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

2/06/11

We had planned to visit Skomer Island today, but for the 2nd year running, we were unable to gte over there as they had already filled up the places by the time we were near, so we headed off to Strumble head, where we knew there was some good birding, we got the the centre of the head and it started climbing upwards, we parked in the Middle of think Fog and we had a quick walk of these upland Tracks, there were many Meadow Pipits, but very little else, a buzzard flew through, but the fog was tampering with the viewinf and you couldnt see anything.

A flitillary Sp butterly flew past, but flew into a Bull Paddock and i didnt persure it for obvious reasons, i have still to see any flitilleies (i know its spelt wrong :P)

The Pipits did show quite well though.

We then continued to the lighthouse for a seawatch which proved very rewarding, i had hoped for maybe a late skua as a bonxie had been seen a few days previous, but a skua sisnt fly past.

(I appoligise for the following pics, as you would expect on a seawatch, views were quite far away and photography almost impossible.

A few Kittiwakes were sitting offshore when we first arrived, and many Gannet were fishing, A Chough was calling and a Rock Pipit singing, that was when we picked up 4 Grey Seal popping up in the water.

A few Shags were also fishing offshore, but none really came close enough for a good photo.

A couple of Gannet came quite close.

And the lighthouse just as we arrived, as the fog started to evaporate.

But the highlight of the visit was what we had came to see,

Seabirds, and there was many of them.

Guillemot and Razorbill were flying past almost constantly, and further out, A flock of 50c MANX SHEARWATER were feeding, accompanyed by many Kittiwake, we spent the next 2-3 Hours scanning the sea, and after about 2 hours, the seabirds were joined by a flock/pod/ group of Harber Porpoise, and a couple of dolphin sp, and with these came alot more seabirds, Suddenly we were inundated with over 400!!! MANX SHEARWATER, and also around 50 Kittiwake, i presumed the Porpoise had brought with them lots of smaller fish, and other things Shearwaters, gulls and gannets like to eat, thus boosting the number of many birds that were following the food source.

In the Mayhem, i latched onto 3 Auks flying left (west), Through the scope, it was obvious that i was watching 3 PUFFINS, they actually came in quite close, where you could see their huge bills, however, they quickly wirred around the corner of the headland and was lost to view behind the lighthouse. After this it quietened down, and later we decided to leave.

Highlights;

400+ Manx Shearwater

3 Puffin

100c Guillemot

30c Razorbill

50c Kittiwake

80+ Gannet

1 Chough

1 Fulmar

6 Shag

3 Oyc

as well as sightings of Porpoise, seals and dolphins.

On the way back we stopped at Fishguard Harber where i had the most amazing Ice cream ever, and a Can of Coca cola, we walked up to a pumping station ( or something similar) in the Harber and saw 8 Oyc, There was also another Grey Seal Here.

MB

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

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