Pembroke 21C seabird ID training

Pembroke 21C are organising natural history identification training sessions again this year. These cover a variety of topics, but including seabird ID on Saturday 16th June, run by Bob & Annie Haycock. There will be a short introductory session at Foundry House, Pembroke, and then a field trip to Stack Rocks.


Contact pembrokemillponds@pembroke21c.org for more information and start times.

Click on image for full list

Talk about Iceland

Pembrokeshire Bird Group Talk: Monday April 2nd, 7:30

A trip to Iceland – Birds, Places, Scenery and Cetaceans presented by Lyndon Lomax.

Was it really cold, is it a forgotten landscape? Is it a very important place for birds ~ both summer and even in the winter ?

Members and non members are welcome and there is no admission charge. For further info please phone 01437 721859

Venue: The Patch, Furzy Park, Haverfordwest

View The Patch at Furzy Park in a larger map

Bird Atlas - A big THANK YOU to contributors

We seem never to stop adding dots to maps of bird distribution in Pembrokeshire. Even after 5 years of local breeding bird atlas-bashing (2003-07) with the possibility of "atlas fatigue" setting in, many observers we have continued to work hard for the National Atlas.

Four winters have been covered well between 2007/08 and 2010/11. All c.500 Pembs tetrads were visited to obtain species distribution records and timed-visits were made to more than a third of these. The latter will provide patterns of relative species abundance across the County - we have achieved more than the minimum coverage needed for this component.

We have made similarly excellent progress for the summer breeding birds component (2008 - 2011), as in winter, meeting all our TTV requirements. Although there are still about 30 out of c.500 tetrads without summer records, the bulk of species have been recorded sufficiently well to contribute the distribution and confirmed breeding status data required for the national picture.

With so far just under 112,000 records of more than 200 species in winter and a similar number in summer now added by more than 300 observers it has been a fantastic achievement - a very big thanks to all of you who contributed records on line or on paper!

But we know there are some gaps that can still be filled, so if you have any outstanding records to add to the Atlas from anywhere, please do so as it would be nice to know that the picture for Pembs is as complete as it can be.

We note, for example, there are no records at all of Spotted Flycatchers in 10km sq SN14 (North Pembs Cardigan/Teifi area). Surely there must be a pair or two in the area?

Also, of the just 149 records of Cuckoo entered to the Atlas in Pembrokeshire during the last four summers, none of these have confirmed breeding status, yet this has been reported only recently on the Blog. It would be great if extra records like this could be added to the Atlas.

Pembrokeshire Bird Conference 2010

SATURDAY 20 November 2010

The Pembrokeshire Bird Conference is on Saturday 20 November 2010, starting at 10am. It will be hosted by the Chevron Oil Company at Rhoscrowther, near Pembroke Dock. Please book with Wendy Barnes-Jones at the Welsh Wildlife Centre 01239 621600; the cost is £15 per person.

Programme:

9.15 Registration

Morning Chair: Sarah Kessell

10.00 Welcome by Chevron Refinery

10.05 Birds of Ceredigion by Professor Mike Hayward

10.20 Pembrokeshire Bird Diary by David Astins

11.00 Coffee

11.30 Nightjars in the Welsh Cloud Forest by Paddy Jenks

12.15 Three Trips and the Most Northerly by Lyndon Lomax

13.00 Lunch

Afternoon Chair: Barbara Priest

14.30 Shearwaters by Professor Tim Guildford

15.30 Quiz by Steve Sutcliffe

Followed by the RAFFLE with Bob & Annie Haycock

1600 Tea

16.30 Passage to India by Derek Moore OBE

17.30 Close of Conference Dr Madeleine Havard

WeBS Sept 2009

The September counts were incomplete - lots of gaps including some of mine, I confess. The counts put on line (including Teifi counts) so far add up to the following:

Barnacle Goose 34
Bar-tailed Godwit 25
Black-headed Gull 1104
Black-tailed Godwit 12
Brent Goose 5
Brent Goose (Light-bellied) 2
Canada Goose 740
Common Gull 2
Common Sandpiper 7
Common Scoter 1
Coot 39
Cormorant 27
Curlew 515
Dunlin 133
Glossy Ibis 1
Golden Plover 2
Great Black-backed Gull 105
Great Crested Grebe 10
Greenshank 12
Grey Heron 23
Grey Plover 1
Guillemot 1
Herring Gull 950
Hybrid duck 3
Kingfisher 3
Knot 7
Lapwing 1
Lesser Black-backed Gull 509
Little Egret 54
Little Grebe 18
Mallard 344
Mediterranean Gull 8
Moorhen 29
Mute Swan 165
Oystercatcher 324
Razorbill 1
Redshank 145
Ringed Plover 65
Sanderling 4
Shag 10
Shelduck 16
Snipe 7
Spotted Crake 1
Teal 163
Tufted Duck 28
Turnstone 46
Water Rail 3
Whimbrel 1
Wigeon 2595
Grand Total 8318

Wetland Bird Survey 2009-10

It's getting around to the season for WeBS counts again.

There are several sites that need new counters, due to the previous counters retiring. So, if you fancy doing a monthly count at one of the following sites, please let me know:

Western Cleddau - Hook to Sprinkle,
Eastern Cleddau,
Millin Pill,
Cosheston Pill,
Westfield Pill,
Pwllcrochan Flats
Trefloyne Pools.

If anyone wants to do a count in August, the official date is August 23rd - regular counters can enter their data directly, if anyone else does a site, send me the data and I'll input it. Dates for the regular season are as follows.

20th September
11th October
22nd November
20th December
17th January
21st February
14th March

BTO atlas - 1st summer

We apologise for being out of contact with everyone regarding the BTO atlas. We have been working away in the background, and have managed to produce this map from last summer's data. The dark blue dots show the areas with lots of species recorded, the white dots where few species are recorded, and a lot of obvious blanks where we'd really like you to do some recording.
This data was sent to us as a spreadsheet last November, so there may well be some data that went in later, especially from paper forms, that aren't included. Also not included are records without breeding codes. Recording whether the bird is in suitable breeding habitat, singing, etc is just as valuable as records of definite nesting.

With regard to timed tetrad counts, there are still twenty or so tetrads available, particularly in SM83, SM93, and SN23. For those of you who have volunteered to do timed tetrads, please remember to do the first visit before the end of May, and the second before the end of July. Records of early breeding birds, or late breeding birds, outside of the April to July period are also useful.

Thanks for all your work so far, and we look forward to producing updated maps full of lots of dots later this year.

BTO Atlas 1st winter results

We now have the Pembrokeshire data for the first winter season of the new BTO atlas. There are almost 15,000 records for Pembrokeshire - a huge effort and many thanks to those who have contributed.

The map gives an indication of the number of species recorded so far in each tetrad.

Green patches - no records yet

Grey squares are less than seven species and probably mostly represent birds recorded while someone is driving through a square.

Darkest red squares have between 35 and 70 species recorded - the result of timed tetrad visits, and people recording in the tetrads where they live or visit most often.

We have records from 358 tetrads
152 species were recorded

A minimum of 225,573 individual birds were recorded (where no count was entered, the number is assumed to be one - so really there were lots more)

At least 59 people contributed - not all from Pembrokeshire, and indeed one person has an address in Finland.

Lots more effort is needed, especially in the middle and north-east of the county, so please do contribute in the coming season - fieldwork starts again on November 1st.

Wetland Bird Survey - August 2008

We don't do a regular August WeBS count, but noting a number of observations recorded on the Pembrokeshire Birds blog, I've compiled a maximum August count for the Cleddau Estuary (not all sectors were looked at, and not all on the same dates, and not all lists were comprehensive, so these totals are just an indication of what was around):

Bar-tailed Godwit - 2
Black-headed Gull - 333
Black-tailed Godwit - 28
Canada Goose - present
Common Gull - 5
Common Sandpiper - 9
Curlew - 381
Dunlin - 433 - mostly at Angle Bay early in the month
Great Crested Grebe - 1
Green Sandpiper - 2
Greenshank - 29
Grey Heron - 5
Grey Plover - 1
Herring Gull - 1
Knot - 2
Lesser Black-back Gull - 2
Little Egret - 62
Mallard - 96
Mediterranean Gull - 9
Mute Swan - 3
Oystercatcher - 127
Redshank - 265 - half these were on the Little Milford to H-west section early in the month.
Ringed Plover - 80 - mostly at Angle Bay early in the month
Sanderling - 15
Snipe - 8
Snow Goose - 1
Spotted Redshank - 2
Teal - 94
Turnstone - 11
Whimbrel - 14
Wood Sandpiper - 1

Breeding Bird Survey

I hope all volunteers have got their BBS forms etc by now, and are planning their first visit - if they haven't already done it.

We've just about managed to average 20 squares done each year since the foot and mouth outbreak interrupted survey work. There are still a dozen or so squares available in Pembrokeshire, so it's not too late to sign up for one if you'd like to have a go.

Data from BBS squares will be used in the BTO atlas.

Instructions can be found at http://blx1.bto.org/bbs/

Happy counting!

RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch

In this annual event over the weekend of 26 and 27 January 2008, almost 400,000 people counted more than six million birds across 228,000 gardens.

I don't know how many gardens were recorded in Pembrokeshire, but the top ten species are listed below, with the average number of each per garden.

Starling 7.80
Chaffinch 5.49
House sparrow 5.18
Blue tit 3.90
Blackbird 2.31
Great tit 2.03
Greenfinch 1.85
Robin 1.60
Collared dove 1.55
Jackdaw 1.54

More information at http://www.rspb.org.uk/birdwatch/results/

BTO Atlas

We are now into the 4th and final month of the first winter period of the Atlas. The weather has not always been particularly helpful, but the fieldwork effort has got off to a pretty good start.

Timed Tetrads

From records submitted on line so far, timed tetrad visits (TTVs) have been made in 73 out of 98 tetrads allocated since November. Twenty-five of these have received both early and late visits. The second visits have to be in either January or February, so there is still quite a lot to do! A minimum of one hour is all that is required per allocated tetrad, so please try to complete your second visits by the end of Feb. otherwise it will be too late!

Just to reiterate the protocols for TTVs. Both winter visits have to be done in the same winter season, so if you have not done the first visit yet, please leave this until next November and try to complete the two winter visits then. However, spring is not so far away, so you can do paired timed counts between April and July for the breeding season element - more about that a little nearer the time!

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Roving Records

Thanks to everyone who has submitted on line roving records - whether directly to the Atlas web site or via Bird Track. The coverage has been pretty good so far, with records from 28 out of 29 ten km squares.
The only 10 km square that currently appears blank is SM62 (offshore islands - west side of Ramsey and Bishops and Clerks). Hopefully, Greg and Lisa Morgan have managed to get some coverage from Ramsey to help fill this gap.

However, don't assume that every dot means complete coverage of a tetrad or a 10 km square - it could be only a single species recorded there.

The Pembrokeshire Bird Group has signed an agreement with the BTO allowing us to have access to all the Pembrokeshire records for our own local atlas needs. Once we have this information, we'll be able to produce maps showing how many species have been recorded in each tetrad - so you'll be able to see where more coverage is needed next winter. Over the next 3 winters it will be great if we can add roving records from all tetrads - we are certainly well on the way to achieving this.

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Owls

As the end of the winter approaches, it would useful to update the owl distribution maps. These are difficult species to find, but anybody hearing or seeing any of our owls could improve the distribution map. So please do look or listen out for them.

Bird Atlas update

To date we have allocated 102 squares for timed tetrad visits, and 68 of them have had a first visit completed and entered on-line. A few more will be done on paper and entered at the end of the winter. As some people have volunteered for several tetrads to be done over the 4 years of the survey, this is a really good start.

Both winter visits to a tetrad have to be done in the same season, so we hope everyone is gearing up for their second visits before the end of February.

Spring visits start in April, so anyone who wants to volunteer for a tetrad in those areas not yet covered - there are still some 50 squares available.

We are also doing quite well for roving records, with some records entered for over 260 of the 480 tetrads in the county. Some of these are records of one species, others are lists of over forty species. So there is plenty of room for more records!

Garden Birdwatch records will be added in the spring, and some records from Birdtrack haven't come on line yet.

Many thanks to all of you who have contributed so far, and please keep up the good work.

Maps of coverage to date can be found at http://blx1.bto.org/atlas-results/allocpemb.html and more information about taking part can be found at www.bto.org/birdatlas

BTO Atlas

Everyone should be aware by now of the new BTO wintering and breeding bird atlas. It has had plenty of coverage on the TV and radio, and in magazines etc. We do need people to contribute their records, either through birdtrack, or the garden birdwatch, or directly to the Atlas itself.

In addition to general birdwatching records, there are "Timed Tetrad Visits" which are designed to give an idea of the relative abundance of common species across the country. You are not expected to see every species or every bird during your hour or two in the tetrad, but to simply count what you do see.

In Pembrokeshire we need to survey about 140 squares in this way, and to date have signed up volunteers for 52 of them. You can sign up for a tetrad now, or preferably four tetrads to be done over the four years.

Full details are on the BTO website www.bto.org/birdatlas

We've been looking at other counties, and Pembrokeshire is way behind in terms of the proportion of tetrads signed up and the number that have already had their first visits. Also, coverage by casual records seems relatively low, so please help us catch up at least by putting your records into birdtrack.

WeBS October

Help needed: a volunteer needed to count the Cleddau section between Little Milford and Haverfordwest - just this month while Trevor is on holiday.

New counters needed: Dowrog Pools (St David's), Trefloyne Pools (Tenby).

Please email me rushmoor1@tiscali.co.uk

BTO Atlas - breeding and wintering bird survey.

The new BTO atlas season kicks off in November this year, and all records are welcome. If you usually put your records into Birdtrack, they will count for the new atlases.

But in addition to general records, the BTO would like some systematic counts done so that they can get an estimate of the density of birds in different parts of the country. These systematic counts involve a commitment to visit a particular tetrad (or more than one) twice during the winter, and twice during the summer. The following season you can do different tetrads. The idea is to make counts of the species that you see in a one hour or a two-hour period. You are not expected to find all the species in the tetrad, just to count the ones you do find when visiting as much of the square as practical.

You can sign-up to a tetrad on-line - those of you who take part in WeBS, the garden bird survey or Birdtrack will have noticed an extra option on the BTO survey log-in page. You can also sign up directly at http://www.bto.org/birdatlas/index.htm and then choose a tetrad or two - a request then comes to me and if no-one else has already taken that tetrad, I'll allocate it to you. I should receive the recording forms soon, and send them out to you. I'll also be giving a talk to the North Pembs group in November, and Bob and I will be promoting the atlas at the Bird conference.

We haven't had any systematic atlasing in the winter in Pembrokeshire since the last BTO winter atlas (1980s) so I hope you'll all take part.

Wetland Bird Survey

The 2007-08 season starts on September 16th, and I'll be sending out the recording forms soon. From this season, you can enter your results directly on-line.

Help needed for September - Jane Hodges has damaged her knee and won't be able to do the September counts, so if there are any volunteers for Sandy Haven or Bicton Reservoirs, please contact me and I'll send details of the sites. Jane hopes to be back doing surveys the following month.

The survey work for the Breeding Birds Atlas is now in its final year and we should have at least some coverage of all the tetrads in the county by the end of this season. The map above shows where coverage is still needed. We really ought to be able to turn most of the county yellow - more than 40 species per tetrad. So if anyone would like to help, let us know which area you are interested in, and I will send a map showing which tetrads have less than 30 species, so that you can concentrate your effort where it is needed most.

Meanwhile, you should be able to find signs of some species breeding at this time of year - ravens, crossbills, raptors - the nests of these birds are often more visible when there are no leaves on the trees. Look for Goshawks and others displaying over suitable habitat.During the spring and summer we are particularly keen for records of Green Woodpecker, Lesser Spotted Woodpecker, Spotted and Pied Flycatchers, Yellowhammers, Skylarks.

If it's easier for casual records, just read off the 1km grid reference from the map which we can turn into the correct tetrad.

Breeding Bird Survey 2007

I'll be sending out survey forms in a couple of weeks time. If anybody would like to volunteer to do a survey, please look at the map for any open points in an area you would like. The filled points are already taken. Then contact me at rushmoor1@tiscali.co.uk

The survey only takes three mornings during the spring and summer, and the results can be entered on-line or on paper forms.

More information can be found at the BTO website - http://www.bto.org/bbs/index.htm

WeBS counts totals for January 2007 -
all Pembrokeshire sites

Red-throated Diver 8
Great Northern Diver 7
Little Grebe 63
Great Crested Grebe 35
Cormorant 68
Shag 2
Little Egret 49
Grey Heron 13
Mute Swan 136
Whooper Swan 2
Canada Goose 598
Dark-bellied Brent Goose 1
Light-bellied Brent Goose 5
Shelduck 406
Wigeon 1601
Gadwall 16
Teal 1337
Mallard 567
Shoveler 51
Pochard 2
Tufted Duck 21
Scaup 1
Goldeneye 32
Red-breasted Merganser 1
Goosander 14
Water Rail 4
Moorhen 102
Coot 288
Oystercatcher 560
Ringed Plover 34
Golden Plover 300
Grey Plover 17
Lapwing 3116
Purple Sandpiper 3
Dunlin 1096
Jack Snipe 2
Snipe 291
Woodcock 2
Black-tailed Godwit 1
Bar-tailed Godwit 10
Curlew 1011
Spotted Redshank 1
Redshank 675
Greenshank 8
Common Sandpiper 1
Turnstone 84
Kingfisher 2
Mediterranean Gull 6
Black-headed Gull 4556
Common Gull 72
Lesser Black-backed Gull 62
Herring Gull 1161
Great Black-backed Gull 57
Kittiwake 1
Snow Goose 2
Iceland Gull 1
Razorbill 2
Bonxie 1