Thursday, December 15, 2011 at 11:54AM Vagrant
An immature was shot near Whitechurch on 2 February 1908 by local farmer B. Edwards. It was erroneously reported as a Golden Eagle in The Cardigan and Tivy-side Advertiser (Lloyd 1941).
Thursday, December 15, 2011 at 11:52AM Vagrant
Cramp (1980) notes that the Black Kite has been expanding its range into north and west Europe; one was seen at Skokholm on 20 May 1990 (M. Betts et al.).
Thursday, December 15, 2011 at 11:51AM Rare visitor
Mathew (1894) mentions one seen at Creselly in 1851. Otherwise the first record was of a single bird at Skomer from 29 September to 13 October 1974. It has since been recorded at Skomer on 30 May 1985, at Skokholm on 18 August 1982, 14 July 1989, 19 May 1990 and 18 and 19 August 1991, and at an inland locality in June 1984. Three together flew in off the sea at Strumble Head on 18 October 1981.
Donovan J.W. & Rees G.H (1994), Birds of Pembrokeshire
Note that the
1982 record on Skokholm was actually on the 10th August
1991 record was on Skomer, not Skokholm
Thursday, December 15, 2011 at 11:27AM Feral visitor
This north American species has been kept in several collections, escapes from which started to breed in Gloucestershire before colonising the west Midlands of England in the 1960s and 1970s (Cramp 1977). They became a Welsh breeding species in 1978 and have now been recorded nesting at Anglesey, Montgomery, Radnor, Glamorgan and Camarthenshire (Hurford 1988), the nearest being at Witchet pool, near Pendine (Roberts and Morgan 1986). The first to occur in Pembrokeshire was at Llysyfran reservoir on 4 February 1979 (T. Gover), followed by singles at the Gann on 9 and 10 December 1982, Bosherston Pools on 26-28 June 1984, Strumble Head on 4 May 1986, Bosherston Pools from 4 October 1986 to 14 April 1987 (which was joined by another from 13 to 26 January 1987), and at Strumble Head on 29 August 1988; there were also three at Nolton Haven on 6-8 December 1987.
Thursday, December 15, 2011 at 11:26AM Scarce winter visitor. Not recorded in April, May, July and August
Both Mathew (1894) and Lockley et al. (1949) regarded the Goosander as a regular winter visitor, the latter adding the qualification "scarce". The Welsh breeding population has been increasing in recent years, from the first record in 1970 to an estimated 150-200 pairs by 1985 (Tyler 1989), and although they have not bred in Pembrokeshire they have begun to occur more frequently. Records show occurrences in only six years between 1950 and 1970, but then in 18 years post-1970 and in every year since 1983, usually between November and February. Goosanders have been seen on the coast at Fishguard Harbour and on the Nevern and Cleddau Estuaries, particularly during cold weather, but most occur on fresh water, principally Rosebush and Llysyfran reservoirs and Bosherston Pools. Single birds are most frequently seen, but up to 14 together have been reported, with red-headed birds predominating.
Thursday, December 15, 2011 at 11:25AM Winter visitor
Scarce in Mathew's (1894) time, who knew of no dated or recent records, but Lockley et al. (1949) reported that it had become a regular winter visitor to the upper Cleddau Estuary, with occasional occurrences elsewhere. It has continued to increase gradually since then, and is now regular in winter at the Teifi Estuary, Fishguard Harbour, Cleddau Estuary and off Amroth—Saundersfoot. Numbers involved are small, with probably only 40 birds present in most winters, including odd ones and twos scattered around the outer coast. The largest group recorded was 28 in Hook Reach on 31 January 1987. Red-breasted Mergansers arrive in October and November and usually depart in March and April, but have lingered late into May on the Teifi and Cleddau and might well breed in Pembrokeshire in the future. They breed in neighbouring Ceredigion as close as the Afon Ystwyth.
Thursday, December 15, 2011 at 11:23AM Scarce winter visitor. Not recorded from April to September
A cold weather visitor which occurs in Pembrokeshire when it is frozen out of its usual winter quarters further east. After such cold winter incursions, Smew occasionally reappear in the following winter, even if this latter season is mild. About 40 birds have been recorded in Pembrokeshire to date, since the first undated occurrences at Goodwick and Stackpole noted by Mathew (1894).
Most sightings have involved single birds but up to eight have been seen together. Smew have been recorded on fresh and salt water with about equal frequency, the Cleddau Estuary and Bosherston Pools being the most favoured localities. The redheaded female/immature predominates.
Thursday, December 15, 2011 at 11:21AM Regular visitor. Not recorded in August and September
Both Mathew (1894) and Lockley et al. (1949) classified the Goldeneye as a not very common but regular winter visitor. Today they occur regularly in winter on the Teifi, Nevern and Cleddau Estuaries, Llysyfran reservoir and Bosherston Pools, and with less regularity on other fresh waters. Up to 15 on the Teifi, one or two on the Nevern, 40-50 on the Cleddau and up to 15 at Bosherston Pools are typical winter numbers, with about 80-90 birds being the county total. Numbers increase during cold spells, with about 150 in Pembrokeshire during January—February 1987, 114 of them on the Cleddau Estuary.
Goldeneyes arrive during October and November (exceptionally September) and depart in March and April, during which periods they are sometimes seen off the headlands and islands. May records have included birds in potential breeding habitat, for example at Rosebush reservoir and one flushed from a tree at Bosherston Pools on 20 May 1980 raised great hopes. Single birds remained at the Gann until 15 June 1968 and at Jordanston Pools until 17 July 1981.
Thursday, December 15, 2011 at 11:20AM Winter visitor. Not recorded in May or from July to September
Up to eight are seen most winters in St Bride's Bay and off Saundersfoot—Amroth, the maximum recorded being 12 offNewgale on 30 December 1988 and 14 passing Strumble Head on 21 October 1991. Also occasionally seen passing Skokholm and Skomer, it has occurred at Newport Bay, Dale Roads, the Cleddau Estuary at Hook, and on fresh water at Bosherston Pools and Slebech Pond.
Thursday, December 15, 2011 at 11:19AM Rare visitor
Surf Scoters have been recorded as follows: the first was a male at Druidston from 29 October to 4 November 1979 (L. Hawkins et al.), followed by an immature at Strumble Head on 13 November 1982, four males together passing Strumble Head on 13 November 1987, a male at Nolton Haven from 14 November 1987 to 5 March 1988, with a second male there on 28 November 1987 and 5 March 1988, a male at Skokholm on 25 October 1990 and a male at Amroth from 3 to 27 January 1991.
Thursday, December 15, 2011 at 11:16AM Winter visitor and passage migrant
Mathew (1894) stated that the Common Scoter was a "not rare" winter visitor, while Lloyd was the first to notice large numbers in Carmarthen and St Bride's bays during the 1920s and 1930s, including flocks during the summer months. Lockley et al. (1949) referred to summer flocks of up to 400 in both bays. Thereafter, many observers contributed observations which established that the Common Scoter is present in our waters throughout the year. Seawatching at Strumble Head from 1980 onwards has permitted seasonal movements to be used to interpret the overall pattern of occurrence.
Male Common Scoters generally winter further south than females (Cramp 1977). Large numbers winter in Carmarthen Bay (West Glamorgan— Carmarthenshire—Pembrokeshire), males conspicuously outnumbering females here. It is difficult to estimate how many birds are present in this huge area, but a series of aerial counts conducted by the RSPB in the 1970s indicated that over 5,000 Common Scoters were present each winter. A further 1,000-2,500 winter in St Bride's Bay where, surprisingly, males are outnumbered by females in the approximate proportion of 4:1.
The aerial surveys of Carmarthen Bay, and other counts made from boats, indicate that much larger numbers are present in March than in mid-winter, for example 25,000 between Saundersfoot and Worm's Head on 13 March 1974. This may mean that the Bay is used as a migration staging area, perhaps involving Common Scoters moving up from further south. However, apart from "over 100 passing northwards" off the South Bishop on 18 April 1976 (McCanch 1985) no visible spring movement has been detected in Pembrokeshire. It seems likely, therefore, that the main departure takes place at night. Kumari (1979) has established that Common Scoters do migrate at night, from his radar studies in the White Sea and the Baltic.
Not all leave Carmarthen Bay in the spring, presumably those remaining being non-breeders which complete their moult there. The situation in St Bride's Bay at this season is not clear. A southward passage past Strumble Head, through St Bride's Bay and then eastwards past St Govan's Head, during June and July, is thought to include males returning from their breeding grounds and making their way to Carmarthen Bay to moult. Later movements, peaking in October and November, include a larger proportion of females and these would be post-moult birds heading for their winter quarters. Fewer Common Scoters have been recorded passing St Ives in Cornwall than pass Strumble during these movements, which may indicate that our passages include birds that winter further south. The timing of the movements, coupled with a synchronous passage across the middle of England, suggests that the majority of the Common Scoters seen in Pembrokeshire are from the Fenno—Russian breeding population. A recovery of one bird in Lancashire in December that had been ringed in Finland in October supports this hypothesis, but the recovery of another that had been ringed in Iceland means that the situation may be more complex.
Common Scoters are vulnerable to oil spills and casualties were noted in 1950 and again in 1973-1974, on each occasion about 300 being found contaminated and stranded on the Pembrokeshire shoreline of Carmarthen Bay.
A male Black Scoter, subspecies americana, was at Newgale from November 1991 to March 1992 (D. Astins et al.).
Donovan J.W. & Rees G.H (1994), Birds of Pembrokeshire
Pembrokeshire Avifauna committee
Black Scoter Melanitta americana is now recognised as a separate species
Thursday, December 15, 2011 at 11:12AM Winter visitor and passage migrant. Not recorded in August and September
Mathew (1894) listed undated occurrences at Stackpole and Haverfordwest, and Lockley et al. (1949) added just one other, a female shot at Milford Haven on 7 December 1906. Between two and seven have been noted in 24 of the last 30 years, following one at Dale in mid-January 1958. Records refer to ones and twos settling in for the winter in St Bride's Bay, mostly off Newgale or Broad Haven, and the Amroth—Saundersfoot area of Carmarthen Bay. Others are seen in transit off headlands such as St David's and Strumble. Occasional 'mini wrecks' deposit singles, or groups of up to four, on fresh waters such as Llysyfran reservoir and Bosherston Pools and into the Cleddau Estuary (to the Gann mostly), where they sometimes stay for weeks or months. Up to 12 were in the Amroth—Saundersfoot area from January to March 1989.