Sunday 31 August 2014

Strumble Head (31 Aug 14)

Time:  0600 - 1500
Weather: Sunny
Wind: NNW (F3) am, SW (F3) pm

Cory's Shearwater - 1 (0705)
Great Shearwater - 2 (0655, 0810) *
Balearic Shearwater - 1
Long Tailed Skua - 1 (Juv)
Pomarine Skua - 2 (Juv)
Arctic Skua - 18 (11D, 4P, 3Juv)
Great Skua - 3
Mediterranean Gull - 1 (1stW)
Little Gull - 1 (1stW)
Comic Tern - 10
Black Tern - 2
Sandwich Tern - 75
Common Scoter - 15 (3F, 12M)
Whimbrel - 10
Curlew - 1
Yellow Wagtail - 3 (In off sea)
Wheatear - 1
Sparrowhawk - 1

Sunfish - 2
Risso's Dolphin - 3 different groups - 1, 8 and 2.  The larger group showing for over 2 hours with regular breaching (including a sequence of ten consecutive breaches by one individual.)  Lots of splashing and tail slapping also.

* The 0655 Great was found by an Arctic Skua!  We were following an Arctic Skua when it dropped onto something on the deck.  It then got up and circled around and then dive bombed whatever was on the deck........then a Great Shear got up and tried to fly off but was mobbed by the Skua and had to ditch.  The Skua then gave up and flew off and the Great got up again flew 10-15 yards then landed and wasn't seen subsequently.  How many more were out there floating past???

Saturday 30 August 2014

Strumble Head (30 Aug 14)

Time: 0600 - 1800
Weather: Sunny.
Wind: W (F7-5)

Cory's Shearwater - 2 (0630, 0640)
Great Shearwater - 10 (0643, 0705, 0720, 0750(2), 0825, 0827, 0845, 1705, 1733)
Sooty Shearwater - 6
Balearic Shearwater - 2
Arctic Skua - 35 (15D, 14P, 6Juv)
Great Skua - 13
Mediterranean Gull - 1 (1stW)
Comic Tern - 15
Little Tern - 1
Black Tern - 2
Sandwich Tern - 51
Common Scoter - 12 (2F, 10M)
Whimbrel - 54
Knot - 5
Ringed Plover - 1
Swift - 1

Sunfish - 1
Common Porpoise - showing well.
Common Dolphin - c.10 in one pod
Risso's Dolphin - 3 (1 and 2)

Friday 29 August 2014

Strumble Head (29 Aug 14)

Time: 0600 - 1700
Weather: Cloudy.
Wind: SW (F8)

Cory's Shearwater - 1 (0635)
Great Shearwater - 4 (0625, 0735, 1610, 1645)
Sooty Shearwater - 5
Balearic Shearwater - 8
Pomarine Skua - 1 (Juv)
Arctic Skua - 13 (10D, 1P, 2Juv)
Great Skua - 10
Sabine's Gull - 1 (AdW)
Little Gull - 1 (Ad)
Comic Tern - 420
Little Tern - 6
Black Tern - 4
Roseate Tern - 1
Sandwich Tern - 5
Common Scoter - 25 (4F, 21M)
Wigeon - 1
Whimbrel - 14
Dunlin - 1
Grey Phalarope - 1
Puffin - 2

Sunfish - 1
Common Porpoise - showing well.
Risso's Dolphin - 1 (Huge fin)

Thursday 28 August 2014

Strumble Head (28 Aug 14)

Time: 0600 - 1600
Weather: Showers early then sunny.
Wind: SSW (F7)

Pomarine Skua - 2 (D, Juv)
Arctic Skua - 8 (5D, 1P, 2Juv)
Great Skua - 6
Comic Tern - 570 (Large % being Arctic)
Roseate Tern - 4
Little Tern - 7
Black Tern - 16
Sandwich Tern - 91
Mediterranean Gull - 2 (1stW, 2ndW)
Common Scoter - 99 (10F, 89M)
Teal - 9
Whimbrel - 27
Curlew - 1
Knot - 2
Dunlin - 1
Turnstone - 3
Puffin - 1

Common Porpoise - Showing well.
Risso's Dolphin - 4 sightings - 4, 2, 3 and 2.  Included one very large individual with massive fin (dark).

Wednesday 27 August 2014

Strumble Head (27 Aug 14)

Time: 0600 - 1800
Weather: Dry, cloudy.
Wind: SE (F7)

*** Great White Egret - 1 (East @ 1155).  My second for Strumble.

Pomarine Skua - 1 (Juv)
Arctic Skua - 20 (15D, 3P, 2Juv)
Great Skua - 3
Sabine's Gull - 2 (Juv)
Mediterranean Gull - 4 (1stW)
Comic Tern - 348
Roseate Tern - 4
Black Tern - 1
Little Tern - 2
Sandwich Tern - 27
Common Scoter - 96 (17F, 79M)
Teal - 3
Mallard - 1
Shoveler - 4
Wigeon - 1
Whimbrel - 9
Redshank - 1
Ringed Plover - 1
Turnstone - 1
Knot - 6
Dunlin - 2
Ruff - 1
Swift - 13
Wheatear - 1

Common Porpoise - showing very well.
Common Dolphin - 1 "super" pod of 50-60 swam in from NE at speed and headed off past Lighthouse not stopping to feed.

Tuesday 26 August 2014

Strumble Head (26 Aug 14)

Time: 0600 - 0800
Weather: Dry, sunny.
Wind: SE (F4)

Arctic Skua - 2 (D)
Comic Tern - 22
Mediterranean Gull - 1 (1stW)
Common Scoter - 4 (1F, 3M)

Common Porpoise - Showing occasionally
Common Dolphin - 1 pod of about 25 individuals showing very well close inshore.  Lots of youngsters in pod.  Impressive number of Gannets in attendance - over 50 birds.

Monday 25 August 2014

Tresinwen (25 Aug 14)

Female Blackcap, Garden Warbler and a few Chiffs in the garden this evening.  A few Siskin still around.

Strumble Head (25 Aug 14)

Time: 0600 - 1600
Weather: Rain
Wind: SSE (F5-7)

Balearic Shearwater - 1
Great Skua - 4
Arctic Skua - 1 (D)
Sandwich Tern - 18
Comic Tern - 79
Little Tern - 1
Mediterranean Gull - 1 (1stW)
Common Scoter - 60 (11F, 49M)
Mallard - 5
Teal - 4
Tufted Duck - 3
Curlew - 1
Whimbrel - 19
Bar Tailed Godwit - 3
Ruff - 1
Dunlin - 5
Knot - 2
Turnstone - 1
Grey Heron - 1
Swift - 1

Common Porpoise - Showing very well.

Sunday 24 August 2014

Strumble Head (24 Aug 14)

Time: 0600 - 1800
Weather: Cloudy, drizzle late afternoon.
Wind: SSE (F5)

Great Shearwater - 1 (East @ 1225 at long range)
Pomarine Skua - 1 (Juv)
Arctic Skua - 1 (D)
Great Skua - 1
Mediterranean Gull - 1 (1stW)
Sandwich Tern - 30
Comic Tern - 9
Common Scoter - 8 (2F, 6M)
Whimbrel - 15
Redshank - 1
Dunlin - 31
Knot - 4
Grey Heron - 2

Common Porpoise - Showing very well.  (Leaping, tail slapping etc)
Common Dolphin - 2 pods of 10 and 15 including some very small young.
Risso's Dolphin - 8 (Showing for about 1 hour loafing around, tail slapping, logging, sky hopping etc).

Saturday 23 August 2014

Strumble Head (23 Aug 14)

Time: 0600 - 1500
Weather: Sunny. 
Wind: N (F5)

Arctic Skua - 2 (D)
Mediterranean Gull - 1 (1stW)
Sandwich Tern - 54
Common Scoter - 5 (2F, 3M)
Whimbrel - 10
Bar Tailed Godwit - 5
Knot - 1

Common Porpoise - showing well.
Common Dolphin - 1 pod of about 8 individuals.

Friday 22 August 2014

Med. Gull PNE4

The Adult Med. Gull with colour ring White PNE4 on Red darvic ring was ringed as a pullus ( nestling to those of us that aren't ringers ) at Opoloskie, Poland on 10th June 2011 by Jakub Szymczak. It's the fifth siting since fledging the others at Men - Aver Beach Cornwall on 1st Oct 2012, the same site on 31st Dec 2013, Bootertown , County Dublin 6th July 2014 & at Penally a week before the Fishguard Harbour siting.

Tuesday 19 August 2014

Strumble Head 19th August.

Time: 09.15 - 15.00
Weather: Bright
Wind: NW 3



Common Scoter - 1 ( Male )
Sanderling - 1
Arctic Skua - 1 ( Dark )
Bonxie - 2
Mediterranean Gull - 1 ( Juv )
Sandwich Tern - 4


Porpoises showing on & off.


Many Thanks to Paul Grennard for the stuff after 11.45

Monday 18 August 2014

Strumble Head 18th August.

Time: 09.15 - 11.45
Weather: Bright
Wind: N 5/6


Common Scoter - 17 ( 14 Males )
Knot - 1
Dunlin - 45
Arctic Skua - 1 ( Dark )
Long Tailed Skua - 1 ( Juv )
Bonxie - 2
Sandwich Tern - 6
Commic Tern - 7


Porpoise seen.


Many Thanks to Ceri Jones for the reports before I arrived.

Sunday 17 August 2014

Strumble Head (17 Aug 14)

Time: 0600 - 1500
Weather: Dry, sunny.
Wind: NW (F7-5)

Great Shearwater - 1 (1348)
Sooty Shearwater - 3
Balearic Shearwater - 2
Long Tailed Skua - 1 (Ad) (0800) (Lacking tail streamers)
Arctic Skua - 3 (1D, 2P)
Great Skua - 3
Comic Tern - 2
Sandwich Tern - 8
Common Scoter - 25 (10F, 15M)
Whimbrel - 3
Bar Tailed Godwit - 2
Black Tailed Godwit - 9
Dunlin - 10
Sanderling - 10
Turnstone - 1
Ringed Plover - 1
Puffin - 1

Common Porpoise - showing well all day
Sunfish - 1

Saturday 16 August 2014

Strumble Head (16 Aug 14)

Time: 0600 - 1230
Weather: Dry, bright.
Wind: WSW (F5-6)

Great Skua - 1
Arctic Skua - 1 (D)
Common Scoter - 40 (19F, 21M)

Mediterranean Gull - 3 (2 1stW, 1 2ndW)
Sandwich Tern - 7
Common Sandpiper - 1

Common Porpoise - Showing on and off all morning.
Common Dolphin - 1 pod of about 12 animals including at least one very small individual.
Risso's Dolphin - 1 (Full breach, not seen before or after)

Tuesday 12 August 2014

Wdigbirders Med Gull

One of the Med Gulls at Fishguard Harbour this morning...

Fishguard Harbour 10.30 12th August.

Single Juv Med. Gull at Flagpoles end with 2 more Juvs at Stena end plus the first Adult of the autumn, colour ringed white PNE4 on a red ring.

Med. Gull RHP9

The Juv Med. Gull at the Flagpoles on Sunday 10th August with colour ring RHP9 was ringed in France on 29th June. It is the first sighting away from the breeding colony.

Monday 11 August 2014

Strumble Head 11th August.

Time: 06.00 - 17.00
Weather: Bright Sunny.
Wind: W 5/6


Common Scoter - 8 ( 6 Males )
Sooty Shearwater - 1
Balearic Shearwater - 1
Dunlin - 19
Sanderling - 11
Whimbrel - 247
Turnstone - 13
Grey Phalarope - 1
Arctic Skua - 1 ( Dark )
Long Tailed Skua - 1 ( Adult with full length tail )
Bonxie - 2
Mediterranean Gull - 6 ( All Juvs )
Sandwich Tern - 6
Little Tern - 1


Sunfish - 4
Porpoises showing quite well today.


Many Thanks to Chris Grayell for the stuff before 8.30


On the way back through 50 Whimbrel at the Flagpoles.

Sunday 10 August 2014

Strumble Head 10 August.

Time: 06.00 - 17.00
Weather: Rain at first then cloudy, some bright spells
Wind: N5 / NW5 / W5 at end.


Common Scoter - 10 ( 5 Males )
Sooty Shearwater - 1
Whimbrel - 20
Bonxie - 3
Mediterranean Gull - 2 ( Juvs )


Manx more or less constant for most of day.


Porpoise showing intermittently.


At the Flagpoles on the way back, 2 Juv Med. Gulls one with a green ring with RHP9 in white on left leg & metal ring above knee on right.

Saturday 9 August 2014

Flagpoles 16.00 9th August

At last, 2 Juvenile Med. Gulls along with the normal collection of Herring, Lesser Black Backed & Black Headed.

Monday 4 August 2014

Clouded Yellow

A Clouded Yellow at Pen Anglas this morning was a nice surprise,birdwise 2 Sandwich Terns,18 Common Scoter heading west,a single Wheatear and Grey Wagtail.
Several Porpoises off the point.
3 Redshank at the flagpole end of the harbour.

Strumble Head 4th August.

Time: 06.00 - 10.00
Weather: Hot & Sunny
Wind: SW 1/2


Common Scoter - 122 ( 81 Males )
Whimbrel - 2
Mediterranean Gull - 1 ( Juv )


Porpoises showing intermittently.


A group of around 20 Starlings by the lookout.

Saturday 2 August 2014

Strumble Head 25th - 28th July.

25th July.


Tufted duck - 1
Common Scoter - 170 ( 95 males )
Lge Shearwater sp. - 1
Whimbrel - 1
Curlew - 5
Mediterranean Gull - 4 ( All Juvs )
Sandwich Tern - 2
Puffin - 18






26th July.


Common Scoter - 214 ( 50 Males )
Puffin - 26






27th July.


Common Scoter - 24 ( 19 Males )
Common Sandpiper - 1
Mediterranean Gull - 1 ( Juv )
Sandwich tern - 3
Commic Tern - 3
Puffin - 7
Minke Whale - 1 ( 7a.m. )




28th July.


Tufted Duck - 1
Common Scoter - 149 ( 80 Males )
Dunlin - 2
Whimbrel - 2
Commic Tern - 3
Puffin - 7




Many Thanks to Red Liford for the info.

Friday 1 August 2014

Pied Flycatcher

Getting ready for work today & had a glance up at the Sycamore & Hawthorn at the back of the garden. A slight bird caught my eye flitting among the shrubs & when it came into full view revealed itself to be a female type Pied Flycatcher, a new garden tick. Didn't hang around though, too many boisterous Sparrows & very belligerent Siskins I expect.