Great Crested Grebe

It was a nice surprise this morning to see that the pair of Great Crested Grebe at Rosebush Reservoir have two young this year they look to be about a week old. As far as I am aware this is the first successful nesting attempt at Rosebush for several years.

Singing white throat above Strumble lookout.

Strumble Head & Tresinwen (28-30 May 16)

Otter on the grass verge on the Goodwick seafront on Friday evening.

Cuckoo seems to be in residence at Strumble now.

Pale morph Honey Buzzard at 11ish this morning.  Found at Seal Bay but soon circled up and drifted into the misty cloud and seemed to head towards the lighthouse.  Not seen subsequently.

Choughs were defending their territory from a pair of crows very noisy!

Several Whitethroats singing loud and clear around Strumble!

Crossbills

Two Crossbills again today at Cwm yr Eglwys feeding on pine cones.
I noticed a few Red Admirals around today also my first Beautiful Demoiselle of the year at Llanychaer.

Tresinwen & Strumble Head (21 & 22 May 16)

A Jay feeding in the fields behind the house on Sunday was a scarce sighting.  Cuckoo calling somewhere towards Good Hope.  Lots of hirundine movement over weekend.

On Saturday had a lovely, distinctive Stonechat (Euro) on the headland.  Not seen on Sunday.  Pictures below give it some justice but in flight it was black and white.  I thought at first that I had found a migrant male Pied Fly when it first appeared.

Thanks to RBA for some pointers this is defo a Euro Stonechat.  The clincher is some dark markings on the centres of the upper tail coverts.  Everything else was superficially like Siberian Stonechat, including dark auxiliaries as shown in the (very) dodgy pics.

Turtle dove St Nicholas.

Met up with Tina and Stephen Davies yesterday who had a turtle dove in their St Nicholas garden on Saturday, I asked if they were sure it was not a collared dove but they are extremely aware of them and described the neck pattern, a nice Strumblish tick!

Flagpoles 16.00

No waders apart from the usual Oystercatchers but a Little Egret around the pools.

Great Crested Grebe

There was a single Great Crested Grebe in Fishguard Harbour this morning very late in the spring for one to be here.

Cuckoo

A single bird flew across in front of me in the valley & started singing from the wires, my best view of one for I don't know how long. Other than that very quiet. 

Hooded Crow

This morning at Pen Anglas a Hooded Crow flew over heading north, other birds of note were a Lesser Whitethroat and a Redpoll. In the harbour a single Black Guillemot.
At Rosebush Reservoir there has been a drake Pochard the last few days.

Crossbills

Two Crossbills flew over low at Cwm yr Eglwys today,a Lesser Whitethroat also singing.
At Llanychaer one of the pairs of Dippers have fledged there first brood.
3 Great Crested Grebes in summer plumage were in Fishguard Harbour on the 10th.

Goodwick Parrog 11/5/16

I called in at the flag poles on my way back from Strumble and caught several waders and while there a Whimbrel came in.

Common Sandpipers Fishguard Harbour, yesterday...

Adrian and self came across these 3 common sandpipers yesterday, near the lifeboat pen yesterday!

Flagpoles 16.00 & OBW ( Earlier )

From the car park, 9 Common Terns, 2 Sanderling, 7 Ringed Plover & 22 Dunlin.
Earlier on Outer Breakwater, 2 Whimbrel, 3 Common Sandpiper & a single Wheatear.
Not a bad Wader day for the harbour, wonder what tomorrow will bring? 

Whimbrel at Strumble

Out at Strumble this morning shooting porpoise and Rissos Dolphins with Cliff Benson (see Whales in Whales link)  when a group of Whimbrel flew past and settled on rocks below us. Shortly after they took flight and I managed a few in flight shots.

Another New Garden Tick.

This morning 2 of the avian variety being Garden Warbler & Swift but also the little fella pictured.

Newport Reserve

After reading on Pembrokeshire Birds about the Osprey yesterday more in hope than expectation I spent the morning on the iron bridge at Newport. Sad to say no Osprey, but three Red Kites moving through together, a Buzzard, several pairs of Shell Duck, a couple of Mute Swans and varoius small hedge birds with Martins drinking on the wing. Also making an appearance was a small grey seal napping in the shallows to the right as you look upstream. Returning to Goodwick there was flooding on the parrog due to the high tides and I noticed a wader in amongst some gulls. Curiosity made me stop and I think it is a Black Tailed Godwit. I stand to be correctd if not.   I hope these images do the day and the blog justice. Ken B.

Sand Martins at Abermawr

My walk today took me to the woods behind the beach at Abermawr. I knew the Sand Martins usually nested in the soft sand of the eroded banks behind the beach so I ventured further and took a quick look. The weather being overcast wasn't the best for capturing them but I got a few shots. I will probably go back on a better day but for now here they are.

Llanychaer

At Llanychaer today a Common Sandpiper by pond. A singing Garden Warbler and three male Redstarts on territory. Also a Slow Worm in leaf litter along path.

Thanks For The Invitation.

Many thanks Adrian for the invitation to contribute to the Strumble Blog.  To those of you who don't know me I am Ken Barnett and I live in Goodwick. I have been sea watching for quite some time and have been a regular poster on Whales in Wales for the Sea Trust which some of you may also follow. My interest is primarily photography and conservation and when out and about will endeavour to capture most things in nature that move if I can get close enough. Adrian has given me a geographical limit so if by chance I get any bird life in that area it will appear here. To start with here's a couple of shots of one of a pair of Shell Ducks that passed Strumbe this morning, a composite of a Fulmar flying by the lookout, a Great Skua passing, our resident Rock Pippit and a Pied wagtail on Goodwick Beach.

Fishguard Harbour & Strumble 4th May.

A group of 3 Wheatears along the Inner breakwater, 3 Whimbrel & a Greenshank at the Flagpoles.
Earlier on at Strumble 2 Shelduck & a Whimbrel past.
A single Tystie showing distantly in  the mouth of the Harbour. ( Thanks, Graham Powell ).