Long-billed Dowitcher - 2017 Skokholm

Limnodromus scolopaceus

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A vocal flyover on 1st November looked to be landing on North Pond but pulled up and banked

sharply towards South Pond (RDB). A similar descent was made over South Pond, with the bird

spiralling in with dangling legs, however it again pulled up before heading east and away from the

Island. The high pitched kwip-ip alarm and then straight kwip flight call were both indicative of Long-billed Dowitcher; Short-billed Dowitcher typically give more Turnstone-like notes. The record was accepted by the British Birds Rarities Committee as the fourth for Pembrokeshire.

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Skokholm Annual Report 2017

Ruff - ringing

A  bird ringed in the Netherlands in July 1967 was found dead at Haverfordwest in November the same year.

Whimbrel - notable records

Spring passage

2001 - 200+ at Whitesands Bay on 6 May

Autumn passage

Numbers passing Strumble Head in autumn vary considerably but can be high:  

1998 - 680 passed between 16 July and 13 September with a peak of 370 on 5 August.

2013 - a remarkable 1498 passed Strumble on 18 August.

Winter

A handful of birds overwinter in Wales:

2011-12 - two birds overwintered on Skokholm

Common Sandpiper - 1995 breeding

Common sandpiper bred at Clarydale, Wiston - newly-hatched young found on 25 July (DL).

First (and only) time this century for Pembs

1995 Pembrokeshire Bird Report

Little Ringed Plover - 1993 onwards

Charadrius dubius - Rare visitor

1949 - Gann Estuary, Dale 16 May - first record Pembrokeshire and for S Wales

Fifteen records to 1992 listed in Little Ringed Plover - 1994 

1993 - Singles Teifi Marshes 30 March and Gann 24 April

1995 - Singles Skomer 11 May and Gann 18 July (TJP).  Two birds recorded on the cleddau in June may have attempted to breed (DK); unfortunately on a tidal stretch.  Taking into account what has happened in the neighbouring county of Carmarthenshire, this may be a forerunner of things to come.

1996 - One Nevern Est 10-11 May (CB)

1997 - One Penally 11-12 April (DG)

1999 - One Pembroke M P 18 May (JH)

2001 - One, North Pond, Skokholm 12 – 19 May; fourth Skokholm record  (GT)

2002 - One, Moory Mere, Skomer 7 May (JGB).

2005 - Single, Broad Haven (S) 3 May (MS)

2007 - An adult at Newgale on 26 April (PKG et al), a juvenile at the Gann on 2 August (RD et al)

2010 - The only record involved a juvenile at the Nevern Estuary on 3rd Sept (JA, KM et al).

2011 - The only records were one on North Pond Skomer on 8th Apr and juveniles, at Marloes Mere on 14th Aug and at Whitesands Beach on 2nd Sept

2012 - The only record of the year was of one on Skokholm on 27th Mar

2013 - All records of single birds on spring passage: at West Angle on 23rd Mar, at Nevern Est on 26th Mar, at Marloes Mere on 3rd Apr, at The Gann on 5th Apr, and another there on 30th Apr and on Skokholm on 19th Apr, 2nd May and 5th May

2014 - The only record this year involved two birds at Marloes Mere on 5th Sept

2015 - The only sighting involved a single bird at the Teifi Est. on 10th April

2016 - Singles on Skomer 10th April, a juv. at the Gann 5th Aug, one on Skokholm 21st – 22nd Aug

2018 - All records were of singles at: Panteg 2nd – 3rd Apr, Webley 18th Apr  and Skokholm 26th June

Records extracted from the Pembrokeshire Bird Reports

Merlin - 2007

Falco columbarius

Annual mainly coastal records of assumed migrants from a number of widespread locations during

April and May.

In 2006 present all year on Ramsey, where might have bred. Three juveniles were seen at St Justinian's on 15th July.

Hobby - 2007

Falco subbuteo

Several summer sightings during the atlas period (typically in May/June) thought to involve non-breeding migrants which may have summered. Those of note included one in the Roch area 18th June 2005; a late June record at Rudbaxton in 2006; and one close to suitable breeding habitat near Cresselly in August 2006.

Red-footed Falcon - 2017

A male was discovered at Strumble Head by visiting birders on 11th May and remained here until the 13th. Accepted by WRP. Photo below by Mike Young-Powell.

 

Kingfisher - movements

In August 1993, a first calendar year bird ringed on Skomer (itself an unusual occurrence) was caught by a ringer 967km and 19 days later at Irun on the north coast of Spain.  This is still the longest kingfisher movement recorded from Britain.

Spoonbill - 2007 onwards

Platalea leucorodia       Scarce visitor. 

Summary of previous records in Spoonbill - 2011

2007 - A colour-ringed immature was on the Teifi Estuary 26-30 April.  In December there was a small influx, with a colour-ringed juvenile (ringed in Holland) on the Teifi Est 26-28 Dec, an adult at 'The Point' Angle Bay on 28 Dec, and two nearby at Bentlass on the 29th.  (Also - July, 1 Pembroke Upper Millpond JH - blog)

Teifi immature bird:

- left leg, green ring with B1 in black above a metal ring.  Right leg, dark blue ring with B1 in yellow.

ringed as a nestling Lauwersmeer NL 08/06/2005

seen: Ile de Sein, Finistere F 05/10/2005

seen: Scilly Islands GB 07/10/2005-08/10/2005

seen: Scilly Islands GB 19/04/2006-11/10/2006

seen: Teifi Est. Wales GB 26/04/2007 - 30/04/2007 at least.

Therefore the bird is a 2nd summer. Details from Richard Dobbins on the sightings blog

2008 - 1st year at the Teifi Est 1-5 Jan, it then moved to the Nevern where it was present until the 16 Jan.  An adult at St Davids on 28 July, then another or possibly the same adult at the Gann from 17 - 26 Sept.

2009 - Skomer had 2 birds fly over on 23 May and 9 June and later in the year two were present on the Pembroke river on the Pennar side on 28 Dec, but only one was left by the 31st.  Otherwise records of single birds: in the Lawrenny/West Williamston area from 12-14 Jan, Marloes Mere 10 May, and Nevern Estuary from 15 Oct until 4 Nov.

2010 - An adult & a juv. were present on the Pembroke River from 10th to 17th Jan.

2012 - Single birds observed: flying over Ramsey Sound on 26th Mar (MB), another flew over West Angle on 26th Aug (DJA) and at Sandy Haven on 30th Sept (DP).

2013 - One in the Marloes / Skomer / Skokholm area 19th – 21st May, another over Skokholm on 7th Aug.

2016 - The only record is of a bird seen in flight at Newport on 6th Aug

2017 - The only records were of five (two of which were colour-ringed, but not from Holland) that flew into the Teifi Estuary, fed, then flew upstream on 24th Sept and of singles on Skomer on 14th & 15th June and on Skokholm on 26th June.

2018 - Two over Skomer 19th May, one in St. Bride’s Bay 29th Sept and a single the Gann 18th – 28th Oct (also seen Dale Airfield on 28th) were the only records received.

Records extracted from the Pembrokeshire Bird Report

Glossy Ibis

Plecadis falcinellis - Rare visitor

1976 - Gann, 20 August

1996 - What was presumably the same bird was at the Gann 15 June (DPD), Marloes Mere 15-16 June (MC, KJSD) and Skokholm 19 June (GT)

2009 - Single juvenile was present on the Teifi Estuary and viewed in Pembs on 13, 15 and 18 Sept (HT, WJ, DJ, JG, RD).  Also on 18 Sept a flock moving south down the West Wales coast first seen at Bardsey Island Gwynedd was picked up flying over St Dogmaels (WJ) and a short time later over Newport (SB), on both occasions it contained 9 birds.  Finally a single bird reported near Mathry on 14 Nov (N Walton).

2012 - The first record for the year was two flying over Westfiled Pill on 12th Jan (AH), two near Whitesands the following day, then at Marloes Mere three birds were found on or around the  18th Jan &  reported almost daily until 12th May when another bird joined them. The four were last reported on 9th June when the number reduced to one although at some period they had spent a few days in Ireland. A single bird was then reported until the end of the year although presumed as the bird seen on Skokholm on 8th July.  The two that were seen at the Dowrog from 22nd Jan roosted on St.David’s Airfield & were last seen on 31st of the same month. One was at Walwyn’s Castle 28th – 31st Jan (D & L Bowen, P. Lewis). In the South of the county 23 birds were in the Carew Cheriton area & toured various sites between 28th Jan & 14th (only four) Feb with smaller numbers seen at other sites that were presumably part of that flock. All accepted by BBRC

see Glossy Ibis - 2012 for more details of this large influx

2013 - A single bird was present from 2012 at Marloes Mere until 20th Aug. (DG et al). Another single was reported from St.Florence on 10th Dec (RC). Both accepted by WRP. 

2015 - A single bird photographed in flight at the Teifi Marshes on 29th Dec was the only record (GR). Accepted WRP

2016 - A single bird from 18th to 20th Aug at Pembroke Castle Millpond was the only record (R. Kellett et al). Accepted WRP. 

Corncrake - 1992 onwards

Crex crex - Formerly bred, now a scarce passage migrant

1992 - heard calling from three localities around St Davids for about a week from 25th May (JB). One Ramsey, 1st Nov (TRBS)

1993 - records of calling birds, Lower Moor (St Davids) for several nights 28 April onwards (JB), Camrose 15 May (per RM) and for several days Marloes 3 June onwards (KE).

1994 - One maybe two birds were calling in suitable habitat but there was no proof of breeding.

1995 - One called near St Davids 24 April (JB) and one heard calling at Nolton Haven 27 July (KP)

1997 - A single was flushed from Llangloffan Fen 13 Aug (RJH)

1999 - Two records, both from Skokholm, adult 26 May, then an imm 14-17 Sept (GT et al)

2000 - One flushed on Ramsey 21 Sept (SA, RS).

2002 - Two Sept records, the first at Maildy Uchaf, Granston on the 13th (SDSB), the other on Skomer on the 27th – the first record there since 1988 (JGB).

2003 - Single flushed out of south valley, Skomer 21 Sept.

2013 - The only accepted record was one at Whitesands Bay, St. David’s on 25th Apr (MYP).

Records extracted from the Pembrokeshire Bird Reports