Llanelli Naturalists Newsletter - November 2005 - No 72
Ian Morgan
Every so often, I check the excellent website of the ‘Carmarthenshire Bird Club’ (www. carmarthenshirebirds.co.uk), which is a mine of interesting records – many of which I have filched for this account! Keen birdwatchers may wish to join this active club, which holds field meetings and lectures.
The Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust’s Centre at Penclacwydd (which also confusingly calls itself the National Wetlands Centre, Llanelli or the Welsh National Wetlands Centre) yields good records as always. An amazing assemblage was there on 20 March – a Great White Egret (and, of course, Little Egrets), a Bittern, 2 Eurasian Spoonbills and an African Spoonbill! I noted a more traditional fare of 54 Canada Geese below Dryslwyn Castle on 17/2 and Derek Moore had approximately the same number and 6 Whooper Swans there on 21/3. Earlier in March, Shoveler peaked at 23 birds (about 2/3 of which were males) at Ashpits Pond, east of Burry Port, where the usual regulars – Dabchicks, Tufted Ducks and Pochard were also present. Still discussing wildfowl, there were 2 territorial pairs of Greylag Geese at the new Machynys Golf Course on 10/3, where 5 pairs of Lapwing were in residence; most (but not all) of the latter were subsequently to fail to raise chicks because of disturbance.
Some of the first signs of spring migrants were the Chiffchaffs singing along ‘Ffordd y Wagen’, Pwll on 19/3 and John Lloyd’s two Wheatears and a Ring Ouzel (‘which sang at me each time I passed’) at the upland farm of Cynnant, north of Cynghordy. Julian Friese had 8 Sand Martins, together with 4 Little Ringed Plovers, and single Common and Green Sandpipers along the Tywi at Pentre Dafis near Dryslwyn on 23/3, whilst Huw Peregrine had a pair of doubtless nesting Crossbills near the Usk Reservoir on 27/3, with passage 18 Golden Plover and a Red Kite overhead. Interestingly, he also had a pair of Goldeneye on the reservoir. This species has also lingered long at Talley (as well as other sites in Southern Britain), giving hope of breeding. Provision of nestboxes in the Scottish Highlands led to its colonisation of that area and some 150 or so nestboxes are currently occupied there. Does anyone want to erect boxes at Talley? Neil Matthew tells me that some were put out about 10 years ago, but with no luck.
Sam Bosanquet noted ‘at least 3 pairs’ of Dartford Warblers along the coastal stretch between Ragwen Point, Pendine and Marros and another pair was noted near Llansteffan. It is also suspected that this quickly-increasing species (a reflection of climate change) may be nesting on the gorsey hinterland of Pwll-Burry Port (a wintering adult was at Burry Port last autumn) or perhaps on the gorse, bracken and heathery slopes of Mynydd y Garreg. These latter sites may be worthy of survey next spring? Other exotica from the Mediterranean or the Continent include the flamboyant Hoopoe that conveniently turned up on John Lloyd’s lawn at Cynghordy Hall on 5/4 (I bet his eyes popped out!), and the Night Heron, discovered by Julian Friese, on the Tywi near Golden Grove on 6/4.
Another continental colonist, the Cetti’s Warbler continues to thrive and expand its range. Singing males were at the NE of Berwick Roundabout, Bynea (20/3); at the old tip site just west of Kidwelly (19/4); at the E. end of Banc y Lord, Kidwelly (19/4) and at least 2 or 3 males at the Ffrwd Fen and adjacent areas. 7 males were reported at the ‘Millennium Wetland’, WWT Penclacwydd, but I used to be cautious about ‘over counts’ of this species – as the male can move around. Nevertheless, the Millennium Wetland certainly has the holding capacity for many territories so I am doubtless wrong, as Barry Stewart told me that he trapped 20 Cetti’s in an area where he’d heard 3 males last year – more than half those trapped were males! This species was also at Ffordd y Wagen, Pwll (25/4 etc). Ffrwd on 19/4 also had 2 ‘reeling’ Grasshopper Warblers and Dai Stacey on a ‘gentle ride’ along the Sustrans/MCP cycle track had 2 singing Grasshopper Warblers near Pembrey Airfield and 3 between Burry Port and Pwll. The Lower Gwendraeth Valley with its wet, rushy pastures and the fens of the Llanelli-Burry Port coastal belt are an undoubted stronghold for this ‘rarely seen – but often heard’ warbler. Neil Matthew had them at Carway this summer. I did, however, have 2 reeling males at Cors Farlais (north of Llansadwrn) on 27/6.
An adult Little Gull at Sandy Water Park on the early evening of 19/4 was a very nice find for Gary Harper and Rob Hunt, whilst Julian Friese and Neil Lewis must have been inspired by their records at the Tywi near Cilsan-Dinefwr in June. They had a Night Heron, displaying Little Ringed Plovers, a Green Sandpiper and a Little Egret, nesting Goosander and territorial Willow Tits. Both Greater and Lesser Spotted Woodpeckers were drumming at Dinefwr Castle Woods.
A Red Kite was over Llwynhendy on 10/4 and one was seen several times at WWT Penclacwydd from mid-May. Another bird was observed by Kath & Richard Pryce flying over the Dafen Industrial Estate on 4/6 who also reported that Ruth & Mair Harry had observed a bird more than once in the previous weeks flying low over the busy traffic near the Tesco Roundabout, in danger of being hit by a lorries. Another turned up in Pwll in mid-July, much to the amazement of a local resident, who filmed it when it perched on a telegraph pole behind his house at Tyle Catherine! A singleton was flying low over fields at Clochyrie (NE of Swiss Valley, Llanelli) on 7/9. Hopefully, these individuals are precursors of future breeding birds – I would like to think that one day (before I ‘pop it’!) kites will, once again, breed in Stradey Woods and fly over the town of Llanelli, just as recent colonists are doing in Llandeilo.
Another raptor, the Osprey, was at Penclacwydd on 29/4 and presumably, the same bird was watched off Machynys on 1/5 by Rob Hunt and Gary Harper. Hobbies were once again regularly seen in the Dryslwyn area. All are of the opinion that they must now be breeding locally; they have also been seen further up the Tywi Valley, with one over its tributary, the Bran near Cynghordy on 6/5 (John Lloyd).
The latter observer had a female Goosander with 6 ducklings at Llanwrda on 9/5, and J. Friese et al totalled the Tywi Valley, Talley and Pontarsais population of Mute Swans to be 33 pairs; this – coupled with the dozen pairs in the Llanelli-Kidwelly coastal belt, the 2+ at the Witchett Pool at MoD Pendine and say ? 2 on the Teifi, gives approximately 50 pairs for the whole county. Tufted Ducks were noted breeding for the first time (successfully) at Pwll Fishing Lakes – now all the Llanelli coast water bodies are occupied by this species.
A hike up to the barren rocky slopes of Garreg Lwyd (not Llwyd!) on Mynydd Du on 10/5 rewarded Colin Richards with 4 Dotterel (1♂, 3♀), and a less demanding 1 mile stroll for JF and NL along the Cothi at Brechfa on 13/5 produced 12 pairs of Pied Flycatcher, 8 of Wood Warbler and just 2 pairs of Redstart. A pleasing record for Colin Jones was one of a Turtle Dove feeding at bird seed on a lawn at Troserch Farm, Llangennech on 11/5; one was likewise earlier seen (3/5) at a garden bird feeding station at Pencader – perhaps reward for continuing with bird feeding throughout the year?
The ‘star-bird’ of the mid-summer period must be the Collared Pratincole that was present (from 14/6) in front of the British Steel Hide at WWT Penclacwydd (see cover photo), affording many the ‘tick’ and thrill of seeing this rare vagrant. Quite a bit of Nightjar survey work was undertaken in June – principally in Brechfa and Crychan Forests. Up to 6 were seen at Brechfa and 6-7 at Crychan (where a nest was found, JVL). Closer to home, Jon Baker had 2 churring males in the western part of Pembrey Forest (the ‘Concrete Road’ and ‘RAF Track’ area) in mid-June. He has had them previously here also in 2003 whilst moth trapping; the Pembrey records did not appear on a recent BTO map showing the welcomed recovery of this enigmatic crepuscular bird. I rarely see Little Owls these days (they seemed to have increased along the coast in the 1980’s) so, it was gratifying to learn that a pair brought off at least 3 young at Rhosmaen near Llandeilo (JF, 4/7). The same observer saw a Hobby chasing a Sand Martin flock at Dryslwyn (24/6) and, again evidence of the rewards of the summer bird table, a male Lesser Spotted Woodpecker turned up for Chris Griffin at Rhydargaeau. Neil Matthew also reports Little Owls from Rhandirmwyn.
John Lloyd, helped by Julian Friese and others continues to do first class work on the Tree Sparrows of the Tywi Valley, where over 80 pairs bred in nest boxes this year. John is, incidentally, also very much involved in the Crychan Forest Nightjar work mentioned earlier.
Following on the earlier reports of nesting Little Owls, Neil Lewis reported a successful nest at Llangadog where an adult owl was ‘enticing 3 young to fly from nest to trees’; David Owen also forwarded details of a Barn Owl nest at Capel Gwynfe with 3 young. A bird was regularly seen at Meinciau by Jane Nicholas in June, and a pair at Cilferi-isaf Farm (on the eastern edge of the Ffos-Las, Trimsaran, opencast site) was reported by Nick Thomas. Derek Moore notes another successful pair at Salem in August.
Six Crossbills were seen in larches at Taliaris by Derek Moore (on 12/7), 31 were counted at a roost in the south of Crychan Forest (on 15/7) and I saw 3 at Pembrey Forest (on 12/7) and 1 at Llwyn-celyn (NW of Ammanford), (15/7); an influx of birds was reported in Britain during this period.
Simeon Jones confirmed the successful breeding of Great Crested Grebes at Ashpits Pond in late July, where they had 2 young; a pair was also present at Nevill’s Dock (‘Delta Lake’).
July continued to provide the odd Hobby sightings in the Tywi Valley, whilst an equally exciting find was a juvenile female Goshawk seen by Neil Lewis near Ffairfach on 27/7. One of the few recent Pembrey Goshawk sightings was provided by David Hughes at Pembrey Country Park in early May. A female Ring Ouzel, seen by Colin Richards in a Hawthorn bush just beyond the Upper Brynamman cattle grid entrance to the Mynydd Du common on 1/8, was interesting, as this scarce species still breeds in very small numbers in old quarries and steep rocky streamsides on Mynydd Du. Always in late summer, you know that autumn migration is underway when you hear the raucous calls of Sandwich Terns along the Carmarthenshire coast, at Burry Port or Cefn Sidan. At the same time enormous numbers of equally noisy Black-headed Gulls can accumulate in the estuaries. For example, Rob Hunt, Gary Harper and Ed Smith had 100+ Sandwich Terns and 3 Mediterranean Gulls at Burry Port on 2/8.
An incredible 392 Little Egrets (a Welsh record) were counted at roost at WWT Penclacwydd by Nigel Williams on 7 September – this species is doing very well indeed (see UK News). David Hughes, a warden at Pembrey Country Park, had very close views of an Arctic Skua on 28/8, and a noisy young Peregrine (with a quieter adult) over Tyrwaun, Pwll on the same date, showed that a local nesting pair had been successful. A clamouring skein of 55 Greylag Geese flew westwards over Tyrwaun the next day.
Early September saw a Hobby, perched on a lamp post near Llangadog (JF/NL, 9/9) and an Osprey at the Usk Reservoir (JL). An Avocet was frequenting the Tywi Estuary between Ferryside and Llansteffan in late September whilst, up river, an extremely confiding Red-necked Phalarope delighted those who went to see this fearless bird, which allowed approaches to within a few feet. This bird probably had never encountered humans before in its normal High Arctic or maritime environment, hence its tameness.
Some UK News: It is estimated that the number of Buzzards in the UK is up from a maximum of 17,000 in 1983 to 61,000 in 2004, with the species continuing its colonisation of lowland England. In 2004, there were 1000+ Corncrakes (the first time for 40 years), 55 ‘booming’ male Bitterns, 32 pairs of White-tailed Eagles, 2 pairs of Osprey in Wales and UK Nightjars were up by a third. Little Egrets are now nesting over much of Southern England, East Anglia and as far as North Wales; they are nesting on Gower and in Pembrokeshire but not – it seems – yet in Carmarthenshire. Marsh Harriers reared over 500 young whilst Gadwall, Red Kite and Cetti’s Warbler continue to thrive. Another 40 Kites have been released in NE England (from successful nests in the Chilterns) and the number of pairs in Wales has reached 500. There were 43 territorial pairs of Hen Harriers in Wales and there was an 83% increase in Black Grouse numbers in North Wales although actual numbers remain small.
