Into May...waders, terns & Highland Cattle
May started with a Curlew Sandpiper in summer plumage. It was on Patch, Teifi Estuary on the 2nd and on the 3rd had moved to the Nevern Estuary at Newport
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| Curlew Sandpiper - Jonathan Bissett |
As usual, there was an increase in waders as we headed into May. By 8pm on the 3rd, the rising tide had pushed the small wader flock onto Poppit beach..90 Dunlin, 15 Ringed Plover and a Sanderling. 5 Sandwich Tern were roosting on buoys off the saltmarsh. Earlier in the day 1 Grey Plover, 2 Whimbrel and a lingering Curlew
Sanderling counts vary from day to day, a peak count so far this month was 17 on the 9th with 45 Ringed Plover (Josh Brown)
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| Sanderling - Diane Williams |
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| Dunlin and Ringed Plover - Diane Williams |
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| Sandwich Tern - Diane Williams |
On the Teifi Marshes it has been a quiet month as birds get on with breeding. The bulk of warbler passsge is over.
30th April, a pair of Shoveler were on Kingfisher Pond. That evening, a Wheatear by Mallard hide being chased by a Blue Tit was an unusual sighting
12th May - a drake Mandarin from the river viewpoint (Jon Green)
New residents at the Teifi Marshes....
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| Highland Cattle - Welsh Wildlife Centre |
"As we sadly lost the Water Buffalo from the reserve last year due to the grazier selling his herd, we have now managed to replace them with some equally charismatic animals, Highland cattle. These hardy animals are the next best thing to Water Buffalo in grazing the marsh and is hoped that they will manage the wetland just as well. There will be 5 young cattle on this summer and we will monitor how they get on. They arrived last Tuesday and will stay on the reserve until the beginning of November. They tend to keep to shady areas when hot so may not be seen as often as the Water Buffalo were, who took advantage of wallowing in the pools when they got hot.
These animals are owned by Ben Giles, a local grazier who has a herd of Highland cattle just outside Llechryd." Welsh Wildlife Centre
(Wendy J and Rich D)