Great White Egret 30th Oct.

While watching the general movement of passerines this morning ( Mistle Thrush, Skylarks, Chaffinches, Starlings ) a Great White Egret flew unhurriedly over Fishguard in a Southwesterly direction.  

Strumble Head 29th Oct.

Time: 07.00 -
Weather:Bright
Wind: NW 6/7

Brent Goose ( Pale ) - 47
Tufted Duck - 4
Common Scoter - 30
Red Throated Diver - 5
Great Northern Diver - 1
Manx Shearwater - 20
Grey Phalarope - 2
Pomarine Skua - 9
Arctic Skua - 6
Long Tailed Skua - 2 ( Juvs )
Bonxie - 20
Little Gull - 8
Sandwich Tern - 1
'Commic Tern' - 1

Another good day, many Thanks to Simon & Peter Murray ( Maesteg ) for the totals.
 

Some more Skuas for yesterday at Strumble and geese that GHR predicted for yesterday... today!

It was great to see Graham at Strumble today, sorry our porpoise watch kind of disrupted the birders! we can also add two juv poms that were both chasing kitties in tandem as well as a pale phase Arctic Skua to yesterdays count. A gaggle of c 40 brents flew in from the sea circling back over  Fishguard Harbour before i lost sight of them, at about lunchtime today.

Additions

Strumble 1430 - 1545, viewed from car park: steady trickle of Gannets, Kittiwakes and auks, plus a dark phase Arctic Skua and a light phase Pomarine with spoons.

Strumble Head 28th Oct.

Time: 06.45 - 15.15
Weather: Cloudy some showers
Wind: NW 7-8 / WNW Increasing

Wigeon - 4
Common Scoter - 9 ( 7 Males )
Red Throated Diver - 2
Great Northern Diver - 4 ( At least 2 still in summer plumage )
Manx Shearwater - 20+ ( Still coming through )
Leach's Petrel - 3
Curlew - 1
Turnstone - 1
Grey Phalarope - 1
Pomarine Skua - 10 ( 3 Juveniles & many of the Adults still with Full Spoons including one Dark Phase individual )
Arctic Skua - 11 ( 2 Dark, 8 Pale, 1 juv )
Long Tailed Skua - 3 ( juvs )
Bonxie - 82
Mediterranean Gull - 6 ( 3 Ad, 2 1st W, 1 2nd W )
Little Gull - 7 ( All 1st W )
Arctic Tern - 1 ( Juv )

Garden 27th Oct.

A Female Chaffinch with a ring, only the third bird in the garden seen bearing a ring since I moved in in 2002.

Strumble Head 23rd Oct.

Time: 07.30 - 14.00
Weather: Cloudy
Wind: NW then WNW 6/7 ( poss 8 )

Common Scoter - 87 ( 78 males )
Red Throated Diver - 1
Fulmar - 3 ( First since they go to moult )
CORY'S SHEARWATER - 1 ( After 9, I missed it ! )
Manx Shearwater - 3
Balearic Shearwater - 1
Leach's Petrel - 2
Bonxie - 6
Mediterranean Gull - 1 ( 1st w )
Sandwich Tern - 3
Arctic Tern - 4

Risso's Dolphin - 3 Inside Tide Race.

Thanks to Chris Grayell for all the stuff & the Chocolate Hobnobs !


 

Strumble Head 21st Oct.

Time: 10.15 - 12.45
Weather: Cloudy
Wind: SSW 5/6 Increasing

Common Scoter - 11 ( 10 males )
Manx Shearwater - 1
Balearic Shearwater - 1 ( East into Fishguard Bay )
Mediterranean Gull - 3 ( 2 Ad. , 1 1st W all going East into bay )

Porpoises showing off & on.
Passage of Auks steady, again appeared to be predominantly Razorbills.

Flagpoles 12.00

Oystercatchers now 45+, about a dozen Curlew & the autumns high so far of nineteen Turnstones.

Most of them here!

Hummingbird Hawk Moth

A Hummingbird Hawk Moth in the garden at Llanychaer today,I think it's the latest date I have seen one.

Flagpoles 16.00

In the collection of Blk Headed, Herring & a few Lesser Blk Back Gulls a single 1st W Common Gull & 4 Adult Mediterranean Gulls. 

Flagpoles

A young Cormorant perched on top of the groyne marker exhibited the gular pouch shape of C. c. sinensis. During the period of an hour it twice it forayed into Rhos Wdig before returning to the same perch.

& I got a cake too.

A lovely cake made by Carole's friend Korina.

Nice Hair !

Birthday Presents

Various presents received on the reaching of my half century. Ranging from the nice T - Shirt from Mrs. Wdigbirder to a little light reading from Steve B. ( Got a 1975 replica F.A. Cup Final shirt as well, West Ham Utd 2 - Fulham 0 ) See who's grumpy now !

Around the Patch 18th Oct.

Despite the conditions determined to have a look at Strumble today. Very little out to sea in the south easterlies but small flocks of Chaffinches coming in. Total easily exceeded 200 while I was walking about.
Near St. Nicholas 29 Teal around the large puddle in the field that had the 3 Whoopers a couple of years ago.

Garden

House Sparrow with slightly deformed overgrown bill on feeders today.

Strumble Head 14th Oct.

Time: 07.00 - 12.00
Weather: Overcast,cloudy
Wind: N-NNW

Common Scoter - 33 ( 27 males )
Red Throated Diver - 2
Arctic Skua - 1 ( Dark )
Bonxie - 2
Sabines Gull - 1 ( Ad. )
Mediterranean Gull - 11 ( 3 Ad. & 8 1st W )
Sandwich Tern - 2
'Commic Tern' - 4

Many Thanks to Chris Grayell for the totals. 

Strumble Head 11th Oct.

Time: 07.00 - 10.45
Weather: Cloudy
Wind: NNE

Common Scoter - 21 ( 15 Males )
Velvet Scoter - 1 ( Male )
Red Throated Diver - 1
Bonxie - 1

Many Thanks to Elfyn Pugh for the info.

Merlin

A Merlin and several Redwing at Pen Anglas early this morning

Redwings

A group of 12 Redwing and 7 Teal at Jordanston this morning. Also at Llanychaer a flock of 30+ Redwing over and  16 Siskins in the garden briefly.

Redwing

A single bird in the garden this morning.

Cetti's Warbler

A singing Cetti's Warbler at the pond near Jordanston this morning.

Strumble Head 10th Oct.

Time: 07.30 - 13.00
Weather: Cloudy with bright spells
Wind: NE 6/7

Brent Goose - 3 ( Pale Bellied going East )
Eider - 2 ( Males - Strumble MEGA last recorded 7 birds 1st Jan 2011  )
Common Scoter - 83 ( 76 males )
Leach's Petrel - 1
Dunlin - 3
Pomarine Skua - 1 ( Juv )
Bonxie - 1
Mediterranean Gull - 14 ( 11x Adult, 3x 1st w )*

Many thanks to Richard Davies for the stuff before I arrived.
*Discussion undertaken to ensure duplication was avoided.
 

Strumble Head 9th Oct ( 2 shifts)

Time: 07.45 - 09.00
Weather: Cloudy
Wind: NW 4

Common Scoter - 197 ( 182 males )
Balearic Shearwater - 7
Leach's Petrel - 1
Pomarine Skua - 1 ( Juv )
Arctic Skua - 3 ( 2 Dark, 1 Pale )
Bonxie - 1
Mediterranean Gull - 2 ( both 1w )


Time: 15.30 - 17.30
Weather: Still cloudy
Wind: NNW 5/6

Red Throated Diver - 1 ( summer Plumage )
Balearic Shearwater - 1
Leach's Petrel - 1
Pomarine Skua - 1 ( Juv )
Arctic skua - 6 ( 3 Dark, 3 Juv )

Noted at both watches a constant stream of Auks, predominantly Razorbills which if we could speculate carried on most of the day would have seen a passage of circa. 25,000 birds.




  

Strumble Head 8th Oct.

Time: 07.30 - 09.00
Weather: Fog to start then cleared
Wind: WSW 2/3 but was going round more W

Wigeon - 2 ( 1 of each )
Shoveler - 4 ( Females )
Common Scoter - 8 ( all M )

Risso's Dolphin - 4 passed distantly beyond tide race from east to West at approx. 08.00

Strumble Head 7th Oct.

Time: 07.00 - 12.15
Weather: Cloudy
Wind: SW 2/3

Wigeon - 13 ( 4 males )
Pintail - 1 ( f )
Common Scoter - 25 ( 24 males )
Balearic Shearwater - 4
Bonxie - 2
Mediterranean Gull - 1 ( 1st w )

Risso's Dolphin - 5  ( Approx. 10.50, 4 dark & a sgl paler grey animal, all quite large with large fins, the grey individual appearing larger than the others. Came out of the bay unhurriedly heading in a roughly northwest direction till out of site well beyond tide race. On view between short dives for 45 minutes.) 

Many Thanks to Elfyn Pugh for the stuff before 08.30.

Roaming Ravens!

I  awoke to see a red dawn breaking over Dinas Mountain and heard Ravens cronck-ing away as several passed by, over our house towards the coast. An hour later I was at Strumble and saw two Ravens heading out to Sea, westwards. It looked like a bit of a movement and its something I have seen before. Meadow Pippits were arriving off the sea pretty constantly in two's and threes along with small flurries of Swallows. A single Male Kestrel was hunting over the lighthouse...

Goodwick Moor / Flagpoles 16.00

No birds to speak of on the moor but well into double figures of Common Darters. At the Flagpoles 4 Sandwich Terns ( 3 adult & 1 Juv ).

Strumble Head 5th Oct.

Time: 07.00 - 12.00
Weather: Cloudy
Wind: NW then S

Wigeon - 1
Common scoter - 89 ( 76 males )
Red Throated Diver - 2
Great Northern Diver - 1
Balearic Shearwater - 11
Arctic Skua - 9 ( 7 dark , 2 pale )
Long  Tailed Skua - 1 ( juv )
Bonxie - 7
Mediterranean Gull - 7
Sandwich Tern - 11
Common Tern - 3
Black Tern - 1

Hundreds of Swallows still pouring in off the sea plus flocks of passerines, lots of Pipits and Finches, I picked out at least 5 Siskins among commoner stuff, and there were half a dozen or so Wheatears around the building.

A seal killed and ate another smaller seal, and there were fountains and splashes of blood, right in front of us, well inside the tide race and needless to say this brought in clouds and clouds of gulls, terns and skuas.

Many Thanks to Chris Grayell for the above info, Sounded like a very interesting day !!!

Strumble Head 4th Oct.

Time: 07.30 - 13.00
Weather: Mist to start
Wind: W 2/3 then WNW 3

Common Scoter - 31 ( 29 males )
Sooty Shearwater - 1
Balearic Shearwater - 7
Whimbrel - 8
Arctic Skua - 3 ( all dark )
Bonxie - 4
Little Gull - 1 ( 1st w )
Sandwich Tern - 6

Only 4 Manxies all session.
Still lots of Swallows passing.

Many Thanks to Chris Grayell for the totals. 

Strumble Head 1st & 2nd Oct.

Oct 1st.
Time: 07.00 - 11.00

Teal - 1
Common Scoter - 68 ( 54 males )
Bonxie - 3

Oct 2nd.
Time: 07.00 - 11.00

Common Scoter - 33 ( 22 males )
Red Throated Diver - 1
Balearic Shearwater - 5
Bonxie - 3
Sandwich Tern - 2

Many Thanks to Elfyn Pugh for the totals.

Willow Tit

A Willow Tit near Jordanston today and several Swallows,yesterday off Fishguard Fort a single Sandwich Tern and two Bottle-nosed Dolphin very close in just below fort,three male Tufted Duck at Rosebush Reservoir on Monday.

Strumble Head 1st October - Richard's Pipit

Quite a few passerines about around the headland. While watching the pictured Wheatear a call overhead made me look up to see a large, long tailed Pipit flying inland, Richards Pipit has to be favorite, heard the call many times.Could have landed in the old Ty Gofal field.