St Davids today

Had a really enjoyable day out with Mark Hipkin today even though the weather became windier and colder as the day progressed. There were some good birds too starting with c10 dark bellied Brent Geese flying over Whitesands Bay Car Park. There was very little else going over but Mark flushed a Jack Snipe near the Burial Chamber and I flushed 2 Short-eared Owls walking over to join him. Then seconds after watching a Fieldfare on the western rocks, a 1st winter male Ring Ouzel called and popped up in the same place; both clearly newly arrived. The rest of the day was largely devoted to Chiffchaffs with a very pale grey-brown individual in the Withies which looked good for an 'abietinus bird, so different to a 'collybita' individual just nearby. Then at Porthclais a selection of Chiffchaffs including perhaps more than one 'washed out' interesting birds and an intriguing call but all very hard to be certain about. Something for another day. A merlin flew over pursued by a corvid as we left.

Ring Ouzel St Davids Hd

'abietinus' Chiffchaff Porthmelgan Withies

Chiffchaff Porthclais

                                                                 (Pics by Mark Hipkin)