Tresinwen & Strumble (27 & 28 Sep 14)

Looks like I have made it through September without any sea-watching - thanks to the weather.  Not a record to be proud of.  We must have been too greedy in the last week of August.

A good look around the garden and headland over the weekend produced the following highlights:

• 150 Starlings yesterday feasting on Elderberry around Tresinwen.  Nothing unusual amongst them.  They seem to have dispersed today and have taken to high level fly catching.
• 2 Jays today - one behind the garden and one at bottom of Porthsychan valley.
• Up to 5 Goldcrest around the garden along with 2 or 3 Chiffchaff.
• 5 White Wagtail around the farm and a Grey Wagtail in the garden.
• 4 Mistle Thrush in the garden yesterday with just a single flyby today.
• Lots of Swallows on wires around Tresinwen this morning.
• Seal pups of various ages in almost every bay you look at.

Strumble Head 26th Sept.

Time: 07.30 - 09.30




Common Scoter - 12 ( 10 Males )
Balearic Shearwater - 1
Bonxie - 1
Sandwich Tern - 5
Arctic Tern - 3




Risso's Dolphin - 1




Many Thanks to Brian Gibbs ( Somerset Recorder ) for the info.

Goshawk

A juv Goshawk at Llanychaer having an ariel fight with a Buzzard.50+Hose Martins over the tree tops.

Strumble Head 25th Sept.

Time: 09.45 - 14.15
Weather: Cloud some Drizzle
Wind: SW3


Common Scoter - 19 ( 16 Males )
Balearic Shearwater - 2
Knot - 5
Mediterranean Gull - 1 ( Ad )


Risso's Dolphin - 1
Porpoises - Showing well in close tide race.


As in previous post Swallows coming in off sea in good numbers.

Swallows swarming in... and Autumn migrants!

As I walked the dog just before eight this morning i was delighted to hear the excited chattering of a swarm of swallows, c40 above the house. Not long after I was at Strumble and met up with Brian Gibbs (Somerset Bird Recorder) on his regular autumn visit. 
As even more Swallows streamed in off the sea, Brian told me although seabirds were few and far between, he had seen a pod of c16 Common Dolphins in the morning and several Risso's  and more commons over the past few days. This included a group of five on Monday night that had been visible for over half an hour. Its always nice to see some of the old gang especially such a reliable observer.

Jays

A group of eight Jays past over Llanychaer this morning heading in a westerly direction, followed twenty minutes later by another six.

Strumble Head 24th Sept.

Time: 07.45 - 11.15
Weather: Bright
Wind: NNW 4/5


Common Scoter - 45 ( 38 Males )
Red Throated Diver - 2 ( Both Summer Plumage )
Balearic Shearwater - 3
Dunlin - 4
Arctic Skua - 4 ( 2 Pale, 2 Dark )
Bonxie - 1
Sandwich Tern - 19


Risso's Dolphin - 2
Porpoises showing.

Strumble Head 23rd Sept.

Still struggling with any birds due to the unhelpful weather conditions, but did manage 31 Common Scoter & a flock of approx. 60 Meadow Pipits came in together off the sea. The excitement was 5 Risso's Dolphins that came through ( 2 & 3 ), although both groups went straight through West without stopping.  

Late brood

There has been  a late brood of Siskins in the garden the last few days 3juvs still being fed by there parents.
At Rosebush Reservoir 2 Pintail, 13 Wigeon ,5 Tufted Duck and double figures of Teal and Coot.

Strumble Head 20th Sept.

Time: 06.45 - 10.45
Weather: Overcast
Wind:NNW 4/5


Common Scoter - 109 ( 95 Males )
Arctic Skua - 6 ( 5 Dark,1 Pale )
Pomarine Skua - 1 ( Juv )


Common Dolphin - 5
Sunfish - 2


Many Thanks to Chris Grayell for the information.

Strumble Head 19th Sept.

Not a seawatch, decided to look at the bushes & fields instead. Quite a few Chiffs & Robins about with a few Whitethroats, 3 Wheatear & a single Willow Warbler. A female Sparrowhawk hunting the headland was very visible. The Chough flock is up to 23 now & quite mobile between the lighthouse & almost to Seal Bay. Out to sea a large number of Porpoises in evidence possibly up to 50 feeding in the tide race between 2 & 3 p.m. on the rising tide.

Flagpoles 10.00 19th Sept.

A nice Kingfisher hanging around with a female Wigeon also new in. I wouldn't be honest if i didn't say i got a small bit excited with the silhouette under the bridge at first but turned out to be only my 2nd Dipper there in 12 years.

Flagpoles 14.00 17th Sept.

An Adult Mediterranean Gull was the first i've seen at the Flagpoles for a while.

Strumble Head 15th Sept

Time: 10.45 - 12.45
Weather: Bright
Wind: ESE 3/4


Common Scoter - 2 ( Males )
Balearic Shearwater - 2


Yellow Wagtail - 2
Quite a few ' alba' wagtails moving.
A flock of Chough now that must number at least 12 birds.
Porpoises showing.

Things on the move...

Three Bar Tails flew in to feed on the exposed sand/mud of the waterfront at Fishguard Harbour this afternoon.

Swallows ...

Returning on the ferry from Ireland on Wednesday, a steady stream of swallows passed us. I calculated that if they kept flying they could easily reach the English Channel by evening. Maybe four or so days to cross France and Spain with breaks to feed and then across to Africa and onward...
The young swallows in our barn, the second of two broods of five fledged on the 28th of August. They and their parents left this week and are probably also not far off crossing the straits of Gibraltar to face the perils of the Sahara and beyond. Its always a joyous moment when they arrive in the spring and a sad one when suddenly the sky is empty of them in the Autumn.

Goshawk

There was a juv Goshawk at Pen Anglas this morning in the burnt tall gorse on the way down to the fog horn. Very quite apart from that.

Mistle Thrush

A group of 16 Mistle Thrushes at Llanychaer this evening

Carlett Lady Trip 4th Sept.

A day trip out to beyond the Smalls with Cliff, Hannah & some more of the Sea Trust team turned out to be quite rewarding. Birdwise there were lots of Manx, Gillies, Razorbills & Gannets. The quality being a couple of Bonxies, at least one Sooty Shearwater & quite a few Common Terns throughout the day. Plenty of Common Dolphins were seen plus at least a couple of Risso's & a Sunfish.

Flagpoles

Four Grey Herons roosting at high tide. Have not seen more than two together at this locality in many years of visits.

Dead Barn Owl on Goodwick Moor

A lady popped in to the Ocean Lab to tell us she had found a dead Barn Owl on the nearby Goodwick Moor. Verena and I went to investigate and found it near "Pechora Corner" It was beginning to decompose and I did not fancy picking it up so not able to speculate as to how it met its sad fate.

Strumble Head 1st sept.

Time: 09.45 - 12.00
Weather: Cloudy
Wind: N 2/3


Common Scoter - 16 ( 13 Males )
Bonxie - 1
Sandwich Tern - 19 ( Including a very white individual lacking dark in wing & head, albino? )


Porpoises showing.