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

WeBS counts totals for December 2006 all Pembrokeshire sites

Red-throated Diver 3
Great Northern Diver 4
Little Grebe 83
Great Crested Grebe 30
Cormorant 52
Shag 2
Little Egret 59
Grey Heron 23
Mute Swan 171
Canada Goose 916
Light-bellied Brent Goose 4
Shelduck 440
Wigeon 2835
Gadwall 14
Teal 1178
Mallard 624
Shoveler 34
Pochard 3
Tufted Duck 22
Common Scoter 43
Goldeneye 24
Red-breasted Merganser 1
Goosander 11
Water Rail 11
Moorhen 117
Coot 289
Oystercatcher 560
Ringed Plover 44
Golden Plover 200
Grey Plover 25
Lapwing 1799
Purple Sandpiper 2
Dunlin 2172
Jack Snipe 5
Snipe 235
Black-tailed Godwit 10
Bar-tailed Godwit 11
Curlew 974
Spotted Redshank 5
Redshank 512
Greenshank 16
Green Sandpiper 1
Turnstone 71
Kingfisher 4
Mediterranean Gull 4
Black-headed Gull 1996
Common Gull 62
Lesser Black-backed Gull 130
Herring Gull 417
Great Black-backed Gull 29
Feral/hybrid goose 1
Feral/hybrid mallard type 23
Snow Goose 2
Iceland Gull 1
Buzzard 5Merlin 1
Peregrine 3

Total 16311

WeBS counts - Pembrokeshire totals for November 2006

Red-throated Diver 1
Great Northern Diver 1
Little Grebe 72
Great Crested Grebe 11
Cormorant 33
Shag 8
Little Egret 43
Grey Heron 22
Mute Swan 55
Canada Goose 223
Shelduck 265
Wigeon 7699
Teal 957
Mallard 315
Pintail 19
Shoveler 10
Tufted Duck 1
Common Scoter 34
Goldeneye 1
Water Rail 3
Moorhen 18
Oystercatcher 431
Ringed Plover 42
Golden Plover 1
Grey Plover 1
Lapwing 2070
Purple Sandpiper 1
Dunlin 1204
Snipe 20
Curlew 755
Spotted Redshank 1
Redshank 622
Greenshank 15
Common Sandpiper 1
Turnstone 77
Kingfisher 3
Mediterranean Gull 3
Black-headed Gull 1605
Common Gull 44
Lesser Black-backed Gull 228
Herring Gull 460
Great Black-backed Gull 44
Kittiwake 1
Iceland Gull 1

Pembs Total 17421

The 2006 National Dartford Warbler survey

Until 2003, when six pairs of Dartford Warblers were found in one location (at least three of which reared young), there had been no previous reported evidence of them breeding in Pembrokeshire (Pembs Bird Report 2003). This year’s national Dartford Warbler survey therefore provided an opportunity to find out if they were still maintaining a foothold in the county, or if there were indications of further population expansion.

Between April and June 2006, 55 tetrads (2km x 2km OS squares) were checked for presence of Dartford Warblers and evidence of probable or confirmed breeding. These included a few targeted locations where there had been recent breeding evidence. Most of the remaining locations surveyed were squares randomly selected by the BTO/RSPB.

Despite a cold, wet and rather unpromising early spring, results were encouraging.

Between 14 and 18 Dartford Warbler territories were recorded in suitable habitat. This was based on mapped registrations of singing/calling males, displaying birds/pairs, or adults with food or young.

Three pairs were just over the border in Carmarthenshire, the remainder were in seven separate tetrads in Pembrokeshire.

It is still early days, but the survey shows that the population, although still small and potentially vulnerable to predation and the vagaries of weather, is still expanding its range within the County.

None of the randomly selected squares had much suitable heathland habitat and no Dartford Warblers were found in them. However, at least 38 Stonechat territories (Stonechats were an additional species to record) were found. These were reported in more than 50% of the tetrads visited – providing some additional information for the ongoing Pembrokeshire Breeding Birds survey.

Fieldwork for the survey relied on a team of volunteers. The following observers contributed records:

John Best, Sam Bosanquet, Ian Bullock, Jonathon Copp, Richard Crossen, Richard Ellis, Steve Gerlach, Bob Haycock, Jane Hodges, Greg Morgan, Trevor Price, Graham Rees, Steve Sutcliffe and Matt Sutton.

October WeBS counts for Pembrokeshire

Red-throated Diver 1
Little Grebe 63
Great Crested Grebe 8
Cormorant 55
Shag 6
Little Egret 51
Grey Heron 31
Mute Swan 152
Greylag Goose 1
Canada Goose 872
Shelduck 14
Wigeon 3812
Teal 1451
Mallard 1076
Tufted Duck 3
Moorhen 141
Coot 79
Oystercatcher 525
Ringed Plover 34
Golden Plover 161
Dunlin 72
Snipe 40
Black-tailed Godwit 4
Bar-tailed Godwit 5
Whimbrel 1
Curlew 798
Redshank 227
Greenshank 16
Common Sandpiper 2
Turnstone 19
Kingfisher 3
Mediterranean Gull 12
Black-headed Gull 4615
Common Gull 1
Lesser Black-backed Gull 443
Herring Gull 1438
Great Black-backed Gull 96
Sandwich Tern 7
Guillemot 1
Razorbill 3
Sparrowhawk 1
Buzzard 6
Kestrel 1
Peregrine 2

September WeBS counts for Pembrokeshire

Little Grebe 44

Cormorant 57

Shag 2

Little Egret 77

Grey Heron 46

Mute Swan 174

Greylag Goose 2

Canada Goose 1972

Barnacle Goose 6

Light-bellied Brent Goose 1

Shelduck 23

Wigeon 914

Gadwall 3

Teal 600

Mallard 684

Pintail 6

Moorhen 75

Coot 90

Oystercatcher 580

Ringed Plover 61

Grey Plover 2

Knot 13

Sanderling 12

Dunlin 86

Ruff 1

Snipe 21

Bar-tailed Godwit 1

Whimbrel 1

Curlew 517

Spotted Redshank 1

Redshank 175

Greenshank 40

Common Sandpiper 4

Turnstone 50

Kingfisher 6

Mediterranean Gull 10

Black-headed Gull 2018

Common Gull 2

Lesser Black-backed Gull 172

Herring Gull 1045

Great Black-backed Gull 50

Sandwich Tern 10

Common Tern 1

Feral/hybrid goose 2

Manx Shearwater 2

Bar-headed Goose 2

Razorbill 1

Sparrowhawk 1

Buzzard 1

Peregrine 3

Wetland Bird Survey

The next count is on October 8th. We are looking for counters for the Pwllcrochan Flats and Trefloyne Pools. Any volunteers with reasonable ID skills for waders and wildfowl, please contact us - rushmoor1@tiscali.co.uk

Winter Plover Survey - Volunteers needed

More information at http://www.bto.org/survey/special/w-plover.htm

We have been allocated some random tetrads for survey, so any volunteers would be much appreciated. Contact me and I'll send the recording forms and maps. rushmoor1@tiscali.co.uk

St Bride's
Hermon (up in the north-east)
Templeton
Puncheston Common/Dyffryn Mawr area
Dudwells
Portheiddy/Llanrhian
Clarbeston Road
Dinas Island
Gupton Burrows
Merrion/Warren (Castlemartin).

Survey dates are based around the weekends of Oct 8th, Nov 19th, Dec 17th, Jan 21st, Feb 18th (same as Wetland Bird Survey)

All other records of Lapwing and Golden Plovers should be put onto the BTO website or birdtrack.

BTO summer surveys

Anyone taking part in the Breeding Bird Survey, the Waterways Breeding Bird Survey, the Dartford Warbler Survey, the Scarce Woodland Bird Survey or any other BTO survey that I've missed, please get your forms to us as soon as possible. For the Breeding Bird Survey, you can input your data directly onto the BTO BBS website, and so far four people have done so this year - I get a message saying that you have input data, so then I can stop chasing you for it.

Pembrokeshire Breeding Bird Atlas

With the season for breeding birds now pretty much at an end (though there were still a few wrens fledging in the last few days) I hope you can all find time soon to get all your records onto recording sheets and sent to Graham Rees as soon as possible. If things have gone to plan, we should end the season with some records for every tetrad in the county.
Even if you haven't recorded anything specifically for the atlas, records of green woodpecker, lesser spotted woodpecker, redstart and spotted flycatcher (among others) will be very much appreciated.

NB Graham Rees (Pembrokeshire Bird Recorder)
22 Priory Road, Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire, SA67 8BB