Strumble Head 30th April.

A short evening session by Graham Powell ( A.K.A The Tall Twitcher ), Hundreds of Manxies now going through & the bonus, a Storm Petrel at 17.25 in the line of Manx. Interestingly another reported from Carnsore Point Wexford today, just across the road. Probably the weather has stirred the early season birds up a bit.

Stena-Sea Trust Dolphin Day...Saturday June 10th

Stena-Sea Trust Dolphin Day...Saturday June 10th

Hi everyone! 
Stena Line are changing their sailing times which will mean that we can do a day trip in daylight hours sailing at 13.10 pm and returning to Fishguard by 9.30 pm. Apparently the train schedule will also be altered to coincide with these sailings. (to be confirmed).
We have negotiated a deal to celebrate this with Stena whereby they are welcoming Sea Trust supporters with a special low foot passenger fare,of £20 + a £5 donation to Sea Trust, including a one course meal and non alcoholic drink. Obviously we cant have everyone up on the bridge but Team Sea Trust can relay sightings to people on deck ten, behind the bridge, so hopefully people can see the dolphins and sea birds as we pass by.
Its a bit of a work in progress and of course there are no guarantees but if the weather gods are with us it will be a great time to be out there. If not it will still be great to get together in the bar on the return journey. If you are interested in joining us, email asap, allthingsgood, cliff

New Garden Tick !!!

Brought down by the shower I expect, i'm off down the valley.

Flagpoles 16.00

Freezing cold but 5 Whimbrel & 3 Common Sandpipers cheered things up slightly.

Crossbill

A Crossbill seen at the same location I saw one on the 10th April near Trecwn.
In excess of 100 House Martins in the valley at Llanychaer this evening.

Lesser Whitethroat.

Singing ( Rattling ) in the same area as last year along the bypass. Common Whitethroat also displaying in the area. My first Speckled Wood of the year along the path to the bench where the grass is quite long, hopefully it will stay like that for a while.

My first Whimbrel of 2017!

Strumble 20 4 17..

He Wasn't Coming For A Drink.

After an unsuccessful raid on the feeders.

Strumble Head 20th April.

Not a seawatch but a stroll around the old Coastguards area. Highlight was at least 37 Wheatear in the tilled field just past Tresinwen with a couple of White Wagtails as well. A Whimbrel on the rocks near Mackeral Rock & as with last times visit hundreds of hirundines mostly Swallows with a few Sand & House Martin. In the flat calm a large number of Porpoises showing stretching from West of the Lighthouse East towards Pen Anglas.

Fishguard Fort

From the fort a single Sandwich Tern and also a Whimbrel and a pair of Shelduck.along the coast path at least 3 Grasshopper Warblers and a Whitethroat .

Pied Flycatcher

A smart male Pied Flycatcher seen on one of my usual circular walks near Llanychaer,also 2 pairs of Stock Doves,a steady movement of Swallows has been passing through in patches through out the day. Also my first Green veined White of the year.

Glaucous Gull still around.

Saw this snoozing on the Cow and Calf rocks yesterday afternoon, off the breakwater. Went back to get Rens one of our Dutch Students but sadly it had gone, although he did see 3 sandwich terns (not much consolation) Hopefully its still around somewhere hereabouts.

Black Guillemot

A bit of a surprise this morning was to see a  Black Guillemot in Lower Town Fishguard ,I have never seen one away from the Stena side of the harbour.

Strumble Head 13th April.

Time: 09.30 - 13.00
Weather: Some cloud at first then brightened up.
Wind: NNW 2

Red Throated Diver - 4 ( 1 Summer Plumage )

Manx Shearwater - 5 ( We had 1, Ken B had 4 before we got there )

Sandwich Tern - 5

The highlight was hundreds of Hirundines flowing out towards Ireland & on the fences , mostly Swallows but large number of Sand Martins & a few House Martins at one point being chased by the wintering Merlin.

Wdigbirder & Andy Phillips ( Cardiff )

New Garden Visitor.

A Fox popped in for a brief look under the feeders last night.

Glaucous Gull

The Glaucous Gull was still present off of Pen Anglas this morning,a single Whimbrel flew by,but fairly quite otherwise.

Another spring tick!

Went out onto the breakwater with with old mate Mervin, looking for Tysties. Not successful but this little white  (should be silver) wagtail was my first of the spring! A quick look at Kens pic's  (I think) show a spread legged linnet, a wheatear, a meadow pipit and a chaffinch , fair play Ken you are a superb photographer not a birder. Refreshing that someone is willing to say they are not sure! have to say I am not entirely sure of 1 and 3 but from pic's its not so easy!
  

Pen Anglas Walk

On a walk to Pen Anglas Sunday morning to shoot Potpoise I had the chance to catch these little beauties in the lens. Perhaps you could ID them for me Adrian as you know my bird ID skills are almost non existant. A Chaffinch and Dunnock me thinks but the others are beyond my knowledge.

( Hi Ken, great pics. Top one's a Female Linnet, the next two a cracking Male Wheatear with his superb Bandit Mask, then a Meadow Pipit In the next two & a Chaffinch at the bottom as you said .)
Adrian.

Strumble Swallows

There were a few hirundines over and around the gorse just past the cattle grid as we arrived at Strumble this afternoon, but shortly afterwards they were joined by a flock of c200 in off the sea. Mainly swallows but with a few house and sand martins mixed in. They were feeding on the insects on the gorse flowers and over the field, crowding onto the wire fences occasionally and chattering excitedly. A red kite drifted over.

Crossbill

A single Crossbill near to Trecwn today.

Black Guillemot and first Manxies from the Stena Europe.

A single tystie was seen as we headed out of the harbour on our cetacean Survey on Thursday.

I was hoping to see my first Manxie of the year but we actually saw hundreds!

This was one of the first!

Eider

The Eider was still in the harbour this morning seen from the fort,also at the fort a Sedge Warbler was singing.
A single Golden Plover on Dinas Mountain.

Fishguard Harbour 6th April.

A very distant duck which I first thought was a Merganser then flapped it's wings when bothered by a Herring Gull & showed no white. This necessitated a dash home to collect scope & a few minutes later I was watching the first Eider ( Female ) I've seen in the Harbour. As it drifted past a buoy I noticed there was a Sandwich Tern on it & a Red Throated Diver passed by behind shortly after. Eider & Tern pictured, taken with Mobile Phone through Scope.

   

Black Guillemot

The pair of Black Guillemots were in the harbour this morning displaying.

Redwing

A single Redwing in the wood at Llanychaer, a large increase in hirundines around today about fifty birds mostly Sand Matins and Swallows but several House Martins in with them.

Maesgwynne 5th April.

A few Sand martins & my first 2 Swallows of the year over, all in a roughly SW direction. Excitement of a immature Peregrine on a Telegraph Pole lower down the valley turned to concern when it looks like it's prey was one of our Great Spotted Woodpeckers.

Hirundines

Late afternoon at Llanychaer 6 Swallows,2 House Martins and 2 Sand Martins,also a flock of 16 Golden Plover flew over quite high.

Fishguard Fort - National Trust Castell

A pair of Canada Geese in the harbour, 12 Sand Martins, and a steady movement of Goldfinches moving in small groups along the coast in excess of 100 birds, also 3 Redpolls and a pr of Reed Buntings in with these birds. There were plenty of Razorbills present at Needle Rock along with several pairs of Fulmars and a single pair of Guillemots.

Caught out....

This rather dull coloured ist winter Turnstone ob the breakwater caught me out as I had only seen it from behind and the white streak down its back was a bit confusing!

Strumble Head (02 Apr 17)

A walk from home to the reedbed at Pwll Arian and back.  A Tree Pipit at the reedbed bushes was singing briefly when I arrived.  Also a Red Kite over and my first Swallows.

Another Red Kite on the sheep carcass from the Tresinwen to Lighthouse road.

Glaucous Gull

A Glaucous Gull (1st winter) was in Fishguard Harbour this morning.
At Pen Anglas several Sand Matins passing through,also a Yellowhammer a rarity at this site these days,small numbers of Willow Warbler,Blackcap and Chiffchaffs also present.

That Duck

I feel a touch of Mandarin in that bird.

Strumble Head (01 Apr 17)

Plenty of Wheatears around today and a fair few females.

Female Black Redstart on the headland West of Porthsychan with the Wheatears.  The Black Red was frequently doing some subdued singing.

A couple of House Martins over were my first and two Willow Warblers at the top of Porthsychan.  A Blackcap singing in the garden.  A Yellowhammer calling in the garden early morning was later heard singing somewhere behind the garden at lunchtime.

That Duck.

Fantastic pics of the Treecreeper Ken, a very difficult bird to get any pictures of.
The duck is the production of many generations of dubious parentage I would say, but a smart looking bird nonetheless.

What Duck?

A walk around Wythybush woods today and I came across this duck. Any ideas Adrian? Also a Tree Creeper but the light wasn't the best. Later at Strumble my first Swallow but no image.