Flagpoles 15.00 27th Jan.

A quick scan found 2 Adult Med. Gulls, on Stena side a single Great Crested Grebe & 26 Cormorants fishing in a group.

Duck!

An hour at Strumble produced only a half dozen Porpoise sightings but as we were on our way down to the lookout, a pair of Shell Duck passing west around the light caught my attention. 
Most Auks and gulls were heading east as did a couple of Gannets. The only other bird of note was another Duck, a male Scoter heading west. 
I forgot to mention the huge Feeding flocks spread out for several miles from Strumble towards Fishguard yesterday, very obvious in the clear calm conditions. Today's stormy weather seemed to have broken them up but they have been a feature of this winter. Its a phenomena that is not infrequent during the winter months but not every year and may be dependent on shoaling sprats which the local fisherman tell me are particularly abundant at the moment...

Purples on Breakwater belated pic's from 18th Jan and Strumble Divers today..

Purples on Breakwater belated  pic's from 18th Jan sorry Adrian just found them!

Today at Strumble, plenty of Porp's (20+ low tide) but also three Diver Sp,.  passing distant so not sure either BTD  or GND  two together lots of white flank and very black uppers probably BTD  and then a single again (below)  too far to be sure of species...

Strumble Head / Harbour 22nd Jan.

In a light southerly wind a noticeable movement northeast of auks, looked all to be Razorbills & Gillies. For the time I was there movement was at an average of around 80 per minute. Very little otherwise.


The Harbour at low tide had a sizeable gull roost on flagpoles side which included a single 1st w Med. Gull. On the Stena side the Greenshank still in residence & the adult Heron still around.

Fishguard Harbour 19th Jan.

Presumably the same Greenshank reported on 5th January still present earlier on the Ferry Terminal side of the Harbour at low tide.

Blackcap

A male Blackcap seen in Fishguard town centre this morning

Flagploes 13.00 18th January

Gull numbers still high the majority Black Headed but managed to pick out a single Adult Mediterranean. Up to 20 Common Gulls in the roost as well.
A single Heron also present & approx. 40 Cormorants out in the bay.


On the Outer Breakwater yesterday 4 of each Purple Sandpiper & Ringed Plover.

Goodwick (17 Jan 15)

Red Kite hanging in wind just above road verge a little way past the Seaview Hotel this morning.

Sunday morning

Still a flock of 150 Golden Plover on Dinas Mountain.
In Fishguard Harbour a single Red-throated Diver and around 50 Guillemots and Razorbills the majority being Guillemots.Plenty of gulls surface feeding mostly Black-headed but also good numbers of Common Gulls.

Strumble Head

1400 - 1500 hr
NW/6 - 7
Steady movement of auks, mostly Guillemots, Kittiwakes feeding as they flew into the wind, occasional Fulmars, just three Gannets and single Common Gull, Red-throated Diver and Manx Shearwater.

Strumble Head & Flagpoles 8th Jan.

An hour & a half watch at Strumble produced 4 Red Throated Divers a few each of Gannet & Fulmar, large numbers of Auks passing at approx. 40 per minute & large numbers of Kittiwakes passing back west as the feeding flock broke up.


At the Flagpoles a Little Egret still present which relocated to the Stena side after a while & in the Gull roost 9 Med. Gulls ( 4 Ad, 2 2nd w, 3 1st w ) & a single Kittiwake. Common Gull numbers around the 30 mark, the rest of the roost predominantly Black Headed & Herring Gull.

Late Bonxie , a bit late, sorry!

Whilst trying to find some Porpoises on Monday I was searching with my bins in the hope that the seabirds might give me a clue as to the porp's location.
Out beyond the lighthouse a familiar looking critter, a Bonxie hove into view seemingly attracted by some feeding gulls just off the light. After a brief foray at them it wheeled off back whence it came. Only other bird of note was a single drake Scoter heading west. There seems to have been a general lack of divers around Strumble/ Fishguard this winter although a little Egret seems to be regularly visiting the harbour.

Hen Harrier

A very smart as they always are male Hen Harrier at Dinas Mountain late afternoon, also a couple of Golden Plover and a Fox.

Fishguard Harbour

In the harbour this afternoon two Mediterranean Gulls (1 adult,1 1st winter) also a Greenshank on the Ferry/Ocean lab side.

Tresinwen (04 Jan 15)

Mistle Thrushes are back in the area.  Three this morning in the garden.  Also a notable passage of Meadow Pipits going over earlier on.  2 Chough over the garden were my first of the year.

A Jay at the top of Porthsychan.

Strumble Head (03 Jan 15)

Flushed a Barn Owl last night from the fence alongside the road by Salem.

Flagpoles 1st January 2015

A very quick walk with Bella, a very smart Adult Med. Gull, still a lot of Black Headed around.

Happy New Year