Monday 30th November 2015

Storm Clodagh is blowing its way through this morning, with high tide due at 08:50hrs a visit to Pembrey Harbour was in order. The site opposite the eastern end of the Pembrey reserve although separated by a tidal inlet a large part of the reserve is visible from the harbour.

A JACK SNIPE along the top of the old harbour wall was a surprise then a RED BREASTED MERGANSER ♂ in the inlet, I was joined by Adam Dare who told me that he had just seen a SWALLOW near his home, unbelievably as we chatted I looked at the Merganser again and spotted a SWALLOW battling the wind as it flew low over the inlet towards the marsh.

This is a late date for Swallows, so was this bird, and the bird Adam had seen earlier, scooped up in the run of storms over the past week and totally blown off course??

The next hour produces OYSTERCATCHER c700, RINGED PLOVER c60, DUNLIN c20, GREAT BACKED GULL 10, GREAT CRESTED GREBE 1,

I then went over to the entrance to the reserve and walked around F3, picking up SPARROWHAWK ♂, and a RAVEN.

Just outside the reserve boundary checking a flock of gulls, I picked out a BLACK HEADED GULL with Darvic ring VH21, along with over another 100 BH Gulls and COMMON GULL 95.

Black Headed Gull, with White Darvic engraved VH21