Velvet Scoter – records – Pembrokeshire Avifauna

Melanitta fusca – MOR-HWYADEN GOGLEDD – Winter visitor.

Previous records are summarised in Velvet Scoter 1994

1993	Singles Strumble Head 9 Jan, 12 Jun and 20 Nov and Druidston 25 Nov, 3 Skomer 22 Oct.
1994	4 Amroth 30 Jan, up to 7 in that area 20 Nov – 3 1 Dec, singles Strumble Hd 2 July and Newgale 13 Nov.
1995	Singles Strumble Head 1 Jan, 3 Nov and 2 Dec, 2 Newgale 2 Jan, with singles there 8 Jan and 14 Dec, singles Ramsey 22 June and Gann 18-19 Nov, 3 Amroth 12 Jan and 4 Mar, with on 15 Jan and 17 Dec.
1996	Singles Fishguard Harbour 9 Feb and Amroth 14 Feb, with 14 there 27 Mar. One Strumble Head 20 Sept.
1997	3 Nolton 5 – 7 Jan, one Newgale 12 Feb, 4 Amroth 3 Mar, 2 Strumble Hd 15 Oct, singles there 26 Oct and 7 Nov, and at Wiseman’s Bridge 14 Dec.
1998	3 Broad Haven (N) 10 Jan, up to 4 Newgale 26 Jan – 15 Feb, up to 6 Amroth 15-22 March. Singles Strumble Head 26 Sept & 14 Nov. 2 on 4 Nov. 2 Druidston 6 Dec, 2 Amroth 13 Dec and 2 Broad Haven (N) 20 – 21 Dec.
1999	1-5 Amroth 6-30 Jan, one there 18 & 21 Nov (TJP et al), 1-2 Broad Haven (N) 11-21 Jan (KJSD et al), one Strumble Head 17 Jan (SB).
2000	4 Strumble Head 15 Oct (GHR).
2001	Male Amroth 17 Feb (GHR) and female 25 Feb (DSB), one Strumble Head 10 Nov and 7 on 13 Dec (SEB).
2002	Variably 4-9 Nolton/Newgale 15 Feb – 14 Mar, singles Strumble Head 3 & 10 Nov, 5 Broad Haven (N) 29 Nov – 31 Dec.
2003	5 Broad Haven (N) 5 Jan, 9 there 24 Jan – 12 Feb, 8 on 14 & 15 Feb, 12 on 5 Dec, then 7 from 6 – 29 Dec. One Amroth 2 Jan, 2 Strumble Head 30 Nov.
2004	6 Broad Haven (N) 2 Jan, one there 25 Jan, one Strumble Head 18 Jan, 2 on 15 Feb,3 on 24 Oct and 2 on 25 Oct.
2005	Singles Newgale 13 Jan & 15 Feb, Manorbier 10 Nov, Angle Bay 20 Nov, Newgale 26 & 27 Nov, 2 at latter 24 & 25 Dec, one St Davids Head 26 Dec.
2006	One Newgale 2 – 6 Jan, with 2 there 3 Jan, one Skomer 29 Mar, 2 Strumble Head 8 Dec.
2007	All records were: a male passing off Strumble Head on 12 Sept., three males there on 18 Nov. and two males on 10th Dec, (SEB, AR, CBu). Five off Broad Haven (N) on 18th & 19th Dec., reducing to three by the 23rd (TJP, PKG, KJSD).
2008	The only records were of 5 off Broad Haven North from 2nd until 6th Jan. (LL. DJA).
2009	All records were in St. Bride’s Bay off Broad Haven (N). There were two on 21 Feb, increasing to nine on 19 March which then reduced to two again by the 21st. Later in the year another two were recorded at the same site from 17 to 21 Dec. Elsewhere one passed Strumble Head on 9 Sept and three males passed by on 11 Oct and three were off Pen Anglas on 30 Nov.
2010	All records were from St. Brides Bay with two at Broad Haven on 10 Jan and one at Newgale on 30 Jan & 1 Feb. Then at the other end of the year, three at Broad Haven on 19 Nov rising to eight by 21st, dropping to two from 24 Dec with just 1 remaining by the 31st.
2011	All records were from Broad Haven (N) where there was a pair from 3 to 9 Jan then a female reported on 20 Nov & 1 Dec at the same site.
2012	A 1st winter male at Broad Haven (N) on 26 Feb, a female at the same site from 23 – 30 Nov & three females Wisemans Bridge on 5 Dec were the only records.
2013	A single Female at Broad Haven (N) from 2 to 20 March and three off Newgale 26 Dec were the only acceptable records.
2014	Single individuals were recorded at Strumble Head on 22 Sept, a male off the St. Davids Head/St. John’s Point area from 15 to 19 Nov and off Amroth on 24 Dec.
2015	The only record for the year was of three past Strumble Head on 12 Sept.
2016	A single female type bird which joined the Common Scoter flock at Wiseman’s Bridge on 15 Dec was the only record for the year.
2017	No records
2018	Only record was of a male and two females off Amroth 24 March
2019	Only records were of two in Whitesands Bay 28 Nov and singles off Skomer 5 Nov, off Skokholm 2 Dec and in St. Brides Bay off Broad Haven N on 17 Dec
2020	Only records received were: off Broad Haven (N): one 12 – 21 Jan, three 23 Oct and one 6 Dec; off Wiseman’s Bridge – Coppet Hall: 27- 30 there 19 – 26 Jan, two on 3 Dec and a single 11 Dec.