Minland Shearwaters in Wales???

[howardlawton]

Shearwaters only 'call' when nesting
Shearwaters nest on Islands, in Wales Bardsey and Skomer

Why then for the last few years have our camping trips to cardigan bay at Cwm Tydu at this time of year have we heard Shearwaters punctuating the night with their calls. (mainly female calls)

This year I have recorded their calls just to pove I am not imagining things!

So are they nesting nearby, what other explanation is there?

[Dogghound]

Could it be the wind coming into the bay south-west from bardsey, carrying their calls?

[howardlawton]

Too far, Cwm Tydu is sort of in between Skomer and Bardsey on the Welsh map, so 40 miles? plus from each.

[Dogghound]

I dont know the area well enough to know if another colony exists closer. I do know it would be unusual to hear lots of calling birds away from a colony. Are you absolutely sure they are manx shearwaters? I know calls have been documented in some of the other shearwater species away from colonies(although all are unlikely where you are at this time of year).

[beech]

Shearwaters have been heard calling at a few mainland locations on the coast of North Wales at night , though I dont know if they have ever been proved to breed

[howardlawton]

Hi

Definitive calls, I have recorded them. Week before last we were down there, they started around 12.30 am until around 2.30am Mostly female calls, odd male.

Of course there is a Doppler effect in the valley but I stayed up most nights listening and trying to locate calls but they are short calls. Some of the calls came from in the valley level with the tent. At times calls come from the two headlands flanking the bay.

On some nights they were very prolific every few minutes, other nights just an odd one or two calls. There are plenty of abandoned rabbit burrows, this area was depleted of rabbits with mixi a couple of years ago.

We have heard the calls for some 6 plus years, but not has plentiful as this year. It did take us several years to identify the call, never ever thought of listening to Shearwaters, because of their supposed? nesting sites being so distant and their lack of call at sea. Others have confirmed the call which is so unlike anything else. I could only presume they were nesting somewhere on the valley sides and cliff tops. Ku Ka churrrr, ku ka churrr

[howardlawton]

Dogghound what would the other shearwaters be?

[Dogghound]

You get a passage of Sooty on the west coast and occasional Balearic but the time pretty much rule these out. Both species can occasionally be vocal away from breeding colonies.

[howardlawton]

Cwm Tydu is located between Newquay and LLangrannog on Cardigan bay. It is a small bay which has a family of Choughs which is nice, in fact the coastal path between LLangrannog and Cwm Tydu is the best place to see choughs, forget Pembrokeshire, there are 3 or 4 family groups of several birds, and LLangrannog in particular is alive with them! This is the place to ensure you see them. I did not know they liked ants until I witnessed them feeding on ants whilst on the coastal path. There is also a nesting Peregrine pair on this section.

We also found plenty of Sky Larks on the tops of the cliffs just before Cwm Tydu, other species at cwm Tydu include Linnets, goldfinches, stonechats, whitethroats, wheatear, spotted flycatchers as well as buzzards and odd kite and heron, who are mobbed whenever the come close to the bay. There was a silver pheasant with 6 chicks, nothing like the pheasants I know, as I say a silver grey with mottled black markings? This year the foxgloves, Tormetil and toadflax are spectacular and on the newquay side at castel Bach lots and lots of orchids. Cwm tydu is also home to the Scarlet Tiger moth, with a big expanse of Comfrey near the river as well as fritilaries and the usual suspects such as common blue, speckled wood, etc etc this year so many ringlets and skippers- everywhere. Most spectacular was two sightings of Gold ringed dragonflies, one on the cliff path itself. Fantastic year there is so much to identify I am going to have to ask for help with some of the flowers and birds I came across. Oh and a lizard live near the take away, and a slow worm liked the tent!

[RoyW]

Manxies do sometimes call away from their breeding colonies (I have heard calls coming from feeding flocks gathering off Ynyslas at dusk in late summer - about as far from known breeding colonies as you can get on the Welsh coast).

I would suspect that there has actually been relatively study done on the nocturnal behaviour of these birds away from known breeding colonies (few ornithologists will be wandering about random coastal areas during the middle of the night, so presence would only be discovered by chance).
It is possible that you may have discovered a mainland colony, although if this is the case breeding success may be limited due to the presence of rats etc. Another possibility is that Manx Shearwater reaching maturity will go prospecting for potential breeding areas, and call when they do - perhaps listening for replies from others already breeding in the area (so there may be some that are interested in the location but not actually breeding there).

Have you let the local bird recorder know? They may know people in the area who are able to look into the situation.