Eider - passage

Somateria mollissima

Eiders have also been recorded in transit in every month of the year, either flying past prominent headlands like Dinas Head and Strumble Head (1 to 19 at a time), past the islands of Ramsey, Grassholm, Skomer and Skokholm (1 to 15 at a time), or settled temporarily on the sea.

 The latter category has included 30 at the Green Bridge of Wales on 26th April 1984, 38 in Caldey Roads on 25th March 1998, 17 off Solva on 17th April 2001 and 40 off Porthgain on 29th December 2003.

The origin and destination of these birds is unknown but Pembrokeshire lies between the main Eider concentrations in Wales at Aberdysynni, Merrionydd, mean of 72 in 12 recent years, and the Bury Inlet, West Glamorgan, mean of 97 in the same period, so could conceivably involve interchange between these populations.

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.

Great Crested Grebe - breeding

Podiceps cristatus

Few fresh water sites in Pembrokeshire are suitable for Great Crested Grebes. One was seen at Bicton Reservoir in November 1980 and ones and twos occurred sporadically at Bosherston between 1984 and 1997.

One was at Heathfield Gravel Pit on 27th May 1999, with two there on 4th July 2001 and breeding was attempted in 2005 but was unsuccessful.

From one to five were seen at Llys y fran Reservoir in most years between 1985 and 1995, then in 1996 a pair bred but the nest was predated at the egg stage. Birds were present in the following years but breeding was not proven again until 2004. A pair present with three juveniles in July 2002 was suggestive but at that date could have come from elsewhere.

A single bird was seen at Rosebush Reservoir on 20th September1992, where a pair built a nest in 1995 but did not breed. A pair hatched a chick in 1997, were seen sitting on a nest in 1999 and 2002 and bred in 2004, 2005 and 2006.

A bird of the year was picked up unharmed in Haroldston Hall farmyard on 27th July 1966, it was released onto the farm’s irrigation reservoir where it spent several days before leaving.

Graham Rees

(Covers records up to and including 2006)

Great Crested Grebe - 2006 winter

Podiceps cristatus

Most Great Crested Grebes have been noted on salt water, with Angle Bay and Fishguard Harbour holding the largest concentrations, maximum annual counts being :

Angle Bay

 

Fishguard Harbour

Other wintering locations were Newport Bay, St Bride’s Bay, Amroth / Saundersfoot and the higher reaches of the Cleddau Estuary.

Occasional sightings have come from the Teifi Estuary and all around the outer coast, including the offshore islands of Skokholm and Skomer and passing Strumble Head. Presumably these birds were either through migrants or in transit to the regular wintering localities.

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.

Great Crested Grebe - status

Podiceps cristatus

Breeding resident, winter visitor and passage migrant.

Breeding Great Crested Grebes inhabit fresh waters throughout the non Arctic Palearctic and are variously resident, migratory and dispersive.

In Pembrokeshire the Great Crested Grebe was considered to be a not very common winter visitor by Mathew (1894), a rather scarce winter visitor by Lockley et al (1949) and a sparse winter visitor by Donovan and Rees (1994).

Throughout this period there was an increase in the UK breeding population, following the cessation of persecution post 1860. This increase has continued in the long-term, e. g. a 28 % growth nationally between 1995 and 2005 as measured by the BBS.

The number visiting Pembrokeshire also increased, from 13 in 1936, through 19 in 1963 and 28 in 1985, to the subsequent annual totals recorded, as follows:

 

Black-browed Albatross

Diomedea melanophris

Vagrant.

Breeds around the southern oceans, is migratory and dispersive. Classified as accidental to Britain single Black-browed Albatrosses have several times spent prolonged periods at Gannetries.

Two recorded occurrences in Pembrokeshire have been accepted by the BBRC. The first was an adult seen from Skokholm by G.Thompson on the 19th August 1990. The second was also an adult, seen from the Rosslare to Fishguard ferry, when about four miles west of Strumble Head on the 17th September 1990. Both sightings probably refer to the same bird, as might an adult at Strumble Head seen on the 12th September 1990 which was not sufficiently well documented to be fully accepted by BBRC.

The following records are noted here in case they are “discovered” by future researchers: a sub – adult seen from Skomer on the 30th August 1989 was not accepted by BBRC and a white headed, black backed albatross floating past Strumble Head, near Gannets doing the same thing, on the 4th October 1995 was just too distant to be specifically identified by the assembled seawatchers of the day.

Graham Rees

(Covers records up to and including 2006)

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