Skomer and the Cotswolds Water Park

Last Thursday I went onto Skomer. It was great to see Puffins and the other seabirds nice and close but I spent most of the day in land in north valley and around the farm. I managed great views of the Short-eared Owl feeding in the valley and later found the Little Owl on the wall next to the farm. A Willow Warbler in the elders by the farm had me wishing for Greenish but it darted away quickly, turns out there was one in the north haven ivy the next day!

Wren

Puffin

We spent the weekend in the Cotswolds Water Park because my dad was taking part in a half ironman. The event was on Sunday so Dad and I visited some of the pits to see what was around. A few Red-crested Pochards was nice as were many Common Terns which were nesting on some the islands in the pits. Black-headed Gulls were also nesting on these islands. An early start on Sunday for the event allowed me time to search sites hoping for a Nightingale. Luckily Pit 43 was fairly close to the start of the triathlon so I could walk there and still be near the race. I was very surprise and happy to soon hear a Nightingale singing its fantastic song in an area of scrub by the pit. I watched and listed to it sing for about 3 hours and managed to get quite close to it at times. Although sometimes skulking, it often came onto the top of a tree or bush to sing its repertoire, allowing some great views. Sedge Warblers were nesting in damp scrub nearby and a Cetti's Warbler sang from the reeds. Another nice surprise was a Lesser Whitethroat in an area of brambles next to the footpath.

Sedge Warbler

Nightingale

SWAINSON'S THRUSH on Skokholm!!

As soon as finished my exams, on the 2nd, I heard that a Swainson's Thrush was found on Skokholm. I didn't expect to see it because it was on Skokholm which is particularly hard to get to so it came as a surprise that a twitch would be arranged. A boat was set to leave on Thursday but I couldn't get a place. However, Dave Astins and the Skokholm wardens arranged a small rib to take 12 people hoping to see the bird today. 

The boat trip over was bumpy but great fun. It was made even better when a Risso's Dolphin put in a brief appearance in broad sound. After the half an hour crossing we arrived at South Haven soaking 

wet. We were met off the boat by the warden who then lead us up to the courtyard where the bird spent most of its time. It wasn't long before the fantastic SWAINSON'S THRUSH appeared on its usual perch. It showed well on and off for the whole time, but it was clearly more active, sending prolonged periods in the leaf litter searching for food out of view but would always return its perch. I was so preoccupied with watching the bird I forgot to take pictures of it. Luckily just before we left it showed one last time and I managed to get a quick photo but the bird was partially obscured. 

SWAINSON'S THRUSH

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

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

Woodchat Shrike

It was great to catch up with the superb male Woodchat Shrike which had been frequenting a rough area adjacent to the track that runs behind Whitesands Bay. It was very active, flying to and from a perch and foraging in the grass. It seemed to have a particular fondness to bumble bees but I didn't see it successfully catch one. I did however see it regurgitate a pellet, which appeared to contain some bumble bee or beetle.

I also had a quick look on St David's Head. There wasn't much there a few Sand Martins and Swallows, a Chiffchaff and a Willow Warbler. A flock of  10 Whimbrels flew over Whitesands beach before I left.

Not the best photo but it shows the white flashes in the bird's wing 

It showed well but remained fairly distant most of the time

More black on forehead suggest male

Woodchat Shrike

Marloes- Hoopoe

Couldn't resist another look at the Hoopoe this evening. It took a while but eventually we found it feeding on a lawn. I managed much better views as it sat on the lawn, it later flew up into a nearby tree to show its fantastic crest! The bird soon flew off in a SE direction, possibly towards the church. A bird then flew from the west towards a similar direction. There is good chance that there is more than one in the area!

HOOPOE

HOOPOE

I was very pleased to re-locate the Hoopoe at Marloes this evening. Actually it was my parents who saw it first feeding in someone's front lawn. I soon caught up with it but only had a fleeting view because it was very mobile around the village. I soon lost sight of the bird but I could hear it singing, a faint 'hoop...hoop...hoop' in the distance.
This has to be one of my favourite birds!!