Reed Bunting - 1994

Breeding resident

Both Mathew (1894) and Lockley et al. (1949) regarded the Reed Bunting as a scarce resident thinly scattered about boggy places.

They are still locally distributed about the wetter parts of Pembrokeshire during the breeding season (see map), but were also found breeding in dry farmland during the 1970s, though none were reported in such places during the Breeding Birds Survey of 1984-1988. From familiarity with most of the known breeding sites the total population can be estimated at about 500 pairs. Reed Buntings bred at Skokholm in 1960 and in 1967, increasing to five pairs in 1977, but two in 1980 were the last to nest. They first nested at Skomer in 1961, the population rising to 17 pairs in 1977, but in more recent years there have only been up to four pairs.

They are more widespread outside the breeding season, often being found among mixed finch flocks, particularly at or near the coast. Up to 100 have gathered at Plumston Mountain in January and February and almost as many have joined mixed finch flocks in unharvested flax during the last two winters.

Fieldwork 1984-88 (based on 478 tetrads) 

Red = breeding confirmed - 27

Orange = breeding probable - 54

Yellow = breeding possible - 19

Total tetrads in which registered = 100 (20.9%)

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