Birds To See Inland In West Wales
Skylark
Streaky brown with curved crest on head. Hover high, high in the sky and sing constant trilling song. Always out in the open, you’ll often see them land on short grassland – clifftops or meadows. Sometimes perch on fences. Often undulating flight. Walks or runs.
Snipe
Small bird. Bill very long, straight. Often flaps up noisily just in front of you on marshland or mud. Catch sight of its very stripey, mottled feathers as it flies away. Wings: dark; pale line along the rear edge. Tail stumpy. Wings often look ‘crooked’ at the wrist. Breeds on Dyfi.
Snow Bunting
Often feed on lines of seaweed on beaches in winter. They are only black and white in summer; in winter they show rust ‘stains’ on pale head with streaky rust/black/buff on back. Edge of wing is white as are underparts. Never in trees. Runs along; doesn’t hop.
Sparrowhawk
Upperparts all-over grey/blue with pale rust bars and white below. Shorter, more pointed tail than Kestrel. Long, yellow legs. No spotted feathers above. Often flies a few feet above the road for quite a distance. Females bigger than male with browner upperside.
Stonechat
Loves coastal gorse and thorn bushes. Sits atop a bush and says ‘Chat’ very loudly. Hops on ground. Very like Whinchat but no white eyestripe. Dark head and back, white splash on side of neck. Rosy breast, fading to buff. In flight: blunt tail is dark – no white side stripes like Whinchat.
Swift
Always on the wing like martins, swift is grey-brown all over, has deep forked tail and very pointed wings like a war plane, cutting through the air in a broad curve. Never perches like swallows do. Utters high screaming note.
Tree Pipit
Very similar to Meadow Pipit but summer only. Walks and wags tail. Pale grey or brown above; at rest has dark streaks and prominent white-edged black ‘frill’ at top of wing. Very streaky breast – cream or pale yellowish. Flies direct and fast; no fluttering. Edge of woods, plantations and heaths.
Treecreeper
An extremely cute little bird; it creeps up tree trunks to find insects. Little downcurved bill. Mottled pale brown on top with darker patches on wing. Pales underside. Doesn’t visit garden feeders.
Wheatear
Early summer visitor. Appears March. Favours open grassland on cliffs. Back pale greyish brown and yellowish breast; black eyestripe edged white above; in flight: dark wings, bright white rump and black T-shape at tip. It runs along the ground rather than hopping around.
Whinchat
Rough grassland or coast with gorse, bracken and heather. Perches on bushes or hops on ground. Spring male: speckled crown, dark cheeks edged with white stripes. Breast is pale orange fading to buff. In flight: tail dark tip; white patch each side. Song like robin but has some harsh sounds thrown in.
Whitethroat
Sylvia genus same as Blackcap. Likes rough habitat: heaths, hedges or wood-edges. Won’t come to manicured parks and gardens. Very slim bird with narrow longish tail. Male: brown with grey head, white throat and pale underside with tinge of pink. Legs are pinkish. Voice is low chatter; not warble.
Willow Tit
Less easy to spot than Marsh Tit. Chunkier head with thick neck and dull cap. Favours damp woods: alder and willow so less likely to be close to casual spotters. Song quite musical: si-si tchay-tchay-tchay.