Chough's

At least one pair of Chough's have successfully bred on the Pen Caer Peninsula this year, both parents were seen to be feeding at least one young each.

Flagpoles

Three adult Black-headed Gulls on the shore this afternoon, presumably failed breeders as no juvs accompanying them. Also present were 19 Oystercatchers, 2 Curlews and an adult Heron which the Herring Gulls present took exception to so it moved on to Rhos Wdig.

Strumble Head 28th June

Time: 09.30 - 12.00
Weather: Started Cloudy, Brightened.
Wind: W 2/3

Common Scoter - 46  ( 34 Males )
Puffin - 11

Commoner species coming through in small numbers.
Porpoises showing fairly regularly, 1 adult & calf seen together.

Razorbill Ribs Trip 27th June.

Very pleased to accept the offer from Walrus of a short trip out of Fishguard Harbour on a Rib to look around towards Strumble for Porpoises & any birds that might be about. The boat was a splendid piece of equipment from local charter company Razorbill Ribs ( there's a link to their site on Whales in Wales, linked from here ) crewed by owner Dan & his crewman Anthony. On the approximately 2 hour trip many Porpoises were seen ( pics on Whales in Wales ) & many of the commoner seabirds including a very sizeable but frustratingly distant flock of Common Scoter. 

Dan is running trips out of Lower Town Fishguard & if today is anything to go by it will be worthwhile getting onto one or many.

    

Fishguard Harbour

At least three Bottle-nosed Dolphins feeding off the outer breakwater yesterday morning seen from Fishguard Fort.
A Lesser Whitethroat has been singing daily for the past week at Cwm yr Eglwys,my first Painted Lady butterfly of the year was seen here on Tuesday.

Strumble Head 24th June.

Time: 07.30 - 09.00
Weather: Bright
Wind: NNW 5

Common Scoter - 36 ( 30 males )
Arctic Skua - 1 ( Sub adult intermediate bird 2cy )
Bonxie - 1
Puffin - 4

Manxies passing again in 1000's some very close in.
A few Porpoises showing. 

Strumble Head 23rd June.

Time: 09.00 - 12.15
Weather: Cloudy
Wind: WNW 4/5

Cory's Shearwater - 1 ( @ 09.45 )
Puffin - 69

Thousands of Manxies passing very close in as was the Cory's which I picked up at approx. 12 o'clock position then angled in cutting the corner just beyond the lighthouse.

Quite a few Porpoise seen today including a dead individual holding a large flock of gulls & Fulmars, also being enjoyed by a large seal.

Strumble Head 21st June.

Time: 08.00 - 09.00
Weather: Bright, Sunny
Wind: WNW 2

Puffin - 4

Had a distant Skua chasing in the bins which went down on the water, couldn't pick it up with the scope before I had to leave.
Lots of Porpoise activity although again fairly distant. 

Pembrokeshire Bird Report 2012

Available now, price £7 including postage ( Cheques payable to Pembrokeshire Bird Group ) from:

Jon Green,
Crud yr Awel
Bowls Rd
Blaenporth
Ceredigion
SA43 2AR

Strumble Head 19th June.

Time: 08.00 - 09.00
Weather: Bright & Sunny
Wind: N 1

Common Scoter - 6 ( 1 male )
Puffin - 1

A few Porpoises showing but generally very quiet.

Bottle nosed Dolphin

A single Bottle-nosed Dolphin off Pen Anglas this morning,also a flock of thirty Common Scoter flew past and a single Curlew.

Puffin

A single Puffin flew past Pen Anglas point this morning my first from this site but no big surprise with Strumble Hd just a small distance away.Lots of Manx Shearwater passing (many hundreds) also good numbers of Gannets,Razorbills and Guillemots several Kittiwakes and Fulmars. Just off the point a Porpoise with a calf.

Strumble Head 13th June.

Time: 11.45 - 13.15
Weather: slightly overcast, no rain.
Wind: WNW 3/4

Common Scoter - 9 ( 4 Males )
Storm Petrel - 1 ( @ 12.45 )
Bonxie - 1
Common Tern - 1
Puffin - 11

All of the commoner species passing in good numbers, Manx Shearwaters already numbering into hundreds.

 

Cuckoo's 2 Starlings 0...

Very happy to say our cuckoo's are still around, well past the time when they would have just been passing by. Its the first year in quite a few years that they seem to be breeding. Both were heard and one seen over the last week or so whilst sitting out in garden in evening or morning dog walk. Also seems to be a few more Swifts about than the past couple of years! I also seem to be seeing more Kites about , over the garden and also over Fishguard and Goodwick below us. All in all a nice early summer, The only thing missing that we used to have breeding here, is Starlings. Maybe next year! 

Storm Petrel(s) 8/9 June.

With the weather conditions being favorable & the moon non existent  it was decided to have an early try for Stormies. Teifi Ringing Group ( Richard D ) soon got everything in place & we were rewarded reasonably quickly with a single bird ( pictured ) just after midnight. It became apparent into the very early hours (around 2 a.m.)  that the light was already beginning to slowly come back so we packed the equipment up all in all quite pleased with the nights efforts with the TRG's earliest capture yet. The bird was in an absolutely pristine condition & very lively & was soon gone after release. Hopefully the first of many this year.

   

Turtle Dove

A Turtle Dove  on the side of the road near Jordanston this morning.

Common Dolphins

A pod of at least 12 Common Dolphins fairly close inshore off of Pen Anglas early this morning they gave a good display,also a Cuckoo heard on the opposite side of Fishgaurd Harbour towards Lower Town.
Near Jordanston a singing Reed Warbler only a few days later than last years date when a pair stayed and bred. Two Grass Snakes here as well.

Bonapartes Gull 16th Oct. 2012

Adult Bonapartes Gull Strumble Head 16th - 20th October 2012 Accepted BBRC. ( Red Liford )

Abermawr

A Redstart singing in the wood at Abermawr this morning,maybe a nesting bird at this time of year, I don't think they have been recorded doing so in previous years.
At the pond near Jordanston a Little Grebe chick seen in the reeds by its size just a few days old.
This afternoon a couple of Dingy Skippers near pond area.

A missed ferry, a minke and a porp fest

Steve Davies, Steve Rosser and the Walrus were all set for a Saturday/Sunday ferry survey in ideal conditions. The Stenna Europe was running a bit late and being in the know we were advised that the sailing would be 4.00pm so 3.30 arrival for us would be fine. The Stenna 'A' team were on duty turning the ship around in record time leaving us stranded on the quay. OH DEAR.
We joined the ship at midnight and went straight to our bunks. The conditions were almost perfect in Rosslare the following morning. Calm seas and very little glare despite the sunshine. Steve Rosser was soon rewarded by a very brief view of a minke well inside the Tusker.  From then on it was non-stop porpoises all the way across. Only ones and twos but we averaged over 8 sightings per hour.

The photos above are all from this morning and the bottom 3 show how different the same individual can look as it dives.

Posted by Steve Rosser while the Walrus accompanied by Hannah returns to Rosslare.

Goodwick Moor 2nd June.

A stroll around the rapidly deteriorating boardwalk found the moor fairly quiet birdwise. A couple of Red Damselfly's seen & the wild flower is Menyanthes trifoliata ( Bogbean ).