I spent a couple of hours on Saturday evening watching the high tide roost in action at Pembrey Harbour. The weather was pretty awful with banks of mist and rain being driven up the Burry inlet from off the sea. Despite these adverse conditions the birds still assembled in excellent numbers, far better than during my brief visit the week before.

24789 - High Tide Roost, Pembrey Harbour

The photo above shows just part of the roost on what is one of the last sandbanks to disappear under the water at high tide. Sandwich Tern numbers were very impressive with 91 individuals present, many of which were juveniles from this years breeding season (foreground above). The Oystercatchers were even better with at least 1,500 birds gathered although more were arriving every few minutes. Other species seen included 640 Black Headed Gull, 29 Turnstone, 1 Great Black Backed Gull, 6 Lesser Black Backed Gull, 41 Herring Gull, 1 Common Gull, 8 Mediterranean Gull, 41 Ringed Plover, 1 Little Egret and at least 10 Dunlin, many still in their summer plumage. Top marks to anyone that can spot the Mediterranean Gull hiding in the photo above.


4 Comments

TexWisGirl · August 18, 2011 at 12:08 am

quite the popular place! 🙂

holdingmoments · August 18, 2011 at 12:58 pm

I don't think I've ever seen so many Oystercatchers in one group before lol

theconstantwalker · August 18, 2011 at 10:31 pm

A wonderful sight Adam… fantasic to see.

Adam Tilt · August 18, 2011 at 11:41 pm

TexWisGirl – if you have a beak it most definitely is.

Keith – that's just a small proportion of them. There are about 25,000 in the estuary over winter.

Andrew – it certainly is.

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