Red-breasted Flycatcher - 2015 Skokholm

Ficedula parva Gwybedog Brongoch

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A first-winter found in the Courtyard on 6th October was later trapped in the Wheelhouse Heligoland

but not seen the following day (BB et al.). It spent much of the 6th flycatching from the Elders and occasionally plucking Cross Spiders Araneus diadematus from their webs.

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Remarkably the bird was controlled eight days later in a pub garden at Kilbaha, Loop Head, County Clare, Ireland (328km at 288 degrees westnorthwest); this was only the third time that a movement between Britain and another country has been recorded for this species. There have now been seven Skokholm birds in the past four years.

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Skokholm Bird Observatory Annual Report 2015 (Richard Brown & Giselle Eagle)

Red-breasted Flycatcher - 2016

Very scarce  autumn migrant, rare in spring.

Source: Pembrokeshire Bird List (2018 update) edited by Mike Young-Powell on behalf of the Pembrokeshire Bird Group.

Red-breasted Flycatcher - 1994

Rare visitor

Thirty-two single birds have been recorded in autumn since the first was noted at Skokholm on 26 September 1949, with 70% of the records falling between 20 September and 20 October, and with extreme dates of 20 August and 31 October. There are just five mainland records, from St David's, Haverfordwest, Saundersfoot, Llanwnda and Strumble Head, the majority of records coming from the offshore islands of Grassholm, Skomer, the Smalls, South Bishop, and, overwhelmingly, Skokholm.

Single Red-breasted Flycatchers were at Skokholm on 19 May 1972 and 20 May 1988.

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