Turnstone - 1949

Arenaria interpres interpres

Mathew considered it a rather rare autumn visitor to the coast, and knew of no spring record.  It is now to be seen on the coasts and islands at all times of the year, and even in full breeding plumage, though the majority of the numerous midsummer records are of immature birds.  Usually in small parties in summer, but large flocks have been seen in autumn (100-200 at mouth of Teifi estuary, by T.Ground, 5 Sept 1913, and winter (R.M.L. saw 120-150 at Goodwick, 29/31 Jan 1948).

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

Turnstone - 1994

Largely a winter visitor and passage migrant

Mathew (1894) only recorded Turnstones as rare autumn visitors with no spring records, though by 1949 Lockley et al. (1949) noted its occurrence throughout the year with the smallest numbers, usually immature birds, in mid-summer.

Some Turnstones are present in coastal Pembrokeshire throughout the year. The bulk arrive between August and October, when small parties are seen passing south off Strumble Head, and most depart between late March and May, a few immatures remaining during the summer.

They inhabit weed-strewn rocky areas around the coast, beaches including Wiseman's Bridge, Freshwater West, Broad Haven (north) and Abermawr, and all of the islands as far out as the Smalls. Being easily overlooked it is impossible to be certain about total numbers present but probably 250 are spread around the outer coastline in an average winter, with a further 100 on the combined estuaries of the Nevern and Cleddau.

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

Turnstone - 1980s winter

The BTO winter atlas showed that Turnstones were present in the majority of coastal 10km squares during the winters of 1981-82, 1982-82 and 1983-84.

The darker the colour, the higher the relative total count for each 10km square.  The darkest blue represents 33-100 birds seen in a day.

Graham Rees 

Turnstone - 1894

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

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