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).

Slavonian Grebe - 2006

Podiceps auritus

Sparse winter visitor.

The Slavonian Grebe breeds in both the Palearctic and Nearctic, mainly in the boreal climatic zone. Many move to coastal waters in the winter. The British breeding population is confined to Scotland and is too small to account for the number wintering in UK waters. It is likely that most winter visitors recorded are from the Continent.

Observers in the early days of recording in Pembrokeshire were probably as sparse as the grebe has proved to be. Consequently piecing together its true status was a slow and staccato affair, dependent on the growth of observer numbers. The pattern of occurrence was established by 1969, being confirmed by good continuous observer activity from 1983 onwards.

As can be seen from the above, the number visiting the county varied from year to year. How they were distributed throughout the year has been tabulated by summing all individuals for each month.

The April and May records refer to birds that had over wintered and departed late, in the case of the May birds, 2 at the Gann up to the 10th 1986, having achieved breeding plumage before leaving. The isolated July record was of a single bird seen on the Pembroke River on the 30th 1974. Otherwise the earliest return was of one at the Gann on the 9th October 1984.

 Slavonian Grebes have most frequently been recorded in St Bride’s Bay, at various parts from Newgale to St Bride’s Haven, and within the Cleddau Estuary, principally at Angle Bay but also at the Gann and Pembroke River. They have been seen less frequently in most other parts of the Cleddau Estuary, as far upstream as Little Milford, and at several localities around the outer coast from Newport Bay to Tenby, twice in the Teifi Estuary, four times in the Nevern Estuary and eight times in Fishguard Harbour.

There are fewer records from fresh waters, viz. Trewellwell 23rd January 1929, Bosherston 1st February 1969, 20th & 27th December 1983, 1st – 27th January 1984, 15th January 1997, 13th February 1997, Llys y fran Reservoir 9th February 1985, 21st February 1987, 19th December 1993, Bicton Reservoir 8th – 21st March 1987 and Heathfield Gravel Pit 13th December 2002.

Graham Rees

(Covers records up to and including 2006)

Black-necked Grebe

 Podiceps nigricollis

Scarce and irregular visitor.

The Black–necked Grebe breeds by lowland fresh waters in the Palearctic and Nearctic, a proportion moving to estuarine waters in the winter. A small population breeds in the UK but it is likely that most winter visitors are from the Continent.

Apart from the statement by Mathew (1894) that they had been “several times obtained on the Pembroke River”, to date 27 individuals have been noted in Pembrokeshire in 20 separate years up to 2006.

The latest in spring was one at Garron Pill on the 20th March 1987, which had been present there from the 6th November 1986. The earliest return was of one at Newport on the 10th August 2004.

Most were recorded within the Cleddau Estuary, localities being the Gann / Dale, Angle Bay, Pembroke River, Carew, Garron Pill and the Daugleddau.

Elsewhere they were recorded once at Bosherston, three times at Newport, twice at Little Haven / Broad Haven (N), three times at Fishguard Harbour and once each at Llys y fran Reservoir, Treginnis Reservoir and Heathfield Gravel Pit.

All occurrences were of single birds except for two together at Angle Bay on the 24th December 1925, at Little Haven on the 5th January 1964 and at the Gann on the 26th December 2000.

References

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

Graham Rees

(Covers records up to and including 2006).

Eider - winter

Somateria mollissima

Varying small numbers over-wintered (December/January to February/March) in 89 % of the years 1952 to 2008, most frequently in St Bride’s Bay between Little Haven and Newgale, the most involved being 16 in 1998.    

Winter presence in St Bride’s Bay: 1981-2005.

Others that have stayed throughout the winter were: two at Amroth in 1994, up to three in Angle Bay in 1998, singles in Newport Bay in 1999/2000 and in 2001, one to six in 2002, one to five at the Gann in 1987, two in 1963 and one in 1968/69.

Eiders which occurred in the winter but remained for shorter intervals were also recorded at Ceibwr, Fishguard Harbour, Jack Sound, West Angle, Sandy Haven, Newton Noyes, Llanstadwell, Neyland, Lawrenny/Roose Ferry, Landshipping, Frainslake, Manorbier, Giltar, Tenby, Saundersfoot and Caldey.

Eider - status

Somateria mollissima

Winter visitor and passage migrant.

The Eider has a circumpolar Arctic and sub Arctic breeding distribution, extending southwards to northern England and Northern Ireland. They are sedentary and dispersive.

The Eider was first put on record for Pembrokeshire by Mathew (1894) noting an immature male at Dale on the 18th January 1891. He also mentioned that Eiders had been shot at Stackpole and Pembroke but gave no other details. Next noted in 1952, Eiders have been recorded in most years since.

White-fronted Goose - Race

Anser albifrons

The majority of records where the birds were seen well enough could be ascribed to the Greenland race A.a.flavirostris. During the period of this review up to 600 of this race regularly wintered at Cors Caron but ceased to do so after 1968 but an average of 140 have wintered on the Dyfi Estuary in recent years, both these localities being in neighbouring Ceredigion (Roderick and Davis, 2001). However, much larger numbers have wintered throughout the period in Ireland, the closest to Pembrokeshire being at Wexford Slobs. It seems likely that most of those seen in Pembrokeshire were moving between these populations. 

Birds of the Greenland race, A.a.flavirostris, were identified in the Castle Martin area during the large influx in the arctic winter of 1963. Many of the others encountered in January at other coastal areas, like Ramsey, Skomer, Marloes, Broad Haven (N), Newgale and Goodwick, were of the Siberian race A.a.albifrons. At least 370 birds were involved countywide and those at Ramsey stayed there until the 3rd March. The Greenland birds were probably from a frozen Cors Caron, the Siberian birds most likely were from the population which wintered at that time on the Afon Twyi at Dryslwyn. One shot at St Justinian’s in January 1963 had been ringed in Holland in January 1960.

The only other records of A.a.albifrons were: three at St David’s airfield from the 27th January to the 4th February 1998, two at Skokholm on the 9th November 2002 and one with the Teifi Valley Canada Geese flock from the 4th December 2005 to March 2006.    

Graham Rees.

(Covers records up to and including 2008).

References

RODERICK.H and DAVIS. P.2010. Birds of Ceredigion, The Wildlife

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.

Little Auk - 1894

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

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