Bittern – records – Pembrokeshire Avifauna

Botaurus stellaris – ADERYN Y BWN – Sparse winter visitor. Not recorded from July to September

Previous records are summarised in Bittern 1994

The right-hand column shows the number of individuals that were recorded in that year.

1995	Singles Penally Ranges 16 Nov (G&KBH), Dowrog 11 Dec (JB), Trefeiddan 26 Dec (JB) and Pontiago 31 Dec (IM).	4
1996	Singles Dowrog 3-26 Jan (JB), Trefeiddan 7 Jan (JB) and Bosherston pools 29 Dec (TJP).	3
1997	Widespread hard weather at the beginning of the winter resulted in a Jan influx, some birds staying on into March. 2 Bosherston throughout Jan, one remaining until 23 Mar (RJE, RJH et al), singles Llys y fran 2 Jan (DJA, TJP), Dowrog 3 Jan – 8 Feb (JB, JRH et al), Heathfield GP 4-6 Jan (SB), Ffynone 6 Jan (DL) and at nearby Afon Dalais 13 Jan (PG), Teifi Marshes 25 Jan (JWD) Skomer 19 Mar (SS) Upper Haythog 20 Mar (RM)	9
1998	One Shoals Hook 23 Dec (Jba)	1
1999	One ‘booming’ Teifi Marshes 6&7 Aug (DR), one Bosherston 14-27 Nov (LL,PM,AW)	2
2000	One St David’s airfield 26 Dec (JB)	1
2001	No records
2002	Singles Goodwick Moor 5 Jan (CB), Teifi Marshes 15 Jan (WWC staff) and Marloes Mere 14 Dec (SJS).	3
2003	Singles Westfield Pill 21 Jan (AJH) and Pembroke M P 26 Jan – 27 Feb (JH et al), Broad Haven (N) Nov (BN, TW)	3
2004	One Pembroke M P 3 Jan – 28 Feb (PKG, JH), with 2 there 21 Jan (JH), one Teifi Marshes 13 Nov (RB).	3
2005	Singles Teifi Marshes 19 Oct (AKP, JP) and 16 & 22 Nov, and 17 Dec ( per JG)	3
2006	One Trefeiddan in Jan (JBe).	1
2007	No records
2008	No records
2009	A good year for records of this species in 2009 with reports of single birds at : St. David’s Airfield on 2nd Feb & 4th Mar and on the Teifi Marshes from 14th Feb until 15th Mar then at the other end of the year from 7th to 20th Nov (probably present until the end of the year).	3
2010	A single at the Teifi Marshes from the 14th Jan until 8th Mar when it was joined by a second and a third was noted there on the 11th. They were last recorded on 22nd Mar when both birds were seen to fly up high and head off north. Elsewhere singles at Bosherston 13th & 28th Jan, at Fortunes Frolic on 18th Jan and at St Davids Airfield on 1st Feb. At the other end of the year all singles at the Teifi on 21st Oct, at Newgale Marsh on 11th Dec, Newport on 20th Dec, at the top of Newgale valley on 26th Dec, at Freshwater West on 30th Dec and three together at Bosherston on 25th Dec.	14
2011	First recorded at Bosherston with a single bird on 8th Jan, this had increased to two by 7th Jan. Presumably these birds remained as two were recorded during February until on 4th March the number rose to three and then four on the 5th. The last record for the early part of the year was of three on 7th March. One on the Teifi Marshes 6th Mar. At the other end of the year singles at Teifi Marshes 5th Nov, at Castlemartin Corse 1st Dec & two at Bosherston from 14th Nov until the end of the year	9
2012	Singles reported at St. David’s Airfield on 8th Feb, at Goodwick Moor on 24th Feb then probably the same bird flying over Fishguard on the evening of 5th Mar, at Pantmaenog on 29th Feb and on the Teifi Marshes on 21st Nov.	4
2013	The only records were: at the Teifi Marshes on 14th Jan & 7th – 12th Nov, at Castle Martin Corse on 9th Feb and from Bosherston, two on 3rd & 4th Feb, a single bird on 16th & another 17th – 30th Dec.	7
2014	Single birds were at Gupton Farm on 30th Jan & 27th Feb and at Castlemartin Corse on 27th Feb. At the other end of the year, a bird was seen at Bosherston on 13th & 29th Dec and one on the Teifi Marshes all December	5
2015	During the early part of the year single birds were recorded at the Teifi Marshes on 4th & 22nd Jan, Bosherston on 17th & 30th Jan, Castlemartin Corse on 18th Jan & Freshwater West on 21st Feb. Later in the year single birds were recorded at Castlemartin Corse on 29th Oct, 7th & 22nd Nov, with two on the 7th Nov, and at the Teifi Marshes from 16th Nov until 18th Dec	7
2016	A single bird at Teifi Marshes from 18th Jan until 4th April with two there on 21st March. Singles at Llangloffan Fen on 30th March then at the other end of the year at Stackpole on 15th Dec & another at Teifi Marshes 29th & 30th Dec.	5
2017	Up to two reported from the Teifi Marshes on 3rd Jan – 13th Apr and singles at Goodwick Moor on 9th Feb, at Stackpole Court 28th Feb – 2nd Mar and one on Skokholm on 6th May was the first record for the island.	5
2018	The only record was of a single at Newgale 16th Feb.	1
2019	No records	0
2020	All records were of singles: a 2CY at Teifi Marshes 27 July – 3 Sept, and one at Castlemartin Corse 6 & 7 Dec.