Glossies

3 from the barbed wire gate this morning.

Still moving !

A single Whimbrel was on Goodwick beach this lunchtime. A party of presumably non breeding Common Scoter flew west c10 with one male plumaged bird.

Short-eared owl - Pantmaenog

Beautiful evening and plenty of birds. Pair of Red kites drifting around, appeared to be just the one calling cuckoo above Rosebush quarries. Firsts for this year were a couple of Tree pipits and Spotted flycatchers. 3 sightings of a male kestrel, 2 grasshopper warblers. Highlight was a Short-eared owl flitting along the high path west of Foel Cwmcerwyn in full sunlight around 7pm.

Shelduck

Just upstream from the Jewson slipway (St.Dogmaels) a pair of shelduck with 4 ducklings, this evening.

Marloes Mere, 3 Glossies today.

Looking at the Glossy Ibis these past couple of days, there seems to be a subtle change in their behaviour - can`t quite put my finger on it though - with the male out of the way the birds appear to be more relaxed, not always flying together & sometimes quite a way from each other, as though tension has been removed. I wonder if he has gone off to look for a mate back where he came from.

Gann & Marloes Mere

A mixed party of waders on the Gann this evening contained 10 Sanderling, about the same number of Dunlin, 4 or 5 Ringed Plover and 3 Bar-tailed Godwit.
At 6.45pm the 3 Glossy Ibis were visible from the usual gate, but rather distant.

Glossies

Same 3 this evening, same place.

Porthlysgi

From the coast path towards Porthlysgi this morning, we could see that the Canada Geese have raised young again this year on one of the offshore islands ( Carreg-Y-Fran), possibly 4 or 5. On the beach a solitary Whimbrel and a trio of Dunlin were feeding, taking little notice of our presence.

Glossy Ibis

3 Still at Marloes Mere this morning, at the barbed wire gate - 2 adults, 1 immature.

Cuckoo, Merlin

From Dave Edwards and Sarah Earl - Whilst walking in Ty canol yesterday afternoon, we heard a cuckoo calling all the time we walked through the woods.
Today on the way to St.David's from Dinas we were joined just after Croescoch, by a Merlin flying though the fields following alongside the road.

Waders at West Angle

Light wader passage only on the Castlemartin Peninsula this weekend, with just a single Dunlin seen at Kilpaison, and the highlight being a mixed flock of 12 Sanderlings and five Dunlins at West Angle yesterday morning, with three Whimbrels also on the beach.

Ty Rhyg

Cuckoo(s) calling at both farside and roadside, female sparrowhawk sparing with buzzard, 3 spotted flycatchers.

Ramsey Trip

Whilst waiting for the boat at St Justinians, at 9am, a Hooded Crow flew past heading south; later we discovered it had been seen on the north end of the Island before that. We had a really enjoyable day (thanks to Greg and Lisa) with at least 6 Spotted Flycatchers present and a couple of Blackcaps. The highlight though was the fellah below.

Newgale

A sedge warbler was singing in the reeds by the Pebbles car park this morning, oblivious to holidaymakers within a few feet. Good numbers of gannet were feeding well-out into the bay, and the lone ringed plover which has been present for at least two weeks was resting on the stone bank (it was high tide) until disturbed by a passing dog.

Glossy update.....

3 now at Marloes Mere, the adult & immature bird were present yesterday in Ireland, the other pair haven`t been seen today. Where is the fourth one? winging it over the Irish Sea I hope. 1 pair Garganey still present.

Newport.

Whilst in the garden enjoying this glorious sunshine & watching the antics of a Mason Bee and Ruby-tailed Wasp, above me 6 Swifts were doing synchronized screaming fly pasts; reminded me of the Red Arrows.

Glossy Ibis back at Marloes Mere

2 This morning, 1 adult, 1 immature, will the other two follow I wonder? Also 1 Short eared Owl, 3 Dunlin, 1 Redpoll over. Talking to a party of birders from Essex - they told me they had seen (for those whose interest is deeper than mine) a Red Veined Darter at the Gann last night, along the ridge.

Ty Rhyg and Pantmaenog

Ty Rhyg - plenty of linnets, Meadow pipit with food, group of Bullfinch, Red kite over, robins nest with 2 very small chicks. Family of crossbill, superb scarlet male gleaming in sunlight, a buff coloured juvenile and a female.
Pantmaenog - cuckoos very active and seemed to be everywhere at least three, 2 males chasing a female. A surprise was a Green Sandpiper put up from one of the track side pools, it boomeranged around and dropped back down. Reed bunting singing. Male Kestrel by car park.

More on Red Kites

From Dave Edwards and Sarah Earl - Whilst sitting on Port Lisky beach (near Porthclais) we saw 10 Red kites fly over us between 11.25a.m. and 11.30 a.m. on Friday!! Also a Whimbrel and three Dunlin were on the beach when we arrived.
Ties in with Greg and Lisa'a report of 9 Kites over Ramsey on Friday.

Skomer, Honey Buzzard

From Derek Moore - 26 Choughs at Martin's Haven 8.30am. Honey Buzzard in from sea from the west headed east towards mainland being mobbed by Lesser Black-backed Gulls at Skomer.

Ramsey

2 red kites today - possibly part of Mike's group from St D Head below. Single spotted flycatchers and 2 swifts. Great tit confirmed as breeding for first time on record! Seen carrying food yesterday. Nesting in a stone wall like the wheatears!

St Davids Hd am

A male Firecrest present still and sometimes singing at the Youth Hostel or along the path above. Two Spotted Flycatchers present, 4 Red Kites through more or less together, 2 Collared Doves, 8 Swifts and a handful of Hirundines.

Marloes Mere & The Gann

An early morning visit to the mere was rewarded by finding a lovely pair of Garganey. 2 Black-Tailed Godwits, 6 Dunlin & 1 Rp flying around. A steady trickle of Swifts through & 3 Lesser Redpoll. Later at the Gann at least 20 Dunlin, 7 Rp's & 2 Redshank, 2 Whimbrel, 13 Mute Swans & a SP Adult Bh Gull lingering.

Glossies gone....

Three now in Ireland, (as yesterday) I wonder will they return again? 1 pair Garganey at the Mere - I met Trevor P there, does he count as a three star vagrant?

Glossies in Ireland!

Tacumshin to be precise, had a text from Dave, telling me that there were two adults there. The remaining adult & immature bird were seen today at Marloes Mere, but were conspicuous by their absence this evening, with a nice SE tail wind they could be at Tacumshin already. Must like it there - perhaps they`re fed up with the Chorizo I keep slinging at them!

Ramsey

9 red kites together over the island this morning. 12 collared doves.

Red Kites

News from Ben & Andre who met a birder who saw 4 red kites going over Ramsey heading towards the mainland.

And from Mervyn Jones news of a Red Kite over the Deer Park this morning.

I have had single Red Kites from my house (last Sunday) and near Bosherston (Tuesday) so loads of them about!

St Justinian Kestrels - 2

07:00 today...a short break from hunting. The outlookfor this chap is several weeks of unrelenting toil.

Newport.

An exciting couple of hours spent in the Carninli Lodge area found us a Chaffinch nest bursting at the seams with ready to fly fledglings, then a f Redpoll suddenly appeared on the same bush, plus many Linnets and Willow Warblers around us and a stunning m Redstart on top of a close telegraph pole. Fantastic views were had of a pair of Whinchats sitting on the fence line.

Karen & Dawn

St Justinian Kestrels

Looking into the nest cavity with our 'scope revealed two chicks, close to the entrance, jostling for position. If last years success story is repeated in the coming days, there will be three more siblings queueing behind them.

Are they in snyc with the pair on Ramsey?

St Davids am

A Firecrest was a surprise in the blackthorn hedge above the Youth Hostel and two male Cuckoos were heard. Yesterday 2 Redpolls flew below my vantage point and showed whitish rumps as well as an impression of brightness, they seemed quite robust too. I know it was suspected years ago that Mealies were going through Strumble in May and sightings this year maybe help support this and suggest a pattern.

Cuckoo

At about 5 o'clock this morning there was a cuckoo in the middle of Tegryn village calling & a second (silent) bird with it, probably the f. So nearly a garden tick, less than 50 metres away. This is the first one I am aware of in the village, both ends yes, but not here before.

Glossies?

Not visible this morning.

Ty Rhyg

Last night: Lots of Redpoll buzzing around. A male kestrel sat on treetop perch surveying the area. Pair of Mistle thrush visiting nest site. Robin carrying food. Spotted-flycatchers but no sign of the Wood warbler who was singing a week ago, perhaps he's moved on. Sounded like a couple of Water rails squealing by the pond. 3 canada geese flying over.

Glossies

Just 2 at 0630am, only managed to get back at 9:30pm for another look, but it was far too optimistic of me to think I could see anything!