Fairly modest numbers of waterfowl during this mornings WeBS counts along the Carew/Cresswell Rivers included c.350 Wigeon, 200+ Teal and 150+ Lapwings. Other species included only 25 Dunlin, c.50 Curlews, 50+ Redshanks, 4 Greenshanks and a couple of Golden Plovers.
Four Mediterranean Gulls (3 adults and a 1CY) were on Carew Millpond bathing/resting with other gulls – c.150 Herring and 50+ BH Gulls. As they were all on the water it was impossible to tell if any of the gulls were ringed.
A kingfisher perched briefly by the Mill. A local walker at the millpond asked me if I had seen the otter that apparently has been seen there quite a lot recently; it didn’t show up when I was there unfortunately.
A short trip up to Goodwick this afternoon produced a minimum of five Mediterranean Gulls, amongst a large flock of bathing/resting gulls near the Flagpoles – mostly Black-headed but also Common and Herring Gulls including a good candidate northern Herring Gull Larus. a. argenatus.
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| As well as having darker grey wings, this one had dirty yellowish-pink, rather lanky/skinny legs |
The usual waders (Turnstones, Ringed Plovers, Oystercatchers and Curlew) were also noted, plus a Great Crested Grebe in the harbour. A kingfisher also put in a brief appearance.
The Med. Gulls included two colour-ringed birds: Yellow AZ.TZ ringed by the German ringing scheme – ringing location details etc are awaited.
Red PYT8 was ringed as a nestling in NE Poland in May 2016. It was well known to the late Sam Baxter who recorded it at least 17 times at the Nevern estuary between Sept. 2018 and Sept. 2020. It was also seen by Steve Jones in Fishguard Harbour in July 2020 and had also visited New Quay in Ceredigion in Oct. 2019 and there again in Sept. 2020, before being seen by David Astins at the Gann on 20 Dec. 2020.
