Goldeneye - 1994

Regular visitor. Not recorded in August and September

Both Mathew (1894) and Lockley et al. (1949) classified the Goldeneye as a not very common but regular winter visitor. Today they occur regularly in winter on the Teifi, Nevern and Cleddau Estuaries, Llysyfran reservoir and Bosherston Pools, and with less regularity on other fresh waters. Up to 15 on the Teifi, one or two on the Nevern, 40-50 on the Cleddau and up to 15 at Bosherston Pools are typical winter numbers, with about 80-90 birds being the county total. Numbers increase during cold spells, with about 150 in Pembrokeshire during January—February 1987, 114 of them on the Cleddau Estuary.

Goldeneyes arrive during October and November (exceptionally September) and depart in March and April, during which periods they are sometimes seen off the headlands and islands. May records have included birds in potential breeding habitat, for example at Rosebush reservoir and one flushed from a tree at Bosherston Pools on 20 May 1980 raised great hopes. Single birds remained at the Gann until 15 June 1968 and at Jordanston Pools until 17 July 1981.

Donovan J.W. & Rees G.H (1994), Birds of Pembrokeshire