Flagpoles 28th April.

A group of 9 Whimbrel came in but didn't hang around for very long, quiet otherwise.

Shelduck

A pair of Shelduck by what use to be the flagpoles in Fishguard Harbour also several Black headed Gulls.
Pen Anglas a singing Lesser Whitethroat and a even mix of Swallow,House Martin and Sand Martin totaling 50 + birds.

Gwaun Valley 26th April.

Blackcaps seemingly every few yards beyond Alt Y Clyn & on past Cwm Gwaun in suitable habitat. Of the expected big 3 summer visitors only a single singing male Pied Flycatcher in the wood just past Llanerch Farm where you park on the bend & go through the gate. It was a couple of hundred metres along the path close to the derelict building, singing from high up on the bank & moving around as they do, there were however numerous singing Willow warblers again quite close together. At the same site a male Sparrowhawk hunting the woodland edge gave good views as he perched up.

Flagpoles 14.00

A mixed bag with single Whimbrel & Bar Tailed Godwit, 2 nice summer plumaged Dunlin & 2 Common Sandpiper.

Pied Flycatcher and Redstarts

I did my usual walk round Llanychaer this morning it produced a male Pied Flycatcher and 3 male Redstarts.

Pen Anglas

This morning a male Lesser Whitethroat,several Common Whitethroat and Willow Warblers.
In the harbour 11whimbrel a Bar-tailed Godwit and a first summer Black -headed Gull.

Lots of common things at Strumble.

So Carrion Crow, common enough but not hat common flying in off the sea in small groups just after dawn! presumably juveniles drifting around having been chased off breeding territories?

 And I suppose gulls are common enough but whats this passing by a porpoise?

Nd of Course Black headed Gulls are dead common but not here in late April...

 Hmm, can't remember seeing these in summer plumage around Tresinwen for a long long time!

On the outer breakwater today

Six whimbrel and at least five wheatears  I did not want to disturb them as they rested and fed, so took these pic's at extreme range...

Strumble Head (18 Apr 15)

Early morning walk around the head produced 3 Whitethroat - my first of the year.  Also lots of Hirundines around including my first few House Martins.

Spring migrants

At Llanychaer this morning 2 Common Sandpiper on the pond next door,this afternoon on my circular walk my first Redstart of this year
Dinas Mountain 9 Wheatear.
Just slightly further a field a male Woodchat Shrike on the coast path between Cwm yr Eglwys and Aberforest.thanks to Sam Baxter for letting me know about the bird he came across this morning also 2 Common Sandpipers by Aberforest .

Strumble quiet AM, fall of Alba Wagtails Fishguard Outer Breakwater PM

Funny day today, a look around Strumble early this morning was uneventful bird-wise although quite a lot of Gannets travelling west, perhaps displaced by yesterdays strong winds. Apart from a couple of swallows and odd pipits coming in  there was little sign of migration until I saw two groups, each of half a dozen Goldfinches arrive!
I was not particularly expecting much from the outer breakwater but was surprised to find "alba" wagtails flitting about all over the place, at least twenty probably more. A small crevice had collected some rainwater and attracted the Wagtails who were obviously thirsty and in need of a wash and brush up? Really smart birds I think they should really be called silver wagtails!

Willow Warbler(s)

A single Willow Warbler singing this morning is a good record for the garden, with then another 15+ sightings during the course of the day up until lunchtime I'm guessing there's probably been a small passage rather than just the same bird coming back.

Golden Plover

3 Golden Plover in full summer plumage on Dinas Mountain late afternoon, just a single male Wheatear.

Fishguard Harbour Thursday afternoon

A pleasant hour (4-5 pm)  spent on pebbly beach produced 3 male wheatears and 4 females as well as one sandwich tern feeding in the bay. Several chiff chaffs singing in the scrub behind and odd swallows coming in off the sea. Ravens nesting there with well grown young. spring sprung. Very  oddly a tawny owl  was also calling!

Wheatears

At least 10 Wheatears on Dinas Mountain this morning .My first Orange Tip butterfly at Llanychaer today.

Juv Dipper

A juv Dipper on the river at Llanychaer was nice to see which I thought quite early in the year to be fledged. A few Blackcaps now singing in the wood as well as Willow Warbler and Chiffchaffs.
On Dinas Mountain a pair of Wheatear and a single Red Kite.
At Strumble Hd yesterday evening a small passage of Swallows and a single House Martin also 3 Chough together.
Monday at Pen Anglas a TreePipit new for the site,2 Sand Martin,single Swallow, Reed Bunting and Snipe. Ringed Plovers heard flying over very high up.

An April dawn at Strumble...

An hour at Strumble this morning
The sun was just coming up as I arrived and i disturbed a female Merlin sat on the rocks below. She was probably awaiting the arrival of some tired migrant pipit. I sat on the cliff edge below the lookout the tide was low and making so I had high hopes of snapping some Porpoises. They were there, plenty of them, but all a long way out.Usually the birds let us know where they are either the gull's or the gannets but nobody was playing the game making it hard to get a pic. These were the best I could do... A couple of seals had a bit of a standoff below, blowing bubbles at each other! Eventually I gave up hope on the porp's getting closer and I needed some breakfast before another day smiling at people in the Ocean Lab! As I climbed back up to the car a string of Common Scoter were heading west , choughs were calling somewhere in the distance , all in all a nice little session and thankfully no fog!

Strumble Head (05 Apr 15)

My first day of bird watching of the long weekend.

Morning walk was Tresinwen to GarnFawr via the road then along Garn Fechan ridge and down to Tai Bach and back to Tresinwen.  Birds of note:

Tresinwen

• Blackcap singing
• Willow Warbler singing (my first of the year)
• A few Wheatears in the ploughed field by the Nant
• Plenty of Swallows around and one or two Sand Martins

Garn Fawr

• 3 Yellowhammers singing
• 1 Tree Pipit singing and displaying at top of Garn Fawr
• 2 Lesser Redpoll
• 4 Sparrowhawks
• 5 Buzzards
• 4 Red Kites (thermaling high between Victor's farmhouse and Tresinwen - looked like two pairs)

Afternoon walk was Tresinwen to Porthsychan and around coast to Old Coastguard station.  Too many people about but did manage to find a Blackcap and a cracking male Merlin sat in one of the headland ploughed fields.  Two of the Red Kites re-appeared over Victor's farmhouse late afternoon.

Yellowhammer

A single male Yellowhammer at Pen Anglas this morning a bird which not to many years ago was a regular nesting speicies at this site but these days a scarce occurrence.

Hummingbird Hawkmoth 5th April !

One in the garden this afternoon for a few minutes.

Strumble / Pwll Deri 4th April.

A glorious day to be out birdwatching, a steady trickle of Sand Martins & Swallows at both sites plus 2 House Martins together at Strumble. Displaying Chough were spectacular, Wheatears by the Lighthouse at Strumble. Pen Caer at it's best.  

Tresinwen (03 Apr 15)

Gardening day today but scored with two Swallows over the garden early afternoon.  First of the year and I have not had Sand Martin yet!

Swallow

At a very cold and windy Pen Anglas this afternoon a single Swallow past through,