Llanelli Naturalists Newsletter - December 1983
Ian Morgan
Still present after early September gales, a Grey Phalarope and a Sabine’s Gull were around the Burry Port Power Station - Cefn Padrig area on the 19th. Later in the month (27th) an Osprey was recorded further up the Estuary, being seen from the Gower side - but no doubt crossing the county boundary). In recent years, Ospreys have been regularly seen in the Burry Inlet during autumn, often lingering for a fete days, but rarely seen in spring. The birds could well be those which now have colonised Scotland, the 30 pairs nesting in 1982 reared 45 young - a potential 105 birds for ornithologists to spot on passage in a recent autumn G. Harper and Dave Powell were amazed to see one flying along a ride in Pembrey Forest with a fish in its talons?. An Osprey once turned up at the Ashpits Pond - near Burry Port again to the disbelief of the observers!!
Those who attended the Llanelli R.S.P.B. Group's trip to Strumble head on October 1st, in addition to the usual Choughs, Grey Seals (including pups) and various seabirds had reasonable views of a female Velvet Scoter swimming close inshore in the company of gulls and showing periodically the white flashes on the wings. On the same day Geoff Evans noted 9 Little Stints amongst the Sanderlings on Cefn Sidon. A week later an injured Red-throated Diver was seen in Pembrey Forest but was still active enough to escape.
A new spell of high winds in mid-October resulted in the appearance of 2 Grey Phalaropes and a dark-phase Arctic Skua off the Power Station whilst the same date (15th) 3 Reeves (female Ruff) were feeding among the large Golden Plover (minimum 275) and Lapwing (300+) flocks at Pembrey Airfield (“Eastwoods”), also a late late Wheatear and 12 late Swallows were seen. Wheatears wore noticeable on passage at Pembrey with c. 20 seen in one day by Mrs. Watson. Late (October) Wheatears may be the larger so-called “Greenland Wheatears”, i.e. those nesting in Greenland and Iceland; they occur on passage later than more southerly populations. Again at Pembrey, Peter Davis checking a flock of Greenfinches and Reed Buntings luckily found a Lapland Bunting amongst them. Again on the 15th, bird watchers who ventured to Strumble Head had an excellent day with the following spp. being recorded - 6 Sooty Shearwaters, a few Balearic Shearwaters, 2 Little Shearwaters, 30 Arctic Skuas, 2 Long-tailed Skuas, 6 Pomarine Skuas and a Gull-billed Tern amongst more common seabirds. (A week earlier a Cory's Shearwater was seen).
An immature Little Gull has been seen at Burry Port and at the "second slip", Pwll; whilst on the 20th (or thereabouts) the first White-fronted Geese were at Dryslwyn after migrating from northern U.S.S.R: The next day Redwings and a Fieldfare were heard flying overhead for the first time this winter - listen out for the "seeh...see..." calls of Redwings and the chatter of Fieldfares at night. As if to confuse one about the season 4 Swallows were present on the 21st at Tywyn Point and a House Martin at Pwll on the 19th. Skylarks, diurnal migrants, were passing overhead in quantity in the last week of October.
At Cencoed--uchaf (near Cwmbach) that secretive woodpecker the Lesser-Spotted was observed at close range; it nests in Stradey Woods and has also occurred in Cwm Lliedi and Llwynhendy in recent years. All three species of woodpecker breed locally, but the Green Woodpecker was much reduced after the hard winter of 1981-1982. Late October saw an influx of migrant Blackbirds (mostly males - with many immature); they often feed in small flocks unlike the resident, territorial local Blackbirds. Again in the last week of October, a female Merlin put in a welcome appearance at Pembrey Airfield and a Peregrine is back at its "winter beat" at Machynys. A Green Sandpiper has been frequenting Upper Lliedi Reservoir where the wintering Pochard and Tufted Duck have returned, Woodcock are back in Stradey Woods - winter visitors (though sometimes breeding) from else where in Britain and the Continent. There is an old ringing recovery (1939) of a (young) bird ringed in Lancashire being recovered in Carmarthenshire, in February.
Winter passerines are certainly worth checking - look out for Snow Buntings on Cefn Sidan, Pembrey and Llanelli beaches and white-rumped Bramblings in winter flocks of Chaffinches. Snow Buntings were seen at the above-mentioned sites in 1975-76 and Bramblings are reasonably frequent in the Chaffinch flocks on the coast (though sometimes, as in January 1976, in lace numbers) . A few years ago a Shore Lark delighted observers at Burry Pent Power Station; this locality also regularly has a Black Redstart in residence during the winter. Black Redstarts sometimes occur on passage - several were at St. Ishmaels Tywyn Point last November. In woodlands with much birch and alder look out for Redpolls and the rarer Siskin (the former also breeds in a larch plantation near Trimsaran); check all Goldcrests in case some are Firecrests (one was mist-netted by Jeremy Tallowin at Llandyry in the mid - 1970's).
Reed beds should be examined for Bearded Tits (seen c. 1973 at Trostre and regular at Oxwich) while wet thickets may one day hold Carmarthenshire's 1st Cetti's Warblers. Already in Glamorgan this fast-spreading, loud-voiced resident warbler should soon be with us. Finally, it would be worthwhile for the experienced ornithologist to keep an eye out for the difficult to identify Water Pipit - there is a past record for Eastwoods by L.J. Smith et al.
Other News: A new hide, ideal for winter Redwings and Fieldfares and summer Warblers has been erected in Pembrey Country Park. Contact the Warden for location etc.
Forthcoming R.S.P.B Meeting: "Bird-watching for Beginners" (non-members welcome). , Car Park, Lower Lliedi Reservoir Swiss Valley) 2.00 p.m. 26th November. Sat.
Thanks are due to all those who submitted records etc.
