Green Sandpiper - status

Tringa achropus

Passage migrant and winter visitor.

The Green Sandpiper breeds across the northern Palearctic from Scandinavia to Siberia, wintering south of this range as far south as Africa and Asia.

From the late 1800’s to the present, the Green Sandpiper has predominantly been an autumn visitor to Pembrokeshire. Throughout this period some have over wintered and a small erratic spring passage has been detected. They have been seen around many small pools, both on the mainland and offshore islands, in the upper reaches of estuaries around the zone where fresh water runs into salt water and overflying land including habitations.

Overall it is likely that this species has been under recorded, inasmuch as it can occur on quite small ponds and streams which are seldom visited by observers.

Graham Rees.

(Covers records up to and including 2006).

Sanderling - passage

Calidris alba

Autumn passage has been recorded from the 16th July to the end of November. The most favoured localities have been the Teifi Estuary (max. 15 on the 21st August 1987), Nevern Estuary (max. 18 on the 29th July 2005), Angle Bay (max. 25 on the 22nd September 2006) and Frainslake (max. 57 on the 21st July 1996). Transient birds have also been seen at popular bathing beaches, mostly involving one to four birds at a time but 12 were at Broad Haven (North) on the 2nd September 1985 and 50 there on the 30th July 1986.

Spring passage has been recorded from April to the end of June, most passing through during May, hence being a much quicker event than autumn passage and in terms of volume involving about half the number of birds.

The same localities were frequented in spring as in autumn, flock sizes being similar, the maximum recorded being 40 at Frainslake on the 18th May 1996.

Cumulative passage totals 1980 – 2006.

Graham Rees.

(Covers records up to and including 2006).

Sanderling - status

Calidris alba

Passage migrant and winter visitor.

The Sanderling has a circumpolar Arctic tundra breeding distribution, subsequently migrating to shorelines throughout the rest of the world, short of Antarctica. Those seen in North West Europe are from Greenland and Siberia.

The Sanderling was classified by early authorities as an autumn and occasional spring passage migrant to Pembrokeshire. Subsequent observations have confirmed the autumn passage but also shown that there has been an annual spring passage and a few winter occurrences. They have mostly occurred on sandy beaches and flats but have also been seen resting on rocky shores and by coastal pools like those on Skokholm , Skomer and Newgale Marsh and once running about on the dry runways of the disused Dale airfield. They have also been seen passing offshore from Strumble Head, the islands and The Smalls.

Graham Rees.

(Covers records up to and including 2006).

Little Tern - Spring

Sternula albifrons

There have been only 15 records in the spring, between 14th April and 24th June, having been seen eight times in April, three times in May and four times in June. All were occurrences of one or two birds at a time except for six in Solva Harbour on the 8th May 1916.

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).

Little Tern - status

Sternula albifrons

Scarce passage migrant.

Little Terns breed from Britain eastwards into Europe and central Asia and south as far as North Africa and India. They nest on both sides of the Irish Sea and along the west coast of Scotland with just one colony in Wales, post 1989, in Flintshire. Those seen in Pembrokeshire probably originate from these Irish and west coast colonies.

The Little Tern was considered to be an occasional passage migrant by Mathew (1894) and Lockley et al (1949), whereas Donovan and Rees (1994), with the benefit of increased observer cover, concluded it was a scarce passage migrant seen in most years.

Little Terns have been recorded around the coast at Fishguard, Strumble Head, Abermawr, St David’s Head, Solva, Newgale, Broad Haven (North), Skomer, Skokholm, St Govan’s Head, Tenby and Caldey, further out to sea at Grassholm and The Smalls, inside the Teifi and Nevern Estuaries and within the extensive Cleddau Estuary  at the Gann, West Williamston and Picton Point. All were seen over salt water except for singles at Bosherston on the 31st August 1937 and on the 8th September 1993

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).

Roseate Tern - Status

 Sterna dougallii

Scarce passage migrant; former breeder.

The Roseate Tern breeds in colonies dotted along the shores of the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans, stretching from Europe in the north to Australia in the south. The European population migrates to winter off the coast of West Africa.

E. Lort-Phillips visited Grassholm in 1883 to inspect the nesting place of a small colony of Roseate Terns which then frequented the island. Lockley et al (1949) referred to recorded breeding at Grassholm in c.1885. Mathew (1894) stated that the Roseate Tern formerly nested on Skokholm stack. No other breeding records have been traced.

There were three further recorded occurrences in the 19th century, one at Caldey in April 1875, one obtained at Pembroke in May 1887 and housed in the collection of a Dr Mills and one picked up dead near Pembroke in 1885. First recorded in the 20th century on the 10th September 1958 when three were seen off St Ann’s Head. Thereafter an average of four birds per annum were recorded in 32 years between 1963 and 2008, with nine in 2004, 11 in 1989 and 17 in 1990.These were presumed to be mostly coming or going to Ireland where the bulk of the European population nests.

Graham Rees

(Covers records up to and including 2008).

Black Tern - Spring

Chlidonias niger

Very few Black Terns have been recorded in Pembrokeshire in spring, viz. one at Dale on the 8th May 1954, two Teifi Marshes on the 7th May 1986, one Gann 19th April 1987 with three at nearby Anchor Hoaten the same day, one Skomer 24th April 1988, two Garron Pill 3rd May 1988 with one remaining for the next day, singles at Pembroke Mill Ponds 25th April 1988 and St Govan’s Head 20th April 1992.

Graham Rees

(Covers records up to and including 2006).

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.

Black Tern - Status

 Chlidonias niger Annual passage migrant.

The Black Tern has a widespread breeding range embracing the North Americas, Europe and Western Asia. Most of those seen in Pembrokeshire probably originated in Scandinavia, Poland and the western region of the former Soviet Union. Birds from this area migrate to winter along the western seaboard of Africa, where they are mostly coastal and pelagic.

Mathew (1894) mentioned just two undated records for the county and Lockley et al (1949) added just one more, shot at St David’s in September 1904. Black Terns were recorded 19 times between the years of 1949 and 1980, involving a total of 53 birds, the maximum in a year being 12 at Skokholm on the 8th September 1958. Post 1980 the Black Tern proved to be a regular autumn passage migrant in variable numbers. Records came from the Teifi Estuary, Nevern Estuary, Fishguard Harbour, Newgale, Broad Haven (North), several places within the Cleddau Estuary, Manorbier, Tenby, around the islands of Ramsey, Skokholm, Skomer and Grassholm, from the Fishguard to Rosslare and Pembroke to Rosslare ferries and over fresh water at Bosherston and Newgale Marsh. However the majority, 94 %, were seen at the intensely watched Strumble Head.

Annual total number of birds, 1981 – 2006.

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).