Teifi Birding and Wildlife

Sandwich Terns including several colour ringed birds are starting to appear as they fly south. Stopping off to feed and roost on the Teifi, a particular favourite spot is the sand at the Webley saltmarsh. A  mix of small gulls and terns, Sandwich and Common Terns , Black-headed and Mediterranean Gulls this week. Yellow KFS.was a bird photographed on the 25th by Hannah Cook. This adult Sandwich Tern was ringed as as a chick in 2017 on Lady's Island, Wexford , Eire and was last seen in Shearwater Bay,  Namibia last October. (2021) The Tern's route almost certainly went around the coast. Sandwich Tern from Namibia to the Teifi At least 3 other colour ringed Sandwich Terns seen over the last few days are juveniles from Cemlyn, Anglesey.   Colour ringed Mediterranean Gulls are now passing through, an adult ringed in Poland and a juvenile ringed in France/Belgium this morning. Other notable avian records include.. A Great Crested Grebe on 22nd July on the river from St Dogmaels

The highlight of the month so far was non-avian. A Thresher Shark was seen c1km west of Cemaes Head on the 11th. Seen and videoed from a regular boat trip by  A Bay to Remember. Bottlenose Dolphins are also being sighted very regularly from land and sea  Thresher Shark - Tony Barber Report of the Thresher Shark on the BBC website including a  video .  Also on the 11th and 12th 2 Black Swans were seen on the Teifi Marshes from the river viewpoint. The first returning  Green Sandpiper  on the 30th June, otherwise early July is proving quiet for bird sightings. Many adults have finished breeding and are moulting, a time when they become more discreet, and may even become flightless like Auks and Waterfowl. Excellent viewing of Storm Petrels at Mwnt on the nights of the 5th and 11th and 16th. These were observed with a combination of a Thermal Image camera and by ringing as part of our study into their movements around Cardigan Bay - now in it's 10th year. Storm Petrel at Mwnt - B