Hirundo rustica – GWENNOL – Breeding summer visitor and passage migrant
‘Winter’ records are observations between December and March, usually at least a month after the last migration records. However, in some years this distinction is not made in the the bird reports.
Year | First | Last | Winter records |
1981 | 17 March | 31 October | 2 December |
1982 | 26 March | 16 November | |
1983 | 10 March | 14 November | |
1984 | 31 March | 12 November | |
1985 | 30 March | 21 October | |
1986 | 17 March | 10 November | 4 December |
1987 | 4 April | 27 October | |
1988 | 26 March | 6 November | |
1989 | 20 March | 29 October | One wintered at Haverfordwest, being first seen on 9 Jan and last seen about 4 Mar after which it was feared that it succumbed during sudden frost (JWD et al). |
1990 | 30 March | 26 October | |
1991 | 29 March | 30 October | 2 December |
1992 | 18 March | 30 October | |
1993 | 15 March | 10 October | |
1994 | 20 March | 20 November | |
1995 | 23 March | 16 November | One Teifi Marshes 13 January |
1996 | 19 March | 7 November | |
1997 | 30 March | 3 November | |
1998 | 18 March | 25 November | |
1999 | 23 March | 5 November | |
2000 | 11 March | 12 November | |
2001 | 24 March | 16 November | |
2002 | 24 March | 20 November | |
2003 | 27 March | 12 November | |
2004 | 19 March | 31 October | Winter records – Singles St Davids 1 and 9 December, and 4 Texaco Refinery Nov to 31 December – survival probably helped by the microclimate at the refinery |
2005 | 17 March | 21 November | At Texaco refinery, 4 wintered until 3rd week Jan then down to 3 by end of month, one remained until 10 Mar. 4 were ringed on 1 Jan, one that had been caught on 20 Dec 2004 had lost 25% of its body weight between these two dates. Singles Milford Haven 1 Mar & W. Angle 10 Jan, were probably from Texaco. 3 Amroth 26-27 Jan. |
2006 | 27 March | 2 November | |
2007 | 14 March | 3 November | Single at Bosherston on 7 December |
2008 | 27 March | 26 October | December records included: 3 at Stackpole Home Farm 9th and 11th, 2 here on 22nd, singles St Anns Head on 11th, and Pembroke Dock on 3rd and 24th, and birds at the Chevron refinery on 12th. |
2009 | 13 March | 23 October | Last surviving swallow at Chevron was last seen on 5 January, 2nd bird found dead due to the cold weather. Winter records: two hawking around farm buildings at Church Farm, Castlemartin on 22nd November. |
2010 | 17 March | 16 October | |
2011 | 13 March | 26 October | |
2012 | 18 March | 8 November | December records were from Hundleston with two on 5th and 10th and a single on 7th. |
2013 | 9 April | 14 November | |
2014 | 17 March | 1 November | |
2015 | 2 April | 18 November | |
2016 | 23 March | 4 December | |
2017 | 12 March | 4 December | |
2018 | 17 March | 26 October | |
2019 | 14 March | 8 December | |
2020 | 18 March | 1 December | |
2021 | 19 March | 17 November |
Records extracted from the Pembrokeshire Bird Reports which may contain more detail than shown here