Great Shearwater - 1994

Near annual passage migrant

Mathew (1894) noted one probable occurrence and one or two were recorded at the Smalls on 3 September 1917. These records were reported by Lockley et al. (1949) who considered them unsatisfactory but gave no reasons for this judgement. One bird in Jack Sound on 15 August 1957 (C.M. Swaine) was therefore the first undisputed record for Pembrokeshire. Since then a total of 79 birds has been recorded from the Fishguard to Rosslare ferry, off Caldey, the Smalls, South Bishop and predominantly Strumble Head, where it has been seen in nine of the last ten years. Extreme dates are 14 July and 16 October, one to three birds making up most sightings. However, seven were at Strumble Head on 16 August 1990 and 23 together were seen from the Fishguard to Rosslare ferry on 15 September 1981.