Green Sandpiper - spring

Tringa achropus

Departure of over wintering birds from the main localities have been recorded up to late April and early May. Assessing spring passage has therefore not included records of this nature. Away from these wintering sites spring passage has been noted in 21 years between 1952 and 2006, so it has not been an annual event. Records have come from Skokholm, Skomer, Pembroke Mill Ponds, St David’s airfield, Tretio, Pen Beri, Gann, Teifi Estuary, Treffgarne, Ritec and Fortune’s Frolic. They occurred between March and 22nd May and involved single birds, except for two at St David’s airfield on the 7th April 2003 and two at the Gann on the 29th April 2001.

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).

Roseate Tern - spring

 Sterna dougallii

Very few were recorded in spring. They were: one at Caldey in April 1975, two at Poppit on the 20th April 1998, one at Fishguard Harbour on the 24th April 2007, one at Skomer on the 23rd May 1995 and one at Strumble Head on the 27th May 1985.

June records were: two at the Gann on the 30th 1995, one at Strumble Head on the 12th 1998 with two there on the 19th in 1983 and the 23rd in 1984.

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).

Sandwich Tern - Spring

 Sterna sandvicensis

Spring passage has been documented from the earliest recorded on the 8th March through to the 30th June. Records have involved sightings of from one to twenty birds at a time all around the coast, predominantly from the south coast and the west coast including the offshore islands, with far fewer noted along the north coast. Largest counts were of 22 at Caldey, 33 at Penally, 37 at Lydstep, 25 at Frainslake, 25 at the Gann and 21 at Fishguard Harbour. The general movement northwards to breeding colonies along the coasts of the Irish Sea and further up the west coast of the UK, to some extent makes the north Pembrokeshire coast  a lee shore and probably accounts for lesser numbers occurring there compared with the west coast and islands. It is speculative whether those accumulating along the south coast later move to the Irish Sea to continue their migration, or whether some may follow the shoreline of the Bristol Channel to cross overland to the North Sea. 

 Graham Rees

(Covers records up to and including 2007).

Knot - spring passage

Calidris canutus

A small volume spring passage has been detected between March and the 30th May. The majority of the records involved up to four birds at a time but seven were at the Gann on the 22nd April 1990, 12 at Angle Bay on the 2nd May 1994, 19 at Frainslake on the 13th April 1996 with 39 on the 19th March 2006, 12 on the 9th April 2006 and 23 at nearby Blucks Pool on the 2nd April 2006.

A single laggard passed Strumble Head on the 2nd June 1997 which remains the only record in the county for that month.

Spotted Redshank - spring

 Tringa erythropus

Spring passage, between April and the 25th May, has been small and amounted to 2.9 % of the county total record. Migrants were reported from Skokholm, Skomer, Dale airfield, the Gann and Sandy Haven Pill.

There were only two spring records in the 1960’s and none in the 1970’s. The 1980’s were notable for the bulk of the spring records, which included five at Skokholm on the 15th and 16th April 1983.

Graham Rees

(Covers records up to and including 2006).

Arctic Skua - Spring

Stercorarius parasiticus

The Arctic Skua has been sparse in Pembrokeshire waters during spring, with one to three per annum being the norm during the period 1958 to 2003, passing between the 4th April and the 30th June. Four in 1998, six in 1996, eight in 2002 and 10 in 1993 exceeded the norm. Records came from Tenby, Broad Haven (S), St Govan’s Head, West Blockhouse, St Ann’s Head, Skokholm, Skomer, The Smalls, St Bride’s Bay and Strumble Head.

Graham Rees.

(Covers records up to and including 2007).

Great Northern Diver - spring passage

Gavia immer

Spring passage has been relatively small, mostly recorded as departure dates from wintering areas, normally completed by late March to early April. Occasionally presumed migrants have briefly appeared at some of these same places in late April up to 22nd May and others have been noted at or passing headlands and the offshore islands from late March to 26th May. Later occurrences were: one in the Gann – Lindsway Bay region throughout May until at least the 21st June 1991 and two at Ceibwr on 22nd June 1997.