Osprey

Pandion haliaetus

Scarce passage migrant.

The Osprey has a worldwide breeding distribution, being absent only from the Polar regions. It is a summer visitor in temperate zones, north European birds wintering as far south as Africa.

The Osprey was formerly a rare bird in Pembrokeshire. Mathew (1894) knew of no occurrences but I. K. Morgan, while researching natural history matters in Carmarthenshire, unearthed the record of a specimen taken at Fishguard about 1842. It was documented in the unpublished papers of L. W. Dillwen. Another Osprey was recorded at the Pembroke River in 1904 (Lockley et al, 1949). Ospreys became extinct as a breeding bird in Britain post 1908 but began to recolonise Scotland in the early 1950’s. Numbers built up to reach 72 pairs by 1991 and 184 pairs by 2004. A few have nested in England and Wales.

Just one Osprey was recorded in Pembrokeshire during the time of breeding extinction in Britain, at the Pembroke River in September 1931. The re-establishment of the British breeding population had a discernable effect on occurrences in Pembrokeshire, being recorded in just one year in the 1960’s, then in two years in the 1970’s and in six years in the 1980’s. From the time that the Scottish population reached 50 pairs in the late 1980’s Ospreys became of annual occurrence in Pembrokeshire and the number of birds involved increased. 

Number of birds per annum, 1988 – 2006.

Most records refer to birds passing through but some have lingered at good food sources for days, more so in autumn than in spring.

Cumulative monthly totals, 1966 – 2006.

Spring records span the 4th March to the 28th June, autumn records from the 17th July to the 25th October, with a single occurrence in December at the Teifi Estuary on the 18th in 2000.

Attracted to waters where they can catch fish, Ospreys have been recorded from many places around the coastline, including the larger offshore islands, from all of the estuaries and from all the main rivers up to the headwaters, and bodies of water like Llys y fran Reservoir, Heathfield Gravel Pit and Clarydale, even prospecting small ponds at Troopers Inn and Wiston.

Graham Rees

(Covers records up to and including 2006).

References

LOCKLEY. R. M, INGRAM. C. S. and SALMON. H. M.1949. The birds of Pembrokeshire, West Wales Field Society.

MATHEW. M. 1894. The birds of Pembrokeshire and its islands, R. H. Porter.

Sabine’s Gull - Ages

Xema sabini Juveniles have outnumbered adults, making up 79 % of the total recorded. Peak numbers of adults have occurred in August, whereas juveniles have peaked in September and October.

Patterns of occurrence, 1981 – 2005, adults in red, juveniles in blue, in six day periods.

Sabine's Gull - Status

Xema sabini

Scarce passage migrant.

The Sabine’s Gull is an Arctic breeding species, with an estimated total population of less than 100,000 pairs. Most breed in Canada and Eastern Russia, with about 100 – 200 pairs in Greenland and sporadic outliers in Spitzbergen.

The east Canadian and Greenland populations cross to the east Atlantic en route to winter as far south as Namibia and western South Africa. Strong winds at this time result in variable numbers passing through inshore waters.

The first to be recorded in Britain was at Milford Haven in the autumn of 1839 and another was recorded near Amroth on the 12th November 1892.The next to be recorded in the county was not until the 11th October 1968 at Skokholm.

Subsequently a total of eight birds were noted between 1970 and 1980, at Skokholm, Newgale, St David’s Head and off Fishguard. Between 1981 and 2006 they were recorded from The Smalls, the Gann, Bluck’s Pool, from the Pembroke to Rosslare ferry, Skomer, Ramsey and the Celtic Deep but principally, 95 % of the total, from Strumble Head. 

Total birds per annum.

 Records span the period from the 11th August to the 20th November, the most logged in any year being 43 in 1997, with a highest day total of 12 at Strumble Head on the 13th September 1997.

Two birds recorded do not fall within the pattern outlined above, the first being a juvenile feeding among seaweed on a Caldey Island beach on the 16th July 2005. This was remarkably early for a bird of the year to have travelled so far from where it had fledged, possibly climate change resulted in an early start to breeding.

The second was a first winter bird seen at Strumble Head on the 2nd January 1999, flying with Kittiwakes, when its smaller size and unfamiliar plumage pattern attracted observers’ attention

Blackcap - 1894

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

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Pomarine Skua - spring passage

Stercorarius pomarinus

The Pomarine Skua has been of erratic occurrence in spring, involving small numbers between the 8th April and the 18th June. Singles have been recorded from Caldey, St Govan’s Head, Skokholm, Skomer, Grassholm, The Smalls, Druidston, Newgale, Ramsey and Strumble Head, with two together at Amroth on the 4th May 2003 and a party of five passed Skokholm on the 28th May 1991.

One seen at The Smalls on the 28th February 1983 may have been an early migrant or possibly over wintering in the general sea area.

Graham Rees

(Covers records up to and including 2006)

Pomarine Skua - autumn passage

Stercorarius pomarinus  .

The Arctic breeding range of the Pomarine Skua is almost circumpolar, being mainly correlated with the variable distribution of Lemmings. Migrants seen in north-west Europe are en route to or from wintering areas off west Africa, which lie largely north of the Equator.

The Pomarine Skua was first recorded for Pembrokeshire by Mathew (1894), who commented “a few are to be seen every autumn, and after heavy gales large flocks are observed.”  Lockley et al (1949) considered he could have been wrong, as they knew of only four occurrences during their time, the only one dated being on the 21st September 1930.

There were seven records involving 11 birds during the next 28 years. With the exception of 1979 they have been recorded annually since 1976. Most were seen in the autumn, between August and December and predominantly at Strumble Head.

 

N. B. The discrepancy between the 1991 total and that given by Donovan and Rees (1994) is because of additional records received since publication of that work.

Totals August to November 1980 – 2006.Values are expressed in six day intervals, the last period in months of 31 days have been adjusted from seven day totals by dividing by seven and multiplying by six.

Daily totals were small, normally involving less than 20 birds, with the following exceptions: 22 on the 20th October 1984, 30 on the 10th November 1985, 59 on the 7th October 1988, 97 on the 17th October 1991, 130 on the 18th October 1991, 20 on the 4th September 1992, 24 on the 20th October 1999, 27 on the 6th November 1999 and 21 on the 4th December 1999.

There were only six other bird days recorded in the month of December over the whole period from 1980 to 2006, the latest being on the 27th in 1990 and 1999. Early occurrences were of single birds on the 21st and 22nd July 1990 and 24th July 1998.

Away from Strumble Head, autumn records of one to four birds were noted off Fishguard, from the Fishguard to Rosslare ferry, Ramsey, Newgale, The Smalls, in the Celtic Deep, Skomer, Skokholm, St Govan’s Head and Amroth, with 11 at St David’s Head on the 5th November 1999.

Graham Rees

(Covers records up to and including 2006)

References

DONOVAN. J and REES. G. 1994. Birds of Pembrokeshire, Dyfed Wildlife Trust.

LOCKLEY. R. M, INGRAM. C. S. and SALMON. H. M.1949. The birds of Pembrokeshire, West Wales Field Society.

MATHEW. M. 1894. The birds of Pembrokeshire and its islands, R. H. Porter

Little Gull

Hydrocoloeus minutus (Larus minutus)

Passage migrant.

Little Gulls breed in lowland fresh water habitats throughout the temperate middle and northern latitudes of the Western Palearctic. They have increased in British and Irish offshore waters since the 1960’s, probably coming from the Baltic and North West Russian breeding populations.

Formerly rare in Pembrokeshire, Mathew (1894) knowing of just one occurrence of two birds at Tenby in 1892, Lockley et al (1949) being able to only add one more record of a single bird seen near St David’s on the 12th September 1927. Subsequent records date from 1961, increasing in line with other parts of Britain and Ireland.

Total birds recorded 1961 – 1981.

     Most of these records came from Skokholm but some from Skomer, Mullock Bridge, Ramsey and South Bishop. Thereafter, observer cover increased and more attention was paid to the offshore waters, with an increasing time being devoted to seawatching.

Total birds recorded 1983 – 2006.

 Most were noted between the 10th July and 31st December, being recorded all around the coast from Cemaes Head to Wiseman’s Bridge, within the estuaries of the Teifi, Nevern and Cleddau and out to sea as far as Grassholm and The Smalls. However the bulk of the records were from Strumble Head, partly because of its geographic position but also because of the intensity of prolonged observations conducted there.

New high county day totals were experienced at Strumble Head in the period 28th October – 24th December between 1984 and 1990, viz. 69 on the 24th December 1984, 75 on the 10th November 1985, 76 on the 13th November 1987 and 47 on the 28th October 1990. All occurred during onshore gales.

The incidence of onshore gales in late October to December diminished during the period 1991 – 2002 and the number of Little Gulls seen dropped, with peak numbers down to 16 on the 14th November 1993, 12 on the 29th October 1996, 10 on the 6th November 1999 and 15 on the 29th November 2002. However, the “right conditions” occurred in 2003 and 46 Little Gulls passed on the 15th November.

The Little Gull has so far been predominantly a coastal bird in Pembrokeshire. The only fresh water records concern singles at Bosherston on the 10th September 1983, Brandy Brook on the 21st March 1991, Pembroke Mill Ponds on the 4th April 1990 and 31st October – 4th November 2004, Pen Beri Reservoir on the 20th December 1997, Withybush airfield on the 21st October 1988, Llys y fran Reservoir on the 30th September 1976 and 1st April 2006.

The marked spring passage of 1973 – 75 noted in Wales by Lovegrove et al (1994) was not recorded in Pembrokeshire. Spring occurrences in the county have been few and sporadic with singles (once two) being recorded in 12 years between 1973 and 2005, with a total of 24 birds involved, passing between the 25th March and 26th June.

There are 46 records for mid winter, that is January to February, mostly involving one or two birds at a time but with three Skokholm on the 6th February 1998, three Strumble Head on the 10th February 1985, six there on the 24 January 2002 and seven on the 13th January 2004, six Ramsey Sound on the 19th January 2004 and 11 Fishguard Harbour on the 13th February 2005. Most were one day occurrences but one was at Newgale for 26 days in January to February 1990 and another at Fishguard Harbour for 63 days from the beginning of January 1995.

Graham Rees

References
LOCKLEY. R. M, INGRAM. C. S. and SALMON. H. M.1949. The birds of Pembrokeshire, West Wales Field Society.
LOVEGROVE. R, WILLIAMS . G. & WILLIAMS. I. 1994. Birds in Wales, T & A. D. Poyser Ltd, London.
MATHEW. M. 1894. The birds of Pembrokeshire and its islands, R. H. Porter.