Sturnus vulgaris – DRUDWEN – Breeding resident, winter visitor and passage migrant

Starlings are well-known for their large winter roost gatherings. The following roost data have been extracted from the Pembrokeshire Bird Reports, and the archive kept by the late Graham Rees. Not all roosts are reported every year, so the absence of a record does not necessarily equate to the absence of a roost.

Year	Month	Place	Count	Notes
1983	Dec	Dudwell	1,500,000	Feeder lines from SM70, SM72, SM80, SM81, SM82, SM83, SM90, SM92, SM93, SN00, SN01, SN02, SN03, SN11
1984	Jan-Mar	Dudwell	2,000,000
1984	Oct	Dudwell		Used from June onwards
1984		Maesgwyn/Pantmaenog		SN089290 large roost on FC land, not used before
1985	Jan	Dudwell	2,000,000
1985	Feb	Pantmaenog	200,000
1985	Nov Dec	Bosherston	30,000	Dudwell and Pantmaenog in use. Additional roosts at Canaston Woods
1985	Dec	Frolic Reedbed HW	100	roosting
1986	Jan Feb	Bosherston	100,000	Roosting in reedbeds during cold spell
1992	Dec	Bosherston	2,000	Roosting in reedbed
1993		Frolic reedbed	1000	Roost gathering
1994		Dudwell		Roost still in use
1994		Pantmaenog	200,000
1995	Jan-Mar Sep-Dec	Teifi Marshes	100,000- 150,000
1996	Dec	Teifi Marshes	100,000- 150,000
1997	Oct	Teifi Marshes	65.000
1998	Oct	Teifi Marshes	6,000
1999	Oct	Pantmaenog	1,000,000	A bird found dead 6/2/99 at Dudwell had been ringed as a 1st year at Llitnoller, Denmark, on 4/9/95
2001	Jan	Slebech		Many thousands going into reedbed
2001	Jan	Teifi Marshes		Many thousands going into reedbed
2001	Oct	Dudwell	200,000 – 300,000	Roost decreased by half in last ten years
2006	Nov	Slebech	70,000+
2006	Dec	Slebech	300,000+
2006	winter	Bosherston	25,000	Central Lake reedbed
2007	Nov	Slebech	90,000
2007	Nov	Slebech		Disappointing with only a few thousand birds on 27th
2008	Oct	Teifi Marsh	1,000+	Roost increasing
2008	Nov	Slebech		Several thousand
2008	Nov	Plumstone		Photos of murmuration
2009	Jan	Plumstone		Plenty of starlings – aerial displays
2009	Oct	Slebech		Many thousands
2009	Nov	Teifi Marshes	5,000
2009	Nov Dec	Dudwell	1,000,000+
2010	Feb	Plumstone	1,000,000+
2010	Dec	Plumstone	1,000,000
2010	Oct	Slebech reedbed	100,000+
2011	Feb	Plumstone	1,000,000
2011	Nov	Teifi Marshes	50,000	On 4th, but only 7-8,000 next evening
2011	Nov	Slebech	5,000	Only a few thousand on the 4th
2012	Jan	Plumstone		Millions
2012	Mar	Llys-y-fran	1,000+	Dropping into conifers
2012	Oct	Castlemartin Corse		occupied
2012	Oct	Slebech		Tens of thousands
2012	Nov	Plumstone	30,000
2013	Jan	Plumstone	100,000
2013	Nov	Plumstone		Roost as magnificent as ever
2014	Nov	Castlemartin Corse	50,000
2014	Nov	Slebech	50,000 – 100,000
2014	Dec	Plumstone	20,000	Part of roost site had been felled
2014	Dec	Castlemartin Corse	100,000 – 150,000
2015	Jan	Dudwell	2,000	Roost much depleted, down to 500 on one evening
2015	Oct	Teifi Marshes	5,000	Between Creek Hide and  the river
2015	Dec	Slebech	250,000+
2015	Dec	Teifi Marshes	30,000
2016	Jan	Teifi  Marshes	50,000
2016	Jan	Slebech/Pickle Wood	50,000
2016	Nov	Teifi Marshes	20,000
2016	Nov	Slebech reedbed	70,000 – 100,000
2016	Dec	Slebech/Warren Wood	100,000+	Roosting in Mescanthus fields towards the A40
2016	Dec	Teifi Marshes		Large murmuration
2016	Dec	Plumstone		Large murmuration on 4th
2016	Dec	Dudwell		Unoccupied on the 27th
2017	Jan	Slebech	50,000
2017	Jan	Slebech/Pickle Wood	100,000	Roosting in Mescanthus
2017	Feb	Llanwarren-Jordanston		Possible new roost?
2017	Oct	Slebech reedbed	30,000 – 50,000
2017	Nov	Slebech reedbed	100,000
2017	Dec	Slebech		Roosting in Mescanthus
2018	Jan	Slebech	250,000
2018	Oct	Slebech	50,000
2018	Oct	Castlemartin Corse	10,000	Heading from Marloes towards Castlemartin
2019	Oct	Teifi Marshes	3,000
2020	Nov	Slebech reedbed	100,000 – 150,000
2020	October	Teifi Marshes	1000
2021	Jan & Feb	Slebech Miscanthus	c.100,000	Birds near Haverfordwest. Most likely heading to roost at Slebech Miscanthus. This was the main roost site occupied in winter 2020/21.
2022	Jan	Castlemartin Corse	50,000	Reported from the area on 20th January
2022	Nov	Slebech	10,000	Reported near Haverfordwest on 19th Nov. Presumed to be birds heading towards the Slebech roost.

More about the Starling in Pembrokeshire