Green Sandpiper - autumn

Tringa achropus

Females tend to leave the breeding grounds early, about a third of the way through June, small chicks being left in the care of the males. Autumn passage in Pembrokeshire has commenced from the 20th June and continued to October, representing 65 % of the annual totals. Earlier birds were recorded at the Teifi Marshes on the 13th June 1990 and 2nd June 1996. One individual was reported as summering at the Teifi Marshes in 1994, being present from May to August.

Conceivably some November occurrences could have been late migrants but October has been used as a cut off point in this assessment.

Autumn passage totals 1990 – 2006.

These are minimum figures, for no means have been found for evaluating turnover of individuals at each site. Most records refer to one to four birds per occasion but up to five have been recorded at Skokholm, Eastern Cleddau and Heathfield Gravel Pit, six at Skomer, Teifi Marshes and the Gann, seven at Westfield Pill and nine at Pembroke Mill Ponds.

Graham Rees.

(Covers records up to and including 2006).

Little Tern - Autumn

 Sternula albifrons

The Little Tern has predominantly been seen in the autumn, between 30th July and 6th November. There has been about an equal volume of records for August and September, with fewer in October and just one July occurrence, at The Smalls on the 30th, and singles were seen Tenby on 6th November 1961 and Skokholm on 1st and 6th November 1980. Most records were of one to three birds at a time but larger groups have been seen on 17 occasions, the largest being 23 at Skomer on the 17th September 1992.

Total number of birds recorded 1916 – 2006.

Graham Rees.

(Covers records up to and including 2006).

Roseate Tern - autumn

Sterna dougallii 

The majority of Roseate Terns have been noted between the 1st July and the 28th September.

Distribution of total birds 1963-2008, July – September in six day periods.

The graph was compiled from records of two at Amroth on the 14th August 1973, two at Penally on the 16th August 1973, two at Ramsey on the 19th September 1973, one in the Cleddau Estuary at Llangwm on the 13th September 1976, one in the Nevern Estuary on the 17th July 1980, one at Cwm yr Eglwys on the 5th July 1990, a total of 17 at Skokholm and a total of 77 at Strumble Head. Most have involved sightings of one or two birds per occasion but there were four at Skokholm on the 31st July 1990 and again on the 24th August 1992, one to five per occasion were involved in the Strumble Head series but eight on the 9th July 1988 and again on the 25th August 2004, with 11 on the 29th July 1990.

Additionally one was noted at Strumble Head on the 2nd October 2000 and one at Cwm yr Eglwys in mid October 1971.

All records involved adult birds save for two juveniles at Skokholm on the 31st July and the 5th August 1990.

Graham Rees

(Covers records up to and including 2008).

Black Tern - Autumn

Chlidonias niger

Autumn records spanned from the 8th August to the 11th November, 95 % of them between the 14th August and the 8th October. In some years few were seen, in others larger totals, especially when peak numbers passed in one or two days, as 100 on the 12th September 1981, 98 on the 14th August 1985, 112 on the 27th August 1997, 86 over the two days of the 24th and 25th August 1999, 97 on the 8th October 2001, 536 on the 31st August 2005 with 117 on the 1st September 2005.

The peaks occurred during brief periods of light to brisk southerly winds, particularly from the south east, accompanied by low cloud and mostly with rain or drizzle. On those occasions the terns flew in from out to sea flying directly into the wind. When nearing the shore they mostly turned westwards, which enabled them to continue out to sea but some turned into Cardigan Bay. On the 31st August 2005 groups approaching the land bunched into tight formation and climbed rapidly, almost vertically, to disappear from sight into the low cloud cover. It seems likely they continued on their south east heading, going overland. BWP notes that Black Terns sometimes migrate at considerable height and the beginning of such action was probably witnessed at Strumble Head that day.

Sandwich Tern - Autumn

Sterna sandvicensis

Autumn passage has been numerically greater than that of spring, logged between 1st July and the end of October, with 11 November sightings, the latest on the 28th. Taking the break point between spring, 30th June, and autumn, 1st July, is debatable but the latest mean June date is the 22^nd and the earliest mean July date is the 9th. Peak passage has consistently occurred between the 25^th of August and the 30^th September.  The graph shows the average no of sightings per week.

Strumble Head, mean day counts for peak period, 1980 – 2007.

The heaviest passage has been recorded along the north coast and this has been well documented at Strumble Head, where annual totals logged have varied as follows:

Strumble Head autumn totals 1980 – 2007.

Although passage birds normally moved steadily along the north coast, there have been occasional accumulations for short periods, such as 60 in the mouth of the Teifi Estuary, 42 off the Nevern Estuary, 150 in Fishguard Harbour and 250 between St David’s Head and Ramsey. Most have dispersed out to sea once clear of the Bishops but some have moved along the west coast, with up to 32 being logged at Skomer and 40 at the Gann and along the south coast up to 23 have been recorded at Tenby and Saundersfoot, with up to 40 at Wiseman’s Bridge.

The furthest recorded inland was one flying over Roch on the 21st September 1984 but they have several times been seen leaving Fishguard Harbour heading overland above Goodwick Moor. Although regularly seen inside the Cleddau Estuary, particularly at the Gann, in Dale Roads and Angle Bay, the only records from further upstream have been singles at Llanstadwell on the 9th July 1985 and 4th September 1985, two at Newton Noyes on the 2nd October 1985 and 10 at Landshipping on the 2nd October 2004 with 30 there on the 13th September 2006.   

Graham Rees

(Covers records up to and including 2007).

Spotted Crake - 1894

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

Click to read more ...

Spotted Redshank - autumn

Tringa erythropus

Autumn passage, between the 18th June and October, involved 41.5 % of the county total with records from Skokholm, Skomer, Grassholm, Ramsey, the Gann, upper Cleddau Estuary, Bicton Reservoir, Westfield Pill, Sandy Haven Pill, Amroth, Castle Martin, West Williamston, Fishguard Harbour, Nevern Estuary, Teifi Estuary, passing over St David’s and Crundale, coasting past Strumble Head and once at a lighthouse attraction there.

Most records referred to autumn passage during the 1960’s and in the 1970’s autumn passage included the largest gatherings yet seen in the county, viz : 20 at Hook on the 17th September 1972 and 27 there on the 12th October 1978.

Graham Rees

(Covers records up to and including 2006).

Rough-legged Buzzard - 1894

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

Click to read more ...

Arctic Skua - Autumn

Stercorarius parasiticus

The number of birds involved each autumn varied, extremes being 67 in 1993 and 355 in 1985. Differing breeding success no doubt played a part in this variability but changing weather systems seem to have been the main factor.

Autumn totals at Strumble Head, 1980 – 2007.

 Passage has been recorded from July to December, at Strumble Head between 1980 and 2006, a total of 24 being seen in July, 32 in November and 5 in December. Totals for the months August to October, expressed in six day periods were:

Light to moderate winds with a westerly component prevailed in most autumns. It was thought that some of the Arctic Skuas travelling southwards through the Irish Sea were drifted eastwards into Cardigan Bay by these westerly winds. When the skuas encountered the north Pembrokeshire coast they followed it in a westerly direction, so as to gain sea room for their continued southward migration. When south–westerly gales occurred larger numbers appeared in Cardigan Bay, presumed to have been blown there from the sea area south of the Irish Sea. When the wind veered to between west and north before moderating, these birds were able to make their way back out to sea, many of them passing close in to Strumble Head. It was such a weather system that resulted in the largest day total recorded when 103 passed on the 3rd September 1983.

Light to moderate north–east winds predominated in the autumn of 1993 and few Arctic Skuas were seen, most of those that did pass were during short interludes of westerly winds. Strong winds from due east dominated the autumn of 2003 when a total of 203 Arctic Skuas was logged passing. Such winds could be expected to drift southward travelling birds away from Cardigan Bay, so it seems likely that those seen at Strumble Head had arrived by flying overland from the North Sea assisted by the following wind.

Observational evidence indicates that Arctic Skuas are diffusely spread once they have cleared the north coast of the county. Daily observations from The Smalls throughout the autumns of 1983 and 1984 recorded far fewer birds than passed Strumble Head on the same dates. Offshore watchers using boats going as far out as the Celtic Deep only occasionally encountered one or two Arctic Skuas, as was the case with shore based watchers on the west and south coasts of the county and on the offshore islands. At Skokholm the mean autumn total from 1953 to 2003 was seven birds.

 Graham Rees.

(Covers records up to and including 2007).