Sandwich Tern

 A walk from Fishguard Fort to Fishguard Bay Resort this morning produced a Sandwich Tern, a Great Northern Diver, a summer plumaged Black Guillemot and 7 Common Scoter. Also seen were a pair of Chough , a Red Kite and a few Fulmars on the cliffs.  

Dartford Warbler

From Ellie Jones: I thought you might be interested in my sighting of a singing Dartford warbler on the coastal path between Manorbier and Freshwater East this morning around 10am. He was showing very well only a couple of metres from the path.

Skokholm

 Hoopoe still

Wheatears and other recent sightings - Manorbier area

6 Wheatears (all male) this morning. 2 at Lydstep Point and a further 4 in fields by Manorbier ADR. This evening 89 Golden Plover over the coast path, c20 Turnstone and 5 Oystercatcher roosting on the rocks near Presipe bay.

Other recent highlights over the last two weeks or so include a Firecrest above Skrinkle Haven (yesterday), a young male Marsh Harrier flying through on the 5th and a superb adult Glaucous Gull which flew west around Old Castle Head on the morning of the 16th! 

Skokholm

Records keep falling, today four Willow Warbler matching the earliest ever single. The highest Wheatear count for this time of year. Two each of Swallow and Blackcap, a third Firecrest and a Hoopoe. Photos and numbers on the Skokholm blog as always. 

A nice birdy day out at Strumble,

 Weather was too good not to have a look at Strumble this afternoon despite low tide usually not too productive for cetaceans!

But i was on a bit of a mission as Fran had a few Wheatears yesterday walking the Coast Path from Porthgain to Whitesands.

Cetaceans first and i had a couple of porpoises including a mother and small calf, but they were few and far between.

The resident Rock Pipit was good value.

But another Pipit sitting prominently on the gorse as I made my way back up to the car was a bit of a poser. its belly and chest were snowy white with just a small amount of flecking up to the throat on eiher side of its breast. It was also continiously tail flicking but the most striking feature were its long bright orange legs. The light was strong so it may have exagerated the orangeness but either way i am stumped. It was a relatively brief view, and no camera so not sure what it was!

Last year i did not see a single spring Wheatear but happily, i broke the duck at the lighthouse today!

There were two, but they were a bit elusive, nipping in and out of the gorse bushes standing proud for a couple of seconds then as i tried to get a better view flipping out of sight. Eventually i got good sightings of both a cracking male and a peachy female! Deffo spring!

Also a resident pair of Chough were feeding on the western grassy slope one of which has a growth on/around its foot which could possibly be a condition known as Bumble Foot..

Milton

From Paul Fraser: A number of Chiffchaffs heard on the walk between Milton and Carew Cheriton today, one sighted by the stream near Carew Cheriton along with a couple of Robins. Merlin picked up the chiffchaff song all the way on the walk and return. 

Coast Path Porthgain-Whitesands 18/3/26

 Fran Egby and a friend walked the Pemb's Coast Path yesterday and encountered wheatears , one between Porthgain and Aberaidy and 5/6 flitting around St Davids Head. they were accompanied by singing SkyLarks for much of the way!

Rosebush and Llys-y-fran reservoirs

Lovely warm spring visit to the reservoirs. Highlight was a singing Willow tit at Rosebush reservoir. 13 Tufted duck (7m), pair of GC grebe courting and visiting nesting area.

Llys-y-fran, 100 LBBs and 10 BH gulls all left at dusk and flew west. 15 GC grebe, one pair in a regular nesting spot, others courting. 5 goldeneye (3m). First 3 Small tortoiseshell a comma and a peacock, lots of midges but surprisingly no hirundines.

Skokholm

Our earliest ever House Martin today in a spring which has already brought the earliest ever Sand Martin and Ring Ouzel. 

Whooper Swans

 Gone at last? The five remaining  at Sandy Haven were in the usual spot last night around 5.30, however  driving past this evening  around the same time the field was empty. They spent almost five months  there.

Chiffchaff

Staying in Stepaside on this visit and I've just seen and heard my first Chiffchaff of the year. Steve from Manchester.  

Castlemartin Corse

 On the walk to Starmans Hall an adult Whooper on the large dune slack nearest the sea. A stunning male Wheatear was on the fence by the drainage channel and was joined by a female. By Starmans itself 3 further Wheatears all male. A Red Kite drifted past and 50 Golden Plover flew up the Corse. Several pairs of Stonechat were seen on the walk up to Gupton Farm and on the way back to the beach on the bridleway c.40 Linnets. Throughout there was the background song of Skylarks and from the range the rattle of machine gun fire and the crump of heavy tank rounds.

Beyond Starmans the footpath was effectively blocked by a large group of cattle huddled around a gateway.

Ceibwr Bay

 Short eared owl 1 flying around the red roof house 

Sand Martin 6

Wheatear  female 

Chough 2

Chiff chaff  2

Kestrel male 

Buzzard 1

Stonechat 2

Skokholm

Another Firecrest today - the last decade has seen a big increase in records. Chiffchaffs still arriving in small numbers. 

Marloes Peninsular

 A quick tour around some of the birding sites on the peninsular this morning. On the drive in a Merlin was sitting in a tree by the B-road (close to Walwyn's Castle). 

Deer Park: Very quiet with a strong, cold southerly wind. 4 Choughs were prospecting in the short grass, a Peregrine flew from the cliffs, across the sound to Skomer. Just off Wooltack Point a Common Dolphin, 2 Porpoises and 5 Grey Seals were hunting, accompanied by Gannets and 9 Shags above. A male Dartford Warbler was singing from the gorse before deciding it was too windy and then starting to flit between grassy clumps in the shelter of the gorse bushes.

Marloes Mere: A scan from the car park. 8 Tufted Ducks, many Shovelers, Wigeons and Mallards a single Pintail, 4 Gadwalls, a few Teals and a couple of Little Grebes were showing. In a field north west of the mere, a flock of c20 Canada Geese.

The Gann: Many tens of Common Gulls on the mud flats in front of the car park. A sizeable mixed group of Herring, LBB and GBB Gulls having a wash above the walkway. The pools were quiet, a small group of Wigeon and 6 Redshank only.

St Davids Head

 Cold and quiet, a distant ring tail Harrier mobbed by Corvids over Carn Llidi, a couple of Chough and a small group of Golden Plover completed a wintery scene! Very different to March 2nd when we had our first Sand Martins and Skylarks soaring!

Dipper / Red Kite

Steve Smith the visiting Manchester birder back again in your amazing county!  Monday lunch time a Dipper was about 100 mtr below the weir in Haverfordwest town centre and a pair of Red Kites displaying just by the Golf club on the A40 as I was heading East from the town.  

Oystercatcher - orange 22

Oystercatcher - orange ring inscribed 22.

Ringed on The Gann on the 4th Jan 2017, seen on The Gann 65 times since and in most years.

Seen on the 6th March 2026 on Burray Orkney, presumably there to breed or on the way further north to breed. This may explain why Oystercatcher Orange 22 has never been seen March - June (only once in July) on The Gann.

(Pembs Rg and Paddy Jenks)

Polish Mediterranean Gull

The red colour-ringed Mediterannean Gull (PMEN) at Westfield Pill on 3/3/26 was ringed as a pullus in southern Poland on 30/5/25.  1,000 miles in a straight line between the 2 sites: amazing stuff.

Reservoirs...

Friday - Highlights of a couple of hours doing the reservoirs this morning: 5 sand martins, 13 tufted, 1 male goldeneye and 3 GC grebe on Rosebush; c.80 sand martins, 4 fieldfare, 8 pairs GC grebe, 3 goldeneye (2 drakes), 5 chiffchaff in song and a woodcock at Llys y Fran.  (Den V)