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

Bittern - 1994

Sparse winter visitor. Not recorded from July to September

George Owen (1603) refers to Bitterns breeding in the "bogges" of Pembrokeshire. Mathew (1894) regarded the Bittern as a winter visitor, quoting many records including 13 killed in one week during the hard winter of 1842. Lockley et al. (1949) noted that two (one shot) were at Dowrog on 26 June 1909, a date suggesting possible breeding. Lockley (1957) regarded the Bittern as "almost a regular visitor" in winter and that remains the position today, with occasional sightings in most years from a variety of wetland sites such as the Pentood Meadows, Dowrog and Llysyfran. More occur when they are frozen out of their winter quarters further east, the most recent incursion being in December 1981 when singles were seen at Pentood, Thornton and St Ishmael's, with up to four at Bosherston Pools.

Bittern - 1980s winter

The darkest colour on the map for the BTO winter atlas of 1981-82, 1982-82 and 1983-84 represents 3 or more birds in a day. In Pembrokeshire 4 at Bosherston was the maximum.

GHR

Bittern - 1894

Species account from M Mathew, 1894, "The Birds of Pembrokeshire and its islands"

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