White-fronted Goose - Passage

Anser albifrons

Autumn passage was recorded in 75% of the years 1980 – 2008. This principally occurred in October and November but two passed Strumble Head on the 2nd September 1988 and eight were at Marloes Mere on the 20th September 1990.

Total recorded per annum 1986 to 2008.

Passage was heaviest in 1991, when 94 passed Strumble Head on one day and in 1996 when a group of 100 passing along the coast paused on Ramsey Island. Most records refer to birds flying through the area in close proximity to the coast but some parties were seen to stop to feed, the St David’s district being particularly favoured in this respect.  

White-fronted Geese have been recorded in coastal regions on seven occasions in the spring, in March and April, with one lingering on Skokholm until the 1st May 1990. One or two birds at a time were involved apart from 40-50 at Ramsey on the 3rd March 1963 and 14 at Newgale on the 21st March 1998.

White-fronted Goose - Winter

Anser albifrons

Normally there have been very few White-fronted Geese recorded in Pembrokeshire during the winter, where winter is taken as being from December to February, being recorded in only 16 years between 1938 and 2006. Normally between one and five birds were involved, with eight in 1987, nine in 2001, 15 in 1967, 22 in 1967 and 370 in1963.

The numbers seen in 1963 were exceptional and were caused by the arctic winter which gripped the whole of North West Europe, when birds of many species moved westwards in search of more amenable conditions.

 Otherwise winter occurrence has been sporadic and most birds were only seen for a few days but individuals have over wintered attached to Canada Geese flocks at the Western Cleddau and Teifi Valley. All records were from or near the coast apart from 22 at Llys y fran Reservoir in February 1967.

White-fronted Goose - Status

Anser albifrons

Winter visitor and passage migrant.

The nominate race A.a.albifrons breeds across the tundra of Siberia, those in the western part of the range wintering in North West Europe, including the UK. The Greenland race A.a.flavirostris breeds in Western Greenland and winters in Scotland, Ireland and Wales.

Mathew (1894) described the White-fronted Goose as an occasional visitor in severe weather but specifically mentioned only its occurrence at Goodwick and one at Fishguard in December 1890.

Bertram Lloyd(1939) did not encounter the species in Pembrokeshire but inspected a mounted specimen at Mellaston Farm which had been bagged there on the 5th November 1929, it having been in the company of another which flew away.

 Lockley et al (1949) cite five at Dale on 20th December 1938 and two shot at Newgale in February 1947 or 1948. They also vaguely stated “passes over the islands on migration, sometimes landing for a short time”.  However Betts (1992) noted that occasional sightings of “grey geese” at Skokholm may refer to Whitefronts but the first definite record was not until eight seen on the 25th October 1954.

Donovan and Rees (1994) noted an influx during the arctic winter of 1963 and a fairly regular passage of small flocks in October and November.

References

BETTS. M. 1992. Birds of Skokholm, BioLine, Cardiff.

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

LLOYD. B. 1929-1939 Diaries, National Museum of Wales.

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.

Long-tailed Duck - Number and dates.

Clangula hyemalis

Most sightings were of one or two birds at a time but four were at Llys y fran Reservoir on the 18th November 1973, five at Strumble Head 6th January 1973, three there 20th December 1981 and on 21st October 1984, three Broad Haven (north) 3rd – 21st January 1969, three Amroth/Saundersfoot 9th March 1991, 14th – 24th December 1994, 2nd January – 4th March 1995 and 6th January 1999, with four there 20th April 1984, 7 from 29th December 1990 to 10th January 1991 and up to 12 from 29th January to 9th April 1989.      

Monthly distribution: 1843 – 2008.

Some were seen on one date only but many remained in the same area throughout the winter, sometimes until March or April. One remained at the Gann from the 2nd January to the 23rd July in 1983. A male which was first seen at Pembroke Mill Ponds on the 24th December 2001 stayed until the 11th August 2004. This well watched bird frequently took bread offered to the local Mute Swans and Mallards, duly went through moults between winter and summer plumages and was thought to have taken brief sabbaticals at Westfield Pill on 7th and 8th August 2002 and 2nd September 2003.

The number noted each year has varied, illustrated by the longest unbroken sequence of years being depicted graphically:

Just one bird recorded in the years 2005 and 2006 was the first time this occurred sequentially in this 27 year series, which if coupled with none being recorded in 2007 and 2008, may be an early indication that fewer Long – tailed Ducks are coming as far south as they did formerly.

The majority winter within the Arctic region, often in close proximity to the pack ice and climate change is causing the ice to recede, so it is possible less may travel as far south as they did in the past as more open water becomes accessible at higher latitudes.

Graham Rees.

(Covers records up to and including 2008).

References

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

Long-tailed Duck - Distribution.

Clangula hyemalis

Most were found within St Bride’s Bay and in the Pembrokeshire corner of Carmarthen Bay. Others around the coast at Pwllgwaelod, Fishguard Harbour, Strumble Head, St David’s Head, Ramsey, Skomer and Skokholm.

Also in the Teifi Estuary (once three and a half miles upstream), within the Cleddau Estuary at Landshipping/Picton Point, Carew, Westfield Pill, Llanstadwell, Sandy Haven and the Gann, and on fresh water at Heathfield Gravel Pits, a pond close to St Bride’s Haven, Bosherston and Llys y fran Reservoir.

Long-tailed Duck - 2011 Status

Clangula hyemalis

Erratic winter visitor and passage migrant.

Long – tailed Ducks have a circumpolar arctic and sub arctic breeding distribution, normally the nearest nesting to the UK being in Norway and Iceland. They winter out to sea but to a lesser extent along coasts, entering estuaries and sometimes visiting fresh waters.

The first to be recorded in Pembrokeshire was a male in summer plumage shot near Haverfordwest on the 15th June 1843, chronicled by Mathew (1894) who also noted that two immature birds were shot on the Stackpole Estate but quotes no dates.

Coincidentally the next to be recorded was also in June, shot within the Milford Haven waterway on the 7th in 1906. There followed recordings in three years during the 1950’s, four in the 1960’s, five in the 1970’s and in every year from 1980 to 2006.

Red-breasted Merganser - 1894

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

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Goosander - 1894

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

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Smew - 1894

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

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Velvet Scoter - 1894

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

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Scoter - 1894

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

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Eider - 1894

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

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