Rose-coloured Starling!

After failing to locate the Short-toed Lark in Martin's Haven on Sunday, I was happy to hear that a juvenile Rose-coloured Starling was still in Lleithyr Farm campsite in St David's. So this evening we went for it. But, after hearing no news on the bird all day whilst in school, I was starting to doubt we'd find it. After an hours drive we arrived at Lleithyr Farm, there were a few small flocks of Starlings flying around but the Rose-coloured wasn't apparent. We drove further in to the campsite and then there it was sitting on a telegraph wire next to the a Pied Wagtail, a stunning juvenile Rose-coloured Starling. I spent the next forty or so minutes watching it as it foraged and rested with the other Starlings. Eventually, it flew off and out of view.

An excellent bird and excellent way to end the day!!!

Digiscoped

 Rose-coloured Starling

Comparison of Starling and Rose-coloured Starling

Local Birding

On Saturday I spent the morning birding at Ginst Point. There was plenty of Birdlife but not a great deal of interest. A quick scan through a large gull flock produced 100+ Common Gulls, 20 Curlew and a large number of Oystercatchers were roosting alongside the flock. A highlight for me was the amount of Little Egrets. About 15 were feeding together on the salt marsh. A Wheatear on the path, 6 Sandwich Terns in the bay and a flock of 40+ Dunlin on the beach were the other highlights.

Monday evening I spent on my patch at Coed Marros. The evening started with a first-winter Spotted Flycather in a spruce tree. Goldcrests number were good, I saw very few but the trees were filled with their calls. There were large number of finches feeding on the spruce cones. 6 Chaffinches, 17 Goldfinch and 12 Siskins. But the highlight of the evening came when a small flock of 4 Crossbills flew into view, ( 1 Male, 1 Female, 2 Juveniles). 2  fly over Grey Wagtails were a good patch tick.

On Wednesday I went back up to Coed Marros. The usual birds were seen, I heard a Crossbill, there was plenty of Mipits, but the highlight was a Whinchat a patch tick and the first proper migrant of the autumn!!

Dunlin

Crossbills

Giltar Point and Penally Range

I spent the morning birding around Penally Range and Giltar Point with one thing on my mind- Migrants. Unfortunately there was very few migrants but there was sign that birds were moving. On the beach there was a flock of 15 Sandwich Terns resting on the beach. On the top of Giltar Point a continuous passage of hirundines was clearly visible. Predominantly Swallows, averaging about 100 every 5 minutes, House Martins, 30, and the odd Sand Martin. The birds were heading in a general south easterly direction. Also on Giltar Point:

Meadow Pipit: 20
Linnet: 15
Wheatear: 1
Blackcap: 1
Whimbrel: 1 (flying in the same direction as the swallows)
Chough: 12

Walking back 3 Stonechats, a Red-legged Partridge and a Kestrel were on the Penally range.

Sandwich Terns

Kestrel

Herring Gull

Chough