Ruff - 2012 status

Scarce passage migrant.

The Ruff breeds in temperate to arctic regions of the Palearctic, those in the west wintering in southern Europe and Africa.

Mathew 1894 classed the Ruff as an occasional autumn visitor; rare. He based this on a single specimen seen at Cuffern. Lockley et (1949) listed three occurrences plus the statement "recorded on several occasions at Skokholm”. Donovan and Rees (1994) classed it as a passage migrant, principally seen in autumn, less regularly in spring and occasionally in winter. There has been little apparent change since.

Graham Rees

Dotterel - 2012 - spring passage

Spring records span the 18th April and the 4th June. Apart from the Dotterel shot at Castlemartin in the spring of 1888 recorded by Mathew (1894), single birds were noted in a further six years up until 2012. However “trips” of four were recorded at Foel Eryr (Preseli Top) on the 8th May 1981, five at Skokholm on the 7th May 1960, seven at St Ann’s Head on the 7th May 1995 (two remaining until the 8th), seven at St David’s airfield on the 7th May 2000, 11 at Skomer on the 15th May 1991 and 15 at Dinas Mountain (Bedd Morris) on the 16th May 1991 (four remaining until the 20th). At least two of these “trips” occurred during periods of low cloud and poor visibility.   

Graham Rees

Dotterel - 2012 - autumn passage

Dotterels were recorded between the 19th August and the 27th October on 47 occasions from 1984 to 2012. The majority were seen in September.

 

Most records involved single birds but two together were seen on seven occasions, three were at Ramsey on the 21st August 1981 and 21st – 23rd September 1993, with four at the Castlemartin ranges on the 23rd September 1999. The majority were specified by the observers as being juvenile birds.

A very late Dotterel was seen associating with Golden Plovers at the Castlemartin ranges on the 13th December 1998.

Graham Rees

Dotterel - 2012 status

Scarce visitor

The Dotterel breeds on extensive open flat uplands, mountain ridges and plateaux, with sparse vegetation of moss, short grass or lichens and bare patches of rock, in tundra and alpine zones across the northern Palearctic, as far south as the highest mountains in Scotland. Winter quarters are in the semi-arid belt of the Middle East and North Africa, with a few in Spain.

Mathew (1894) recorded one Dotterel, Lockley et al (1949) none and Donovan and Rees (1994) noted occurrences on seven occasions in spring and on 21 in autumn.

In Pembrokeshire Dotterels have been found in open treeless areas with bare ground interspersed with short heavily grazed or saline vegetation, or heathland, or on fallow or newly ploughed agricultural land. Localities were on the islands of Skokholm, Skomer and Ramsey, in coastal areas at St Govan’s Head, Castle Martin ranges, Dale, St Ann’s Head, Kete, Dale airfield and St David’s airfield and inland at Plumstone Mountain, “Preseli Top” (Foel Eryr), Foel Cwmcerwyn and Dinas Mountain (Bedd Morris).  

Graham Rees

Whinchat - 2012 research

The Whinchat Saxicola rubetra is a migrant breeding species favouring open country such as heathland, moorland, bogs, marshes and light scrub. The latest atlas of breeding birds in Pembrokeshire 2003-07 (Rees et al 2009) found that their distribution had been reduced by 70% in comparison to the 1984-1988 atlas. And this range contraction is accompanied by a 50% population decline. The species is currently amber listed and a local priority species.

The aims of this survey are to record in detail the current breeding status and distribution of whinchats in Pembrokeshire, and to relate this distribution to habitat. This will lead to a greater understanding of habitat requirements and enable practical land management advice to aid their conservation within the PCNP.

A set of sites where whinchats have bred in recent years within the PCNP were surveyed; St David’s Head, Dowrog, Fagwr Goch, Carn Ingli, Fronlas and Brynberian Moor. Several additional sites were visited on an ad hoc basis. These were; Pantmaenog, North Preseli east of Brynberian, Mynydd Crwn, Afon Wern.

An initial visit was made to each of these sites between 20th May and 10th June and follow up visits were made between 19th June and 5th July. 

No breeding Whinchats were found at either of the St David’s sites and neither did they appear at the two farms south of the Preseli ridge; Fronlas or Fagwr Goch.

A total of 29 pairs were found spread across all the remaining sites with 15 of these at Brynberian Moor.

14 nests were located and based on 11 successful nests for which brood size was known (across all sites) productivity was 4.5 young per nest.

All breeding pairs occupied a mosaic of bracken, low bushes of various species and a wet area such as a gully or flush.

The reasons for the decline in the local Whinchat population were considered. Productivity data are represented by a small sample but based on this surveys results it appears to be near the national average for first broods. There was unoccupied but apparently suitable breeding habitat, suggesting that recruitment is low, possibly caused by factors away from their breeding sites. There was no evidence that Stonechats displaced breeding Whinchats and predation was considered to be an insignificant factor. 

Practical habitat management to favour breeding Whinchats is discussed. The current grazing regime at Brynberian Moor is already well suited to maintaining good whinchat habitat, so it is not necessary to change current practise. Targeted burning of bracken near gullies and mature gorse is likely to be detrimental to the population. Creating small isolated pockets of Whinchat habitat at new sites will probably be ineffective as long as there remains unoccupied suitable habitat.

Whinchats are a very easy species to census, with a single visit made to their breeding sites any time between mid-May and the end of June producing identical and reliable results, and by ringing chicks during June and July a very valuable data set can be established over a few years.  

Read the full report here

Paddy Jenks, Tansy Knight & Jane Hodges 

Common Redpoll - accepted records

Carduelis flammea

Welsh Rarities Panel

1985 Single on Skomer 4 - 11th October

2002 Singles at Nevern Estuary 20th March, and Skomer 1st May

2003 Single Porth Clais 24th Oct

2004 Two at Strumble Head 8-10th May

Long-billed Dowitcher - 2013 Gann Estuary

1^st January 2013                The Gann, Pembrokeshire

At c.13:30 on 1st January 2013, I noticed a dowitcher feeding on one of the islands in the freshwater lagoon near the Gann Estuary in Dale, Pembrokeshire.  This wader was generally snipe-like in size, shape and feeding behaviour, but was strikingly grey with a strong white supercillium extending from the base of the long straight bill to behind the eye.   My first instinct was to take a record photo of the bird and then to phone David Astins, who was also birding in the area at the time. I noted the following features while waiting for David Astins to arrive:

Bill: long and straight (snipe-like), mostly black but becoming greenish towards the base.  

Head:  generally grey, but with a slightly darker crown, a dark eyestripe and a broad white supercillium extending from the base of the bill to behind the eye.

Upperparts: generally grey, with darker streaking on the mantle and no warmth in the plumage.  The scapulars and tertials were generally a clean grey with darker centres and pale whitish fringes.

Underparts: breast grey, belly white, barring on the flanks and undertail coverts.

Legs: green.

By the time that David Astins arrived, I was comfortable that the bird was a Long-billed Dowitcher, but had not seen the bird fly nor heard it call.  David stayed with the bird after I had left and noted that when the bird flew it gave a distinctive single sharp trill, which it uttered on several occasions.

Clive Hurford

February 2012

  Photo (c) Richard Crossen

Update on Sunday, April 27, 2014 at 7:41PM by Pembrokeshire Avifauna committee

Remained until at least the 23rd March, during which time it was seen by many observers,

Graham Rees

Baird's Sandpiper - 2012 sighting

West Angle Beach           20^th to 25^th August 2012

 As I pulled into the car park at West Angle, I noticed a single small Dunlin-type wader in the middle of the beach.  On checking the bird with my binoculars, the wader appeared to be very long-winged – with the wings extending well beyond the end of the tail.  My initial instinct was that the bird was a Baird’s Sandpiper, but better views were required to rule out the possibility of a White-rumped Sandpiper.  On this basis, I picked up my camera and tentatively approached the bird to get better views and hopefully a record pic of the bird.  The tide was high at the time, so there was only a narrow band of sand at the top of the beach and the bird was looking a little uneasy due to the presence of several dog walkers.  Although alone, with no birds present for size comparison, I had the impression that the bird was the size of a small Dunlin. The bill was black and slightly down-curved, and appeared somewhere between Little Stint and Dunlin in size.

Upperparts:  Generally pale brown head and neck with fine dark streaking on crown.  Dark lores, and pale creamy supercillia, on occasions looking very faint, meeting in front of eyes to form a pale patch above bill.  Cheeks and ear coverts a pale but warm brown colour.  Mantle feathers black with clean white borders; scapulars, lesser coverts, median coverts and greater coverts all with dark/black feather centres and primarily white (though sometimes chestnut) borders.  Tertials and primaries black with thin white/chestnut borders, with primaries extending well beyond the end of the tail.

Seen in flight only once, when the wings showed only the faintest of wing-bars, and that appeared a slightly paler brown than the rest of the wing.  No white rump was present, the rump and mantle appeared a uniformly brown colour when the bird was in flight.  Tail was dark in the centre with paler edges.

Underparts:  Throat white.  Neatly demarcated pectoral band of dark chevrons on a pale buff/brown background.  Otherwise, clean white lower breast, belly, flanks and undertail coverts.

Legs: short and black.     Call: a short quiet trill that I heard as ‘prrrp’.

 Photo (c) Clive Hurford

Clive Hurford

Feb 2014

Update on Sunday, April 27, 2014 at 7:40PM by Pembrokeshire Avifauna committee

It stayed on the same beach until the 26th August and was seen by many observers

Graham Rees

Black Kite - 2012 sighting

Black Kite near Castlemorris on 30^th April 2012

While driving along the road from Mathry to Letterston with friends during late afternoon on 30^th April 2014, I noticed a large bird of prey flying east as we passed Castlemorris.   My initial impression was of a large, very dark and small-headed raptor – strongly recalling a Black Kite, a species that I am familiar with from annual holidays in southern Spain.  At the earliest opportunity, I stopped the car at the side of the road and leapt out to get better views.   As suspected, the bird was indeed a Black Kite which was being constantly harassed by gulls and corvids.  The following notes were taken along with supporting photographs:

Size:  Medium to large raptor with a relatively small head, appearing larger than a Buzzard and more in keeping with Red Kite.

Structure:  Strongly recalling a kite or harrier.  Long wings held flat when gliding, but strongly bowed in active flight and bent back at the ‘wrist’.  Flight leisurely and quite buoyant.

Coloration: the bird was generally a dark chocolate brown, but with a pale diagonal panel on the inner section of the upperwing and pale bases to the primaries in the underwing.

Tail: Generally a dull brown colour with a shallow but noticeable fork.

I followed and watched the bird for about 10 minutes as it flew slowly towards Letterston, being constantly harassed by corvids and gulls until dropping from view and appearing to land.  I waited a further five minutes before leaving.  I also phoned David Astins to let him know the general whereabouts of the bird and asked him if he ensure that other birdwatchers were aware of the bird if they were interested in seeing.  Subsequently, the birds was seen by David Astins and one two others that evening, and I believe by a small number of observers the following day. 

 Photo (c) Clive Hurford 

Clive Hurford

Feb 2014

Cattle Egret - accepted records 1990-2009

Bubulcus ibis

British Birds Rarities committee

1997 Pembrokeshire Skomer, 30th April (W.Parker, P.Pugh et al.).

2008 Pembrokeshire Sandy Haven and Hasguard Cross area, adult, 17th October to 30th December, photo (D. J. Astins et al.) (Brit. Birds 102: plate 75).

2008 Pembrokeshire West Angle, 9th December, photo (C. Hurford).

2008 Hubberston, 9th–26th December, photo (C. Hurford et al.) different bird to the above.

2008 Pembrokeshire Trefasser, Strumble Head, five, 15th–29th December, photo (R. Dobbins, R. Johns et al.).

2008 Pembrokeshire Dale, 17th December into 2009, photo (K. J. S. Devonald et al.).

2009 - Dale bird from 2008 1 - 3 Jan before flying off south-west on the latter date.  Castlemartin also had a bird on 1 Jan (CH).  Then there was the long-staying bird at Newport found on 22 Feb and remained in the area until 14 April (SB).  Finally a bird at Angle on 19 Oct (RC).  

Sooty Tern - accepted record

Onychoprion fuscata

2005 Pembrokeshire Strumble Head, adult, 23rd August 2005 (G. H. Rees, A. Rogers), see also Anglesey.

Initially discovered, though not positively identified, at Rhosneigr on 5th July, this magnificent tropical tern was relocated two days later in the heart of an Arctic Tern S. paradisaea colony on The Skerries, where it delighted a procession of boatloads of visiting birders. On 10th July, the bird moved to the nearby tern colony at Cemlyn Bay, coincidentally the same site that hosted a well-watched Bridled Tern O. anaethetus in July 1988, leaving many observers with a distinct feeling of deja vu. On 12th July, the bird made the short hop across the Irish Sea to the tern colony at Rockabill, Co. Dublin, but, amazingly, by the evening of the same day it was back at Cemlyn, which just goes to show how far our rarities can wander in a day. Thereafter, its appearances proved frustratingly intermittent and it was last reported flying out to sea from Cemlyn on 26th July.

In a final twist to the tale, what was considered probably to be the same bird rewarded seawatchers with a flypast at Strumble Head, Pembrokeshire, in late August. A detailed account of the Anglesey bird was given by Davies (2005). Although these reports take the total number of records of Sooty Tern in Britain to 25, only two others have occurred since the famous exhausted bird found in Northamptonshire in May 1980: one in Kent and East Sussex in July 1984 and another in Fife in July 1989.

(Davies, A. 2005.The Sooty Tern on Anglesey. Birding World 18: 282–288.)

Dusky Warbler - accepted records 1990-2009

Phylloscopus fuscatus

British Birds Rarities Committee

2003 Pembrokeshire Porth Clais, near St David’s, 10th-13th November (P.Grennard, O.Roberts et al.).