Ruff - ringing

A  bird ringed in the Netherlands in July 1967 was found dead at Haverfordwest in November the same year.

Ruff - winter

Ruffs have become more frequent in Pembrokeshire during the winter, December to February. Donovan and Rees (1994) noted three records up to 1993 but they have been reported 17 times since, all single birds apart from 2 twice and 3 twice, also 9 together at the Castle Martin ranges on the 17th January 2011.  

Graham Rees

Ruff - spring passage

One to six birds per year have been noted in the spring between the 3rd March and the 30th June (though late June birds could be males returning from their breeding grounds) but not in every year. However there were only five years between 1982 and 2012 when they were not recorded.

During an exceptionally heavy passage through south-west Britain in April 1987 several waves passed through Pembrokeshire, resulting in records of three at Dowrog, up to six at Skomer and Dale airfield, 12 at Skokholm, 17 at the Gann and up to 46 at Marloes Mere.

Graham Rees

Ruff - Autumn passage

Using records from 1983 onwards as representing the period with countywide observer cover, one to 18 birds per autumn were recorded, with an average of about nine but there were 23 at Skomer on the 15 September 1969.

Records span 6th July to 18th November, peak numbers occurring in September.

Ruffs were seen in coastal areas, on or near the estuaries, by ponds on the islands and mainland and in coastal fields. One seen accompanying Lapwings inland at Pentre Goch, near Felindre Farchog, from the 22nd to the 24th of August 1998 suggests that others were probably missed because of the coastal bias of observer activity.

Graham Rees

Ruff - 2012 status

Scarce passage migrant.

The Ruff breeds in temperate to arctic regions of the Palearctic, those in the west wintering in southern Europe and Africa.

Mathew 1894 classed the Ruff as an occasional autumn visitor; rare. He based this on a single specimen seen at Cuffern. Lockley et (1949) listed three occurrences plus the statement "recorded on several occasions at Skokholm”. Donovan and Rees (1994) classed it as a passage migrant, principally seen in autumn, less regularly in spring and occasionally in winter. There has been little apparent change since.

Graham Rees

Ruff - 1949

Philomachus pugnax

Mathew knew of only one, obtained "many years ago" near Pembroke.  One shot St Davids 8 Aug 1912 (Bertram Lloyd). Three seen Trefeiddan, 20-21 Sept 1930 (D.L.Lack) A male at Dale 19 oct 1947 (T.A.Warren-Davies). Recorded on several occasions Skokholm, 1936-1939 and 1947-48.

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

Ruff - 1994

Passage migrant

Mathew (1894) knew of only one bird, obtained "many years ago" near Pembroke. Lockley et al. (1949) listed one shot at St David's on 8 August 1912, three seen at Trefeiddan on 20 and 21 September 1930, "recorded on several occasions at Skokholm 1936-1939 and 1947-1948" and one at Dale on 19 October 1947.

The Ruff is now principally an autumn migrant, with up to nine appearing at various coastal localities, such as the Nevern and Cleddau estuaries, particularly the Gann, Marloes Mere, Teifi Marshes and the offshore islands, though they can appear briefly almost everywhere around the outer coast and at ponds (such as Ripperston and Herbrandston) a little way inland, between 14 July and 11 October. There was an exceptional group of 23 birds at Skomer on 15 September 1969.

Less regular in spring, one or two are seen between 26 March and 10 June in most years. There was an exceptionally heavy passage in April 1987 which affected south-west Britain, with several waves passing through Pembrokeshire, resulting in records of three at Dowrog, up to six on Skomer and Dale airfield, 12 on Skokholm, 17 at the Gann and up to 46 at Marloes Mere.

Birds are occasionally seen during the winter but appear to be wanderers that do not stay long. There was one at Fowborough on 18 January 1970, two resting on Grassholm in February 1977 and one at Garron on 26 January 1985.

Ruffs usually appear overnight, so migration is presumably mainly nocturnal, but they have been seen flying in off the sea at Strumble Head during the day and one passed north-east over the Smalls on 26 March 1982.

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

Ruff - 1980s winter

The BTO winter atlas showed that single Ruff was noted in during the winters of 1981-82, 1982-82 and 1983-84.

Graham Rees 

Ruff - 1894

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

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