We spent most of the Bank Holiday period checking chough sites in the Castlemartin Range, where despite the exceptionally wet ground conditions, most of the expected territories looked occupied. It’s still early days, but at least 16-17 pairs will continue to breed.
This includes almost 20 year old woman with ring color at Linney Head where he has lived during the breeding season, for all the last 18 years or so. He was one of four that left a nest at Stackpole in 2004. Although not the oldest living chough known in Wales, if he reached 21 he would be equal to the oldest known in Pembrokeshire.
Other species of interest include numerous wheatears, mostly in common/expected territories. A pair of kestrels appears to be living in a common area and a likely overwintering Merlin rests/hides in large yellow anthills when not hunting sparrows and meadow linnets.
A magnificent flock of 300+ golden plovers flew around today inland from Crickmail Down, almost all of them in full summer breeding plumage. Several hundred razorbills are in their nests, or rafting in the sea below today and c.1,000 guillemots are ashore on the Elegug Stacks etc. It is still a bit early for these and other breeding birds.
