Strumble Head (31 Aug 12)

Choughs and Ravens showing well today.
(This Chough is ringed with 4 rings - one with number "C1".  I have photoshopped out the bling!)

Strumble Head (31 Aug 12)

Time: 0600 - 1530
Weather: Mainly sunny then rain moving in late afternoon.
Wind: NW (F3) (am) then SW (F5) (pm)

Balearic Shearwater - 2
Great Skua - 4
Arctic Skua - 14 (6D, 6P, 2J)
Comic Tern - 3
Sandwich Tern - 18
Mediterranean Gull - 1 (1st W)
Whimbrel - 1
Curlew - 1
Sanderling - 3
Turnstone - 6
Dunlin - 5
Knot - 1
Great Crested Grebe - 1
Common Scoter - 42 (4F, 38M)
Teal - 1
Merlin - 1 (chasing Rock Pipit just below lookout at 1530)

Common Porpoise - showing on and off with a number of animals tail slapping.

Strumble Head (30 Aug 12)

Time: 0600 - 1830
Weather: Sunny with occasional showers
Wind: N (F7-8)

Sooty Shearwater - 6
Balearic Shearwater - 18
Great Skua - 15
Arctic Skua - 36 (21D, 13P, 2J)
Long Tailed Skua - 2 (2J)
Sabine's Gull - 3 (1Ad Sum, 2J)
Mediterranean Gull - 1 (1st W)
Comic Tern - 30
Sandwich Tern - 235
Little Tern - 1
Black Tern - 8
Whimbrel - 1
Dunlin - 9
Turnstone - 6
Ringed Plover - 1
Pale Bellied Brent Goose - 1 (East)
Common Scoter - 28 (8F, 20M)
Puffin - 2

Sunfish - 2
Common Porpoise - showing on and off, some leaping out of waves.

Strumble Head (29 Aug 12)

Time: 0600 - 1600
Weather: Sunny.
Wind: SW (F7)

Balearic Shearwater - 4
Great Skua - 4
Pomarine Skua - 1 (1D)
Arctic Skua - 7 (3D, 4P)
Sabine's Gull - 1 (Ad W)
Comic Tern - 55
Sandwich Tern - 21
Black Tern - 4
Whimbrel - 3
Curlew - 4
Bar Tailed Godwit - 3
Black Tailed Godwit - 1
Dunlin - 3
Knot - 10
Turnstone - 4
Common Scoter - 31 (7F, 24M)
Teal - 1

[Note all of the above except for 7 terns and 5 waders were seen prior to 11am - very quiet after that point]

Sunfish - 2 (including the smallest one I have ever seen - about the size of a dinner plate)
Common Porpoise - showing well on and off.

Tresinwen (28 Aug 12)

Wood Warbler in the garden this evening.  Catching insects around the pond.

Strumble Head (28 Aug 12)

Time: 0600 - 1700
Weather: Sunny.
Wind: W (F4) (early am) then SW (F4-5) then S (F5-6) (pm)

Sooty Shearwater - 2
Balearic Shearwater - 3
Great Skua - 5
Pomarine Skua - 2 (1J, 1D)
Arctic Skua - 17 (10D, 7P)
Comic Tern - 73
Sandwich Tern - 28
Black Tern - 3
Little Gull - 2 (1st W)
Mediterranean Gull - 3 (1st W)
Whimbrel - 9
Curlew - 4
Redshank - 1
Dunlin - 1
Sanderling - 3
Turnstone - 1
Common Sandpiper - 1
Common Scoter - 20 (3F, 17M)

Sunfish - 2
Common Porpoise - showing on and off and better late afternoon.
Common Dolphin - 3 pods (c.7, c.8 and c.15) - maybe up to 5 or 6 different pods - hard to tell.

Pen Anglas

This morning at least 15 Whitethroats in one small area,several Chiffchaffs around and a single Wheatear.
A single Bonxie off shore.
A Sedge Warbler near Jordanston

Strumble Head (27 Aug 12)

Time: 0600 - 1600
Weather: Rain, rain and lots more rain.  Then it rained some more.
Wind: S (F7-8)

Balearic Shearwater - 3
Great Skua - 5
Arctic Skua - 6 (4D, 2P)
Sabine's Gull - 1 (Ad Win) (Must be a non breeder?)
Comic Tern - 10
Black Tern - 1 (Showing right in front of the lookout for at least 4 hours!)
Whimbrel - 2
Greenshank - 2
Bar Tailed Godwit - 3
Dunlin - 1
Common Scoter - 35 (10F, 25M)
Teal - 3
Mallard - 2
Grey Heron - 1
Swift - 3

Common Porpoise - Showing well on and off.  Riding some of the big rollers on the moving tide.

Tresinwen (26 Aug 12)

2 Swifts and a large flock of hirundines low over the garden now.  Will they be the last Swifts of the year?????

Strumble Head 26th Aug

Time: 15.30 - 18.00
Weather: Bright
Wind: SSW 2/3

Common Scoter - 14 ( 5f )
Whimbrel - 1
Commic Tern - 2

Porpoises numerous & showing very well , one group just off of Mackeral Rock contained 15+ animals. 

Strumble Head (26 Aug 12)

Time: 0600 - 1500
Weather: Sunny.
Wind: NW (F4) (am), SW (F3) (pm)

Sooty Shearwater - 1
Great Skua - 3
Arctic Skua - 11 (1J, 7D, 3P)
Comic Tern - 12
Sandwich Tern - 18
Mediterranean Gull - 1 (1st W)
Whimbrel - 2
Curlew - 2
Knot - 20
Dunlin - 14
Turnstone - 5
Grey Phalarope - 1
Common Scoter - 68 (24F, 44M)Puffin - 1

Common Porpoise - showing on and off.

Strumble Head (25 Aug 12)

Time: 0600 - 1800
Weather: Sunny spells.
Wind: N (F3-7)

Sooty Shearwater - 2
Balearic Shearwater - 10
Great Skua - 4
Pomarine Skua - 2 (2P)
Arctic Skua - 9 (1J, 7D, 1P)
Comic Tern - 188
Sandwich Tern - 138
Black Tern - 9
Little Tern - 1
Little Gull - 2 (1st W)
Mediterranean Gull - 1 (1st W)
Whimbrel - 18
Turnstone - 24
Dunlin - 9
Sanderling - 1
Common Scoter - 49 (6F, 43M)
Teal - 14
Puffin - 4
Swift - 1

Common Porpoise - showing on and off all day.

Strumble Head (24 Aug 12)

Time: 0600 - 1700
Weather: Cloudy, showers.
Wind: SSE (F5-7)

Sooty Shearwater - 2
Balearic Shearwater - 5
Great Skua - 4
Arctic Skua - 10 (2D, 8P)
Pomarine Skua - 1 (J)
Sabine's Gull - 1 (Ad Sum)
Mediterranean Gull - 1 (1st W)
Comic Tern - 125
Roseate Tern - 2
Black Tern - 2
Sandwich Tern - 8
Common Scoter - 39 (12F, 27M)
Whimbrel - 6
Black Tailed Godwit - 1
Dunlin - 11
Ringed Plover - 4
Sanderling - 4
Grey Phalarope - 1

Common Porpoise - showing exceptionally well for most of day.  Estimate at least 100 animals.

Strumble Head - 22 Aug 12

Time: 0750 - 1345
Weather: Bright, occasionally overcast
Wind: SSW 4 to W5/6

Sooty Shearwater - 7
Balearic Shearwater - 5
Arctic Skua - 14 (9 Dk, 2 Pale, 2 Juv, 1 Intermediate)
Bonxie - 5
Common Scoter - 7 (1 F)
Sandwich Tern
Commic Tern - 4+
Common Tern - 3
Dunlin - 11
Whimbrel - 5
Turnstone - 3
Redshank - 1
Peregrine - 1
Kestrel - 1

Sunfish - 2

Flightless Auks rafting in large numbers; a steady passage of Gannets and Kittiwake. A female common lizard on the E side of the Lookout. Thanks to Richard Davies (Ammanford) for sightings from 0600 to my arrival.

Strumble Head 22nd Aug

Time:16.30 - 18.00
Weather:Bright
Wind: SSW/WSW 3/4

Common Scoter - 2
Whimbrel - 1
Arctic Skua - 1 ( Dark )
Commic Tern - 35

Strumble Head 21st Aug

Time: 18.00 - 20.00
Weather: Bright Sunny
Wind: SW 2

Curlew - 2
Arctic Skua - 2 ( Both Dark Adults )
Black Tern - 2 ( 1 in Summer Plumage )
Commic Tern - 33

Just a quick addition to Adrian's post for the 20th...in the hour and a half after you left there were another 30 Commic terns, 2 more Sandwich,  a single Black Tern, 1 single Scoter drake and just as I was packing up, 3 Little Egrets flew in a tight group round the base of the cliffs and round the lighthouse.

Strumble Head 20th Aug

Time: 07.30 - 12.30
Weather: Bright , Sunny
Wind: SSW 3/4

Teal - 1
Common Scoter - 151 ( 42f )
Balearic Shearwater - 1
Cormorant - 26
Sanderling - 4
Turnstone - 12
Whimbrel - 3
Curlew - 1
Arctic Skua - 1 ( Dark )
Bonxie - 2
Sandwich tern - 5
Arctic Tern - 2 ( 1Juv )
Commic Tern - 227

Risso's Dolphin - c6 ( Inc 2 huge very pale almost white ind. )

Strumble Head 19th Aug

Time: 16.30 - 18.30
Weather: Cloudy , Brightening up.
Wind: SSW F 2 increasing.

Common Scoter - 1 (m)
Whimbrel - 1
Curlew - 6
Arctic Skua - 3 ( 2 dark , 1 Intermediate )
Med. Gull - 2 ( Juvs )
YELLOW LEGGED GULL - 1 ( juv 17.40 )
Sandwich Tern - 3
Common Tern - 22
Arctic Tern - 53
Commic Tern - 118

Strumble Head (19 Aug 12)

Time: 0600 - 1630
Weather: Showers (am), sunny (pm)
Wind: S (F2-3)

Balearic Shearwater -5
Comic Tern - 198
Sandwich Tern - 36
Black Tern - 2
Great Skua - 3
Arctic Skua - 10 (3P, 7D)
Mediterranean Gull - 1 (1stW)
Common Scoter - 76 (31F, 45M)
Shoveler - 2
Teal - 4
Whimbrel - 14
Turnstone - 9
Dunlin - 20
Common Sandpiper - 1
Puffin - 1
Chough - 3

Common Porpoise - Showing well
Sunfish - 4
Common Dolphin - 3 pods (c.20, c.8 and c.5)
Risso's Dolphin - 3 pods (c.12, c.12 and c.6)

Strumble Head (18 Aug 12)

Time: 0600 - 1830
Weather: Drizzle (am), sunny (pm)
Wind: SSW (F4)

Sooty Shearwater - 1
Balearic Shearwater - 4
Great Skua - 3
Pomarine Skua - 1 (J)
Arctic Skua - 8 (1P, 7D)
Little Gull - 1 (1stW)
Mediterranean Gull - 1 (1stW)
Comic Tern - 2,133
Sandwich Tern - 30
Black Tern - 177
Little Tern - 9
Roseate Tern - 5
Common Scoter - 34 (5F, 29M)
Teal - 2
Gadwall - 3
Whimbrel - 25
Black Tailed Godwit - 1
Bar Tailed Godwit - 4
Turnstone - 1
Sanderling - 5
Dunlin - 2
Puffin - 1

Sunfish - 2
Seal eating an Auk surrounded by inquisitive Manxies
Common Dolphin - 2 pods (10 and 25)
Bottlenose Dolphin - 1 pod (12)

(The 10 Common Dolphin swam East very close inshore and 15 mins later the Bottlenose came out of the bay, mingled for a while then went back where they came from.  The 25 Common Dolphin were more distant in the bay.  The Sunfish were very active and seen to leap a number of times)

Sandwich Terns

9 Sandwich Terns and a juv Mediterranean Gull from Fishguard Fort this morning.
Near Jordanston a Painted Lady butterfly.

Flagpoles/Fishguard Harbour 17th August

After the message of all the terns a bit further North i checked the Flagpoles at 08.00 & found a mixed group of 30+ Common & Arctic Terns, a sgl Juv Med. Gull & on the beach 5 Black-Tailed Godwit, 8 Turnstones, 5 Redshank, 2 Sanderling a Dunlin & a Whimbrel flew over calling.

On my return in the late afternoon only the Turnstones remained plus at the Stena Ferry Terminal end a group of 22 Mallards resting on the slipway ?

Strumble Head 16th August

Time: 16.00 - 18.00
Weather: Cloudy , a few rain showers
Wind: SW 4

Arctic Tern - 12
Commic Tern - 56

A few Porpoise showing.

The highlight was being joined in the lookout for a few minutes during the worst downpour by a Hummingbird Hawkmoth !

Still a single Juv. Med. Gull at the Stena Terminal end in Fishguard Harbour.

Strumble Head 15th August

Time: 07.00 - 08.30
Weather: Fairly Bright some cloud
Wind: E 4

Common Scoter - 32 ( 3f )
Bonxie - 1

Swift - 4

Many thanks to our Ray W for posting the stuff from yesterday afternoon , look forward to his future submissions.  

Strumble Head 14 Aug 12

Time 1540 - 1730 hrs
Sunny
Wind S 1 to 2

Little Gull - 1 (1st W)
Arctic Skua - 2 (1 pale Ad - 1 very dk Juv)
Raven - 2 (Juv)

There were good numbers of kittiwake, manx shearwaters and gannets feeding in flocks strung out along the edge of the tide race. Small numbers of auks rafted, with as many as 5 puffin among them. Porpoises were widespread if low in number; one was accompanied by a calf.

Strumble Head 14th August

Time: 07.00 - 08.30
Weather: Slightly overcast , dry
Wind: SW2

Common Scoter - 7 ( 1f )
Arctic Skua - 1 ( Dark Ad. )
Bonxie - 2
Sandwich Tern - 3

Very few Porpoise showing.

Fishguard Harbour 13th Aug

A quick look at 17.30 found a Juv Med. Gull on the rocks at the Stena Ferry Terminal end , possibly the bird that flew east at Strumble this morning.

Strumble Head 13th August

Time: 07.30 - 13.00
Weather: Dull & overcast some rain.
Wind: SSE/SSW 3/4

Common Scoter - 31 ( 4f )
Golden Plover - 4
Arctic Skua - 1 ( Juv )
Bonxie - 1
Med. Gull - 1 ( Juv )
Arctic Tern - 21
Commic Tern - 19
Black Tern - 1

Swift - 3

Plenty of Porpoises showing.

Goshawk again

After I had not seeing a Goshawk all year another  juv was seen at Llanycaer yesterday afternoon.
At Pen Anglas 18 Common Scoter flew west.

Flagpoles 12.30 12th August

An Adult Med. Gull providing a bit of excitement given the scarcity of them so far this summer. I have only seen a total of 8 birds in the harbour so far since the start of June. Up to this date in the last two years for the same period my totals were;

2010 - 81 birds.
2011 - 22 birds.

Little Gull Flagpoles 10th August

A 1st summer bird found during another fruitless look for Meds !

A few Redshanks ( 3 ) maybe indicating some waders are on the move.

Strumble Head 3rd August

Time: 07.45 - 08.45
Wind: SW 3

Common Scoter - 44 ( 14f )
Cormorant - 11