Black Restart - 1994

Winter visitor and passage migrant

Mathew (1894) listed several occurrences of Black Redstart and noted them annually in autumn at Tenby. Lockley et al. (1949) regarded the bird as a regular winter visitor and noted a March passage with as many as 50 at Skokholm in 1948.

A few still winter in coastal areas, such as Stackpole and the Deer Park, towns, including Haverfordwest, and industrial sites such as the Texaco oil refinery at Rhoscrowther. There is a small spring passage between 16 March and the end of May, with occasional stragglers until 29 June. Usually only one to three birds are seen at each locality, and these are predominantly coastal, including Ceibwr, Strumble Head and St Govan's Head, and on the islands of Skomer and Skokholm.

Autumn passage, which extends from mid- October to the end of November, is very variable. In some years very few appear while in others birds are more widespread; occasionally exceptional numbers occur such as the 54 counted on the Castle Martin peninsula on 24 October 1982 (111 birds were seen in 38 localities in coastal Pembrokeshire during that month). Occasionally birds are seen in July, August and September.

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