Author: [email protected] (Bob & Annie)

Interesting to read the post about the yellowhammers at Little Porthclew. We recently walked various small roads and paths in tetrad SS09J (which includes Little Porthclew and areas around Freshwater East and Hodgeston) in search of breeding yellowhammers. We repeated a survey conducted last spring by Chris Orsman, who walked the same routes. We noticed a minimum 14-16 yellowhammer territory, based on the presence of male singers and/or pairs. They are visible from public rights of way. Others are likely present in places we cannot reach.Happily (aided by some appropriate habitat management) this area continues to support an important yellowhammer…

In the spring of 2022/23, rookeries across the county were surveyed by volunteers as a contribution to the Welsh Ornithological Society’s Welsh rookery survey. It took some time to review all nest counts from visits to approximately 400 previously known rookery locations in over 300 tetrads (2km x 2km squares). Based on maximum nest numbers, a minimum sum of 6,679 nests have been recorded from 213 occupied rookeries produced an average of 31.4 nests per rookery. The distribution of rookeries recorded and the distribution of previously known, but now unoccupied, rookery locations on the six-figure reference grid level are shown…

We had a great day on the Castlemartin peninsula today where it was great to meet the new Seasonal Ranger David there. Migrants passing along the coast include beautiful flocks of whimbrel, starting at 15 in the morning. By late afternoon, at least 90 were actively feeding on the dune grassland. By these, along with others passing along the coast to the Angle peninsula/Milford Haven area at the time, there must have been 100-120+ whimbrels at one point. Some other waders in the area included 2 dunlins, 2 sanderlings, a ringed plover and a dozen oystercatchers. Part of a large…

A few hirundines at Penally included a swallow and four sand martins which appeared to be inspecting near vertical faces on the eroded sands at Giltar Point. Hopefully, they don’t try to dig nests in this busy area that gets a little trampled by people! Wheatears are present in at least three possible breeding territory locations between Giltar Point and Valleyfield Top. A few chough pairs were also present in the expected locations.On our way home from the south coast, we looked from the road at a temporary pool at the bottom of the valley along Coal Lane, between Ridgeway…

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…

We did a little whistle stop tour of the north yesterday, starting at Penberi Reservoir, where the Lesser Scaup were still present, although always at the far end while we were there, along with a few Mallards. The strange looking hybrid drake (assumed to be the one mentioned there by Clare Ryland on Feb. 11th) is also at the end. It seems to be a similar size to a Mallard but possibly with an element of Teal thrown in for good measure (or whatever?).A Mallard of dubious parentage!We went up the Nevern estuary where we couldn’t find Green-winged Teal although…

A few days ago, we visited Westfield Pill. Bird-wise it’s generally pretty quiet, but this is the time of year when the heronry there is in full swing. Several pairs are in their nest, some may have already incubated eggs, others are still displaying and/or building a nest. A bird flew in with a long stick that looked like a bad thing to pass to its mate in the nest. After several minutes, in what almost seemed like a tug-of-war session, the stick was eventually taken by the bird in the nest. Both storks then kind of cuddled up together…

This morning’s WeBS counts around the Carew/Cresswell and Daugleddau/Landshipping areas produced fairly moderate numbers of waterfowl. Most of those wigeon there seems to be only one left 53 mentioned in Carew/Cresswell and 22 that Landshipping. Teal the numbers are higher, with c. 175 (most of them in New Shipping) and 182 that Landshipping. 75 shelduck in Carew/Cresswell the total is relatively low. A single great crested grebe feeds the Daugleddau channel opposite Sam’s Wood. Some of the 182 teal at Landshipping Quay, feeding fervently in the shallows (possibly fattening up before migrating?)Numbers of curly is relatively low (56) as in…

Yesterday morning we headed to Bosherston Lakes to see if the scaups were still around. The three greater scaups (2 girls and the boy in feather migration) are with the two tufted duck (male and female) on the common side of the upper east arm. The boy less scaup (slightly more advanced in its feather migration) rests on a single different male tufted duck closer to the reedbed. It’s fun to compare their feathers and structural differences.The boy bigger scaupThe boy was not much of a scaupLesser ScaupEleven little grebes is resting near the coast in the lower eastern part…

This afternoon and evening we checked out the Llanreath/Llanstadwell gull roost again. At this moment I stayed at Llanreath and Annie went to Pennar Gut, to see what, if any, movements there were of the gulls in the Pembroke River. For a few hours observing the surroundings 1,000 Herring Gulls (in small flocks) and some LBB and Common Gulls gradually made their way from Pembroke Dock to Milford Haven, while some headed further west over Pennar Gut, possibly on to the islands? About 500 BH Gulls also migrated to the Haven but, unlike last week, none to Pembroke River, although…