The annual pilgrimage! Pembrokeshire 2014

25/07/14

Perhaps didn't get as much birding time in as I was hoping on this holiday, but some good days non the less!

 

I headed out early to be on the clifftops behind our accommodation, and although it was late May, the brisk and cool morning winds was still harbouring a slight whiff of migration, and a few Lesser Whitethroats, Whitethroats and 'Phyloscs' certainly added to that feeling.

 

My main intention though was to get out to a nice high point and have a couple of hours seawatching.

With Oystercatchers calling from the rocks below, and Gannets and Fulmar fishing and gliding close in to the cliff, it was a rather relaxing affair, as actually rather little was moving on the sea!

However, a party of 7 waders flying in from the west quickly attracted my full attention, with long necks and bill shining a vivid orange as they moved further east, with their huge white wing bars and black and white tail it was obvious I was watching my first Pembrokeshire BLACK-TAILED GODWITS of the year, they continued east, fast across the horizon, before dropping out of sight behind the headland.

A further 2 hours passed and 3 Mallard was all I had to show for it (Mallards!!), but quickly two large seabirds came in from the east, hugging the coast so they were maybe only 100ft out. Immediately obvious was the fact that two divers were flying towards me! They got closer and closer, and it was about when level with me it stuck that both of these birds were huge! They're huge pale grey bills could be seen as could a dark half collar and large, projecting feet, they were winter plumaged GREAT-NORTHERN DIVERS! Being so close I thought they would drop onto the sea off Freshwater east, but rather than doing this they jutted out into the sea, heading for St Govans head in the distance, but this allowed for prolonged viewing as they flew away from me. A small party of 10 Razorbill flew past from the direction of a nearby breeding colony.

 

With no Tern movement, despite an onshore breeze, I took a few snaps of a few of the resident seabirds of the shores around Pembrokeshire and went off searching for landbirds!

 

 

 

Soon, in one of the steep 'gullys' that had been eroded by the sea a juvenile Raven was found, hopping from rock to rock and showing that juvenile interest in anything that only a chick recently out of the nest could have!

 

 

It's parents were in close attendance, searching for food on the cliff edges, and giving absolutely stunning views, showing off their glossy plumage to full effect in the sun, shimmering blue, green and purple in the light!

 

 

Rock and Meadow Pipit's were ubiquitous, as were Stonechats, with 16 counted including many 'first broods'. As always though, these active firecrackers of a bird always made me stop for a little while I had a quick watch. It was quite interesting to watch their feeding methods as they worked the gorse and heather in pairs, with the male keeping vigil as the female gathered food for the chicks.

 

 

As you would expect, I managed to locate a number of a west coast of wales speciality, and once the walk had been completed, a total of 8 CHOUGH had been seen tumbling through the air, filling the air with their distinctive crys. Sadly, non were co-operative enough to perch up for a photo, but a number of nice flypasts were enough to keep me happy!

MB

And so it begins! Pembrokeshire 2013

25/05/13

I make no reasoning for why i love Pembrokeshire.

Being such a stunning county, with endless miles of sheer cliff edge and great habitats, its no surprise as to why i look forward to my yearly visit here!

Our journey was rewarded by a total of 24 RED KITE, but perhaps more surprisingly 62 Buzzard! as well as a single Kestrel and a pair of Yellowhammer.

Upon our arrival at where we were staying, i bode farewell to the family to immediately start scouring the cliffs!

And would you blame me on a stunning day like this!

And i tell you, it felt great to be out! A Rock Pipit towered above me before plunging to the earth, with Linnets and Meadow Pipit's on the Gorse, and Gannets, Fulmars and Shags flying offshore!

The Mipits in particular were showing incredibly well, actually, down to around 6ft!

 

Once  had reached the highest point above the sea along the cliff, i unfolded my chair, and sat, scope facing towards the sea in the hope of a seabird flying past. Numerous Gannet were the only birds of note for almost and hour, until i clocked 2 SANDWICH TERN flying west offshore.

Around this point i was distracted by a male STONECHAT which started singing and displaying in the Gorse, before flying up for a song flight with a backdrop of Stackpole and Freshwater East. Stunning!

Wanting to move on, i headed further east along the footpath, and quickly found another male STONECHAT, but this bird was acomponied by a female, and were showing nicely adjacent to the track, and with the sun behind me, the scope came our rather quickly!

There are few birds that look more smart than a male Stonechat in summer plumage! Further still, and i was lucky enough to find yet another pair of Stonechat, but this time they were joined by two juvenile birds!

One of the short cropped Cow fields held 5 Wheatear, 3 of which were stunning male birds.

An ADDER was also found basking in the sun around and area of dunes, and a Wall Brown Butterfly was found along the clifftop footpath

MB

Stackpole Head- PUFFIN'S!

6/06/12

Stackpole head has always been a favorite area in Pembrokeshire, a nice mix of birds, nice beaches and stunning sea cliffs. It always makes for a decent couple of hours, even if theres not many birds about!
Over the last few years, there has been a seeming decline in numbers of everything here, so my hopes wernt exactly too high. However, all the 'usual' suspects are still around, just in less numbers!

The weather everyday since the Sunday had been rather atrocious, and therefore all birding time was pritty much canceled! We did witness the Lifeboat docking at it's station on the Wednesday, and a quick walk along the beach in Tenby during howling wind and driving rain lead to a suspected sighting on a Skua sp. However, the views were ever so brief as it ducked in behind a wave, with no bins, and when using one of the telescopes on the seafront (which were terrible btw!) i couldnt relocate it. Which is a shame, because ive only ever seen one skua previously!

On the thursday morning however, there was a gap in the weather, and i had a PAINTED LADY buttefly on the plants outside the window.

Later in the day, moving to Stackpole head, it was similarly sunny, but with a very gusty wind. It didnt takes long before we started picking up the birds, Skylarks were (as usual) everywhere! And Meadow Pipit were 'seeping' all around us.

A couple of WHEATEAR also joined us on the cliff top, and after abit of time, a female approached us, and gave stunning views!

Soon after, we were also joined by the male bird. Presumably a 1st summer because of the brown tinged wing feathers.

What a stunner!

However, the main reason for visiting these cliffs was to try and see one of the Icons of coastal birding in Wales. The CHOUGH.

We soon picked up a flock of these birds calling from the other side of the head, and we soon located then on the cliff edge.

We were treated to views of an immature bird. A plumage which previously i have never seen, which was now fully indipendant from its parents.

And talk of the devil, Here are the two stunning corvids! Glossy black with blood red bills and legs.

And just flying out to mob one of the ever present Herring Gulls.

The birding here is not just confined to the cliff tops. Clinging on to the vertical rock face below is a bustling colony of seabirds, with both the 'common' Auks well represented. And, as we were a week later than most years, most of the colony were in attendance, and we were treated to large numbers on hte cliff faces, and forming rafts below us on the swell.

And it was while scanning these rafts that i picked out a few white faces. Even at the extreme range we were from the bird (1/2- 1 mile) i could easilly tell that i was watching a PUFFIN on the water! Great stuff!
I knew they were here from previous sightings, however, i had never seen one actually perched/swimming, so it was great to get views of them in the water.
We moved along the cliff, closer to where the birds were, and soon realised that there was infact more than one bird here. And i soon counted 6 birds swimming about, including these two birds, which swam on the sea not too far away.

A SHAG was near the top of the cliffs at its nest.

However, i was soon distracted by the numbers of ROCK PIPIT which had decided they wanted to show well, and i was soon in the presence of a showy male bird, which casually stroled around about 30ft away, often pausing to sing or preen.

A couple of times. the bird was knocked off ballence by the strong winds, which made for some odd poses!

We were also treated to amazing views of this bird, whch showed a very ragged tail.

All in all, a very good visit, and it was nice to see Stackpole 'back on form'.Decent birds, ok weather, what more could you ask for?

MB

Strumble Head and Goodwick Harbour, Wales 2012

4/06/12

As this was the only forcasted decent weather way of the week, we decided to make the most of it, and spent almost 9 hours 'in the field' at multiple locations around Pembrokeshire, Starting with Strumble Head, so i could get all the 'common' seabirds at once.
We had planned to visit Skomer today, and a very early get up by me (despite being violently ill the previous day) was insured in the hope of getting over, however, my dad got up late, and by the time we left, it was already too late, maybe next year. 4th time lucky!

The good thing with Strumble, is that you dont have to venture far from the car, you litterally park on the edge of a cliff face looking north into St Georges Channel, and being this far out from the 'main' landmass means seabirds pass at a scopeable distance, on sunny and bright days, very far off. and today was one of those 'very far off' days,
Immidiatly obvious was the ever present Gannets, with about c30 diving offshore, with many of them in a huge scrum above a pod of Dolphin and Porpoise. I dont get very much practise at cretations, so therefore my skills at id'ing them is extremly limited, however i was able to identify that about 10 Common Dolphin and 10 Harbour Porpoise were feeding offshore, as they often appeared at the top of the water and often broke the surface, however, it was a slight shame that the Dolphins never 'jumped' out of the water, which would have a made a good sight!

Eventually, a small flock of MANX SHEARWATER joined the meele of Gannets, Fulmars, Kittiwakes and proper 'seagulls'. However, all of these were very distant!
A little seawatching produced very little apart from the mentioned species, hopes of a skua never materialised,a nd despite favorable conditions later in the week, i didnt have any further time seawatching later in the week, which i now regret!
3 PUFFIN which flew past bears a remarkable similarity to a visit to the site last year,in which i also saw 3 Puffin fly past.
However, i was quickly distracted by 4 STONECHAT'S feeding in gorse just below the car park, giving stunning views down to 30ft, stonking views of a very interesting species, and one that i dont usually see in the home county of Worcestershire.
The female gave particularly good views, and i manadged this photo which i was quite proud off, well up there on my personal 'Favorite images' list.

The birds moved about almost constantly (as always with Chats), and with the wind, it made from some dificulties, however, i was happy enough to just sit and watch them, without the need for the scope.

Occasioanlly though, the birds would perch long enough for me to get some video footage.

Acompanying the female was also a stonking male, which similarly, gave absolutly stunning views, in almost perfect light, and with a backdrop of the sea, what could make a better photo?
(Apart from a better photographer!)

It was only when reviewing the photos later did i realise that the bird was grasping onto a wasp in its bill, a highly unlikely food source i would've thought?

The male, was a little lest restless than the female, and occasioanlly perched for longer periods of time than the female.

After a few hours around the lighthouse area of Strumble Head, we then dropped down into nearby Goodwick Harbour. On the drive down the steep hill entering the this picturesque harbour town i clocked onto a RED KITE circling above us, however, by the time we had stopped in the car park a few hundred metres away, the bird had dissapeared, and wasnt seen again.
A 1st summer MEDITERRANEAN GULL flew past, and out of the Harbour, which made for a Pemb's 'Tick', and again, this didnt come back and wasnt relocated. The tide was now rapidly receeding, and the newly exposed mud ment the flock of Oystercatchers were now moving in. Within a short period of time 15 OYC appeared.
In a walk along the breakwater, a single Common Blue Butterfly was noted, but very little else.

We then walked back to the car park, where for the 2nd year running, i enjoyed a superb Ice cream from the van that parks within the car park. Highly recomended if anyone is in the area, some of the best ice cream i've ever tasted!!
With the day having just passed Midday, we decided to move onwards, to Marloes Mere....
MB

Tenby Town,- Wales

30/05/11

A trip into the town for a quick spot of time on the beec... looking for seabirds came up trumps with my first Gannet of the year feeding in very close to the shore, oftern only about 30ft out, My first Fulmar of the year sheered past and a calling Rock Pipit flew over.

MB

Stackpole Head

31/05/10

across barafundel beach and up the track through the woodland, to an head completly covered in walkers etc, and many of the 'common' birds were keeping down, but a plethra of year ticks followed,

a female wheatear flew along the cliff edge while another female stuck around just long enough to get one photo:

, which although not a year tick was still very nice, but on looking down onto the water, a SHAG was perched on the rocks:

the usual rock pipits, meadow pipits and skylarks were singing but all were extremly wary, but then i stumbled uppon this bird at very close range and just stood there, well untill a pair of dickwad walkers casually strolled past forcing the bird into the air, even though they saw me photographing the lark:

on looking down the cliff edge the GUILEMOTS were breeding again on their usual ledge giving superb views, anong them was a number of RAZORBILL which also showed very well, and i got perhaps my bet views of a pair ever!!!!!

the usual gull's (Actually 'sea' gulls) were constantly on the move, with all the common birds noted, and i got this shot which for some reason i am particullarly drawn to:

Loads of FULMAR were flying along the edge with the occasional one perched on the rock face:

But of cause the real reason for being up on this beautiful cliff face in stunning weather was to see the CHOUGH that are here, and they didnt dissapoint which despite not reaching the flock leval as last year reached a nice 4 birds including a pair which shown very nicely with a male wheatear:

throughout the time up on the cliff we could hear oystercatchers, but were unable to locate them, untill my dad was scanning the cliff when he saw a pair of OYSTERCATCHERS at its NEST 100+ ft up a cliff face!!!!!!!!

i mean is this normal behaviour, cause i have never heard of it???????

MB