Black Guillemot

A pair of Black Guillemot in Fishguard Harbour this morning.

Strumble Head 25th March.

A single Wheatear in the field behind the Old Coastguards point & the Red Kite still quartering the fields behind the lookout were the avian interest. Eventually a few Porpoises were seen feeding under the Gannets out in the tide race towards the Northwest on the falling tide.


A visit to Corsydd Llangloffan found a few Chiffs singing & single Canada Goose & Moorhen on the pond.  

Flagpoles 12.00 24th March.

Usual number of waders on rocks on left side, very few gulls present. In the reeds by the Seaview Hotel a Chiffchaff quite active & calling.

Strumble Head 22nd March.

Another quick visit to look around the headland for migrants was completely unsuccessful, there was a Kite drifting around the fields at the head however & I can't recall seeing one that far out there before. Three Common Scoter went past but otherwise a quite empty sea.

Mixed up Tystie...

Scanning around Fishguard Harbour  yesterday I caught up with Steve Berry's Tystie. Later on it looked like we had a pair. They were a bit distant but it soon became obvious the pair were not a pair or at least not a matching pair!

 

All at sea!

Sea Trust ran one of our Stena Cetacean Surveys yesterday which was pretty good with Porpoises common dolphins and Risso's dolphins recorded.

Three of the seven Tysties currently present in Rosslare Harbour.

Of more relevance to this blog we also recorded our first returning Manxies of the year with a total of eleven spotted between Strumble and Rosslare. forty odd Common Scoter were seen heading north off Dinas and we had several pipits buzzing the ship on both crossings,

Interesting to see Steve Berry had a Tystie (Black Guillemot) in Fishguard Harbour as the Rosslare colony appears to be down to only seven birds as against what has been around twenty pairs most years since 2004.The big storms of last winter 2013-4 seemed to have been the cause of their demise.

Nothing other than pipits on the return until we were just off Strumble when we were passed by an Alba wagtail which literally called attention to itself!

Black Guillemot

A single Black Guillemot was in Fishguard Harbour early this morning.
At Pen Anglas a single Redpoll and four Reed Bunntings were  present.
Llanychaer a Chiffchaf in the garden and two Sand Martin over the near by pond.

Pen Anglas

Saturday, A flock of 80+ Linnet also 50+ Meadow Pipits and two Red-throated Divers on the sea.
Sunday, A Red Kite not that regular at this site, a Peregrine and female Kestrel and a pair of Chough,passing west were a flock of 20 Common Scoter all male.

Spring has Sprung at Strumble (14 Mar 15)

Good look around this afternoon with main aim to find a Wheatear.  Well didn't find one - found six!

My first for the year.  The pics below of the individual on the headland just west of Porthsychan beach (my most consistent spot for "first" Wheatear).

Another 5 found on the slopes just south of the lighthouse (4M, 1F).

No other migrants found.

Gulls and porp's at Strumble..

 A really quick visit to Strumble  this morning with Erik and Cristina, A cold Easterly breeze had us huddled behind the lookout and a mistyness was reducing visibility.There were porp's about but the sea was a bit mixed up and getting shots of them was very hit and miss.

We looked for some bird activity to point out where they were feeding. In the summer its always Gannets that show us where they are but in the winter its usually gulls. On this occasion it was a Common Gull!

Not long after other gulls joined in, but with the poor visibility and the porpoises random surfacing  these shots were the best I could manage. Lets hope they are more obliging for our Four o Clock Porp Watch tomorrow, one of our Science Day Event, we are running in Partnership with the Bristish Science Association

Med Gulls Fishguard Harbour today...

Flagpoles 15.30 13th March.

Very chilly at the Flagpoles earlier, 3 x 1st W & 1 x 2nd W Med. Gulls  present in the flock which probably didn't contain more than 100 birds. Cormorants still very active on the Ferry Terminal side. 

Strumble / Fishguard 10th March.

On a quick visit to Strumble only a single Red Throated Diver seen flying West, no migrants on the ground seen. Back at home 4 Red Kites West over Fishguard could indicate a small movement on in the fine weather. 

Flagpoles 14.00 1st March

The seemingly wintering Greenshank roosting with a small amount of Black Headed Gulls on the far right hand side at the Flagpoles. The largest number of Turnstones I've seen for a while, well into double figures. Still a large number of Cormorants out in the harbour on the Flagpoles side quite close in to the Inner Breakwater.  

Mediterranean Gulls

In Fishguard Harbour this morning 2 adults (one with full hood) and a first winter Mediterranean Gull.