Choughs in West Wales.
08th September 2016
In an effort to lift the spirits we decided to have an ad hoc ’Get-Away’ to the west Wales coast yesterday. A bit of sea air and a change of scenery, away from the grey skies of late. We left home at 06.00 and arrived at Martin’s Haven in Pembrokeshire at 08.15, a good journey with light traffic all the way. It was quite misty on the way there but very quickly the sun came up and it turned into a glorious morning. I decided to take a lens just on the off chance of there being some birds around and as we walked along the cliff tops we briefly saw two Rock Pipits but they soon disappeared, about twenty ‘fly-over’ Grey Wagtails, a few Wheatears and around twenty Turnstones flying below us on the sea. There were also a couple of Fulmars and Gannets out on the sea.
There are huge amounts of Jackdaws in this area and also a good number of Ravens but we wanted to see some Choughs. We haven’t seen any Choughs for many years and it was pleasing to hear their characteristic calling as they flew around the cliffs. These quaint birds like areas of short grass where they probe the soft earth with their beaks searching for food. They are reasonably confiding and if you are quiet and patient it is possible to approach them. We saw about five birds flying around early on but they became more wary as the flow of people and dogs increased. However, in a quiet spot we could see two birds feeding in the typically short grass. If you want to see these birds well just wait near some short grass and be patient and it is also essential to be there early to avoid disturbance.
We made our way slowly towards them, they could see us but they were not particularly bothered because we were being quiet. I took a few shots then moved a little closer until I felt we were at the limit of their tolerance. We enjoyed watching them feeding and calling to each other, they really are very nice birds.
Then the inevitable dog walker appeared and they took flight, this is the usual pattern of events, thankfully we had watched them for some time. We enjoyed the rest of the day just strolling around looking at the Seals and their pups and having a nice picnic until we finally called it a day and made the journey back.
A very nice day out.
For more shots; Please see Latest Images Choughs.
There are huge amounts of Jackdaws in this area and also a good number of Ravens but we wanted to see some Choughs. We haven’t seen any Choughs for many years and it was pleasing to hear their characteristic calling as they flew around the cliffs. These quaint birds like areas of short grass where they probe the soft earth with their beaks searching for food. They are reasonably confiding and if you are quiet and patient it is possible to approach them. We saw about five birds flying around early on but they became more wary as the flow of people and dogs increased. However, in a quiet spot we could see two birds feeding in the typically short grass. If you want to see these birds well just wait near some short grass and be patient and it is also essential to be there early to avoid disturbance.
We made our way slowly towards them, they could see us but they were not particularly bothered because we were being quiet. I took a few shots then moved a little closer until I felt we were at the limit of their tolerance. We enjoyed watching them feeding and calling to each other, they really are very nice birds.
Then the inevitable dog walker appeared and they took flight, this is the usual pattern of events, thankfully we had watched them for some time. We enjoyed the rest of the day just strolling around looking at the Seals and their pups and having a nice picnic until we finally called it a day and made the journey back.
A very nice day out.
For more shots; Please see Latest Images Choughs.