Llanelli Naturalists Newsletter - October 2001 - No 67
Ian Morgan

A Great Crested Grebe put in an appearance at Machynys Pond on 6 July – this species successfully bred at Ashpits Pond, Burry Port where Dave Powell (DMP), Diana Jones and other observers reported 3 young birds; this grebe is likely to increase on the new water bodies of the Llanelli coastal belt.  A species that is already doing very well in the county is the Greylag, which bred successfully at Machynys Pond and it is now recorded regularly in the Machynys – Penclacwydd area, where a maximum of 99 birds were seen late in 2000.  No less than 156 Greylags were counted on the Tâf in October, together with one Barnacle Goose (Martin Humphries  & Tina Freeman); Neil Matthew (NRM) later had 2 Barnacle Geese here.  Incidentally, back in January 2000, the same observers censused no less than 12,267 Golden Plovers and 2894 Lapwings on pastures near Ginst Point.

On 21 August, Ed Smith luckily spotted a Hobby as it hunted Swallows over the ski-slope at Pembrey Country Park and Neil Lewis (NL) had another at Llangunnor on 11 September.  Iwan Evans recorded 4 juvenile Black Terns at the mouth of the Afon Lliedi at Seaside, Llanelli  on 6 September, where a Yellow-legged Herring Gull was seen later in the same month.  Jeff Davies reported a Kingfisher over a pond within the Huntsman Chemical Works (Bynea) and Thomas Morgan (TM) spotted another at the Lower Lliedi Reservoir on the same day (13/8); one was also at Nevill’s Dock, Llanelli on 3/2.

Owl sightings include a Little Owl (19/7) and a more frequent Barn Owl (20/12, 18/1 and 8/3) alongside the Kidwelly by-pass (R N Stringer).  Another Barn Owl was seen perched on a fence at dusk close to the Berwick Roundabout, Bynea by the writer and TM on New Year’s Eve.

Nearby, a female or immature Marsh Harrier was present at WWT Penclacwydd on 1 October and a female Merlin was at Ginst Point on 12/11 (MH, TF); a female was also on Pembrey Airfield on 20/10 and another at Machynys on 3/3.  Colin Richards saw a single passage Dotterel at Garreg Lwyd in August and September – a site where they are more usually noted on spring migration.  Later on 20/11, NL had 1000+ Golden Plovers near Kidwelly Quay and 2 Green Sandpipers beside Commissioners’ Bridge over the Gwendraeth Fawr.  Julian Friese (JF) reports that there was no methodical survey of Little Ringed Plovers on the Tywi in 2000 but new pairs were located at the Carmarthen by-pass, a restored but still bare open cast site at Gilfach Iago, Saron and another at the WDA factory site at Capel Hendre.  Stubble fields with a wealth of spilled grain and weed seeds are now a rarity in the county (and mostly encouraged by agri-environment schemes such as Tir Gofal).  The value of such fields was proven in Autumn 2000 when JF recorded up to 50 Stock Doves at Hafod Neddyn near Broad Oak, Llandeilo.  Urban wasteground also provides a rich source of weed seeds for finches – this was reflected by the c180 Linnets at Machynys on 23/9. A good autumn passage record was NRM’s 2 Yellow Wagtails (30/8) at Ty Gwyn Pond near Ffairfach, including one of the grey-headed race. 

The best autumn/winter bird was the Lesser Yellowlegs, a rare transatlantic wader, which was discovered on the saltmarsh below Laugharne Castle on 12 November by MH & TG, this individual was still present in late April after many birdwatchers had made a pilgrimage to see it.  A female Goosander which overwintered on the Ashpits Pond, (it first appeared in October, DMP) was doubtless feasting on the fish which had been used to stock this pond.  In early December, there were 5 Whooper Swans at Dryslwyn (Rob Colley) and a Ruff at Ginst Point; 5 Little Egrets were present on the Gwendraeth Estuary in that month (Ian Hainsworth).  NRM also saw 5 over Berwick Roundabout, Bynea.

The cryptically-camouflaged Woodcock was flushed at a few woodland sites in early 2001 – at Cwm Clydach, Pontnewydd (12/1) Cwm Dulais, Stradey Woods (8/3) and Troserch Woods (13/3).  A Green Sandpiper was observed feeding on the waterlogged Pembrey Airfield on 19 January, whilst nearby a pair of Stock Doves were seen; another Green Sandpiper was on the saltmarsh creeks at Llangennech on 4 March. 

NRM had several (mostly autumn) Green Sandpipers in the Tywi Valley, including a sunbathing bird on 10/9.  He also had 2 Jack Snipe sightings – one on saltings below Pencoed, Bynea (18/10) and another near Berwick Roundabout, Bynea (22/2).  Neil also had a Merlin over saltmarsh near Pencoed on 10/10.

NRM also commented on a big influx of Wood Pigeons into the Tywi Valley in mid-November (eg c. 500 birds on 14/11), when he also recorded 10 Whooper Swans at Dryslwyn.  Neil also reported 2 rarities – a Richard’s Pipit at Manordeilo (9/11) and a Little Bunting near Cynghordy on 9/2 (he also, incidentally, previously had the First County Record of the latter).  Tree Sparrows continue to regularly visit the feeders in his garden at ‘Towy View’ (near Ffairfach), with a minimum of 25 there on 10/2.  A week earlier (3/2) at Dinefwr Oxbows (below Dinefwr Castle on the Tywi floodplain), he had 10 Gadwall, a pair of Shoveler and 2 male Pintails.

A handsome Great Crested Grebe in full breeding regalia was at Sandy Water Park on 8 March, whilst the almost bare and un-vegetated Machynys golf course ponds held a pair of Canada Geese, a pair of Greylags, 14 Pochard and 7 Teal on the same day; it will be interesting to see how these ponds mature in terms of habitat and birds in coming years.  An extensive, shallowly-flooded area just south of Machynys Pond supported 3 pairs of Shoveler, a pair of Greylags and 2 noisy pairs of territorial Lapwings on 27 March.  Pairs of Pochard, Tufted Duck and Gadwall were on the adjacent Machynys Pond.  Diana Jones reported having a good view of a Water Rail in a dyke alongside the railway line, south of the Ashpits Pond on 27/3 – a locality where she has seen the species on previous occasions.  With  birds of prey, a single Kite was seen several times over Troserch Woods near Llangennech in late summer 2000 (Mike Jones) and a Short-eared Owl flew buoyantly around the ruins of Machynys Farm (on the hillock to the west of Machynys Pond) until it was chased off by crows on 27 March.  Two Wheatears were nearby. 

However, the earliest spring migrant was a Sand Martin at Llandeilo on 8 March (Anne-Marie McDevitt), and Richard Pryce and Kath & Christopher Cottingham had the first singing Chiff Chaff – at Dafen Pond on 11 March; Neil Matthew reported the first Little Ringed Plover on the Tywi at Llandeilo on 1st of that month.  On 28 March, a Willow Warbler was singing at Penclacwydd, with the first singing male Blackcap arriving in Stradey Woods on 1 April.

WWT Penclacwydd continues to provide many outstanding records.  Breeding highlights are given first of all and it can be seen that this is now a very significant site for a number of species, which is remarkable given that very little originally nested at this location.  Lapwing, Redshank and Shelduck young suffered badly in the cold, wet weather in early spring.  I am grateful to Nigel Williams for providing the following information:

Nigel Williams and Wendell Thomas have, in addition to the above information, provided monthly updates for the period under review, from which a few highlights have been extracted and are given below:

In July 2000, Little Egret numbers built up steadily to 45 birds and they were accompanied by 2 Spoonbills on 16 and 17/7.  Up to 8 Mediterranean Gulls were also present amongst the many Black-headed Gulls roosting at the site.  Two Garganeys and a Curlew Sandpiper were other highlights.  August easily eclipsed the July Little Egret record when 70 birds were counted – a new Welsh and WWT Centre record.  An adult Mediterranean Gull (4/8), a female Garganey and a female Scaup (29/8) were other species of interest.  Amongst the waders, 4 Curlew Sandpipers, 7 Ruff and 12 Spotted Redshank were seen.  Interestingly, 2 Kingfishers were seen in late August feeding a fledgling at the ‘Millennium Wetland’, strongly suggesting that this species bred locally.  September saw 50 Little Egrets, 6 Water Rails, a Marsh Harrier (4/9), Wood Sandpiper (14/9), Little Gull (16/9), Black Tern (28/9) and Scaup (29/9) amongst the myriad of ‘goodies’ noted at Penclacwydd.  105 Coots and 175 Moorhens were counted that month.

The Marsh Harrier continued to be present into October 2000, when a ‘ringtail’ Hen Harrier put in an appearance; other raptors included up to 3 Peregrines, a Merlin, 2 Barn Owl and a Short-eared Owl.  The winter’s first Redwing appeared on 9/10.  Up to 8 Water Rails, 47 Brent Geese, 800 Wigeon, 95 Shoveler and 36 Gadwall were additionally seen.  Things quietened down in November, but 5 Whooper Swans (2 adult, 3 juvenile) were present.  The last of the year’s Swallows were seen on 6/11 and the winter’s first Fieldfare two days later.

In December raptors were again interesting, with a ringtail Hen Harrier, A male and female Merlin and 2 Barn Owls regularly seen on calm days.  Two Little Owls and a Tawny Owl also were present.  A Little Gull joined the gull roost on 10/12.  With the wildfowl, 288 Brent Geese, 75 Greylags, 135 Shelducks and 192 Shoveler were counted, along with 4 Red-breasted Mergansers offshore.

January 2001 had some interesting birds.  A Pink-footed Goose was on the estuary on 22nd as was a Great Northern Diver (15/1), Red-throated Diver (28/1), Slavonian Grebe (28/1) and a Black-necked Grebe (29/1).  A Firecrest was seen in the Millennium Wetland (17/1) and a Mediterranean Gull appeared on the tide on 22/1.  Up to 11 Water Rails and 15 Little Egrets were present and 73 Gadwall was a new Centre record.  Six Goldeneye were also offshore, and 2 Green Sandpipers were noted on 14/1.  February saw the Goldeneye numbers increase to 9 birds and a Cormorant of the sinensis race was seen.  In the maturing woodland part of the Reserve, 10 Siskins and a Treecreeper appeared in February.

March 2001 brought in a crop of migrants and other interesting species such as a Jack Snipe on 3/3 and 14/3 and 3 Water Pipits on 21/3.  The first Wheatears, Whinchat, Swallows, Sand Martin, House Martin and Willow Warbler were seen in the second half of the month and 52 Little Egrets were seen on an evening roost count.  A Cetti’s Warbler was singing on 25/3.

Lastly, readers may be interested to learn of 2 pairs of urban Rooks that were nest repairing etc in a tree just outside the entrance stairway to Llanelli Leisure Centre, the birds probably foraging on grassland in the nearby coastal park.

I am grateful to all those observers who submitted records. Please continue to sent details of any unusual sightings, early or late dates, etc. to I K Morgan, c/o Countryside Council for Wales, Beechwood Offices, Talley Road, Llandeilo, SA19 7HR.