Llanelli Naturalists Newsletter - January 2005 - No 71
Ian Morgan
As the Red Kite breeding population expands, we can expect an increase in casual sightings in South-east Carmarthenshire – birds such as the one south of Five Roads on 8/3 and another near Ashpits Pond, Burry Port on 25/5 (both Simeon Jones). A male Lapland Bunting continued to show periodically during January at the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust Centre, Penclacwydd (Barry Stewart (BS)), whilst a really exciting find in March was the discovery of a Long-eared Owl roost in thick scrub at the Millennium Wetland. Birds have sometimes been spotted in the Bynea-Machynys area in the past: they may be undetected regulars? Four Spoonbills and five Whooper Swans enlivened visitors at Penclacwydd in February, whilst four visiting Mandarins concealed themselves amongst collection birds in the grounds. 135 Little Egrets were counted at the Bynea Sewage Works roost on 18/1 (Barry & Sandra Stewart (B&SS)).
Cetti’s Warblers have taken up residence in the Millennium Wetland on the eastern side of Penclacwydd and a singing bird was also heard near the Berwick Roundabout, Bynea, consolidating their hold in the south-east of the county. From late March they were also very regularly heard singing along Ffordd y Wagen, Pwll - even singing from an adjacent garden and an overgrown, damp, rushy field (just like the drier habitats they occupy on the Continent). Other birds were at the nearby Ashpits Pond; at Ffrwd Fen, Pembrey; by the old canal behind the Ashburnham Hotel, Burry Port and behind ‘Dyfed Steel’, Bynea. A Water Pipit was seen just south of the M4 on the Upper Loughor on 17/3 by BS.
Spring arrival Chiffchaffs (as opposed to over-wintering birds) were heard singing on 16/3 at Ffordd y Wagen and at the end of the month Sand Martins and Wheatears were seen at Llanelli by Gary Harper (GH), who also had a male Dartford Warbler at Ragwen Point near Pendine. Neil Matthew (NRM), searching there for these warblers in late April had no luck, but he managed to see a Lesser Whitethroat. April saw the arrival of many expected migrants and three Great Crested Grebes, in breeding plumage were at the Lower Lliedi Reservoir on 22/4 (the upper reservoir was not visited). The Usk Reservoir, on the county boundary south-east of Llandovery, yielded a ‘star bird’ in the form of a passage Osprey for Paul Metcalf on 2/4. Springtime records of note from Penclacwydd included a male Garganey and up to five Mediterranean Gulls. Pomarine Skuas were seen in good numbers with 21 seen off Cefn Sidan by Clive Jones an another six in the Burry Inlet the same day by BS.
A good inland bird-watching site is the Wildlife Trust reserve at Dinefwr Castle Woods, Llandeilo, where, as well as the Redstarts and Pied Flycatchers amongst the ancient trees, the flood meadows and oxbows of the Afon Tywi can be inspected. NRM furnished a string of good records from this area: a Green Sandpiper in January and April; five Gadwall on 18/2; four Shoveler and two pairs of Gadwall, accompanied by a Great Crested Grebe and a Little Egret on 2/4 and, finally, a family party of five Greylags on 18/5: Penclacwydd has competition! An unexpected inland discovery was Wales’ third American Golden Plover, found at Garreg Lloyd on 3/5 by Neil Edwards and Ed Hunter. It was seen the following day by John Lloyd (JVL) along with a single Dotterel.
On 7/6 an adult Mediterranean Gull was at the entrance to the North Dock inlet and a ringed individual of this species, noted at Llanelli later in the summer, was traced by BS back to a breeding colony on the Belgian Coast. Indeed this year had a glut of Mediterranean Gulls in the Burry Inlet and nearby, a pair even bred on an island in the New Grounds lake (see photo on front cover) but, in common with the neighbouring Black-headed Gulls, was unsuccessful. However, this was the first Welsh breeding record of this species. Late May saw reports of a Nightjar from Danyrallt Farm, Whitemill (by Nick Davies), whilst in the middle of June a Red Kite was above Gorslas. A Great White Egret put in an appearance at Penclacwydd on 31/5.
Following the first spring arrival of Little Ringed Plovers with a pair at Llandeilo on 29/3 (NRM), Julian Friese (JF), NRM, JVL, et al surveyed the Tywi catchment for this species and noted sixty pairs. NRM and JF also reported an adult Hobby at Dryslwyn on 26/5 (the first of several records in this area) and there were reports of more regular birds at Abergorlech. A Hobby was also reported from Cilycwm on 14/7 (NRM) and Goshawks were seen in the same area during the summer. An adult male Red-footed Falcon passed through Penclacwydd swiftly on 2/7 but unfortunately was only seen by Nigel Williams (NW). A very welcome summer-time record was of Partridge and flightless chicks at the far (eastern) end of Pembrey Burrows (Philip and Diana Jones) – it has been many years since this species has been seen in the county, let alone bred.
JF also had a Yellow Wagtail near Dryslwyn in late April and a Lesser Whitethroat nearby. Success can be reported with the Tywi Valley Tree Sparrow nestbox scheme – no less than 71 of the 77 pairs found in the valley used boxes. Back at the coast, 72 Greylags were counted on Machynys Golf Course on 12/7, though the ponds have not been subject to census this year – access is not possible on the new golf course, so the presumably nesting Tufted Duck, Pochard, Gadwall, etc, remain uncounted. Up to six Mediterranean Gulls, two male and one female Ruddy Ducks, a Great White Egret, a Marsh Harrier and a Yellow Wagtail were amongst Penclacwydd’s late summer offerings to delight the birdwatcher. September at this site produced a Goshawk, Spoonbill and a Great White Egret (a return of the earlier bird) and two each of the Little Stint and Curlew Sandpiper.
Always an elusive bird, a Lesser-spotted Woodpecker was reported from Stradey Woods on 2/7 (Mark Newton) and Coed Llandyfan (north-east of Ammanford) on 6/5 (NRM), whilst Andy Davis saw no less than three birds at the Usk Reservoir on 30/9. B&SS had a solitary Great White Egret amongst 97 Little Egrets at the Penclacwydd roost on 24 July. By 11/9 there were over 195 Little Egrets roosting at this site (NW). Inland, just a mile or so east of Llandovery, John Lloyd was fortunate to find a secretive Hawfinch – a scarce and rarely seen resident in Carmarthenshire, perched in an ash tree and presumably using its strong beak to feed on the seeds.
John Lloyd was also the recorder of three Ring Ouzels (on 28/9) feeding on rowan berries at Cynnant, Cynghordy, in the north-east of the county. The same date saw a Green Sandpiper at Commissioners’ Bridge and five Greenshanks at Kidwelly Quay, seen by Iain Hainsworth. Autumn passage at Penclacwydd always provides a selection of scarcer species; birds seen this year included two Garganey, Little Gull, Wood Sandpiper, Smew and an African Spoonbill.
Late August witnessed sightings of Black Terns (up to twenty at Machynys, with a flock of c.100 mainly Common Terns), whilst an Arctic Skua was seen at Cefn Sidan pirating the Common and Sandwich Terns (all GH et al). B&SS saw two Little Terns at the same site on 17/8 together with five Arctic Terns. GH had a Hobby at Capel Seion near Drefach in August “chasing the local Swallows” and a Yellow Wagtail at Commissioners’ Bridge, Kidwelly.
The first of the winter-visiting Redwings and Fieldfares came in early October, with NRM recording Redwings at Cilycwm on 9th and a big party of Fieldfares at Halfway on the next day. Other autumnal records of note included a female Scaup and a Curlew Sandpiper at Llanelli Beach 4/10 (Neil Lewis), a Hobby and a male Merlin at Penclacwydd 10/10 (various observers), a male Hen Harrier at Kidwelly Quay on 17/10 (Andrew Grant) and another Hen Harrier at Penclacwydd on 24/10. Rhian Evans found a Snow Bunting at Penrhyngwyn on 17/10 whilst carrying out a Wetland Birds Survey (WeBS) count. Perhaps the best and most encouraging late October record was of a Dartford Warbler seen in gorse at a coastal site in south-east Carmarthenshire. The various gorsey areas – at Penrhyngwyn, Machynys; the slopes behind Pwll and Burry Port and the Burry Port to Pembrey area should be checked……..let’s hope that a mild winter will allow them to fully establish as a breeding bird.
Waxwings, Firecrests and several wintering Chiffchaffs were at the sewage works near Kidwelly Quay in December.