A day for red legs - Ramsey and Strumble Head 13/05/2017

A day out to Ramsey Island today with the Community Team was absolutely fantastic. On the way near St Davids I was very surprised to see red-legged partridge!! On the Island, a red kite was a surprise for us shortly after arrival, and then I got onto a spotted-flycatcher in a cracking bit of habitat near the buildings. There turned out to be a few there, and Mat and I jumped a fence to try and see if there was anything else whilst the rest of the group went up to see the manxie burrows. We didn't want to miss those so we caught back up with them, and it was amazing to hear a female calling from a burrow.

From there, we went up to see one of the seabird colonies, seeing peregrine and buzzard on the way. Matt and I then headed over to the other side to see about more rarities, and we dug out sedge warbler, willow warbler, blackcap and whitethroat near the buildings. That general area is obviously the place to find things! Interestingly everything was skulky, not willing to venture out far, or even call. 


Time came to get the boat back and we left, having racked up 5 ticks for the year challenge, chough, kittiwake, spot fly, red-legged partridge and razorbill.

Unsure if the collective time schedule would allow for a foray over to Strumble Head, I joked that we should try for the red-footed falcon. Luckily for myself, Mat and Ade, we had agreement and off we went. We followed the sketchy directions, but ended up going too far, and getting to Strumble Head Lighthouse. We went back the way we came and pulled into a layby to see some other birders coming back from having been watching it, and they pointed it out in the distance atop a lamp post. A cracking bird to add to #My200birdyear!!

However the best was yet to come, because we walked down towards it and it worked it's way over to the post we were stood under!! Whilst we were there a fella pulled in and we stifled a laugh after Mat suggested he stay in the car, but ended up narrating the situation with an hilarious, "Oh, he's out..."  Amazingly, it was very tame, allowing for brilliant shots before it took off again and started grubbing in a field.