Sunday 29 September 2013

Other Stuff ! 29th Sept.

A look around various sites that might produce...didn't !

Time fortunately to pick a few of the widely available blackberries & coupled with a few locally sourced Bramley Apples ( Tree not shop ) all it needs is a nice crumble topping  for a delicious dessert skillfully prepared by Mrs.Wdigbirder.

Strumble Head & Tresinwen (29 Sep 13)

Well it was blowing Easterly all night with cloud and occasional showers - excellent migrant weather?

Tough going again today!  Area covered today was Tresinwen down Porthsychan around to the lighthouse and back to Tresinwen.

A notable increase in Meadow Pipit numbers with quite a large number in the fields above the lookout car-park.  Couldn't find anything unusual with them but worth keeping an eye on.

Other birds seen were 2 Golden Plovers (gave me a run around all day but finally pinned down late afternoon).  3 Chiffchaffs, 2 Goldcrest, 1 Grey Wagtail.

Of interest when I was on the coast path by the old lookout I was overtaken by an active roving flock of Blue Tits.  Quite a strange place to find them.  About 20 birds and seemed to be going places.

Got a funny feeling we may start getting migrants tomorrow when I am back at work.......

Saturday 28 September 2013

Strumble Head & Tresinwen (28 Sep 13)

Given the wind conditions I decided to have a good look around for migrants rather than seawatch.

I covered the area from Tresinwen up to Trenewydd, down to Good Hope, along the coast to Porthsychan and back up to Tresinwen.

Hard going and very quiet.  Totals for the day - 5 Chiffchaff, 5 Goldcrest, 1 Spotted Flycatcher, 1 Coal Tit, 2 Lesser Redpoll, 1 Grey Wagtail.

Hummingbird Hawk Moth in the garden - my first of the year.

Better luck tomorrow???

Friday 27 September 2013

Strumble Head 27th Sept.

Time: 08.00 - 09.00
Weather: Bright
Wind: NNE 2

Wigeon - 9
Teal - 6
Common Scoter - 78  ( 69 m )
Red Throated Diver - 1
Arctic Skua - 3 ( 1 p , 2 d )

Thursday 26 September 2013

Strumble Head 26th Sept.

More of a look around for migrants than a seawatch although an hour from the car did get ten Common Scoter.
A few migrants on the ground, numbers of Meadow Pipits have increased, a few Whitethroats , a couple of Chiffchaff  a sgl Wheatear & a Skylark over. Swallows still passing through.

Tuesday 24 September 2013

Flagpoles 16.00 24th Sept.

Hi-light of the visit an Adult Little Gull which performed quite well if a little distant. A sgl first year Med. as well as the other usual suspects.


Monday 23 September 2013

Flagpoles

Three Sandwich Terns, one a juvenile, offshore and a White Wagtail picking over the seaweed on the beach.

Sunday 22 September 2013

Strumble Head (22 Sep 13)

Time: 0645 - 1500
Weather: Dry, cloudy.
Wind: S (F2)

Great Skua - 2
Arctic Skua - 15 (3P, 12D)
Pomarine Skua - 1 (J)
Mediterranean Gull - 2 (1stW)
Sandwich Tern - 43
Comic Tern - 1
Common Scoter - 91 (10F, 81M)
Teal - 6
Wigeon - 8
Red Throated Diver - 1
Curlew - 1
Turnstone - 3
Dunlin - 5
Ruff - 1

Common Porpoise - showing very well.
Common Dolphin - Pods of 5, 10 and 40.  The large pod showing for well over an hour.
Risso's Dolphin - a single large animal and a pod of 5 with at least one small calf.

Of note Swallows coming in off sea all day from 0800.  I think Ireland must now be empty!

Saturday 21 September 2013

Strumble Head (21 Sep 13)

Time: 0645 - 1500
Weather: Thick fog with zero vis until 1045 then fog with vis to tide-race to noon then sunny spells thereafter.
Wind: SSW (F5-4)

Great Skua - 1
Arctic Skua - 1 (J)
Pomarine Skua - 1 (J)
Mediterranean Gull - 2 (1stW)
Little Gull - 1 (AdW)
Sandwich Tern - 38
Comic Tern - 4
Common Scoter - 21 (3F, 18M)
Bar Tailed Godwit - 1
Knot - 5
Dunlin - 14
Grey Heron - 2

Common Porpoise - showing on and off

Thursday 19 September 2013

Strumble Head 19th Sept.

Time: 13.15 - 17.45
Weather: Bright Sunny
Wind: NW 3/4

Common Scoter - 11 ( 10 Males )
Curlew - 4
Pomarine Skua - 2 ( Pale Adult & Juv )
Arctic Skua - 1      ( Pale )
Bonxie - 2
Sandwich Tern - 14

After the weather this morning expected a bit better.

Fishguard Harbour 19th Sept.

From the Inner Breakwater a flock of 8 Sandwich Terns ( 4 pictured ) & a nice flyover group of 5 Black Tailed Godwits.

Wednesday 18 September 2013

Strumble Head 18th Sept

Time: 06.45 - 15.00
Weather: Bright
Wind:NNE 5

Common Scoter - 27 ( 21 males )
Red Throated Diver - 2 ( Both in Summer plumage )
Balearic Shearwater - 2
Leach's Petrel - 22
Grey Heron  - 1
Grey Plover - 1
Dunlin - 15
Grey Phalarope - 1
Arctic Skua - 15 ( 11 d, 4p )
Bonxie - 8
Little Gull - 1 ( 1st w )
Sandwich Tern - 36
Arctic Tern - 25
'Commic Tern' - 7

Many Thanks to Richard Davies & Paul Grennard for the final totals.

Tuesday 17 September 2013

Strumble Head 17th Sept.

Time: 06.45 - 11.15
Weather: Bright then showers
Wind: WNW 5

Common Scoter - 15 ( 14 males )
Red Throated diver - 2
Sooty Shearwater - 1
Balearic Shearwater - 2
Cormorant - 6
Curlew - 1
Pomarine Skua - 1 ( Juv )
Arctic Skua - 4 ( All dark )
Long Tailed Skua - 1 ( Juv )
Bonxie - 23
Sabines Gull - 2 ( Ad Summer & Ad winter )
Sandwich Tern - 2

Common Dolphin - 6
Turtle Species - 1 possibly the same animal as yesterday.

Many Thanks to Paul G. for the stuff after 09.40.
 

Monday 16 September 2013

Strumble Head 16th Sept. Total.

Time: 06.45 - 15.55
Weather: Bright Sunny
Wind: NW 7

Common Scoter - 10 ( 9 Males )
Sooty Shearwater - 83
Balearic Shearwater - 6
Storm Petrel - 2
Leach's Petrel - 5
Dunlin - 2
Golden Plover - 1
Redshank - 8
Grey Phalarope - 2
Pomarine Skua - 1 ( Ad with spoons )
Arctic Skua - 43 ( 35 Dark, 6 Pale, 2 Juv )
Long Tailed Skua - 1 ( Juv )
Bonxie - 56
Sandwich tern - 9
'Commic Tern' - 2

Turtle species as reported earlier here & Whales in Wales

Many Thanks to Richard Davies ( Ammanford ) for the totals today & Brian Gibbs for a few extra's.

 

Strumble Head 16th Sept.

Time: 06.45 - 09.00
Weather: Bright Sunny
Wind: NW 7

Common Scoter - 4
Sooty Shearwater - 59
Balearic Shearwater - 1
Knot - 1
Arctic Skua - 10 ( 4 dark,6 Pale )
Bonxie - 20
Little Gull - 1 ( Ad )
'Commic Tern' - 2

Full roundup to come later on what will surely be a good day.

Happy together!


Turtle!
Was a single by the turtles!...and I was extremely happy when I saw this one at Strumble today! A bit of a mini turtle as they go, most of the ones seen here over the years have been massive leatherbacks.
Our best guess for this one based on precedent and size is Kemps Ridleys, but its just a guess!
The birds were not bad either, of course the pic's are just the best of a bad lot but given the distance make reasonable record shots...


Bonxies

Arctic Skuas

Pen Anglas

2 pale phase Arctic Skuas flew west just off shore,also at least 6 Bottle-nosed Dolphins just inside the harbour and a single Wigeon by flagpoles.

Sunday 15 September 2013

Strumble Extra's 15th Sept.

16.00 - 16.30

Sooty Shearwater - 2
Balearic Shearwater - 1

17.00 - 18.00

Sooty Shearwater - 1
Balearic Shearwater - 1
Grey Phalarope - 1
Bonxie - 1

Many Thanks to Walrus for 17.00 plus, was expecting the Phalarope all day !

Late Extra's

18.30 - 19.30

Sooty Shearwater - 18
Arctic Skua - 1 ( dark )

Many Thanks to Brian Gibbs for the late one's.

Strumble Head (15 Sep 13)

Time: 0630 - 1600
Weather: Cloudy, showers.
Wind: SW (F7-8) then W (F5) after 3pm

Sooty Shearwater - 5
Balearic Shearwater - 4
Great Skua - 9
Arctic Skua - 8 (1J, 2P, 5D)
Pomarine Skua - 1 (J)
Sabine's Gull - 2 (1J, 1AdW)
Little Gull - 1 (1stW)
Mediterranean Gull - 2 (1stW)
Sandwich Tern - 3
Comic Tern - 5
Red Throated Diver - 1
Common Scoter - 12 (1F, 11M)
Wigeon - 12
Dunlin - 2

Common Porpoise - showing well.
Risso's Dolphin - 4 (poss - brief sighting)
Sunfish - 2

Saturday 14 September 2013

Strumble Head (14 Sep 13)

Time: 0630 - 1500
Weather: Sunny.
Wind: N (F5)

Balearic Shearwater - 2
Great Skua - 9
Arctic Skua - 18 (3J, 6P, 9D)
Pomarine Skua - 1 (J)
Mediterranean Gull - 3 (1stW)
Little Gull - 3 (2 1stW, 1 2ndW)
Sandwich Tern - 2
Comic Tern - 15
Common Scoter - 53 (3F, 50M)
Teal - 1
Whimbrel - 8
Curlew - 1
Dunlin - 3

Common Porpoise - showing on and off.

Strumble Head 13th Sept.

Time: 07.00 - 13.00
Weather: Cloudy
Wind: N 2/3

Common Scoter - 35 ( 33 Males )
Sooty Shearwater - 2
Arctic Skua - 8 ( 3 Dark,4 Pale, 1 Juv )
Bonxie - 2
Sandwich Tern - 32

Strumble Head 12th Sept.

Time: 07.00 - 14.00
Weather: Cloudy
Wind: NW 2

Common Scoter - 3
Sooty Shearwater - 1
Arctic Skua - 3 ( 2 Dark,1 Pale )
Bonxie - 1
Mediterranean Gull - 1 ( 1st w )
Sandwich Tern - 33
Common Tern - 2 ( Both Juv )

Sunfish - 1

Friday 13 September 2013

Flagpoles

Mid afternoon: an adult and a first winter Mediterranean Gull were among about 50 Black-headed Gulls that wiffled down from high up to settle on the water and beach.

Wednesday 11 September 2013

Strumble Head 11th Sept.

Time: 08.00 - 11.00
Weather: Overcast
Wind: NNE 2

Common Scoter - 42 ( 3 F )
Bar Tailed Godwit - 3
Arctic Skua - 1 ( Dark )

Tuesday 10 September 2013

Flagpoles

Late this afternoon there was a lone black-tailed godwit, two redshank and a couple of curlew.

Strumble Head (10 Sep 13)

Time: 0630 - 1400
Weather: Cloudy some bright intervals
Wind: N 5/6

Sooty Shearwater - 1
Balearic Shearwater - 2
Great Skua - 3
Arctic Skua - 12 (2J, 3P, 7D)
Pomarine Skua - 1
Sandwich Tern - 2
Arctic Tern - 1
Common Scoter - 32 (3F, 29M)
Shelduck - 1
Bar Tailed Godwit - 1

Report from Wdigbirder and Chris G

Monday 9 September 2013

Strumble Head (09 Sep 13)

Time: 0700 - 1300
Weather: Cloudy
Wind: NNE 4

Great Skua - 1
Arctic Skua - 7 (2J, 3P, 2D)
Mediterranean Gull - 2 (1stW)
Common Scoter - 51 (2F, 49M)
Teal - 1
Red Throated Diver - 1

Report from Wdigbirder

Sunday 8 September 2013

Strumble Head 8th Sept.

Time: 07.15 - 12.15
Weather: Rain showers then bright
Wind: SW 2 then after 09.00 WNW 4

Teal - 2
Common Scoter - 14 ( 13m )
Bar Tailed Godwit - 1
Whimbrel - 9
Arctic Skua - 2 ( 1 P, 1 Juv )
Bonxie - 3
Mediterranean Gull - 2 ( 1w, Ad )
Sandwich Tern - 5

Saturday 7 September 2013

Strumble Head 7th Sept

Time:: 07.30 - 09.00
Weather: Bright
Wind: NW 4/5

Common Scoter - 1
Balearic Shearwater - 1
Pomarine Skua - 1 ( Pale Ad with spoons )
Arctic Skua - 4 ( All dark )
Bonxie  - 1
Mediterranean Gull - 3 ( All 1st w )


Friday 6 September 2013

Strumble Head 6th Sept.

Time: 06.30 - 11.15
Weather: Bright
Wind: NNE 4/5

Wigeon - 6
Common Scoter - 84 ( 71 Males )
Balearic Shearwater - 1
Arctic Skua - 6 ( 1 Pale, 5 Dark )
Bonxie - 2
Mediterranean Gull - 1 ( 1st W )

Many Thanks to Paul G & Mervyn J for the stuff after 9 a.m.

Thursday 5 September 2013

Strumble Extras

Strumble 3.30-5.00pm

Arctic Skua 2 dark phase.
Bonxie 1 over top of lookout.
Balearic Shearwater 1.
Sandwich Tern 12.
Little Gull 1 adult feeding on sea in front of lookout.
Common Scoter 1 male.
Sunfish 1

Strumble Head 5th Sept.

Time: 06.30 - 12.00
Weather: Cloudy
Wind: SW 2 then at 08.00 - N 4/5

Wigeon - 3 ( 2 Males )
Common Scoter - 106 ( 94 Males )
Balearic Shearwater - 2
Grey Heron - 1
Dunlin - 3
Bar Tailed Godwit - 2
Curlew - 2
Pomarine Skua - 2 ( Both Pale Ad. with Spoons )
Arctic Skua - 9 ( 6 Dark, 2 Pale, 1 Juv )
Bonxie - 1
Little Gull - 1 ( Ad. )
Mediterranean Gull - 2 ( Both 1w )
Sandwich Tern - 8
Puffin - 1

Risso's Dolphin - 6 ( Went east into the bay just beyond Mackeral Rock some of them breaching )

Wednesday 4 September 2013

Strumble Head 4th Sept.

Time: 10.00 - 14.00

Common scoter - 3
Balearic Shearwater - 1
Grey Heron - 1
Arctic Skua - 1 ( Pale Adult )
Mediterranean Gull - 1 ( 1st W )
Sandwich Tern - 12
Commic Tern - 4

Many Thanks to Chris Grayell for the totals.

  

Slightly outside Fishguard.

At Hayscastle a Female Southern Hawker Dragonfly. Many Thanks to Paul G for the ID.

Tuesday 3 September 2013

Strumble Head 3rd Sept

Time: 06.45 - 09.00
Weather: Overcast
Wind: SW 2

Wigeon - 1 (M )
Common Scoter - 9
Knot - 4
Whimbrel - 2
Pomarine Skua - 1 ( juv )
Arctic Skua - 4 ( 3 d, 1 juv )
Bonxie - 2

Monday 2 September 2013

Strumble Head 2nd Sept ( Additions )

Time: 09.00 - 12.05

Common Scoter - 12 ( 8 males )
Whimbrel - 2
Grey Phalarope - 1
Arctic Skua - 1 ( Dark Ad. )
Bonxie - 2
Little Gull - 1 ( 1st W )
Mediterranean Gull - 3 (  Ad & 2 1st W )

Many Thanks to Chris Grayell for the totals.

Strumble Head 2nd Sept

Time: 06.45 - 09.00
Weather: Dull Overcast
Wind: WNW 2/3

Balearic Shearwater - 1
Black Tailed Godwit - 11
Whimbrel - 13
Arctic Skua - 2 ( both dark )
Bonxie - 4

Sunday 1 September 2013

Strumble Head 1st Sept.

Time: 15.00 - 18.30
Weather: Bright
Wind: WSW 4

Sooty Shearwater - 1
Grey Heron - 1
Dunlin - 1
Bonxie - 1

All additions to Richards earlier totals.

Strumble Head (01 Sep 13)

Time: 0600 - 1500
Weather: Sunny spells.
Wind: WNW (F4) (am) then WSW(F4-5) (pm)

Great Skua - 6
Arctic Skua - 9 (1J, 2P, 6D)
Pomarine Skua - 2 (1J, 1P (with spoons))
Long Tailed Skua - 1 (J)
Mediterranean Gull - 3 (1stW)
Sandwich Tern - 18
Comic Tern - 1
Common Scoter - 31 (5F, 26M)
Knot - 7

Common Porpoise - showing well all session
Common Dolphin - c.10

[Well we didn't expect an all 4 Skua day following yesterday's hard work session and by 0930 it was looking a bit grim for Chris G and myself - total tally by then being just 1 Arctic, 1 Bonxie, 2 Scoter and 1 Sandwich Tern! 

It was then that I spotted a very distant Skua (at a bearing of "1 o'clock") which appeared to be "dip feeding".  After a few minutes of watching I was convinced this was a Long Tailed - based on size and dip feeding action.  Well long story short we were still watching this Juv Long Tailed at 1145 - at a bearing of "11 o'clock".  The bird had been in view for over 2 hours and was dip feeding with short rests on the deck for all of that time - it was not in a rush!  By now it was just beyond the tide race and showing really well.  This was a very pale individual and almost white on the underside.  I have seen many Long Tails with a few dip feeding just fleetingly but this 2+ hour show was fantastic.

While watching the Long Tailed we had both Poms fly through the same scope view as well as 3 Bonxies, 4 Arctics and the Sandwich Terns even mobbed the Long Tailed.  A great 2 hours!]