Black redstart - 1894

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

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Great Northern Diver - 1894

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

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Black-throated Diver - 1894

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

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Red-throated diver - winter

Gavia stellata

Red – throated Divers have been recorded all around the outer coast in winter, normally 1 – 10 at most localities but some places have been more favoured, where up to 50 have sometimes been recorded , such as the Strumble Head tide races, various parts of St Bride’s Bay and off Amroth.

They have also shown an ability to temporarily accumulate at what were presumed to be good food sources and hence demonstrated a great deal of mobility within the region. Occurrences of this nature were up to 75 at Goultrop Roads 1st – 19th January 1996, 60 there on 19th January 1997, up to 40 in January 1998, peaking at 85 on the 23rd, 60 on 16th December 1998 decreasing to 22 by 31st December. A similar attraction was noted at Amroth in 1993 when 200 were present on 20th February, decreasing to 25 by 27th February but then 145 there on 6th March.

Mathew (1894), Lockley et al (1949) and Lockley (1961) emphasised the importance of the Milford Haven waterway for Red – throated Divers. Post 1961 none were recorded there until 1981, since when they have been noted in 18 years, up to 2006.

Most records have involved single birds, occasionally two together, with three at the Gann on 1st April 2006, six Monk Haven/ Gann area 3rd – 19th January 2003 and seven Dale Roads on 10th February 2002. All records refer to the region between Dale Roads, Angle Bay and South Hook Point, save for singles at Picton Ferry 17th January 1981, Llangwm 12th October 1992, Carew-Cresswell 12th December 1993 and 10th March 1985, Garron Pill 20th March 1997 and five Carew River on the 5th December 1982.

The Red – throated Diver is predominantly a marine species in Pembrokeshire, with just four singles being recorded on fresh water, viz. Bicton Reservoir 9th April 1967, Hayston Hall November 1985 and Llys y fran Reservoir 21st December 1993 and 16th January to 22nd February 1986.

Red-throated diver - Sea Empress oil spill

Gavia stellata

The tanker “Sea Empress” grounded outside the Heads approaching the Milford Haven waterway on the 15th February 1996. Approximately 72,000 tonnes of crude oil and 360 tonnes of heavy fuel oil spilled into the sea between the 15th and 21st of February. Further fuel oil was spilled when the ship was moved to Belfast.

The waterway within Milford Haven was heavily coated and much of the oil was carried south and east to affect the south Pembrokeshire coast and Carmarthen Bay. The offshore islands were not heavily contaminated nor was St Bride’s Bay, with no oil reported north of St David’s Head.

123 Red – throated Divers were known to be in Pembrokeshire waters in January and February prior to the oil spill, the largest concentrations being 10 at Fishguard Harbour, 17 at Frainslake, 20 off Amroth and 75 in Goultrop Roads. Of these, only the Amroth birds were in the badly oiled area, as were five at Freshwater East.

Ten oiled birds were collected from the south coast of Pembrokeshire but a further 49 from the nearby affected coasts of Carmarthenshire and West Glamorgan (SEEC, 1996). Those at Goultrop Roads disappeared and may well have been involved in the movement of 96 passing Strumble Head, going into Cardigan Bay, on the 25th February.

References

SEA EMPRESS ENVIRONMENTAL EVALUATION COMMITTEE, Initial Report, 1996.

Red-throated Diver - 1894

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

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Fieldfare - 1894

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

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Redwing - 1894

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

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Chaffinch - 2008 winter

Fringilla coelebs

Chaffinch numbers have been boosted during the winter months when the sedentary breeding population has been joined by immigrant continental birds. Bertram Lloyd (1939) considered the small groups he found around farm rickyards and dungyards to be local birds but the larger flocks in the more open countryside were continental birds.

Since then the farmyard groups have largely disappeared in the absence of spilled grain and dung heaps, which have largely given way to slurry pits. Groups in the wider countryside have varied in size and distribution dependent on the nature of changing agricultural practices. Those areas proving attractive to Chaffinches have been barley stubbles, seeded turnips, unharvested linseed and crops like sunflowers planted for the benefit of Pheasants. Beech mast has also been exploited but the quantity available is cyclical and the trees are local and sparsely distributed in the county.

The size of most winter flocks has been between 50 to 300 birds, with some larger gatherings on record. 500 were at Longhouse on the 6th February 2004 and Castle Martin on the 15th January 2007, 600 at St Florence on 31st December 2005, 750 at Angle on the 23rd December 2008, 900 at Marloes on the 25th January 1993, 2,000 at St Florence on 29th January 2006 and 3,000 at Hubberston on the 5th January 2006. 

Graham Rees. (Covers records up to and including 2008)
References: LLOYD. B. 1929-1939 Diaries, National Museum of Wales.

Little Auk

Alle alle

Occasional visitor.

The Little Auk is a high Arctic bird breeding westward from the Bering Sea to Baffin Island. Wintering areas include the Norwegian Sea, northern North Sea, Iceland and Greenland waters. Migratory and dispersive Little Auks have occurred as far south as France, the Mediterranean, Madeira and the Azores.

Recorded occurrences in Pembrokeshire have increased over time, from 30 occasions between 1880 and 1981 to 137 times between 1982 and 2006. This is most likely a reflection of observer activity rather than a change in status. Most have involved birds being pushed near to shore by strong winds.

The largest incursion may well have been in February 1950, when the West Wales Field Society reported “many washed up dead on the coast”, one was picked up near Haverfordwest on the 11th February and the remains of at least 13 were found on Skokholm when the island was re-occupied in April. These were part of a “wreck” affecting the south west of Britain and Ireland between the 8th and 11th February, following powerful south west winds. 

Subsequent records have related to very small numbers, 75% involving sightings of single birds but eight were noted on the 1st October 1995, 13 on 24th September 1995 and 21 on 20th November 1983. Mostly live birds, but some dead or moribund, have been recorded at many places around the coast from Amroth in the south to Newport Bay in the north. They have also been recorded from the offshore islands of Ramsey, Skomer and Skokholm and further out to sea around The Smalls. Singles have been found beyond the outer coast at Fishguard Harbour, the Gann/Dale, Angle Bay, Pembroke, Haverfordwest , Keeston, Walwyn’s Castle, Clarbeston and Trecwn.

Cumulative totals by month of occurrence.

The earliest date recorded was of one passing Strumble Head on the 10th September 1987, the latest one at St Govans’s Head on the 30th May 1983. The majority (79 %) recorded between 1983 and 2006 were from Strumble Head, reflecting the intensity of seawatching at that locality. 

Occurrences on the west coast of Britain seem to bear no relationship to the not infrequent “wrecks” of large numbers along English North Sea shores. The Norwegian Sea into the North Sea, almost south to the Dogger Bank, is a major wintering area and prolonged strong winds from the north could be expected to push Little Auks further south into the funnel shaped southern North Sea. Such winds would be unlikely to result in a westerly displacement of these birds into the Atlantic but might well affect birds wintering in the Iceland and Greenland sea-area. These would find themselves pushed into the wide Atlantic where they could conceivably become dispersed, or if still concentrated to any degree be a long way from land. Subsequent strong westerlies could push some of these into Irish and western British waters but events documented so far suggests that, with no known concentrations in adjacent areas, would result in small numbers being involved. The largest numbers involved, as in 1950, were small compared to southern North Sea incursions. It also seems relevant that birds reaching the south western area would have travelled over four times the distance from known wintering areas than those in the southern North Sea would.

Graham Rees

Red-necked Grebe

Podiceps grisegena

A scarce winter visitor and passage migrant.

The Red – necked Grebe breeds mainly in fresh water habitat, in the temperate Palearctic and Nearctic, mostly wintering on tidal waters.

In Pembrokeshire, Mathew (1894) noted that the Red–necked Grebe had been killed several times at Pembroke Mill Pond. Thereafter records were more specific. A total of 102 birds were recorded in 44 years between 1898 and 2006, observer cover being greatest from the 1980’s. It seems that the species has been a regular visitor but more have been seen in some years than in others, mostly one to four in a year but six were noted in 1987 and 1997, 10 in 1988 and 16 in 1996.

Annual totals on record 

They have been noted around the outer coast at Newport Bay, Fishguard harbour, Solva, Newgale, Druidston, Little and Broad Haven (N), Martin’s Haven, Wooltack Point, St Ann’s Head, Giltar and Tenby, on the Teifi Estuary and in most parts of the extensive Cleddau Estuary as far upstream as Little Milford. They have also occurred on fresh waters at Bosherston, Llys y fran Reservoir, Heathfield Gravel Pit, Pen Beri Reservoir, Treginnis, Slate Mill Reservoir, Bicton Reservoir, Westfield Pill and Crickmarren Pond. Additionally singles were recorded once at Skomer, twice at Skokholm and on six occasions flying past Strumble Head, which were considered to be active migrants.

They were mainly recorded in the periods of January to March, 55 %, and October to December, 40 %, but also seen four times in April, once in May (at Skokholm on the 21st 1997), once in July (at Dale on the 30th 1948) and six times in September.

Graham Rees

( Covers records up to and including 2006 ).

Snow bunting - winter

Plectrophenax nivalis 

There were 25 January records and 17 in February, up to 2006. Most were transient, recorded on single dates or gone in two or three days.

Two first seen at Fishguard Harbour on the 22nd November 1993 remained until the 14th January 1994, one staying until the 16th February.

Nine found on the Castle Martin ranges on the 21st December 1996 had reduced in number to seven by the 31st December, which stayed until the 19th January 1997, six of them were still there on the 2nd February.

Three which arrived on the salt marsh at the Nevern Estuary on the 29th November 2004, remained until the 11th January 2005, two of them until the 28th February.

A group of 23 occurred at Ramsey on the 6th January 2000 but there is no information as to how long they stayed.

The status of Mynydd Preseli as a wintering ground for Snow Buntings has not been resolved. It would appear that active watchers seldom traverse the upper regions in winter. Local farmer J. G. Stewart-Peter when recording two birds on the 2nd January 1953, stated that he saw small numbers on the highest parts of the range in most winters.

About thirty were noted on “Preseli Top” on the 1st March 1970 and 10 there on the 25th January 1986, 15 were near Foel Cerwyn on the 18th December 1987, three at Foel Feddau on the 18th February 1988 and eight or nine on Foel Drygarn on the 16th December 1997.

Graham Rees

(Covers records up to and including 2007)