Purple Heron, Yellow Wagtail - Spring !

A walk this evening (30th) through the Teifi Marshes was full of bird activity typical of late April. As the insects appeared after a very wet day Sedge, Reed and Cetti's Warblers were singing. A Grasshopper Warbler was reeling unseen near Creek hide. Hirundines were feeding low over the river, ponds, reeds and even the car park. 

Swallow over the Teifi Marshes - Stuart Hall

Watching the sun go down with at least 150 House Martins, 100 Sand Martins and 50 Swallows over the Water Buffalo was a quite spectacular sight.

Water Buffalo at dusk

Some more unusual birds have been recorded over the last couple of weeks

A visitor to the Teifi Marshes photographed a Purple Heron taking off from Mallard pond on the morning of the 20th April. It flew in the direction of Heron pond. Thanks to the Lidgett family from Chepstow for the news and record shot.  It was seen again that evening flying towards Heron pond low over the reeds at Mallard pond.

A Great Crested Grebe is an unusual record for the river through the reserve. One was first seen on the 28th by Stuart. It was still present on the 30th  from Curlew hide.

Great Crested Grebe - Stuart Hall

The end of April is the peak for migration of White Wagtails on their way to Iceland. A flock of 40 was flying around at dusk on the 16th. On the 20th April, a male Yellow Wagtail was with a small flock of White Wagtails.  Only the 3rd in 10 years to be ringed on the Teifi Marshes.

Yellow Wagtail - Teifi Ringing Group

Other more common migrants recorded on the reserve were a Common Whitethroat by Tommy on the 26th...

Whitethroat - Tommy Evans

and a Common Sandpiper on the 29th. 8 had been seen on the 27th.

Common Sandpiper - Diane Williams

Also on the 27th, Liz Snell recorded some interesting birds in the Gwbert and Mwnt part of the patch. A Lesser Whitethroat was singing on the road to The Cliff Hotel. Near Mwnt there was a Yellowhammer in what was once a stronghold in the county. In Hywel Roderick's book "Birds of Ceredigion" he wrote that Yellowhammers can only be described as common in a relatively small part of the county between Aberporth and Gwbert. 19 males were found in 5km² in 1998.

Looking back to last early May, the next blog should have news of large passage of Whimbrel, Bar-tailed Godwit and maybe a Cuckoo or Osprey. 

(Wendy J and Rich D)