Skokholm

Further to Brian's records, four Black-tailed Godwits on Skok today. Seven Swift and a Chiffchaff but no sign of yesterday's Greenish Warbler. Three Risso's Dolphins and a Hummingbird Hawkmoth on the non-avian front.

Carn-ingli Cuckoo

A busy female cuckoo this afternoon, on the slopes of Carn-ingli, bubbling away and getting buzzed by meadow pipits.
 Some fly-over redpolls and a fruitless search for Dark Green Fritillaries.

City News

A surprising number of Swifts were flying round Trefeithan Moor earlier today, and the reeling of this Gropper carried a long way on what was a very still morning. On the coast path one of the now famous St.Justinian Kestrels posed motionless for this photo just round the corner from the nest site, which now looks empty.

Herons

Kathy and I erroneously thought there was only one young heron in the Anghof Valley nest but we soon realised there were actually two. They are getting very close to fledging now, exercising their wings and moving around the tree above the nest.

Ty Canol -- Cuckoo

Lone cuckoo calling to the north east of Ty Canol NNR Tuesday evening (18^th June)…first I’ve heard in years!! A mass of blackcaps singing too.
 Cheers, Howard

Black-tailed godwits - Marloes Mere

Flock of 21 godwits at mere, with another 2 at Gann. Glossy ibis by North Hide.

Red Kite

Just before lunch a Red Kite appeared over the front of the drive and drifted, quite low, over to the parking area where the kids assemble for activities at the Activity Centre here. It hung around before swooping between the Vans and the kids to snatch a young Jackdaw off the gravel and flap off to a chorus of squealing children. Brilliant.

Brynberian Whinchats

12 territories found during this year's flog across the bog compared to 15 in 2012. Most seemed to be still at the incubation stage but one pair has already fledged a brood, and two more were feeding young in the nest.

Marloes Mere

 Out early this morning, hoping to see Brian`s G/W Teal. Ididn`t. Our faithful  Glossy was in the area though, 150 metres West of the Britton hide.

Greenish Warbler on Skokholm

One this evening at the farm (Richard & Giselle).

St Justinian Kestrel Progress Report

Six days ago, on 11th June, Paddy Jenks performed his annual rope-hanging spectacular over the side of the cliffs north of St Justinian. He found, and ringed, two chicks.

Paddy commented upon the size of the eldest of the two nestlings. He called it a "bruiser". It weighed-in at 319grams - the heaviest kestrel he has ringed. He would normally expect them to be in the range of 270 - 280grams.

The attached pictures, taken earlier today, shows the female (leg band P47) standing ahead of her sibling (P46). When we asked Paddy why this should be, he replied - "he needs to lose weight before he can fly!"

 

They can be expected to fledge any day now. If either bird is spotted away from the St Justinian "arena", Paddy would like to hear from you.

 

John and Marion

Green-winged teal - Marloes Mere

Green-winged teal west of main hide at 10am briefest of views as it disappeared in the rushes. Spent an hour looking around and eventually at 11am relocated it preening and occasionally having a little swim around with group of 2-3 other teal, seemed very interested in a female teal with lots of head-bobbing follows, could it be a pair? Viewed from main hide between 11-12noon, distant (approx 100m) and obstructed views looking towards extreme west over the top of rushes. Also 2 black-tailed godwits flew east and not forgetting the Glossy which flew from west to east.

Green-winged Teal

A drake at Marloes Mere today, beyond the Britton Hide (Brian S).

Marloes Mere

Glossy Ibis, at first by the b/w gate, flew off into dense juncus towards the middle of  the Mere.
2 singing Skylarks were pleasant to the ears, little else - male Stonechat  + one juv & a juv Whitethroat, 2 Shelduck seem to be full time residents now.

Red Kite

Above Thornton (Milford Haven) this afternoon. I too saw the Glossy earlier - around 07:30, to the West of the Britton hide, close to the water channel. Drake Tufted duck was noted in the hide notebook for last Wed/Thurs.

Glossy ibis - Marloes

Fortunate to get a really good look at the Glossy this morning as it fed just out from N Hide. Interesting to see it feeding alongside a coot, moorhen and mallard. The coot pushed it off but it would just move a few yards and next moment they'd be side-by-side. The way it was gulping stuff down it was finding plenty to snack on. Other birds: 3 shelduck, cormorant and 2 swifts. Earlier at the Gann: 2 shelduck and 2 Heron. Kete: 2 young wheatear with a female, another pair seen, 1 chough, and a couple of male stonechats. Noticed plenty of goldfinch along the lanes today.

Skokholm

A female Black Redstart for a third day.

Ty Rhyg -- sightings

Hope this is the correct proceedure to report sightings - but I just wanted to report a fly through female Montagu's Harrier that I had at Ty Rhyg Plantation on the morning of the 4th June. I picked the bird coming in from the North West and watch the bird fly low South West through the plantation in a direct flight at 10:40hrs. Bird came close and I got excellent views as it past through.

 

I wanted to see some Willow tits, but to no avail, however the Monty's more than made up for it! I was impressed the Ty Rhyg too with siskin, crossbill (3 seen) and good numbers lesser redpoll seen.

 

I had been staying on Skokholm the previous 3 nights (31st to the 3rd) and was just doing some local birding before heading back to Somerset. Pembrokeshire looked stunning last week. My father was from Letterston, so always enjoy coming back to visit this wonderful county.

(James Phillips)

More Cuckoos

I had the pleasure of staying in Cilgwyn over the weekend and enjoyed Cuckoos in stereo, with a male calling from the slopes of Carn Ingli on one side and another on the outskirts of Ty Canol on the other. Both were still calling for long periods with some gusto, being heard from early morning til dusk.  It was also lovely being in a location where L Redpolls were constantly around the vicinity, not something I enjoy living in a town.

St.Davids

Have to agree with  Walrus on the Cuckoo situation this year - Three were very active on the airfield heathland yesterday morning, presumably a female  being chased by two males. Another warbling female was heard  coming from a thicket near the west car park. 

Haha! Cuckoo's still here!

Very happy to say our cuckoo's are still around, well past the time when they would have just been passing by. Its the first year in quite a few years that they seem to be breeding. Both were heard and one seen over the last week or so whilst sitting out in garden in evening or morning dog walk. Also seems to be a few more Swifts about than the past couple of years! I also seem to be seeing more Kites about , over the garden and also over Fishguard and Goodwick below us. All in all a nice early summer, The only thing missing that we used to have breeding here, is Starlings. Maybe next year!