David Saunders - Where to Watch Birds in Wales

HELM

Bloomsbury Publishing Plc

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This electronic edition published in 2022 by Bloomsbury Publishing Plc

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First published in the UK 2000

This fifth edition published 2022

Bloomsbury Publishing, 2022

David Saunders and Jon Green have asserted their rights under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act, 1988, to be identified as Authors of this work

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ISBN: 978-1-4729-7951-3 (PB)
ISBN: 978-1-4729-8066-3 (eBook)
ISBN: 978-1-4729-8067-0 (ePDF)

Maps by Brian Southern

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Cover photographs. Front: (t) Red Kite, Steve Littlewood/Getty; (b) Pied Flycatcher; Danny Green /naturepl.com

Spine: Puffin; Jon Green

Back: (lr) Redstart, Manx Shearwater, Gannet; Lyndon Lomax

CONTENTS

We must straight away extend our thanks to the hundreds of birdwatchers, named and unnamed, who for the past century or more have watched and enjoyed birds in Wales. Their observations, their records and their writings were the basis of the Birds of Wales 2021, the county avifaunas and the numerous bird reports all essential reading for those who wish to follow, and to learn about, the birds of the Principality. To all these pioneers, both present and future birdwatchers owe a considerable debt. Let us repay this by our continued efforts not only to watch birds in Wales, but to ensure that the habitats which birds use are properly protected, managed and enhanced. Many sites are protected as nature reserves; add to this what seems a plethora of designations Sites of Special Scientific Interest, National Nature Reserves, Ramsar Sites to mention but a few and one might be forgiven for believing all is well with the birds of Wales. We must not, however, be complacent as we move forward in this century, whose changes may be more dramatic than anything we have witnessed before, as climate change begins to have an effect on habitats, weather patterns, ocean currents and creatures. Our efforts must not diminish. So, enjoy your birdwatching, but at the same time encourage others and keep those records coming in; they are the warp and weft of this most glorious hobby and the means by which we can together provide a better future for the birds of Wales our birds.

Our thanks are due to Brian Southern, who so carefully prepared the maps for this book; his expertise is greatly appreciated.

This fifth edition was written during the COVID-19 pandemic, when repeated lockdowns restricted site visits and prevented annual censuses and many breeding counts. As in previous editions, local knowledge has been sought from many of the county recorders and birdwatchers who know the sites far better than we do. We owe them a great debt. They include Rob Sandham (Anglesey), Marc Hughes (Caernarfonshire), Steve Stansfield (Bardsey), Gary Harper (Carmarthenshire), Arfon Williams (Ceredigion), Chris Jones (Denbighshire & Flintshire), Phil Bristow (East Glamorgan), Jim Dustow (Meirionnydd), Mike Haigh and Simon Boyes (Montgomery), David Astins, Richard Brown and Giselle Eagle (Skokholm), Richard Ellis and Lisa Morgan (Pembrokeshire), Rob Davies and Robert Taylor (West Glamorgan & Gower) and Julian Hughes (RSPB).

Since the previous edition of our book was published in 2008, too many of our leading ornithologists, each a good friend across more years than we care to remember, have passed on. Each made a singular contribution to knowledge and recording of birds in Wales, and everyone is sorely missed. We dedicate our book to their memory: Peter Davis MBE, Stuart Devonald, Jack Donovan MBE, Peter Hope-Jones, Graham Rees, Mike Shrubb, Hywel Roderick, Derek Moore OBE.