Regular watching the local patch at Manorbier came good this morning when, as I walked down to my seawatch spot, a superb adult Glaucous Gull glided along the cliffs at eye level! In a bit of disbelief I watched it as it followed the coast west and eventually around Old castle Hd. Wow! #birdingWales
This month's Free Access Editorial Team Choice: Canada Warbler in Pembrokeshire!
Magnolia Warbler at St Govan’s Head, Pembrokeshire, found by Toby Phelps was then added to with the discovery of Britain’s first Canada Warbler.
Read more:
📸 Canada Warbler by Graham Jepson
Some nice birds locally and out around Pembs over the last week or so as spring slowly starts going. On the local patch, a Marsh Harrier east over Skrinkle and a Goshawk over Manorbier in the week. Yesterday 2 Velvet Scoter off Telpyn Pt and today a Black Redstart at Martin's Haven! #birdingWales
Satellite image showing a patchwork of hedgerows, with a red circle indicating a 2026 Willow Tit territory.
Hedgerows & Willow Tits ~ A thread
Carmarthenshire holds more Willow Tits than any other county in Wales (Wotton, S. 2022). Looking at satellite maps of the county, it’s clear to see the potential for these birds, with areas of suitable wooded habitats, interconnected with unmanaged hedgerows.
Male Green-winged Teal at Castlemartin Corse, just about!
I caught up with the Male Green-winged Teal on the Nevern Estuary a few weeks ago - they're smart birds up close!
It was nice to find a male Green-winged Teal at a flooded Castlemartin Corse y'day morning amongst a good selection of wildfowl. You can just about see what it is from my pic (left), so here's a better pic (right) of the bird currently wintering on the Nevern Estuary in North Pembs! #birdingWales
Yorkshires only Little Tern colony relies on paid wardens to protect them from predators and disturbance, the team have achieved amazing numbers of fledglings in recent years and it would be a great shame if it doesn’t run this year, much appreciated if you can help out with this funding gap 🙏
🧵 An urgent appeal to protect one of the UK’s most important Little Tern colonies at Beacon Ponds in 2026.
Without funding for professional wardening, the project may not be able to run this season.
⬇️
Oh that's a shame!
Russian White-fronted Geese (pic from 28th Dec)
2 Ad Russian White-fronted Geese still at Castlemartin Corse this morning (at the upper sections below the church). Also a Water Pipit on the flooded fields. #birdingWales
Cheers Dave - First check of the scoters this winter so pleased to pick them out! Not as many out there as I'd expect, although I could see several more groups way further out.
4 of the Tundra Bean Geese plus a Greylag Goose on the right.
Russian White-fronted Geese
Was good to see the Tundra Bean Geese in the Towy Valley today, at least 15! Also 26 Russian White-fronts upriver of Dryslwyn Castle.
Finished the day checking the scoter flocks in Carmarthen Bay. 2 ad drk Surf Scoters off Pendine (or more precisely of Ragwen Point) the highlight! #birdingWales
Nice day out across Pembs and Carms today - started with a flock of White-fronted Geese (11) over Dryslwyn Castle early am + 17 Whooper Swan. Purple Sandpipers, Great Northern and Red-throated Divers in Pembs and finished with a ringtail Hen Harrier and 3 Marsh Harriers at Ginst Point #birdingWales
Christmas can be an expensive time of year, so how about something for free?
The @scottishbirding.bsky.social and Scottish Birds Records Committee are hosting a FREE online conference over the evenings of February 24th to the 26th. Three talks per night and some real belters among them.
Firecrest in willow scrub by the entrance to Kiln Park (two there y'day) also 11 Chiffchaffs
1 of 7 Purple Sandpipers on Tenby lifeboat station at high tide this morning. #birdingWales
Ring Ouzel sitting in a hawthorn bush.
Ring Ouzel feasting on hawthorn berries by Manorbier beach this afternoon. At least 1 Firecrest around too. Also a Yellow-browed Warbler heard calling (unfortunately not seen) on Thursday and good movement of finches most mornings! Lots to look at at the moment! #birdingWales
A Black Tern flew west past Old Castle Hd, Manorbier at lunchtime today. Otherwise very little moving in misty conditions #birdingWales
Fresh East is a nice spot, hopefully you can get out more next year. May see you out and about around here at some point...
2 Balearic Shearwaters west past St Govan's Head in an hr this evening #birdingWales
Adult Sabine's Gull
Balearic Shearwater
St Govan's Head
Enjoyable day seawatching at
St Govan's Hd yesterday.
Sabine's Gull 4 (2 Ad, 2 Juv)
Cory's Shearwater 1
Balearic Shearwater 1
Sooty Shearwater 4
Grey Phalarope 2
Plus a big push of 'Commic' Terns (c700) early morning and a flock of 29 Pale-bellied Brent Geese west!
#birdingWales
Interesting! I did wonder if it might have stopped. Tried again yesterday morning but could only manage an hour before work. No luck but 3 Great Northerns past were nice
Awesome record! I tried an hour by Tenby after the initial report in the vague hope I might pick it up, but of course was unsuccessful! I wonder if it did pass through Pembrokeshire waters on its way through, maybe past St Govan's Hd? Anyway congratulations on a great find!
No pics of the birds so here is a Green-winged Orchid. One of several on the clifftop near my seawatching spot.
Manx shearwaters streaming past St Govan's Hd this evening. Estimated over 11,000/hr between 5.30-6.30pm. Awesome!
8 Puffin and 2 Sanderling past too. #birdingWales
This superb breeding plumage Grey Plover spent 4 days at Tenby south beach. No sign of it this evening so I assume it has continued on its northward migration #birdingWales
SLAM!
2 Bar-tailed Godwit and 4 Dunlin and on Tenby South Beach this evening. Other bits and bobs in recent days include several Whimbrel, a Tree Pipit (at Skrinkle on Fri) and a few singing Lesser Whitethroats and Garden Warblers #birdingWales
The Pembrokeshire Bird Report 2024 is now available to download below. Vital and huge work from Pembrokeshire Bird Group 🙌
Mae Adroddiad Adar Sir Benfro ar gael i’w lawrlwytho isod. Gwaith gwych ac allweddol gan Grŵp Adarydda Sir Benfro 🙌
Diolch 🙏
drive.google.com/file/d/1Q0VS...
Feeding Manx Shearwaters.
Yesterday morning there was an impressive feeding raft of Manx Shearwaters off Presipe beach. Maybe about 300+! A little flurry of migrants in the bushes at Skrinkle including my first Grasshopper Warbler and Common Whitethroat of the year #birdingWales
Cheers Dave! Have been enjoying your pics of the Marloes Hoopoe, cracking bird.
A male Wheatear with colour rings on its legs recorded at Manorbier in March 2025. This bird was ringed on Lundy Island in 2023 and was recorded there again in 2024.
The colour-ringed Wheatear I recorded at Manorbier on the 24th March was ringed on Lundy as a one-year old breeding male in May 2023. He was also seen in the same territory last year. Let's hope he's made it back there this year! #birdingWales
