Pink-footed Goose - 1994

Rare visitor

Mathew (1894) says that Henry Mathias included this species in his list but was doubtful if it was correctly identified, while Lockley et al. (1949) could add no other records.

The first certain identification was of two passing Strumble Head on 21 October 1961 (J.W. Donovan), followed by 16 at Marloes on 8 January 1979, three at Lleithyr on 19 February 1979, one attached to the Canada Goose flock at Hook from 23 November 1980 to 22 March 1981, one at Marloes Mere in late January 1982 with two from 2 to 7 February 1982, one at the Gann from 30 January to 6 February 1982, one at Marloes Mere from 26 January to 2 February 1985, two at Skokholm on 27 May 1988, one at Skomer on 25 April 1991, eight at Strumble Head on 6 October 1992, with one there the next day, and one at Herbrandston on 8 October 1992

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

Bean Goose - 1994

Rare visitor

The only records for Bean Goose are as follows: seven or eight near Stone Hall in the winter of 1880 (Mathew 1894), 12 (one shot) at Dowrog on 22 April 1949, nine at East Hook on 2 November 1978 and one on Skomer from 5 to 8 May 1987.

Whooper Swan - 1994

Scarce winter visitor and passage migrant. Not recorded from June to September.

Mathew (1894) noted only undated records from Pant y Phillip and one shot by Lord Cawdor at Stackpole. Lockley et al. (1949) cited a flock at Cosheston from 24 to 28 January 1933, which had moved to Garon Pill by 29 January, and a pair at Dowrog Pool on 26 January 1948.

Up to 20 birds per annum were recorded in 31 of the next 42 years, none staying for longer than a few days, apart from one that was at Marloes Mere from 7 December 1991 to 25 January 1992. Most occur between December and February but there is evidently an erratic through passage in October to November and March to May, the largest group recorded being 47 which flew over Skokholm on 19 February 1956.

Bewick Swan - 1994

Winter visitor. Not recorded from May to October

All Mathew's (1894) occurrences were near St David's, one shot at Trefeiddan in November 1887 being the first, while five others were shot in the same area later in the winter and "plucked and roasted", one in 1890 when many swans, probably Bewick's, were present (including flocks of up to 50 birds). A flock of 15 in November 1892 was probably also this species. Lockley et al. (1949) give one further record dated 1905.

Bewick's Swans have occurred more frequently since 1950, when one was at Dowrog on 17 April, with flocks of up to 26 passing through in most years from late October to December and March to April. Others arrive in response to hard winter weather to the east. The maximum occurred during the cold winter weather of early 1985 when there was a total of at least 49 Bewick's Swans in Pembrokeshire, with a herd of 32 at Hendre Eynon on 25 January.

Mute Swan - 1994

Breeding resident

Mathew (1894) stated that they were originally introduced and noted Bosherston Pools as "their chief station" and that up to about 100 could be seen there in the summer, with many pairs breeding. Only eight to ten remained in the winter, when a few moved to the Cleddau Estuary but the majority appeared to have left the county. This situation continued into the 1920s and 1930s according to Mr Barnaby, the son of Earl Cawdor's agent, (per R.J. Haycock) but only one or two pairs breed there now and three to five is a typical winter populatio n. Lockley et al. (1949) and Saunders (1976) not ed several breeding sites along the saltings of t he Cleddau, Nevem and Teifi estuaries but these a re no longer used, the ten pairs that breed annually all being at freshwater sites.

There are normally about 30 birds on the Teifi Estuary in winter, and this is presumably the source of the Mute Swans that occasionally visit the Nevem Estuary, and more rarely Fishguard Harbour. Up to 50 winter on the Cleddau Estuary, mainly at Llanstadwell and the Pembroke River, the non-breeders staying throughout the year. Mute Swans have been recorded twice from both Skokholm and Skomer.

They are vulnerable to oil spills and 16 had to be removed for decontamination following the 'El Omar' incident in the Cleddau Estuary during December 1988. Four died but the rest were rehabilitated the following spring.

Fieldwork 1984-88 (based on 478 tetrads)

Red = breeding confirmed = 8

Orange = breeding probable = 1

Yellow = breeding possible = 2

Total tetrads in which registered = 11 (2.3%)

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

Spoonbill - 1994

Occasional visitor

"On highe trees the heronflewes, the floveler". This brief reference by George Owen (1603) records that the Spoonbill bred in Pembrokeshire during Elizabethan times. Mathew (1894) described it as "an occasional visitor — not very rare", sometimes occurring in groups of up to seven birds, such as those at Goodwick in 1856 and at Mullock Bridge in 1885. He also noted that

11 were shot around Milford Haven in 1854 and 1855. Lockley et al. (1949) added records of birds on the Pembroke River in 1911, two at Milford Haven in 1927, one at Dowrog on 20 October 1928 and three together at Slebech in May 1931.

Since then up to two have been recorded in 12 years, mainly at the Cleddau Estuary, most frequently at the Gann and Angle Bay, but also at the Nevern and Teifi estuaries, Skokholm and Skomer. Colour-ringed juveniles seen on the Teifi Estuary in 1974 and on the Cleddau Estuary in 1988 had been marked as nestlings in Holland. Most occurrences are probably of juveniles initially dispersing from their continental breeding grounds and thereafter wandering about during immaturity. The two which arrived on the Cleddau Estuary from September to October 1988 overwintered, one remaining until 8 June 1989. Both returned in July and stayed into March 1990, one until 30 April. A colour-ringed adult from Holland was seen at Skomer on 11 May 1992.

Glossy Ibis - 1994

Vagrant

Single birds have been recorded as follows: shot at Slebech in autumn 1834 (Mathew 1894), picked up exhausted at Tenby on 23 October 1917 (Lockley et al. 1949) and seen at the Gann on 20 August 1976 (R. Warr).

White Stork - 1994

Rare visitor

The White Stork was first recorded at Gwaun Valley on 26 May 1975 (R. Fuller), followed by singles in the Dowrog area from 27 to 30 April 1982, at Dinas Head on 13 April 1984, at Trefeiddan on 18 April 1985 (which moved to Dowrog the following day and departed on 20 April) and near Tenby on 2 August 1991

Black Stork - 1994

Vagrant

One arrived at Skokholm in the evening of 27 April 1991 and was initially driven off by gulls, but managed to roost on the island. When it departed next morning it was seen flying over Skomer (M. Betts et al.). One was seen at Skomer on 29 July 1991 and another (presumably the same bird) at Mullock Bridge on 2 August (S.J. Sutcliffe et al.).

Purple Heron - 1994

Rare visitor

Single birds have been seen at Haverfordwest on 20 April 1932, "near the coast" on 21 April 1945 (Lockley et al. 1949), at Ramsey from 14 to 6 May 1979, at Dowrog from 21 May to 15 July 1979, and found dead at Bosherston Pools on 18 November 1986.

Grey Heron - 1994

Breeding resident

Heronry sites have shifted widely during recorded times, that at Slebech Park being the only one that has been consistently occupied since Mathew (1894). Total numbers vary, with very cold winters causing increased mortality when ice renders prey inaccessible. The breeding population varies between about 30 pairs when at a low ebb (e.g. in1962) and 65 pairs in more favourable times (e.g. in 1974). However, some colonies declined in the late 1980s despite mild winters and against the national trend. Single pairs occasionally nest away from established colonies and can then be easily overlooked. Colonies vary between five and twenty nests. That at Slebech has contained as many as 46 nests but has decreased in recent years (see Table 4). Herons formerly bred on the cliffs in the Solva—Newgale—Nolton areas of St Bride's Bay and at Linney Head, but this has not been recorded since 1974. A pair nested on the ground at Trefeiddan in 1978.

Grey Herons feed widely across the county, from the outer coast to the smallest inland pool, even exploiting the upper slopes of the Preseli Mountains at frog-spawning time. They disperse widely in the autumn, birds reaching all the offshore islands and on several occasions small parties of juveniles have been seen flying due west out to sea.

Fieldwork 1984-88 (based on 478 tetrads)

Red = breeding confirmed = 10

Total tetrads in which registered = 10 (2.1%)

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

Great Egret - 1994

Vagrant

One was seen near St David's on 12 April 1988 (I.G. Carter, M. Cheker, J. Colman), part of a general increase of records of this heron in Britain since it colonised the Netherlands in the early 1970s.