Saturday 31 October 2015

Tresinwen (31 Oct 15)

Male Brambling in the garden today.  Also Chiffchaff, a few Goldcrests and Long Tailed Tits.

Obvious passage of Chaffinches, Goldfinches and Skylarks over the garden today.

Outer Breakwater Birds



This Rock Pipit posed in between harassing this late wheatear! 





Hen Harrier

A ringtail Hen Harrier past over Dinas Mountain this morning.

Friday 30 October 2015

Ring Ouzel

A first winter Ring Ouzel was present at Pen Anglas this morning, there were about 30 Blackbirds and smaller numbers of both Redwing and SongThrush.

Thursday 29 October 2015

Fishguard Harbour 29th Oct.

Earlier in the afternoon a look on Outer Breakwater was quiet except for a Wheatear & 6 Turnstones. Later on a look at the gull roost from the Stena end was like old times with 17 Adult, a single 2nd Winter & 2 1st Winter Med. Gulls. A few Common Gulls also starting to appear.

Wheatear

A Wheatear was at Dinas Mountain this morning getting quite late for these ,also a Woodcock at Llanychaer.

Tuesday 27 October 2015

Flagpoles

This afternoon at the Flagpoles there were two redshank, a greenshank, 9 turnstone, c15 oystercatchers, a curlew, a grey heron and, among the many black-headed gulls, a single 1st winter med gull. A magnificent sunset behind was countered by a stunning rainbow over the sea as the rain blew in.

Friday 23 October 2015

Woodcock

A Woodcock was at Llanychaer this morning.
12 Golden Plover on Dinas Mountain late afternoon.

Is it just here?

I heard Fieldfares overhead yesterday morning whilst walking the dog. It occurred to me that There were hardly any haws in the hedgerow this year around Pen Caer  (Hawthorn Berries). They usually stop off on their migration and feast on the red fruit but if they were expecting to do so they would have been sadly disappointed this autumn. I wonder if this holds true elsewhere?

Wednesday 21 October 2015

Strumble Head 21st October.

Time: 07.00 - 13.00
Wind: W 5/6

Common Scoter - 43 ( 30 Males )
Red Throated Diver - 1
Great Northern Diver - 2
Balearic Shearwater - 1
Leach's Petrel - 1
Arctic Skua - 3 ( 2 Dark,1Pale )

Common Dolphin - 15+

Many Thanks to Chris Grayell for the information.

Wdigbirder Abroad Porto Moniz Madeira 21 October.

Time: 10.00 - 18.00
Weather: Mostly Rain.
Wind: NW 5/6 

Cory's Shearwater - 830 ish
Sooty Shearwater - 1
Manx Shearwater - 4
Fea's/Zino's Petrel - 1 ( West @ 14.15 )
Little Egret - 1
Arctic Skua - 1 ( Pale Adult )
Owl sp - 1 ( East @14.40 most likely LEO OR SEO )

Seawatching dwindled a bit when garden next to apartment produced Black Redstart, Pied Fly, Wheatear & Willow Warbler in fairly quick succession indicating a fall after the rain.

Home Tomorrow.

Tuesday 20 October 2015

Wdigbirder Abroad Porto Moniz 20th October.

Only a short seawatching at either end of the day which resulted in 100+ Cory's & single Manx & Whimbrel. The rest of the day was spent in the hinterland of the Laurel forest & mountain regions with not much birding content really. A visit to local Rum Distillery was interesting though !

Seawatching resumes tomorrow on my last day 

Monday 19 October 2015

Wdigbirder Abroad Porto Moniz 19th October.

Time: 09.30 - 19.00 ( Apart from short trip to chemist for stuff to treat worst cold virus I've had in years ! )
Weather: Generally fine with a few heavier showers
Wind: NW 6+ all day

Cory's Shearwater - 1210 ( All West, over 600 between 13.00 & 14.00 )
Manx Shearwater - 4
Fea's/Zino's Petrel - 4 ( 13.15,13.48,14.15,17.02 )
Gannet - 2
Wader sp - 4 ( Most likely Sanderling )

Dolphin sp - 1

Greenshank

A single Greenshank on the Fishguard side of the harbour this morning. At Pen Anglas 15 Fieldfares flew over also larger numbers of Redwings and Blackbirds fairly quite otherwise.

Sunday 18 October 2015

Wdigbirder Abroad Porto Moniz Madeira 18th October.

Time: Staggered between 09.00 - 18.00
Weather: Bright Sun most of day a couple of showers.
Wind: SW veering NW 2/3

Cory's Shearwater - 560 ish
Manx Shearwater - 1
Fea's/Zino's Petrel - 1 (West @ 15.15 )
Little Egret - 1
Grey Heron - 1

Dolphin sp - A large pod of 45/50 animals travelling west at 13.30

Northwest Gale forecast tonight.

Dinas Mountain

On Dinas Mountain this morning 100+Golden Plover and 12 Fieldfare

Saturday 17 October 2015

Wdigbirder Abroad Porto Moniz Madeira 17th October.

Time: Staggered watches between 09.00 & 19.00
Weather: Mostly cloudy and rain.
Wind: All over the place.

Cory's Shearwater - 700 ish
Manx Shearwater - 1
Fea's / Zino's petrel - 1 ( West @ 3.45 )
Little Egret - 1
Spoonbill - 1 ( Technically not seawatching, 1West close in at 11 a.m.

Whale sp - A great late afternoon with a large species breaching distantly at 17.40 then 2 probable Brydes Whale breaching closer at 17.58. Seeing that size of Whale leap completely clear of the water is something else!!

Friday 16 October 2015

Strumbler Abroad Porto Moniz Madeira 16 th October.

Time: 08.30 - 16.00
Weather: Showers & Fine spells.
Wind: NE 2 

Cory's Shearwater - 735 ish
Sooty Shearwater - 2
Manx Shearwater - 2
Fea's / Zino's Petrel - 4 ( 12.58,13.34,14.43,15.33 )
Gannett - 1 ( Adult on sea )
Egret sp. - 2 ( Flying East but too distant to identify )
Pomarine Skua - 3 ( 1Pale with full spoons, 2 juvs )
Bonxie - 1

Brydes Whale - 2 ( 1 West 10.45 & 1 feeding & seen on 3 occasions after 13.25 )

Redwings

A flock of approx 40 Redwing over Llanychaer early this morning , late afternoon a flock of 40+ Siskin and 2 Swallows.

Thursday 15 October 2015

Stumbled abroad - Porto Moniz Madeira 15th October.

Arrived & settled, Seawatch a must !

16.00 - 19.00

Cory's Shearwater - Difficult to count 100's of birds passing & large feeding flocks. Probably in excess of 800.

Manx Shearwater - 2
Bulwers Petrel - 1 @ 17.15
Gannet - 2
Pomarine Skua - 2 ( Both Pale Adults with full spoons )

See what tomorrow brings.

Wednesday 14 October 2015

Dinas Mountain

On Dinas Mountain this morning 45 Golden Plover and a single Wheatear.

Tuesday 13 October 2015

Firecrest

There was a Firecrest in my garden at Llanychaer late afternoon today

Wednesday 7 October 2015

Strumble Head 7th October.

Time: 07.00 - 13.00
Wind: NNW 6 then NW 6


Wigeon - 6
Common Scoter - 56 ( 50 Males )
Red Throated Diver - 1 ( Summer )
Fulmar - 4
Manx Shearwater - 18
Balearic Shearwater - 6
Arctic Skua - 12 ( 7 Pale, 4 dark, 1 Juv )
Bonxie - 2
Mediterranean Gull - 3 ( 1 Ad, 2 1st W )
Little Gull - 1 - ( 1st W )


Porpoises showing.


Many thanks to Richard Davies & Chris Grayell for the information.

Tuesday 6 October 2015

Strumble Head 6th October.

Time: 15.00 - 18.00
Weather: Bright
Wind: SW 1 - 2


Balearic Shearwater - 1
Manx Shearwater - 1
Arctic Skua - 2 ( Both Dark Phase )


Common Dolphin - 20 ( Passed approx. 1.5 miles out from East to West very quickly )


Porpoise numerous, probably largest amount encountered this year.

Monday 5 October 2015

Mistle Thrushes.

A good collection of 8 Mistle Thrushes on the wires in the lane this morning, hopefully the vast number of Hawthorn berries will keep them around for a while if only so i can get a few better pictures !

Sunday 4 October 2015

Tresinwen & Strumble Head (04 October 2015)

Garden: Turtle Dove still around this afternoon though elusive.  Goldcrests and Chiffchaffs still around the garden.  Large flock of Starlings around.

Strumble: Lots of Meadow Pipits around today (couldn't find anything in amongst them) and a notable influx of Stonechats.

Saturday 3 October 2015

Tresinwen & Strumble Head (03 October 2015)

Garden - Turtle Dove this afternoon (1stW).  My third garden record.  Also spending time in the farm and in the stubble field by the silage trailer.  Always on its own and not associating with the Collard Doves or Feral Doves.  Now 4 Coal Tits around and trying to sound like YBWarblers.  Lots of Goldcrest in the garden still and up to 5 Chiffchaff.  No Blackcaps today.  Red Kite circling over Garn Fawr.

Surprising record of two Bonxies flying North low over the garden at 2pm!

Strumble - Grey and Pied Wags around the farm.  A large flock of Starling by the head seemed to be all Commons but worth keeping an eye on.  Lots of Goldcrest and Robins around the coast path but otherwise quiet.