Llanelli Naturalists Newsletter - December 1984
Ian Morgan
By late August, the autumn migration was already in full swing and numbers of waders and gulls were building up on the Carmarthenshire estuaries, a visit to the Gwendraeth on 28th August gave counts of 2500 Black-headed Gulls, 22 Common. Sand¬pipers, 1 Green Sandpiper, 44 Greenshank, 20+ Whimbrel and 3 passage Yellow Wagtails near Banc-y-Lord. Likewise, the next day at Penclacwydd (Machynys) gave a reasonable numbers of common waders, including a few Whimbrel and singles of Greenshank and Spotted Redshank. A small number of migrating Sand Martins and Swallows hawked for insects over the flooded saltmarsh whilst a Kingfisher fished in an adjacent drainage ditch.
Apart from a passage Whinchat, an exhausting walk across ‘Morfa Cydweli’ (Kidwelly Marsh) on 2nd September was fruitless (the tide was too low) same day Luke Gravett had a Little Stint at the Witchett Pool, he also informs us of Long-tailed Skuas passing Dyfed's premier sea-watching site - Strumble Head - on 5th September and a Buff-breasted Sandpiper at Dale (again Pembrokeshire). E.J. Smith recorded 4 Spotted Redshanks in the Llwchwr estuary on the same date. By the 9th September c. 2200 Oystercatchers were off Llanelli Beach, whilst Linnets at North Dock fed on seeds of two established alien plants, Hoary Mustard (Hirschfeldia incana) and Evening Primrose (Oenothera cambrica), offshore farther West at Burry Port Power Station were 37 ‘Commic’ Terns (a few identified were Arctic) and a single Sandwich.
Strumble Head excelled again on 9 September, with Sooty, Cory's and Balearic Shearwaters amongst the many Manx streaming past this fine headland. Gower too, had its rarities, with an Iceland Gull and two 'Meds.' at Blackpill. A calling Wren drew our attention to a roosting Barn Owl at Tywyn Burrows on 16th September; it was to prove to be the first of many Barn Owl records made this autumn. The same day at the Witchett, Laugharne yielded the first Ruff of the autumn, at nearby Ginst Point 8 Greenshank were tallied. This period saw a strong passage of small passerines e.g. at Pembrey Airfield 45+ Meadow Pipits, c. 70 Chaffinch, c. 30 Goldfinch and 25 Linnet. A departure date for local breeding Swallow as 17 September at Mynydd Pembre (Denys Williams).
The Gwendraeth Estuary began to re-assert itself on 22 September with an adult Mediterranean Gull near Salmon Scar (St. Ishmaels), later on Cefn Sidan a confident Little Stint (with some 380 Sanderling and 279 Dunlin) was examined in detail; even a passing Peregrine - which scared off the Sanderling and Dunlin before flying across to Gower - did not deter this tame, diminutive wader. By 22 September, Pembrokeshire it appears, was receiving the best of the rarities with no less than 5 Buff-breasted Sandpipers accompanied by a Baird 's Sandpiper at Dale Airfield! Strumble too, was first--class with Long-tailed Skuas, a Sabine’s Gull and Grey Phalaropes. Back in Carmarthenshire the next day at the Witchett Pool, was made worth-while with 29 Black--tailed (with 49 Bar-tailed), 2 Little Stints and a solitary Merlin.
An evening visit to Banc-y-Lord and the flooded Gwendraeth in fading light on 25 September was rewarded with 2 Reeves and a Ruff, 24 Greenshanks, 1400 Black-headed gulls, 2 Green Sandpipers, and growing duck no's (e.g. 80 Mallard). The rapidly rising tide was lapping against the Banc-y-Lord when we left in semi-darkness, gathered abundant mushrooms and were passed by a hunting Barn Owl on Pembrey Airfield.
Eastwards into Glamorgan, Wilf Nelson reports some interesting September birds at Kenfig Pool - Red-necked Grebe, Grey Phalarope, Little Stint, Osprey and Garganey, In the opposite direction, back once more at Strumble (21 September), the star attractions were a Pomarine Skua, petrels and Sabine’s Gulls. A week later, R.H. Davies recorded 15 Spotted Redshank together at Whiteford and the now resident Cetti's Warblers were still being recorded at Oxwich.
The passage of finches continued in late September with c. 350 Linnet, c. 150 Goldfinch and 25 Chaffinch at Tywyn Burrows on 30 September; that the passage of Goldfinches was not localized is suggested by the c. 100 Goldfinch at Ginst Point on the same day. A handful of Whinchats were passing through the Tywyn Burrows - Ffrwd area at this time, and Skylarks, often visible diurnal migrants, were passing over Llanelli on 30 September. A good number (c. 60) of House Martins passed southwards over Stradey on 5 October.
J.R. Ellis and R.O. Hunt were the first to see what was probably the best bird of the autumn on 6 October, a confiding (and patient!) immature Surf Scoter off Burry Port Power Station. The heavy Eider-like bill, the white patches on the side of the head and wings devoid of white patches were all clearly seen to advantage. On the evening of 6 October, the first of the autumn Redwings were flying over Llanelli they are often attracted by the town's bright lights In cloudy weather and their “seeh ... seeh" calls are a feature of overcast autumn nights. The berry crop has apparently failed in parts of North-west Europe but is opulently rich in the British Isles, so perhaps we can look forward to increased Redwing and Fieldfare numbers and also hopefully Waxwings too.
An excursion by Clive Jones to Oxwich on 9 October was amply rewarded not only by Cetti's Warblers but Bearded Tits also; Oxwich is rightly regarded as one of the finest reedbed reserve in South Britain and it is flanked by woodlands and cliffs equally rich in wildlife. Again on 9 October, R.H. Davies on a visit to Burry Port Power Station to see the Surf Scoter, managed to see 2 Grey Phalaropes and also the much rarer Red-necked Phalarope - all together for comparison. E.J.S. failed to locate them two days later but a Guillemot put in an appearance instead? R.D. Pryce informs us of the winters first Fieldfares at Carmarthen and Dryslwyn on 9-10 October. Ringed Plover numbers were quite high at Burry Port (104) and Llanelli beach (123) at this time.
On 14 October a visit to see the Surf Scoter also yielded. 3 Great-Crested Grebes and 4 immature/female Red-breasted Mergansers; but the best was to come! On the Gwendraeth (or should we start calling it the ‘Glorious Gwendraeth’ again?!), an Avocet was watched feeding at unbelievably close range in the company of a few Black-headed gulls. In a creek. The sideways bill-sweeps, the swimming of the bird in deeper water, and the curious, bouncing running gate as it ran across a mudflat all made a lasting impression. This bird may possibly overwinter on the Gwendraeth as did, one in the mid-1970's and a pair on the Tywi in 1980-1981; as is well-known, Avocets of (mostly) British stock winter in good numbers on certain West Country estuaries (e.g. Tamar-Exe), and we might see the day when this elegant wader will overwinter on our mild western estuaries here in Dyfed. On the upper saltmarsh of the Gwen¬draeth were c 350 Golden Plover and c. 780 Lapwing, this probably comprising the first date for the former this autumn on the Gwendraeth; other wader numbers were also up. That evening, a Barn Owl flew silently over Sandy Bridge, Llanelli towards the remnants of Duport Steelworks and I have had. many records of this species from the Carway, Pontyates, Foelgastell, Drefach and Llannon areas including records of birds in suitable breeding habitat during the 1984 nesting season. As noted in the September newsletter we should be encouraged by their continued presence. A Green Sandpiper was seen on the Gwendraeth on 14 October and another at Upper Lliedi Reservoir on 5 November.
A rarity that stayed for only a day was the Sociable Plover (an Asiatic species) at Jersey Marine on about 20 October, other rarities noted in late October were 6 Grey Phalaropes off Burry Port Power Station, a Purple Heron near the same site, a Lesser Yellowlegs at Bosherston (Pembrokeshire) and a pair of Cirl Buntings on Pembrey Burrows. The latter record is particularly interesting for this species has been noted in winter once, before at Pembrey and on that area of land between the Tywi and Tâf in recent years. This - together with information from Gower - makes one suspect that the species is possibly In the process of re-establishing itself n the South Wales coast. The climatic features of South-west Wales are certainly comp¬arable to the species' stronghold in say, Devon. The 'Birds of Glamorgan' (1967) described it (in the late 19th century), "as a local resident restricted to within a few miles of the coast and uncommon", since then only rarely recorded but a family party was seen at Whiteford in September 1968. Ingram and Salmon (1955) mention only a handful of Carmarthenshire, records including a pair by Llanelli docks on 27 February 1923.
On 3 November there was a wintering female Blackcap at Capel Hendre whilst two days earlier a very late Swallow was noted (by C.J.) at Pembrey. At Kenfig a Red-breasted Flycatcher was recorded about this period. A first-winter female Long-tailed duck was observed at Pembrey from 4 November onwards (still present on 17 November); this species is only rarely recorded in Carmarthenshire. A YOC party arrived in time to see this bird; also they recorded a female Black Redstart whilst two more were recorded by J. Friese at Tywyn Point. (Our thanks must go to the hardworking organizer/helpers of the YOC group in Llanelli - for their important work with ‘trainee’ birdwatchers!)
In early November there were numbers of immigrant, winter visiting Blackbirds arriving in our area, they occur in small flocks, often of the same sex, unlike territorial local Blackbirds. Other arrivals in early November were Bewicks Swans at Dryslwyn and by the last day of October Whooper Swans were on some upland lakes (e.g. Llyn yr Oerfe) inland from Aberystwyth. An adult Peregrine gave truly excellent close-up viewing when it perched on a branch near Tywyn Point on 10 November, whilst the next day saw 5 Grey Lag Geese on the flooded “Morfa-bach” (Coedbach) with 670 Lapwing. Nearby on "Morfa Cydweli" (Kidwelly Marsh) were an estimated 2100 Lapwing and approximately 500 Golden Plover; a Greenshank was near Cydweli Quay. About 70 Greenfinches (from where?) fed in duneland at Pembrey 11 November, when the Long-tailed duck and the Black Redstart were still present nearby. Four Stonechat pairs were noted on Pembrey Burrows, one on Tywyn Burrows, a pair at Machynys, and another at Cencoed-uchaf.
The same day, across the estuary at Whiteford, R.H. Davies counted 6 Slavonian Grebes, 320 Brent Geese, and good numbers of Wigeon and Pintail, whilst westwards along the coast on the Tâf estuary, substantial numbers of Black and Bar-tailed Godwits were recorded by Luke Gravett. Three days later 14 November), 14 Pin¬tail were off Machynys with an estimated 9800 Oystercatcher at various points on the Burry Estuary.
Pintail (2) featured in E.J.S' list from Salmon Scar on 16 November, together with a male Goldeneye, 78 Eider, 10 Shelduck and good Mallard totals; still with ducks there were 67 Teal near Tywyn Point on the next day, also when amongst the Pochard and Tufted ducks there was a female Scaup at Upper Lliedi Reservoir (M.H. Williams). By this time, Hen Harrier and Short-eared Owl were being reported from Whiteford but none were noted at Tywyn Point, where there were still however good finch numbers - 80 Greenfinch, 70 Goldfinch and 45 Linnet, (also some Siskins in Pembrey Forest). Merlins (singles) have been reported three times from the Gwendraeth Estuary area and also once from Pembrey Saltings. Finally, a dozen geese, probably - White-fronts, were seen near Gorslas on 16 November.
Gratitude is again due to those who submitted records.