Ringed Plover - 1994

Passage migrant, formerly bred

The Ringed Plover nested at many places on the coast according to Mathew (1894), and was still a widespread breeder in the time of Lockley et al. (1949), who noted Newport, Newgale, Freshwater West and Tenby as localities. However, Lockley (1957) describes their status as "a few pairs nest where there are suitable banks of shingle and sand". It has since become sporadic as a breeding species, suitable beaches being increasingly popular for human recreation. Other records are a pair nesting on the clifftop at St Govan's in 1962, an occasional pair within the tank ranges of Castle Martin noted by Saunders (1976), four pairs breeding on bare ground in the Texaco Oil Refinery in 1978 and two pairs nesting at Linney Head and two more at the site of the old Esso oil refinery, Herbrandston, in 1992.

Mathew (1894) stated that large flocks arrive in the autumn and Lockley et al. (1949) that it was a numerous winter visitor. However, Lloyd's records between 1925 and 1937 suggest a winter status similar to that of the present day. Counts from the Cleddau Estuary, the principal locality, demonstrate the general pattern and scale of occurrence (see Table 7). Peaks averaged 210 at the Cleddau between the winters of 1969/70 and 1975/76 (Prys-Jones 1989). Smaller numbers, up to 40, at the Teifi and Nevern estuaries follow a similar pattern. Elsewhere the Ringed Plover is erratic, and a survey of the outer coastline in 1985 located just 26 birds.

Small numbers are seen passing headlands, and occasionally visit the islands, in April and May and again between August and October. A chick ringed at Criccieth in 1957 was recovered on the Cleddau Estuary on10 March 1958.

Tetrads in which registered (based on 478 tetrads)= 3 (0.6%)

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

Little Ringed Plover - 1994

Rare visitor

Single birds have been seen at Dale on 16 May 1949, Newgale on 22 April 1956, Mathry on 9 August 1963, Merrion on 27 April 1983, Newport on 4 August 1983, Skokholm on 5 May 1986 with two birds on 11 April 1989, singles at Boulston on 21 September 1986, Pembroke River on 9 August 1987, the Gann on 9 July and 12 September 1989, Skomer on 24 May and 11 July 1990 and 25 May 1992, and Nevem Estuary on 12 September 1991. The increase in occurrence in recent years may be a reflection of the species' colonisation of Carmarthenshire in the late 1980s where it now nests along the Tywi and several of its tributaries.

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

Pratincole - 1994

Rare visitor

One seen hawking over Bosherston Pools on 13 April 1981 (D.A.Henshilwood) was probably a collared pratincole (Glareola pratincola)

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

Stone Curlew - 1994

Rare visitor

One Stone Curlew was shot at St David's in January 1891 (Mathew 1894).  Other records have been at Skokholm, with one seen on 25 April 1940 (Lockley et al 1949), another on 7 July 1982 and again on 21 August 1991.

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

Avocet - 1994

Rare visitor

Two Avocets were taken near Pembroke, but no date was given, and one near Tenby in about 1883 (Mathew 1894). Lockley et al. (1949) listed two at Pembroke River in the winter of 1900, three at Milford Haven in the winter of 1927, and one at Carew from 1 to 3 February 1923. Since then the following sightings have been recorded: two at Little Milford on 29 January 1954, four there on 29 January 1955, one at Sandy Haven on 20 September 1972, one at Hook Reach from 10 November to 15 December 1974, two at Nevem Estuary from 17 to 19 September 1976 and on 14 March 1981, and one at Angle Bay on 15 November 1992. It is a little surprising that it does not occur more frequently considering its increase as a British breeding bird, and the large number which winter on estuaries in Devon and Cornwall.

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

Black-winged Stilt - 1994

Vagrant

The first bird recorded, at Narberth on 24 July 1976, was discovered by the local postman. Single birds then occurred at West Dale and the Gann from 3 to 6 April 1987, at Penally from 19 to 30 March 1990 and at Skokholm from 7 to 8 May 1990; this latter bird spent most of its time dodging the aggressive attentions of breeding Lapwings.

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

Oystercatcher - 1994

Breeding resident and passage migrant

Mathew (1894) mentions breeding at only three coastal sites, the "Bishop Rock", Skomer and "on an island at the entrance to Milford Haven". If this was a true reflection of the Oystercatcher's breeding status at that time, it had increased considerably by 1949 when Lockley et al. estimated that 120 pairs bred around the mainland coast and noted that it bred on all the islands. They reported that 36 pairs nested at Skomer in 1946 and over 50 pairs on Skokholm in 1947 and 1948. The range remains the same today (see map) and a total of about 300 pairs breed in Pembrokeshire, with about 150 pairs on the islands of Skokholm and Skomer, where recent breeding success has been low due to an increase in predation by gulls.

Ringing has shown that some young birds move out of Pembrokeshire after the breeding season, to winter on the western European seaboard as far south as Spain. Older birds tend to winter nearer home, on the Cleddau Estuary and as far as the Burry Inlet in West Glamorgan. Winter numbers are augmented by immigrants, as an Oystercatcher marked with a wing-tag has illustrated. This bird bred near Aberdeen in 1986 and had moved to the Gann by September of that year, having been seen on route at Belfast Lough in August. It wintered at the Gann and continued to commute between Scotland and Wales until at least 1989.

Numbers build up in Pembrokeshire during July and August, when flocks are seen passing south off Strumble Head and as demonstrated by counts from the Cleddau Estuary (see Table 6), where peak numbers are reached between September and November.  Numbers decrease slowly thereafter with a more rapid departure of most of the winter birds during March and April.

Smaller winter concentrations are found on the Teifi (50-80 birds) and Nevern (30-60) estuaries and at Fishguard Harbour (40-50) when Oystercatchers also use the outer coast: a survey in the winter of 1985 found 928 birds were present, thus the midwinter population for the whole county runs to about 1400 birds.

Oystercatchers are heard passing over the county at night during arrival and departure periods but the only diurnal inland record is of a single bird at Llysyfran reservoir on 13 March 1983.

Fieldwork 1984-88 (based on 478 tetrads)

Red = breeding confirmed = 50

Orange = breeding probable = 14

Yellow = breeding possible = 23

Total tetrads in which registered = 87 (18.2%)

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

Little Bustard - 1994

Vagrant

A first winter bird shot at St David's airfield on 23 November 1968 was identified by J.W. Donovan. D. Goodwin (Liverpool Museum) examined the wing and found it resembled a first winter male of the Palestinian race T. t. orientalis from central Europe and Italy eastwards.

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

Crane - 1994

Rare visitor

Cranes migrate along the western European seaboard, a few wandering off course to Britain, mostly to the east coast of England, rarely as far west as Pembrokeshire. Mathew (1894) provides just one record, an adult captured near Solva on 28 April 1893 and regarded by H.W. Evans as "the prize in his collection of British birds". The next was one at Marloes on 30 October 1960 followed by single birds in 1971 at Tiers Cross (9 April), Skomer (10 April) and Llawhaden (11-26 April), which despite its solitary state frequently indulged in its dancing display, at Nevem Estuary and Moylgrove from 5 to 16 December 1978 and at the Gann on 3 October 1986.

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

Coot - 1994

Breeding resident, winter visitor and passage migrant

Mathew (1894) stated that the Coot was confined as a breeder to the few large ponds in the county and that it was a regular, but not numerous, winter visitor. Lockley et al. (1949) mention only a few breeding localities and agreed that it was a winter visitor in small numbers, but that "thousands" appeared on the Cleddau Estuary in the severe winters of 1933/34 and 1946/47. No large visitations like that have been recorded since, not even during the arctic winters of 1962 and 1963 when groups of up to ten were forced onto the saltings.

The Coot is now widely distributed as a breeding bird, the creation of farm irrigation reservoirs having presented it with the opportunity to spread beyond the long established ponds. The 1984-1988 Breeding Birds Survey estimated a population of about 75 breeding pairs.

Numbers are augmented during the winter, when Coots can be found scattered over many small waters with larger concentrations at Llysyfran reservoir, Pembroke Mill Ponds and particularly Bosherston Pools, where 200-300 normally gather and the county maximum of 368 occurred on 14 January 1986. Numbers build up from mid-September to peak in January and February and then dwindle during March. Coots occasionally occur on the islands of Skokholm and Skomer in July and August, probably part of post-breeding dispersal and of a local nature, and more rarely in October, when the birds concerned could be migrants from further afield. Ringing recoveries show that Coots come from as far away as Latvia and Jutland and that some pass on to Ireland.

Fieldwork 1984-88 (based on 478 tetrads)

Red = breeding confirmed = 18

Yellow = breeding possible = 8

Total tetrads in which registered = 26 (5.4%)

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

Moorhen - 1994

Breeding resident

Once regarded as common and widespread by previous authorities, Saunders (1976) wrote that all the ponds and marshy areas had a pair or two of Moorhens. Their range has since retracted in the face of changing land use. Most of the old farm duck ponds have been drained and filled. Land reclamation has eradicated much of the marshy surrounds to ditches and streams. The streams and rivers have become subject to the intrusion of agri - chemicals leached from the surrounding land and to periodic bouts of pollution by farm slurry. Several suitable looking streams were followed during the 1984-1988 Breeding Birds Survey but no Moorhens were seen or heard, nor was there any trace of their footprints in the muddy margins

However, another agricultural development has attracted Moorhens. Farm irrigation reservoirs created  in the potato-growing areas of the county are colonised as soon as sufficient vegetation has become established.  There is a strong correlation between the present breeding distribution, and the cultivation of potatoes, though breeding has been continuous at long-established ponds, such as Bosherston Pools and in boggy areas such as the St David's commons.  They have long bred on the islands of Skomer and Ramsey (Lockley et al 1949), on Caldey since at least 1924 (Wintle 1924) and Skokholm until 1936 when they became intermittance, until last recorded in 1975 (Betts 1992). An estimate of about 300 breeding pairs is based upon knowledge of the larger waters and the observation that most irrigation reservoirs support just one pair.

Apart from single birds found at the South Bishop lighthouse on 9 October 1884 and 9 November 1975, the only evidence of Moorhen migration in Pembrokeshire is provided by calls heard as they pass overhead at night in the autumn.

Fieldwork 1984-88 (based on 478 tetrads)

Red = breeding confirmed = 69

Orange = breeding probable = 15

Yellow = breeding possible = 66

Total tetrads in which registered = 150 (31.4%)

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

Corncrake - 1994

Formerly bred, now a scarce passage migrant. Not recorded in November, January or February

According to Mathew (1894) the Comcrake was a numerous and widespread breeding summer visitor between mid-April and late October. In 1927 Lloyd still found them in widespread localities and noted that they were commoner in Pembrokeshire than they were in south and south-east England. By 1930 he noted that they were decreasing. Lockley et al. (1949) stated that a decline in numbers was first noted in about 1916 and classified the Comcrake as a scarce passage migrant, adding that about 12 were recorded in the spring of 1948. The decline continued with nesting becoming sporadic; four or five clutches were revealed during silage cutting at Thomas Chapel in May 1962, when the farmers reared three young which were released at Dale airfield, and breeding season presence was recorded at Uzmaston in 1965 and 1966 and at Pembroke in 1973. None have been found in the breeding season since. The Comcrake is now scarce on passage with only one or two being recorded each year, usually in September, with about equal frequency from the islands of Skokholm and Skomer and mainland sites such as Carreg Wasted, Llangloffan Fen and Pwllcrochan.

The earliest record was at Skokholm on 14 March 1948 and the latest a freshly dead bird at Pembroke on 10 December 1929.

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