An enormously productive holiday on the bird front was had in Pembrokeshire! I won't bore you with every species, but here are the highlights:
LIFER 192: Spotted Flycatcher - Llys-Y-Fran Reservoir & Country Park. 1 closer to that 200th Lifer Pizza Party!
OTHER HIGHLIGHTS:
Puffins, Puffins, Puffins, Puffins and many more smorgasboards-worth of Puffins on Skomer
Guillemots - on Skomer and Ramsey Island.
Razorbills - on Skomer and Ramsey Island.
Fulmars - around cliffs on the mainland and on Skomer and Ramsey Island.
Gannets - seen in many places on coast. Good passage viewed from Strumble Head.
Kittiwakes - seen on Skomer and Ramsey Island.
Shag - 2 pairs on 'The Bitches', just offshore from Ramsey Island.
Manx Shearwater - few seen from Strumble Head.
Short-eared Owl - pair hunting on Skomer
Tawny Owl - in mixed woodland in St David's. My first sighting of Tawny Owl for 3 years!
Red Kite - 4 circling high above me at St Justinian
Buzzard - everywhere. Closest view had from 90-minute boat trip around Ramsey Island before the bird was mobbed by 2 corvids!
Sparrowhawk - hunting for food in St David's council estate.
Peregrine - pair hunting cliffs near St. David's and pair seen on way back to Boston at Symond's Yat
Kestrel - in numerous places
Garganey - male at Marloes Mere
Little Grebe - 1 at Marloes Mere
Great Crested Grebe - 3 pairs at Llys-Y-Fran
Whimbrel - 1 on Ramsey Island, 2 at Fishguard Harbour and 10 at Nevern Estuary, Newport
Little Ringed Plover - 7 at Nevern Estuary, Newport
Dunlin - 4 at Nevern Estuary
Oystercatcher - all along the coast.
Hirundines - clouds and clouds of them everywhere. Awesome sight!
Nuthatch - at Llys-Y-Fran and Symond's Yat
Blackcap - at Llys-Y-Fran
Willow Warbler - at Llys-Y-Fran
Reed Warbler - Various locations
Sedge Warbler - inland from Porthgain.
Chiffchaff - 1 singing daily outside holiday cottage by St David's Cathedral
Whitethroat - everywhere!
Stonechat - 2 pairs near Martin's Haven
Wheatear - at St David's Head, Porthclais and St Justinian
Yellow Wagtail - everywhere there were cows!
Coal Tit - 2 at Symond's Yat
Large numbers of Jackdaws and Rooks around St David's Cathedral, entertaining me with their calls.
Mammals - Fox in grounds of St David's Cathedral, 25 seals around Ramsey Island, Rabbits on Skomer, Brown Hares everywhere and lots of bats around St David's.
Skomer was quite incredible. Couldn't quite believe I was on the island. I broke into the widest smile, feeling as though I was Charlie Bucket in the Chocolate Factory! Puffins came close to me, only about 2-3 metres! SWEEEEEEEET! It was an awesome Welcoming Committee of Razorbills, Puffins and Guillemots flying hither and thither around us as the boat, the Dale Princess, got closer to Skomer. I really didn't know where to point my bins first! PARADISE!
For one day, I felt really intrepid, then I got even more intrepid with the boat ride (wild river rapids at times) around Ramsey Island. Couldn't persuade my land-lubber parents to endure 90 minutes-worth of seafaring so went on my own. We're returning next year, and I'm going all-out by taking a boat ride to see Grassholm's gannet colony and will possibly try and get to Skomer again and 'do' Skokholm too. Ultimately, I want to volunteer on Skomer, giving the island something in return for all the enjoyment and pleasure my day on the island gave me.
I LOVE PUFFINS!