Stackpole Head- Wales

31/05/11

A visit to my welsh local patchm Stackpole Head was actually rather dissapointing as many of the usual breeding birds numbers were well down on previous years, and all bird species bar Rock Pipit had decreased.

And there was plent of Rock Pipit about, with around 20c Scuttering around the cliff tops, including many Juv type birds. with patience, the Pipits came quite close.

This photo just seems to show the dissapearence of many of the seabirds, this ledge usually is completly covered with Guillemots, but this year only a few were here, and that also includes the birds flying off the cliff, with far less feeding offshore or flying to further distances out, it just seemed less 'Busy'/

And only 3 Wheatear were present, including one male, which is also a low figure..

Fulmars has dropped in numbers slightly with only about 10 birds noted.

A peregrine flew in off the sea from the other side of the bay, and caused abit of chaos.

But a real treat was to see this Tornado Jumpjet wheeling above us and practising bombing runs over Castlemorton Range

A Gannet was feeding close in on the return walk back to the car, and it was while this bird was flying around that i picked up 3 Whimbrels Flying in from the south calling as they went, they flew over the path and north towards pembroke town, i think they may have landed on the estury there, but that is entirely speculation.

Highlights:

10c Fulmar

13+ Gannet

3 Shag

1 Peregrine

4 OYC

3 Whimbrel

2+ Kittiwake

100c Guillemot

30c Razorbill

20c Rock Pipit

3 Wheatear

2 Chough

MB