Manx shearwater: The Skomer bird which appears after dark

By Steve DuffyBBC News

24 August 2018

They are arguably one of Wales' most extraordinary and important birds - but you have to go out at night for the best chance to see them.

Skomer Island off the Pembrokeshire coast is home to half the world's population of Manx shearwater.

More than 300,000 pairs of the birds breed on the colony - but can only return to feed their chicks under the cover of darkness.

Researchers have completed a latest census of the population.

It is hoped in the coming weeks conservationists will know whether the birds are still doing well in terms of numbers.

Scientists from Oxford University are also involved in a long-running project. And using tiny logging devices on the birds, they're hoping to learn more about the birds and their behaviour.

Why are they special?

The shearwater migrates every year 7,000 miles (11,200km) to the coast of South America - spending our winter feeding at sea - but returns, often to the same part of the island and sometimes to the same burrow, to breed again in the spring

New research suggests they may use a "sun compass" to help them navigate back to Skomer.

Although it lays only one egg a year, shearwater can have long lives and breed for many years. The longest living was recorded at over 50 years of age

Chicks grow larger than their parents - before getting to "flight weight" to make their first, solo journey to South America - before returning to Skomer as adults

Read on  

Rare green heron spotted in Llanmill, Pembrokeshire

30 April 2018

A rare green heron, native to north and central America, has been spotted in Wales for what is believed to be only the second time.

The bird turned up in the garden of Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire MP Simon Hart, in Llanmill, near Narberth, Pembrokeshire.

Posting an image on Twitter, he wrote: "Completely amazed to welcome a green heron to west Wales."

Naturalist Iolo Williams said the sighting was "exceptionally rare".

The birds are about 40cm (16in) tall - much smaller than grey herons more commonly seen in the UK - and are a brown and green colour.

They normally live on the other side of the Atlantic and are widespread across their native countries of the United States and southern Canada.

Wildlife TV presenter Mr Williams said of the sighting: "As far as I'm aware, I think there's only ever been two recorded in Wales.

Read on 

Fight to save dozens of seabirds trapped in plastic

Thomas Moore, Science Correspondent

Sky News20 October 2017

A painful death on 'plastic island'

Conservationists have mounted a rescue mission to save dozens of seabirds trapped in plastic and Sky News was given exclusive access to the operation.

The RSPB landed on Grassholm island, eight miles off the Pembrokeshire coast, to cut free young gannets from the fishing ropes and nets that adults use to build nests.

Greg Morgan, warden for the RSPB reserve, said there is so much fishing gear floating in the water around the island that the birds mistake it for the seaweed that they should be using.

He said: "We estimate there are 18 tonnes of plastic in the nests on the island.

"The chicks sit on the nest. As they turn, the plastic gets twisted around their leg and ensnares them.

"They should have flown away by now. Eventually the adults give up and they are left to starve."

We saw birds with plastic twine twisted so tight around their legs that it had cut through to the bone.

Other birds were already dead, their feet tethered to the nest by rope.

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Project to count storm petrels off Pembrokeshire coast

22 June 2016 

A hunt to find a mysterious and rare seabird is set to start off the coast of Pembrokeshire.

Conservationists will search Skokholm and Skomer islands for the storm petrel - the UK's smallest seabird.

They hope to complete a census of the "Quarry" on Skokholm, which is the largest breeding colony in England and Wales.

Warden Richard Brown said the work would be "challenging" and required "careful planning".

The project forms part of the national seabird census.

Storm petrels are notoriously difficult to count but it is thought about 5,000 of the birds breed on Skokholm Island - up to 20% of Europe's breeding population - and a few hundred on Skomer.

Calling sound

Vicky Taylor, who is volunteering to count the birds, said: "We play the sound of a singing storm petrel to a likely nest site and if there's a bird in there it often calls back.

"It's supposed to sound like a fairy being sick but I think it's more like a purring cat with the hiccups."

The distinctive "musty, oily" smell of storm petrels can also reveal a nest, she said.

The project is being carried out by the Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales and the University of Gloucestershire, with funding and support from Natural Resources Wales.

Source ...

Rare seabird species given extra protection

Rare seabird species including Puffins, Manx shearwaters, Guillemots and Razorbills are being given extra protection after Natural Resources Minister Carl Sargeant agreed to extend the boundaries of three existing Special Protection Areas (SPA)s off the Pembrokeshire and Gwynedd coasts.

The sites where the changes are taking place are Grassholm, Skokholm and Skomer Islands in Pembrokeshire and Bardsey Island and the Aberdaron Coast in Gwynedd.The changes mean that as well as protecting the nesting sites themselves protection is being extended to areas further out to sea where the birds feed, preen and rest before and during the breeding season.

The Minister also announced he would be updating the list of species which qualify for protection at the Skomer & Skokholm and Aberdaron Coast & Bardsey Island sites.

Natural Resources Minister Carl Sargeant said:“Welsh seas support a significant proportion of the UK’s, and in some cases the world’s, breeding populations of a number of seabirds. For example more than 55% of the world's Manx shearwaters come to Skomer and Skokholm Islands in Pembrokeshire to breed.

“There are often threats to the survival of these birds at sea and I know we need to do more to fulfil the needs of seabirds in Welsh waters.

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Rare black swans glide in Pembrokeshire

Three black swans have made a rare appearance in Pembrokeshire.

The swans were spotted at Llangwm on the Milford Haven estuary after previous sightings along the Pembrokeshire coast and among a few rare sightings across Wales.

Black Swans were first introduced to Britain accidentally after the ornamental birds escaped and you can now find them sharing the same types of habitat as our native swans.

In Wales they aren’t a common site though, so when Heather Payton from Llangwm, spotted this trio, she took their picture.

“Black swans are native to Western Australia, where they make a huge fuss about them, and those in the UK probably escaped from populations imported as decorative waterbirds. There are apparently captive populations in Devon and Leeds Castle.

“The ones I have pictured were previously seen near Dale. We saw them on the Western Cleddau near Hook a couple of days ago, then they turned up here yesterday.”

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RARE BIRD SPECIES: Twitchers flock to see great spotted cuckoo

A rare bird seen in Wales just three times since the 1800s has landed in Pembrokeshire.

The great spotted cuckoo has been photographed in Penally, causing hundreds of bird enthusiasts, or twitchers, to flock to the area.
Experts have said the bird normally migrates from Africa to southern Spain but the warm weather must have caused it to overshoot continental Europe.

A great spotted cuckoo was last seen on British shores in Norfolk in 2009.

Brian Egan from Rare Bird Alert said the bird arrived in Pembrokeshire last week.

He said: "We don't know if it's male or female but it is a young bird and inexperienced, so he's missed the mainland [of Europe] while migrating from Africa."

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Incredible 'gannet cam' video captures birds' eye view at Pembrokeshire colony

12 Nov 2013 06:12

Researchers attached miniature cameras to some of the gannets nesting at Grassholm in Pembrokeshire with stunning results.

Scientists in Pembrokeshire have captured incredible footage which show what it’s like to fly with the UK’s largest seabird.

Researchers from The University of Exeter and the RSPB working on the island nature reserve of RSPB Grassholm in west Wales, attached miniature cameras to some of the gannets that nest there with stunning results.

Researcher leader Dr Steve Votier from the University of Exeter’s Environment and Sustainability Institute has been carrying out research of gannets on the tiny island of Grassholm for the last eight years.

Continued