Birdwatching Holidays In West Wales
Nuthatch
Woodlands or gardens. Very distinctive with rusty-yellow underside, grey/blue on top with wide black eyestripe extending down neck. Pale throat. Will land upside down to devour nuts from feeder with sharp precision.
Oystercatcher
Black and white with long, narrow orange bill. Black head and rump with white underparts. Flight shows broad angled white stripe on each wing and white rump with black tail tip. Large flocks often utter high-pitched twee-twee when in flight. They land in a big tumble and set to feeding on shore or mud.
Peregrine
Much larger than Merlin. Male: dark grey head and back with pronounced horizontal grey barring on underside and fluffy legs, yellow at ankle and feet. Nests on cliffs and likes to catch pigeons and waders on the wing. Females much bigger.
Pied Flycatcher
Likes old woods, particularly oak with clearings. Very recognisable with striking black and white plumage. They have been tempted into Welsh woods with nesting boxes.
Pied Wagtail
It’s that little grey bird with black and white tail and head which you can see hopping about with wagging tail often in supermarket carparks or bits of wasteland. But they love water, too.
Pintail
Very thin tail as name implies. Smart bird with thin neck and long, slender body. Male: dark brown head with white of neck ‘leaking’ into it in a stripe. Grey wing feathers finely lined like a posh suit. Female dull brown or grey with light breast. Bill and legs grey.
Pochard
Easy to spot. Wide, typical round head and flat bill. Head chestnut, chest and tail black with pale grey elsewhere. Female duller with russet chest; same divisions of colour bands as male. Night feeder so drifts around sleepily by day.
Puffin
Pelagic. Skokholm and Skomer. None on Ramsey. They are around from March to end August but you won’t necessarily see them till they have laid eggs June to mid-July.
Razorbill
Pelagic. Most on Skomer; also Skokholm, Ramsey Lots between Angle and Stackpole on South Pembs coast and Needle Rock by Dinas Head. Easy to spot: huge chunky bill with distinctive white stripe. Black and white. Rarely seen outside breeding season.
Red Kite
Now quite common in Ceredigion, this striking bird of prey is often seen gliding overhead with its deeply forked tail fanned out. Grey head and rusty underparts with white patch behind angle of wing.
Red-breasted Merganser
Look out for wispy crest which makes the male look as if he’s having a bad hair day. He has green/blue head, white collar and dark breast with white wing patches. Orange-red, thin bill with hint of uptilt. Eyes are orangey red. Female is brownish grey with rufous-brown head and pale throat.
Red-throated Diver
Shallow coastal sea. Elegant, swims low; head held up. Long, sharp bill. In flight: neck stretched and legs trail. Winter: Loses smooth blue-grey on head and red throat. Grey on top with small white spots. White underparts and sides of neck. Fine black/white stripes on back of neck and side neck base.