Black-necked Grebe - 1992 onwards

Podiceps nigricollis  - Scarce and irregular winter visitor

1995 - one Bosherston Pools, 25-26 January

1997 - one at Angle Bay, 21 Nov - 31 Dec (RJE et al)

1998 - one at Angle Bay, 1-7 Jan (TJP, GHR)

2000 - One Gann, 20-21 Sept (DJA, OR) and 2 there 26 Dec (TJP).

2004 - Singles Newport Bay, 10 & 13 Aug (SB) and Heathfield G P, 28 Nov (M-YP et al).

2005 - One at Treginnis, 4-14 Dec (JB, LL, MS et al)

2006 - One Llys y fran Res, 2 Jan – 1 Apr (DJA et al)

2007 - The only record was a single at Westfield Pill, 18-22 Nov, (AJH, LL)

2008 - Two records of single birds: at Angle Bay, 12 Jan - 1 March (RC, TJP et al) and at Llys-y-fran, reservoir 22 Jan - 6 March (PKG et al)

2009 - Only two records this year, the first being at Llys-y-fran Reservoir 18 Jan - 20 Feb (AR), the second seen off Tenby on 2nd March (PKG)

2010 - Only two individuals were recorded this year: the returning Llys y fran individual present from 16th Jan until 6th Feb then returned on 12th Dec until the end of the year (DJA). Another was at Fishguard Harbour from 29th Dec into 2011(WJ).

2011 - Just two records this year of singles in Fishguard Harbour from 2010 last reported on 9th Jan and at Llys y fran Res from 2nd Jan until 23rd (WJ, DJA et al).

2012 - The only records for 2012 were two birds at Frainslake Mill on 26th Feb (MS) and one that passed Strumble Head on 15th October was the first record of the species for the site (R Liford).

 Records extracted from the Pembrokeshire Bird Reports

Black-necked Grebe - 1949

Podiceps nigricollis nigricollis

Mathew gives no records though he considered it a rare winter visitor.  Two seen off Angle, 24 Dec 1925 (Bertram Lloyd); and one shot Carew, 23 Oct 1926 (Dr Mills). One Dale Roads, 24 Jan 1938 (R.M.L.)

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

Black-necked Grebe - 1994

Scarce and irregular winter visitor. Not recorded between April and July.

Mathew (1894) stated that the Black-necked Grebe had been obtained several times in the Pembroke River while Lockley et al. (1949) add a further three occurrences, all from the Cleddau Estuary. The species has been reported in ten years since, all between 30 September and 20 March, save for one in the Nevern Estuary on 28 August 1958. Sightings are usually of single birds, but two have been seen together on three occasions. Recorded from various parts of the Cleddau Estuary, Nevem Estuary, Newport Bay, Fishguard Harbour and St Bride's Bay.

Black-necked Grebe - 1980s winter

Black-necked Grebe

 Podiceps nigricollis

Scarce and irregular visitor.

The Black–necked Grebe breeds by lowland fresh waters in the Palearctic and Nearctic, a proportion moving to estuarine waters in the winter. A small population breeds in the UK but it is likely that most winter visitors are from the Continent.

Apart from the statement by Mathew (1894) that they had been “several times obtained on the Pembroke River”, to date 27 individuals have been noted in Pembrokeshire in 20 separate years up to 2006.

The latest in spring was one at Garron Pill on the 20th March 1987, which had been present there from the 6th November 1986. The earliest return was of one at Newport on the 10th August 2004.

Most were recorded within the Cleddau Estuary, localities being the Gann / Dale, Angle Bay, Pembroke River, Carew, Garron Pill and the Daugleddau.

Elsewhere they were recorded once at Bosherston, three times at Newport, twice at Little Haven / Broad Haven (N), three times at Fishguard Harbour and once each at Llys y fran Reservoir, Treginnis Reservoir and Heathfield Gravel Pit.

All occurrences were of single birds except for two together at Angle Bay on the 24th December 1925, at Little Haven on the 5th January 1964 and at the Gann on the 26th December 2000.

References

MATHEW. M. 1894. The birds of Pembrokeshire and its islands, R. H. Porter.

Graham Rees

(Covers records up to and including 2006).

Eared Grebe - 1894

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

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