Black-tailed Godwit - 1980s winter

The BTO winter atlas showed that Black-tailed Godwits were present in only two estuarine 10km squares during the winters of 1981-82, 1982-82 and 1983-84, both within the Cleddau Estuary complex  

The light blue colour represents 1-4 birds which is consistent with the Birds of the Estuary Enquiry (BoEE, now WeBS) results at that time.

Graham Rees

Black-headed Gull - 1980s winter

The BTO winter atlas showed that Black-headed Gulls were present in all 10km squares during the winters of 1981-82, 1982-82 and 1983-84. 

The darker the colour, the higher the relative total count for each 10km square.  The darkest blue represents over 1,491 birds.

Found extensively using wet pasture and newly ploughed land but all roosts reported were around the estuaries.

Graham Rees 

Blackcap - 1980s winter

The BTO winter atlas showed that Blackcaps were present in almost 40% of 10km squares during the winters of 1981-82, 1982-82 and 1983-84.

The darker the colour, the higher the relative total count for each 10km square.  The darkest blue represents over 3 birds recorded per day.

Blackcaps visiting bird feeders has aided detection.

Graham Rees

Blackbird - 1980s winter

GHR

The BTO winter atlas showed that Blackbirds were present in all 10km squares during the winters of 1981-82, 1982-82 and 1983-84.

The darker the colour, the higher the relative total count for each 10km square.  The darkest blue represents over 115 birds recorded per day.

Ring recoveries confirm that the large winter presence includes Continental birds.

Black Redstart - 1980s winter

The BTO winter atlas shows the 10km squares where Black Redstarts were recorded during the winters of 1981-82, 1982-82 and 1983-84.

The darker the colour, the higher the relative total count for each 10km square. The darkest blue represents over 3 birds seen in a day.

Mainly recorded around buildings.

GHR 

Bittern - 1980s winter

The darkest colour on the map for the BTO winter atlas of 1981-82, 1982-82 and 1983-84 represents 3 or more birds in a day. In Pembrokeshire 4 at Bosherston was the maximum.

GHR

Bewick Swan - 1980s winter

The BTO winter atlas showed that Bewick’s Swans were present in seven10km squares during the winters of 1981-82, 1982-82 and 1983-84.

The darker the colour, the higher the relative total count for each 10km square.  The darkest blue represents 9-29 birds, the maximum in Pembrokeshire during the period being ten in 1981 during a cold weather influx.

GHR 

Bar-tailed Godwit - 1980s winter

 The BTO winter atlas showed that Bar-tailed Godwits were present in a few coastal and estuarine 10km squares during the winters of 1981-82, 1982-82 and 1983-84. 

The darker the colour, the higher the relative total count for each 10km square.  The darkest blue represents 19-175 birds, with the highest count being in SM 80.

The distribution is consistent with the Birds of the Estuary Enquiry (BoEE, now WeBS) at that time, with the majority of birds in Angle Bay, part of the Cleddau Estuary complex. .

The Nevern and Teifi estuaries provided winter records in the north of the county.

GHR 

Barnacle Goose - 1980s winter

Up to three birds were recorded in one 10 Km square during the 1981 – 1984 Winter Atlas.

The National Nature Reserve of Skomer was managed by a Warden from March to October during the Atlas years but not in the winter, when only occasional visits were made. These few visits indicated that up to 39 Barnacle Geese over wintered on the island but this information was not made available to the Winter Atlas, so is not represented on the map. 

GHR

http://blx1.bto.org/atlases/BY-atlas.html

Barn Owl - 1980s winter

The Winter Atlas showed that Barn Owls were recorded in 14 out of 27 of the county’s 10km squares during the winters of 1981-82, 1982-82 and 1983-84.

The darker the colour, the higher the relative total count for each 10km square.  The darkest blue represents over 3 birds recorded in a day.

This species can be difficult to detect in the winter when it is mainly nocturnal and silent, which despite being a resident, has resulted in a 40% lower registration than in the 1970 breeding atlas survey.

LACK, P.C. (1986) The atlas of wintering birds in Britain and Ireland. T. & A.D. Poyser

Little Grebe - Sea Empress oil spill

Tachybaptus ruficollis  

When the oil – spill caused by the grounding of the Sea Empress occurred, 15th – 21st February 1996, the Milford Haven waterway was badly contaminated, most heavily as far upstream as the Cleddau Bridge. Little Grebes quickly left this area, moving to safer places, notably to Westfield Pill where their presence rose from 39 to 52 birds. None were recorded dead or visibly oiled, so their rapid evasive action was evidently effective.

Graham Rees

(Covers records up to and including 2008)

References

HAYCOCK. A. 2008. A review of the status of wetland birds in the Milford Haven Waterway and Daugleddau Estuary, A report to the Milford Haven Waterway Environmental Surveillance Group. Unpublished

Little Grebe - Migration

Tachybaptus ruficollis

The Migration Atlas (2002) suggests that most Little Grebes disperse from their breeding area to winter elsewhere. It also states that there are still many unknowns about their migration, citing very few examples of immigration based on ring recoveries. BWP considered autumn and spring records on or near the British east coasts, especially at lighthouses, indicated immigration from the Continent.

There are no records of Little Grebes visibly migrating in Pembrokeshire, possibly meaning they pass at night but there have been none noted at local lighthouses. Diurnal records of birds on the sea at Strumble Head and Skomer and visiting ponds on Skokholm, Ramsey and most frequently Skomer, indicate dispersal at least and possibly longer distance migration as well.

Graham Rees

(Covers records up to and including 2008)

References

CRAMP. S. (Editor), 1977 – 1994. Handbook of the Birds of Europe, the Middle East and North Africa : the birds of the Western Palearctic, Oxford University Press, 9 Vols.