Friday 18th November 2016

140............

This morning started much calmer than yesterdays eventful weather, there was little breeze when I got to the eastern end of the reserve at Old Pembrey Harbour, it didn't last too long, and soon a steady breeze built up, it was noticeably colder, not cooler, colder!

The tide was starting to fall and the waders seemed more relaxed, yesterday they were being buffeted by the strong wind. Species and numbers were similar to yesterday, although the Bar-tailed Godwits had reached a grand total of three, actually a good number for the site at this time of year. An Atlantic Grey Seal was "bottling" in the estuary.

There was one red-breasted Merganser present and he didn't want his photo taken, so a rushed and heavily cropped photo is all you are getting today!

Red-breasted Merganser

After chatting with the sea watch king, Adam, I drove around to the reserve entrance and made my way to the beach at CE51, plenty going on here with a massive 161 Great Cormorants and 63 Ringed Plover.

Most of the 161 Great Cormorants

On the beach I was sheltered to a great extent from the breeze and it was quite pleasant, I walked to the end of the reserve bit of the beach scanning the estuary, I spent a good 45mins looking and looking when a "duck" flew across my line of sight, at last a LONG-TAILED DUCK, with only brief but conclusive views species 140 was in the bag phew!!!

Most of the 600+ Sanderling with Ringed Plover behind

Thursday 17th November 2016

The state of things today....

Yesterday, being a Wednesday was volunteer day for the Local nature Reserves volunteers, so we met at our newest reserve at Morfa Berwig, to find out more about the reserve you will have to go back through the blog.....

We were joined by a couple of people who had  seen the "Keep Wales Tidy", Facebook page and saw that they could come along and help with a litter pick... many thanks.

With the usual array of empty cans, bottles, sweet wrappers, crisp packets and general litter dumped from a house we found this little lot...

Used syringes, and a couple of "bongs" used for smoking drugs

Its sad to say that Llanelli like most provincial towns has a significant drug addiction problem, a whole generation seems to be "lost" with those involved oblivious to little else other than the difficult life they find themselves in, its not for me to judge but I object to their life style having a negative impact on others, in whatever form that may be.

On a cheerier note today, Thursday, one of the last of the Super Moon high tides was due at around 08:25hrs, so I decided to visit the eastern boundary of the Pembrey LNR where a great sea watching point is located , the Old Pembrey Harbour. The weather has certainly become more seasonal with leaden skies and a stiff breeze blowing.

Despite the tough conditions there were birds to be seen including: Oystercatchers (3000+), Sanderling (600+), Ringed Plover (30+), Curlew (46),  Shelduck (8), Red-breasted Merganser (2)Peregrine (1) and Bar-tailed Godwit (1)

With significant winds forecast for the next few hours (10:00 - 16:00), tomorrow may be a good day to get out sea watching again as sea birds may well be blown into the estuary

A bit blowy

Sunday 13th November 2016

Effort pays off, up with the Larks....

Being a sand dune reserve, there are good numbers of Skylark wintering, probably joining the already strong breeding population.

I have toyed with the idea of trying to catch and ring Skylarks for a few months, finally I bit the bullet and having found what looked like the perfect spot, a disused car park which is now very weedy surrounded by sand dunes, I put thought in to action.

So it was yesterday evening that I set out the positions of the nets for an early morning session today.

On site at 05:30hrs, to put up the nets, the poles and guys were where I had left them!, when all was set  some very loud Skylark song was played and I retired to the van.

I checked the nets carefully and was amazed to find a Wren in the bottom pocket and a few metres away a SKYLARK. Relatively few Skylark are ringed each year so it was good to be able to handle this iconic bird.

Skylark

Skylark (VH)

I was joined by my able "scribe" Veronica and after a busy net round with mainly Goldfinches, and a deserved cup of coffee we went back to the nets to find another Skylark, this time nearer the top of the net, I'm guessing that due to the cunning set of the net it hadn't time to lift over and evade the net, so TWO SKYLARKS in one session, I'm well pleased.

In 2015, a total of 582 Skylark were ringed in the UK, of these 345 were pullus, (nestlings), in the same year 99 were ringed in Wales 16  were pullus

I have to thank Matt Prior, or as some ringers know him "trapper" Prior, he  is a first class ringer, and has an incredible talent for working out the best way to catch most species, and gave useful advice prior to the session and yes, there was a "dogleg" in my net set........

The morning panned out with the following birds caught and ringed, Goldfinch (14), Linnet (11),  Chaffinch (4), three each of Wren, Meadow Pipit and Greenfinch with a Blue Tit and a Dunnock completing a nice session of 42 birds.

What next?