Saturday 23 May 2015

Tree Pipits and more...

Yesterday afternoon I went up to Marros Mountain in the hope of finding evidence of Tree Pipits breeding in the area. It took a while but eventually I found a bird singing from the top of a tree, on the  edge of the wood. Further along onto the moor a second bird was signing from the fence around the pond. Yellowhammers and Skylarks were singing on the moor with the former in two locations. This morning I went up again the highlights were 4 Lesser Redpolls, a pair of Spotted Flycatchers and 3 Tree Pipits.
Tree Pipit

Yellowhammer

Blackcap at Bosherston Pools last Sunday

Tuesday 12 May 2015

Catch up...

Unfortunately, revision has taken the main priority over the previous weeks but I have managed a few times to get out and enjoy spring.

On the patch the first Whimbrels arrived on the 19th April with a peack count of c30 on the 26th. Other waders too were still present on the 26th, with 5 Sanderling, a Single Dunlin and Ringed Plover. Whitethroats are back on the patch on the 23rd with several singing in the srub behind Tenby south beach in the 26th. Hirundine passage continued with 30 Sand Martins moving with 100 Swallows on the 26th.

On 2nd May I met up with Dave Astins for a morning around Dale and Marloes. A blustery Martin's Haven saw us heading to Marloes Mere for some shelter in the hides. The highlights here were 20 Whimbrel, a drake Pochard, 4 Shoveler, 2 Little Grebes and my first Sedge Warblers if the year. Next up was a gusty Gann. The highlights being 4 Barwits (3 showing stages of summer plumage), 13 Ringed Plover and 18 Dunlin. The wind was still blowing strong so we decided to head in land to Canaston woods in the hope of catching up with Wood Warbler or maybe a Redstart. Unfortunately, the wind never calmed so these birds eluded us, but a possible Hobby from the car, a pair of Dippers, several Blackcaps and Grey Wagtails was still great. Dave also had a Kingfisher, but I never saw it!

Seawatching at Telpyn Point on the 6th, 8th, 9th was rewarded with several Manxies (peack count of 28), a Great Northern Diver, (a diver sp. On the 9th was probably the same bird), a Whimbrel, several Guillemots, 2 Sandwich Terns, 30 Gannets, a Kittiwake and 3 smart Arctic Skuas (1 pale, 2 dark) chasing the Kittiwake! A Chough at Telpyn Point on the 9th was a surprise and a great site record and a Swift passage of c20 in off the sea was a great sight.
Whimbrel

Chiffchaff

Sanderlings molting into summer plumage

Sanderling

Sand Martin 

Swallows

Bar-tailed Godwit