stackpole head

25/05/09
from our usual parking place at stackpole quey we decided to walk to bosherman lakes to see if the gargany was still presant then past broad haven beech,past stackpole warren onto the head then over barafundle beech back to the car.
in the woods surrounding the lily ponds we heard a pied flycatcher but despite a lot of effort to see it we failed.very little else here because of the constant desturbance to the site.and we also didnt see the garganey.at broadhaven and stackpole warren we found our first rock pipit and both whitethroats.from here on it was constant rock,meadow and skylark song so i wont mention them again.heres a video of a rock pipit anyway:

we also found a few fulmar nest along this and all the strech we covered and we counted at least 15.a few gannets were flying ofshore but non came close enough for a pic.2 each of cormorant and shag were seen.on one of the many inexesible beeches along the cliff we saw an oystercatcher(later 2 more joined it making 3)there was a few wheatear around but none were perticulary showy(unlike the birds here)and we only saw females,which we found a bit odd.and i managed a bad video of one feeding.then that sound came again and i was thriled to see 2 chuffs(chough) flying in but dropped into some thick grass and i couldent pick them out with my scope.there was a large raft of common seabirds on the water just off the cliff edge.i did notice one thing with these flocks they are only one species flocks(in the video guilemots)and the razorbills always stayed a lot further off but you saw them flying too and from the cliff.(watch the video theres a lot of bird in it,in this raft there was about 100 birds)

and while watching these what flys off the cliff but a PUFFIN its squat body and massive bill making it stand out from the other rushing parents.i watched it all the way untill it fles around the next headland in the vaige direction of skomer island(where there is a large amount this year,around 17,000 birds,normally 10,000,this is the largest amount for almost a decade and posibly longer,there are also SEO,S giving good daily views on there so now would be a great time to visit for a day or overnight to witness the huge number of 250,00 manxies,almost a quarter of the worlds population,coming back to their nests)was it me or did that sound like an advert in a panflet telling you to go

heres a nest ledge:

highlights are:(CAPITAL BIRDS ARE YEAR TICKS)

15+ FULMAR

5 GANNET

2 SHAG

1 perigrine falcon

3 OYC

2 common gull(very odd record that one)

6 g b b gull

12 KITTIWAKE

1 PUFFIN

300c GUILLEMOT

100c RAZORBILL

8 skylark( only 8)

11 ROCK PIPIT

6 meadow pipit

7 WHEATEAR

2 garden warbler

1 blackcap

2 lesser whitethroat

1 whitethroat

1 PIED FLY

4 CHOUGH

5 linnet

ALSO GOT IN ON THE PAINTED LADY INFLUX COUNTED AT LEAST 80 WHILE WALKING AROUND.a very nice day but a very tiring walk

MB