Bittern - 1949

Botaurus stellaris stellaris

Probably bred formerly (George Owen listed it as breeding in 1603) and occurs fairly regularly in winter to-day.  Tracy killed thirteen in one week of a very hard weather in 1842.  Mathew mentions it at GoodwicK, Tregwynt, Dale (2 Feb 1888).  O.Wynn records two (one shot), Dowrog 29 June 1900; one caught there March 1903; and one shot there winter 1915.  One shot St David's winter, 1908-9; and another seen Stackpole, 23 Jan 1909 by W.M.Congreve who was told that one or two apeared there every winter.  One shot, Dec 1927, at Marloes (R.M.L.)  Bertram Lloyd records one shot St Davids, Feb 1927 and 1929; one shot, Fishguard, Jan 1928 and 1929; and one shot, near Pembroke, Jan 1920.  Others on record are: one shot Solva Jan 1928, and one seen Tenby Marsh, Jan 1943 and Jan 1947.

R.M.Lockley, G.C.S.Ingram, H.M.Salmon, 1949, The Birds of Pembrokeshire, The West Wales Field Society