With limited opportunities to get out and about this week (meetings and car services) we decided to head to the Teifi Marshes this morning to check out waxwings. The four were quickly found, in the trees beyond the Curlew Hide, eating rose hips and hawthorn berries. As is typical of this species, birdwatchers, passing walkers, cyclists and joggers etc. are ignored. Although they are in Ceredigion, we reckon that sometime (with a telescope!) they are likely to be seen from Pembrokeshire!
Other birds there included 50+ aerial snipe, water rails and a few reed buntings taking advantage of the seeds along the old railway line.
Later on, we noticed 60+ turningstones feeding on the rocky shore at Neyland, near the mouth of the Westfield Pill. Very good numbers for this location. A large crested grebe was feeding on the Haven. Just a little Mediterranean gull flew downstream with hundreds of black-headed gulls to settle somewhere between Neyland and Lanreath. This area will be checked for roosting gulls for WinGS later in the week.
WeBS counts at Carew/Creswell yesterday produced the usual moderate number of waterfowl but six pintails is good to see in New Shipping.
102 oyster catchersRoosting at Lawrenny Ferry is a fairly high number at this location. With them was a color-ringed bird. However, typical of this species, it is roosted on one leg, ignoring passing dog-walkers etc and simply refusing to show its other leg long enough to capture the other details of the ring. Despite patiently waiting for half an hour or more, the sight alone was enough left leg plain orange darvic above a metal ring with 616 in digit sequence. It is not possible to see the other digits on the metal ring. A black ring was seen briefly in right leg, but the views are too short to tell if there are any numbers on the ring.
It was seen roosting there for two days running, both times standing on its left leg and hiding its right leg. Is it a local ringed bird? Hopefully someone can see the other leg of it and confirm the full color combination.
