Purple Heron

27th March 2012. I set out  from checking Penberi Pool to St Davids Hd. With bright sunlight and light easterlies it was looking promising. As I was driving along I saw a bird from the car as it flew towards me to the west of the minor road near Ivor's Pond (Daffodil Lane). It was clearly a heron but looked a bit dark and Bittern like to the naked eye

I stopped and it was immediately clear it was a Purple Heron and what's more an adult in full summer plumage; it was now quite close and the purple colour on the neck was distinctive as was the chestnut on the thighs and especially the purple on the underwing coverts. Because it was so close, the structural differences were diminished, and it didn’t look especially ‘spidery’ or angular. 

It dropped into cover, nearby, beyond a willow clump. It was damp bramble and grass/sedge – typical of much of Pembs. After half an hour it reappeared and flew to a nearby bank enclosing a pond where it stayed in full view, close to the road, for a couple of minutes. I was able to enjoy the full glory of the colour and snaky, erect neck before it lifted off to Treleddyd Fawr Farm and Holiday Cottages about a qurter of a mile away. Then the more spidery feel compared to Grey heron wa apparent.

Interestingly, it avoided nearby open water each time it landed and appeared to drop down in an area of gardens when last seen. Purple Herons can be secretive birds and I have never had better views here or abroad. There was too much to take in for a precise description but on the ground the long yellow bill and even brighter yellow legs stood out as did the purple and black along the neck, the purple underwing coverts in flight and chestnut on the thighs and at the bend in the wing when standing. A superb bird in full breeding condition.

Purple Herons in Pembs since 2000

Skomer 22nd March 2001  (JGB)
Martletwy  12th April-12th May 2006  (MS)
Orielton  24th-26th April 2006  (CH)
Bosherston  29th April  2006  (DE&EE)
nr Narberth  22nd-27th March 2010  (A Hart)
St Davids 27/3/2012  (MYP)

Glossy Ibises in 2012

Glossy Ibises are rare birds in Pembs or were until there was an amazing and unprecedented invasion of Glossy Ibises into Pembrokeshire in January 2012, perhaps as a result of drought and resulting poor feeding and breeding conditions in southern Spain.The influx started with two birds together over Neyland Marina on 7th January. Then two flew over Whitesands St Davids on the 13th and there was one at Sageston on 14th. Three were then found at Marloes on 15th , unlike the shy St Davids birds these were very confiding and photogenic. There was apparently some movement between this site and Tacumshin, Ireland but one is still present at Marloes at time of writing (November). The St Davids birds were relocated on 22nd and remained until 1st February. These records were all eclipsed somewhat by an amazing 23 which were in the Carew area from approximately 29th before dropping in number to 14 on 6th February and reducing to four which were last seen on 14th February.  This was, apparently, the second largest flock ever seen in Britain; only eclipsed by a flock of 25 in Carmarthenshire in 2009. There was, apparently, also a single bird in the Walwyns Castle area on 31st January.

The unphotogenic St Davids birds - photo Byron Davies

The showy Marloes birds

Again

And again

Some of the Carew flock - photos Richard Crossen

Again

And again

Glossy Ibises have been considered by BBRC until 2012 but is likely to become a WRP candidate.

Glossy Ibis in Pembrokeshire

Slebech autumn 1834 per Matthews 1894
Tenby 23rd October 1917 (Lockley et al 1949)
The Gann 20th August 1876 (RW)
The Gann & Marloes Mere 15th-16th June 1996 (MC DPD KJSD)  [also Skokholm 19th (GT)]
Neyland Marina 2 on 7th January (AJH)
St Davids 2 from 13th January - 31st January (MYP et al)
Sageston 14th January (unknown)
Marloes Mere 15th January one remaining to November (MH et al)
Carew from approx 29th January to  (RE et al)
Walwyns Castle 31st January (unknown)