Before September - Stint and skuas

To end August..... A juvenile Little Stint and an adult Long-tailed Skua - details below.

           Both on the Reserve .. !! 

On the 31st August, a juvenile Little Stint was in front of Creek Hide. It was with 4 Greenshank and aggressive Snipe. Usually, these minute waders are on Patch or Poppit in the main  outer estuary.

Little Stint showing size comparison with a Snipe - Tommy Evans

Greenshank have been seen regularly from Creek hide. The maximum count has been ten on the 3rd September. This doesn't match the record count of 36 at the Teifi marshes on 1st September 1984!

Greenshank - Diane Williams

Two Ruff were present from the 3rd and still present on the 4th September

Ruff - Jen Evans

Storms and gale force winds at the end of August brought some unusual birds

Long-tailed Skua - Sue Müller

Sue Müller was visiting the Teifi Marshes on the 31st August in the hope of seeing an Osprey. What she photographed over the river from Creek Hide was far more unusual. An adult Long-tailed Skua - this is the first record of this species over the reserve. 

A scarce autumn migrant, usually only seen on sea watches along the coast in stormy weather. In Ceredigion there have been 4 spring records and 26 autumn records.

Earlier in the week of storms, various sea watches counting seabirds - this a flavour of what can be seen (Brennig Huws)

On Thursday 28th August during the evening  from Mwnt - two Arctic Skuas chasing a Little Tern, and 3 Storm Petrels pushed in by squalls.  

On the 29th an adult Sabine's Gull and a Balearic Shearwater added quality amongst the near 800 Manx Shearwaters and near 400 Kittiwakes past.

As we enter September, and WeBS counts start this weekend ...good numbers of waders in the main estuary - 90 Curlew, 85 Oystercatchers on the 3rd roosting opposite St Dogmael's.

(Rich D and Wendy J)