Another New Garden Tick.

                                                                   Bank Vole

Interesting Morning at Strumble

As I drove to Strumble a Red Kite lifted off a rocky outcrop at the top of our road. Further on towards Henna Cross a musket Sparrowhawk flitted ahead of me for fifty yards before darting over the hedgebank. The sea was calm, lots of gannets feeding a couple of miles out and three groups of Scoter passed, comprising ten males and three females I nearly missed this, it was distant and clearly bigger than gannets it passed.

Tresinwen & Strumble Head (27 Sep 15)

Garden - No sign of the Spotted Flycatcher today.  Yesterday's Coal Tit has now turned into 3 Coal Tits.  My second ever Nuthatch in the garden this afternoon.  3 Blackcaps (2M, 1F) on elderberries.  2 White Wags around the buildings.  Plenty of Goldcrests about and a few Chiffchaffs.  Still lots of Swallows and House Martins about.

Strumble - Lots of Goldcrest in Porthsychan and a few Blackcaps.  A presumed fourth Coal Tit in the valley.

Tresinwen & Strumble Head (26 Sep 15)

Garden - Spotted Flycatcher which is presumably a migrant as the locals moved out a few weeks ago, Coal Tit (first of the autumn in the garden), Blackcap, a few Chiffchaffs and a few Goldcrests.  2 Buzzards keeping an eye on the silage cutting.  A flock of 50+ Starlings flew high North over the garden late afternoon.  Lots of Swallows and House Martins hanging about over the house all day.

Strumble - Red Kite mid morning low over Porthsychan, 3 Blackcaps, a few Chiffchaffs and small flock of Linnets. 

Strumble Head 25th Sept.

Time: 06.45 - 12.15
Weather: Clear, Bright late morning.
Wind: NW 3/4


Common Scoter - 19 ( 18 Males )
Red Throated Diver - 1
Great Northern Diver - 1
Balearic Shearwater - 2
Cormorant - 2
Dunlin - 12
Arctic Skua - 10 ( 2 Pale, 7 Dark, 1 Juv )
Long Tailed Skua - 1 ( Juv )
Bonxie - 2
Mediterranean Gull - 2 ( 1 Adult, 1 1st W )
Little Gull - 3 ( 2 1st W, 1 2nd W )
Sandwich Tern - 19
Commic Tern - 2


Common Dolphin - 7
Porpoises showing occasionally.
 

Strumble Head 24th sept. ( Early )

Time: 07.10 - 9.20


Pintail - 1
Common Scoter - 1 ( Female )
Red Throated Diver - 1
Sooty Shearwater - 1
Balearic Shearwater - 6
Pomarine Skua - 3 ( 1 Pale, 2 Juvs )
Arctic skua - 3 ( 1 Pale, 2 Juvs )
Bonxie - 1


Many Thanks to Brian Gibbs ( Somerset )

Porp's galore and a wrong way Sooty!

Went to Strumble this afternoon, loads of Porpoises but also my only Sooty Shearwater of the year (so far) There was a front coming in from the west and the sooty was moving east, ahead of it...