Spotted Crake - 1994

Occasional visitor. Not recorded in November and December and from February to April

Mathew (1894) considered it an "occasional visitor", listing Goodwick, Tenby and Stackpole as localities where it had occurred, but the only date he quoted was October 1888. Lockley et al. (1949) classified it as a "rare autumn visitor" with records from Solva in October 1928, Dowrog on 27 October 1928 and Skomer on 15 September 1946. They also noted singles from Trewellwell on 10 January 1910, Dowrog in May 1923 and Goodwick in the winter of 1945.

Spotted Crakes have since been heard calling from suitable breeding habitat such as the Ritec, Newgale Marsh and Dowrog between May and July in several years, but there is no evidence that they have nested. They have also been recorded on about twenty occasions between August and October and twice in January, occurrences distributed roughly equally between the offshore islands and the mainland.

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

Water Rail - 1994

Winter visitor and scarce breeder

Bogs, moors and rough ground were much more widespread in Pembrokeshire during the nineteenth century when Mathew (1894) considered the Water Rail to be a common resident. By 1936 Lloyd only found them during the winter.  Lockley et al (1949) stated that the Water Rail was common in winter, from late August onwards, and knew of only two recent breeding records, on Skomer and Tenby Marsh.   

Breeding was suspected at Pointz Castle in 1968, proved at Dowrog during the period 1967-1971 and at Cwm yr Eglwys in 1980. Breeding was both proven and suspected during the Breeding Birds Survey of 1984-1988, as shown on the map, suggesting a minimum population of 20 pairs. It is difficult to know whether this indicates an increase or is the result of more observer effort.

Water Rails remain widespread during the winter. They arrive from August but principally in late September and October, and most have departed again by April.  They have been noted at the Smalls and South Bishop lighthouses during arrival time.

Fieldwork 1984-88 (based on 478 tetrads)

Red = breeding confirmed = 2

Orange = breeding probable = 6

Yellow = breeding possible = 12

Total tetrads in which registered = 20 (4.2%)

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

Pheasant - 1994

Breeding resident

The Pheasant was introduced from Ireland, probably by Sir John Perott, during the sixteenth century, in about 1586 according to George Owen. Mathew (1894) said it "thrives remarkably well in Pembrokeshire" while it was a common resident to Lockley et al. (1949).

Shooting interests release considerable numbers each year, some of which survive and have built into a sparse but widespread free breeding population. Ignoring those in rearing pens, and estimating an average breeding density of five to six nests per tetrad, the population in Pembrokeshire probably produces 1,200-1,500 nests each year. Pheasants also nest on the islands of Caldey and Skomer, having been introduced; however, these populations may have been augmented by birds flying from the mainland, for they also occur on Ramsey where there is no record of any introduction.

Fieldwork 1984-88 (based on 478 tetrads)

Red = breeding confirmed = 63

Orange = breeding probable = 103

Yellow = breeding possible = 88

Total tetrads in which registered = 254 (53.1%)

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

Quail - 1994

Summer visitor, erratic breeder.  Not recorded from January to March, or in November

Considerable numbers occurred in Pembrokeshire during the irruption years of 1870, 1882, 1886, 1893 and 1899.  In 1870, for instance, many nests were found and 330 were shot by a group of 18 sportsmen  operating around the Pembrokeshire/Ceredigion border, with one shot at Tyrhos Common in December (Mathew 1894). Such incursions have not been recorded since.  Lockley et al (1949) noted the Quail as an almost regular passage migrant on the islands and mainland and that in most years it was heard in the spring along the coast, calling from  young corn and hay.  They also noted successful breeding on Dinas Island in 1948. 

Quail occur most years now but in very small numbers, mainly between May and July, mostly in barley fields. There was an influx of about 80 recorded from 18 localities during 1989, part of an exceptional national invasion. A few occasionally breed (see map), but this is usually only proven when chicks become casualties of silage cutting.

Fieldwork 1984-88 (based on 478 tetrads)

Red = breeding confirmed = 1

Orange = breeding probable = 7

Total tetrads in which registered = 8 (1.7%)

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

Grey Partridge - 1994

Artificially maintained

Mathew (1894) knew the Grey Partridge as a fairly common resident, commonest in the south of the county. The game bag returns for the Stackpole Estate puts some measure on this, for 80 were shot in 1889 and 101 in 1890. Wintle (1924) recorded an occasional covey on Caldey Island and noted periodic releases there. Lloyd's diaries for 1925 to 1936 refer to the Grey Partridge as being a "pretty uncommon species" in Pembrokeshire except on the Castle Martin peninsula, which he attributed to "Lord Cawdor's game preserving habits". Lockley et al. (1949) noted a decrease "due to the use of rabbit gin traps". They also noted that Grey Partridges had occasionally nested on Ramsey Island. Lockley (1961) stated that they had become a scarce resident in the south-west peninsula and several observers commented on a continued decline in the county into the 1970s.

The Grey Partridge has declined nationally since the introduction of pesticides, which reduce the availability of insect food, so vital at the chick stage. Very few, usually single birds or small coveys, were seen in Pembrokeshire during the 1980s to early 1990s, although breeding was noted at Hendre Eynon in 1984. Most reports were accompanied by a note that they had been introduced, in localities as far apart as Llanfyrnach in the north and Caldey Island in the south. Recent releases have favoured Red-legged Partridges rather than this species, for which the future in Pembrokeshire looks bleak.

Fieldwork 1984-88 (based on 478 tetrads)

Red = breeding confirmed = 6

Orange = breeding probable = 1

Yellow = breeding possible = 1

Total tetrads in which registered = 8 (1.7%)

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

Red-legged Partridge - 1994

Artificially maintained

Early attempts at introduction were unsuccessful, as reported by Mathew (1894) and Lockley et al. (1949). Introductions from 1971 onwards, at a variety of localities including the Angle Estate and Boulston, have been maintained by turning down new stock annually. They are introduced to provide quarry for sportsmen but some survive to breed free and others have wandered away from their area of introduction, one having reached Ramsey, possibly having come from a release area at Dowrog.

Pure Red-legged Partridge, pure Chukar (Alectoris chukar) and hybrids between the two have all been introduced in recent times. It is doubtful whether any would endure for long were introductions to cease.

Fieldwork 1984-88 (based on 478 tetrads)

Red = breeding confirmed = 4

Yellow = breeding possible = 1

Total tetrads in which registered = 5 (1.1%)

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

Black Grouse - 1994

Rare visitor

Mathew (1894) noted that Black Grouse bones were discovered in Longbury Bank cave near Tenby in 1878. He concluded that the species must have been indigenous, but in his own time knew only of a few introduced at Trecwn, which did not survive long. The only records since have been of single females at Pantmaenog Forest, from January to March in about 1949, and on nearby Foel Feddau on 6 May 1971.

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

Red Grouse - 1994

Former resident

Listed by George Owen (1603) as breeding but Mathew (1894) doubted if any were left on the Preseli Mountains where a few used to breed, the last he knew of being shot in 1885. Lockley et al. (1949) knew of no further occurrences.

No more were recorded until up to three were reported from the Preseli Mountains in December 1952, one from there on 2 January 1953 and the remarkable record of one at Ramsey on 15 October 1975. None have been reported since.

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

Gyrfalcon - 1994

Vagrant

One was shot at Stackpole prior to 1894 and preserved in the British Museum (Mathew 1894). The Museum have it recorded as a white-phase male owned by Earl Cawdor and later purchased from the Zoological Society (P. Colston pers. comm.). An immature captured alive at Boncath in March 1921 was presented to the London Zoological Society and died in June 1921 (C. Spence-Colby).

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

Peregrine - 1994

Breeding resident

Assessing the past status of the Peregrine is particularly problematical. There were fewer observers in the past, they were not so mobile as now and the cliffs were less accessible to the public. Peregrines were sought after for their eggs and their young from the time of King Henry II to the present day, they have been killed as 'vermin' and during World War II attempts were made to exterminate them to prevent predation of pigeons carrying intelligence messages. All of these factors have resulted in a great deal of secrecy surrounding Peregrines. Nonetheless, an extensive collection of information about these birds in Pembrokeshire has been assembled, though it is fragmentary for some periods.

Mathew (1894) does not give an estimate of the breeding population but gives information on at least 25 pairs. Lockley et al. (1949) estimated an average of 25-28 pairs.

The national Peregrine population crashed in 1961-1962, the cause being traced to the effects of organochlorine pesticides (Ratcliffe 1970). None were known to breed in Pembrokeshire in 1962 and 1963, but the population slowly recovered following the cessation of widespread use of these pesticides. A single pair bred in 1964 in the north of the county, there were four pairs by 1968, six by 1975, 14-15 pairs by 1983, by 1989 some 33 territories were occupied and a minimum of 34 young reared and in 1991 some 39 territories were occupied.

Peregrines are still subject to various pressures. The coastline is now easily accessible and an increasing number of people enjoy walking along the coastpath. Cliff climbing has become a popular recreation. Eggs are still pilfered despite efforts to protect them and pigeon fanciers complain about predation of their birds by Peregrines. Therefore, for fear of misuse, we do not include a map of breeding distribution.

Peregrines hunt widely across the whole of Pembrokeshire during the winter, particularly favouring the estuaries.

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

Tetrads in which found = 51 (10.7%)

(based on 478 tetrads)

Hobby - 1994

Passage migrant

Single Hobbies have been recorded about 40 times in only eleven years between 1871 and 1969, but since then up to ten have been seen annually. Records refer to the periods 21 April to 23 June (with a very early migrant being seen at Castell Henllys on 24 March 1989) and 8 August to 3 November. A pair summered in 1989, and attempted breeding is possible, for this falcon has been extending its range in recent years and now nests in south-east Wales.

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

Merlin - 1994

Winter visitor, has bred

Mathew (1894) noted St David's, Goodwick and Maenclochog as breeding areas for the Merlin. Lockley et al. (1949) added probable nesting on Ramsey but Lockley (1961) noted breeding at Freshwater West. A pair bred in the Preseli Mountains in 1970 and others may have done so in 1970 and 1971.

Merlins are widespread in the winter, arriving between March and May, but there are occasional sightings for all other months of the year. They are usually seen singly, but sometimes two and rarely three occur at one locality. Merlins are most frequently seen in coastal areas, such as the Marloes and St David's peninsulas, but as they freely hunt across farmland this may be more a reflection of observer distribution than of the bird.

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