulls and crows, and a fox taking his turn at 9pm.

Ty Rhyg (Tuesday even)
Kestrel hunting along the track 8.30pm. 2 spotted flycatchers. A few swallows in the recently felled area on the farside. And a cuckoo calling.

Newport Fri pm

5 Dunlin, 5 Ringed Plovers & 4 Sanderling + Gloucester landfill Herring Gull Blue BHS for the umpteenth time.

Shelduck / Canada Geese - Skokholm Update

In response to Richard's post... our one Shelduck family dropped from six to four ducklings a few weeks ago, but those four have got pretty big and in the last few days have been making their way around the edges of the island. With the main pond rapidly drying up they're presumably thinking about crossing to the mainland.

Also absent, though not so missed, are all our Canada Geese.

Shelduck .....on the Teifi

A second brood at Jewsons, 5 small ones, the brood of 4 doing well and getting too large to be easy prey. Otherwise a very quiet Teifi, Canada Geese now 200 +, I guess c500-700 to arrive before the moulting flock hits it's peak??
See Teifi Ringing Group to see ringing highlights from North Pembs, Midland Island and more....

Cleddau Osprey

A boat trip up the Cleddau today had as its highlight an Osprey. We found the bird on the Eastern Cleddau around Oxland Wood (SN0213), about one kilometer downstream of Slebech Park. On checking my ID at home, the bird is probably a immature (sorry, had said juvenile last night, but I meant a first-year+ bird, not an adult), with no obvious colour rings, but we did not get closer than about 50m. The bird seemed well settled, always returning to the same tree.

Other birds seen included 20+ Shelduck (no ducklings seen) and a female Sparrowhawk

Below Harbour Village Wdig 8th June.

A recently fledged Phyllosc & one of the Murals that have appeared in the derelict building at the top of the cliff above the Port top end.

The recent Spoonbill

The Spoonbill...surprisingly an adult that was on Skokholm very briefly last Thurs 2nd June.
(Tommy Evans)

Bits and bobs

Mullock Bridge: two Bullfinches this morning. I have seen Bullfinches here pretty regularly in recent months: a real treat.

Hasguard Cross: a male Yellowhammer between here and Rosepoool this evening. Again, this is the most regular area in this part of the County that I have found for this rather scarce bird, with up to half a dozen seen last winter.

River Cleddau between Glanafon and Crow Hill (near Withybush) tonight: c.10 Swifts, slightly more House Martins despite a pretty poor hatch of fly off the river

Evening Boat Trips to Skomer & Grassholm

Andy Davies, who lives near Marloes and runs the Pembrokeshire Wildlife blog is running boat trips out to Skomer and Grassholm on Thursday and, hopefully, Sunday evenings when conditions are good. The trips will visit Skomer on the way out to see Puffins, Guillemots, Razorbills etc and then go out to Grassholm to see the gannetry - always a real spectacle. Then into St Brides Bay on the way back to link up with Manx Shearwaters returning to the islands.
The trips will leave Martin's Haven at 5 p.m. on The Lady Helen (sister boat to the Dale Princess) and return around 10:30 p.m. Cost will be around £60 to £80 per head depending on the number on each trip.
If you are interested please e mail Andy on andy@andydavies.info . He will add you to a database and contact you a couple of days in advance if the trip is going to run.

Strumble Head (05 Jun 11)

I have been watching an area of set-aside near to Tresinwen all Spring - a site that holds at least two pairs of Groppers and quite a few Sedge Warblers and Whitethroats. Another look on Sunday showed the Groppers to be feeding young in the nest (chicks heard) and the Sedge Warblers to be displaying after completing round one!

I was however shocked to find a Lesser Whitethroat pair actively feeding some very noisy chicks in the nest. Where have they been all Spring? The male has not been singing down here at all. In fact the nearest Lesser was heard singing by the Nant which is at least 500yds away. (They have sneaked in under the radar!)

I was surprised again when I found a male Lesser Redpoll engaging in very energetic display song and display flight along the coast by Porthsychan.

Red Kite movement..

There were 16 kites at one point over the garden in Dinas yesterday!!

(Natalie Jones)

A weekend on Skokholm

A wonderful long weekend on Skokholm: thousands of auks, Storm Petrels "singing" in the walls and flying around at nights, and lots of Manx Shearwaters, even on the clear nights. One even sat on the ground outside the Central Block of bedrooms for anyone that wanted to come and see it at 1AM one night!

Land bird highlights included a male Cuckoo that stayed in and around the trees in the Cottage garden for over a day, and started to call once it had recovered its energy. It got chased a lot by Swallows when it went out of the garden, though.
There was also a clear passage of Spotted Flycatchers, with a peak of 4 seen, mainly around Well Pond (where a volounteer has built a wonderful new hide). Also a Blackcap singing by the cottage for 2 mornings.

The Peregrines are very showy and noisy, and the 3 chicks are growing in both size and confidence. There is at least one other bird on the Island, but it is harder to see the possibnle nest site; fingers crossed.

Many thanks to Jerry, Cathy and Alice for their great hospitality during our stay.

G S Woodpecker

At Colby Lodge a pair of Great Spotted Woodpeckers drilled a new hole 3ft higher than an existing hole only to nest in the original hole from 2 years previous. The young birds have now successfully flown the nest. Click on photos for larger images.

Two more Kites today!

I saw one moulting kite at a farm near St Nicholas today at about 10 am  and another on the road near Dinas Cross at about 3pm. I also see Ruth  had ten over Dinas Cross at midday.
This is nothing less than a phenomenon, where are they all coming from, are they all Greg's birds dispersing or is this a wave of even more birds ?
When I first came here in the late 70's there were only about 30 odd known pairs breeding in Wales . In the 80's & 90's when I used to camp out in the mountains with the Tregaron Community Kite Watch, intent on stopping nests being raided, the number was still just over a hundred or so.
Those being seen moving through here now, must be non breeding birds on some kind of movement (if they are British?), therefore, either too young or inexperienced to hold a breeding territory or failed breeders. Why are they ending up here?
If it is the case that they are Welsh Kites, massive acknowledgement should be given to people like Peter and John Davies, Iolo Williams and Kev Tyrell not to mention the lady whose name I forget who first started the feeding station near Tregaron. If not for their efforts this would not be happening. Why they are here now is something of a mystery but as one who spent time with many other volunteers trying to stop the deviants whose obnoxious hobby of egg collecting almost wiped the Red Kite off our breeding bird list, it is a very happy period of time!

Red Kites

Sunday, 12.00. Dinas Cross.

10 Red Kites moving west to east fairly quickly over the village, followed by a single bird at 13.30.

(Ruth Crowder).

Coed Glynaeron in the drizzle

Two cuckoos calling. Redstart and spotted flycatcher catching flies. 3 families of young wrens. A Tawny owl. Hatch of Hawthorn Flies.

Fishguard Harbour

Two Sandwich Terns and a fly-over flock of 14 Ringed Plover this afternoon.

Newport Sun am

And still they keep coming,
2 Whimbrels, 2 Ringed Plovers, 4 Sanderling & 10 Dunlin.

Pengelli (04 June 11)

At least 2 pairs of Pied Flycatchers showing well along with 2 male, 3 female and 1 fledgling Redstart (not showing as well as you can see from the photos).

Fresh out of the nest

Two completely fledged Grey Herons were standing on the edge of the mud at the mouth of the Eastern Cleddau this morning, presumably from the Eastwood heronry.

More Kites! .

Mid afternoon yesterday, as I was driving down our lane I spotted a Red Kite wheeling above me. Its not that unusual but I had not seen any for a couple of months. A little while later my ten year old Grandson Josh, who is just getting into birding, rang me full of the excitement of having seen one of these magnificent raptors above his garden in Caerfarchell near Solva. Having seen Greg's amazing report, I suspect they may have also been a part of this incredible movement. My bird was a heavily moulting adult.
Presumably our breeding birds are still on the breeding grounds, so these must be  non breeders or failed breeders. I also saw five over Ramsay last October, presumably a return movement?
So whats going on where are they going to/coming from?

Kete to Watwick Bay

Whitethroats singing and calling everywhere counted 29 excluding Mill Bay which probably held at least a dozen. 2 skylarks. 5 chough (a pair and a group of 3). 4 wheatear. 1 buzzard. A cock pheasant. Male kestrel at the lighthouse. The valleys at Mill Bay were full of whitethroat, 2 dunnocks, a willow warbler, a blackbird, 1 jay, a moorhen calling and a young heron beside the pond. Good numbers of swallows and house martin, with plenty of insects on the wing including a few dragonflies over the pond at Mill Bay.

Kites - Ramsey

I've posted a couple of photos of the red kite event on Ramsey on our blog here

Sorry about the photo quality but hopefully you get the idea!

Red Kites ......moving ... Amazing !!

Amazing numbers of this now annual movement....
23 (twenty three) Red Kites over Trefeiddan Marsh at 11:00.
(John & Marion)

66 (sixty six) Red Kites over Ramsey at 11:20.
(more from Greg later)

12 Moving East along the south coast of the St. David's peninsular at 12:45.
(Les C.)

Wildlife Observer Wales "Sea Birds" Course succesfully delivered!

Sea Trust in partnership with Pembrokeshire College successfully delivered our new OCN level 3 nationally accredited Sea Bird course was this week, putting us firmly on the list of top UK bird courses. These are aimed at raising skill levels amongst both enthusiasts and professionals. It was great fun and a privilege to work with the likes of Peter Brown and Powell Strong, well known and respected educationalists and naturalists. The students also hugely contributed to the success of the course, it would be safe to say we all learned a lot!
For me one big highlight was the fact my Grandson Josh came along to help, about as good as it gets for an old birder to see a new generation getting involved. Thanks also to Wildlife Trust South and West Wales colleagues; Lizzie Wilberforce and Skomer Warden Chris Taylor for their contributions.

Spoonbill on Skokholm

One on North Pond briefly around 1.30.

Other updates; Ravens have fledged two, four and zero chicks from their three nests. Four large Shelduck chicks from the six first seen May 12th. Peregrine pair with at least two chicks. Razorbill and Guillemot chicks and Puffins returning to burrows with fish.

Pantmaenog

3 cuckoos this evening, excellent views of a pair just below Foel Cwmcerwyn being kept on the move by pipits and a third calling down by the paddock. And a young fox sat on a tree stump being mobbed by a couple of crows.

Lys y fran (Monday)
3 sightings of sparrowhawks (2 males). Quite a few young chaffinch and blue tits about. 1 Spotted flycatcher. Pair of bullfinch. 2 young coot. 1 common sandpiper. 19 GC grebes.

Red Kite over Merlins Bridge Tuesday 8am.

Ty Rhyg (Weds)
Pair of moorhen. Pair of Spotted flycatchers. 3 Bullfinch. Cuckoo calling. 6 buzzards overhead.

Newport & area

At the boats: 3 Sanderling, a Whimbrel and c.20 each of Ringed Plover and Dunlin.

Pengelli: pair of Pied Flycatchers by the entrance, and a pair of Redstarts feeding a
fledgling further on (only one as far as I could tell) as well as a another single male.

Leo Reich