Monday 19 September 2016

Some weekend waterfowl and gullsat Pembroke Millpond, Cosheston Pill, Frainslake beach & Carew River etc

Recent (WeBs) counts produced (on Friday) good numbers of little grebes at Pembroke Millpond (34 on the central pond); c.70 black-tailed godwits roosting at the upper pond; over at Cosheston Pill (at high tide) there were c.1,000 black-headed gulls - many feeding with larger gull species in a shore-side field where slurry was being pumped onto the grassland.

At Pembroke Millpond, of the 200+ b-h gulls feeding and resting there, was a colour-ringed immature (left leg white ring 29S9).

Late on On Saturday afternoon, at Frainslake beach Castlemartin, in addition to two adult med gulls, were small numbers of adult LBB and GBB gulls. The latter species included a colour-ringed bird (red with white letter/numerals on the right leg). This was almost certainly a Skokholm-ringed bird, but unfortunately we couldn't get anywhere close enough to read the ring before all the gulls were dispersed by two climbers/walkers leaving the range via the beach. Other roosting birds on the beach included 144 oystercatchers, 80 curlews, c. 30 ringed plovers and 12 sanderlings.

Along Carew River on Sunday morning, numbers of roosting waterfowl were not especially large but included 3 greenshanks, a spotted redshank (its distinctive flight-call was heard, but it wasn't seen) plus 2 curlew sandpipers with a few dunlin. Four black-tailed godwits were roosting with 50+ curlews in the salt-marsh (one was also noted near Garron Pill a bit later on).

Mid-morning a high-flying skein of 30 greylags flew over Carew River from the south. They appeared to be heading towards the upper Daugleddau area. At lunch-time 10 (perhaps part of the same flock?)were noted on the river opposite Landshipping Quay.