Welsh Journals

A PEMBROKESHIRE FULMAR COLONY, 1953 1977 T. A. W. DAVIS INTRODUCTION Fulmars (Fulmaris glacialis) were first seen prospecting cliffs on the south coast of Pembrokeshire at Flimston Stacks in 1930 (Fisher, 1952). Breeding was proved in 1949 when an egg was seen by John Say on Skomer Island and a chick was hatched on the north coast near Mathry (Fursdon, 1950). In 1950 an egg was recorded on the south coast (Lockley, 1961) and in 1952 two eggs were reported by D. H. Scarborough (unpublished) on the St. Bride's Bay coast near Solva. There are now breeding colonies in seventeen 10km. squares (Sharrock 1976). The late Thomas Davies found two Fulmar chicks on a cliff at Eastfield Farm, St. Bride's (E) in 1953 and ten in 1954 (pers. comm.). I have visited that site and the cliffs to the north and south frequently every year since 1955, especially, except in 1964 and 1972, from July to September, while the young are on the nest ledges. In 1956 there was a chick 700m. to the north at Tower Point, St. Bride's (T), and in 1957 one at Musslewick Farm, Marloes (M), 750m. to the south: sub-colonies have developed at both places and have remained discrete so the colony, which extends along 1.8km. of cliff, consists of three sub-colonies, the largest being that at E. It is a single unit because the sub-colonies are less than a mile apart (Cramp et.al. 1973) and is of Fisher's (1952) order 2 (colonies of 10 to 100 pairs) in size. The number of proved nests is shown by sub-colonies in Table 1. TABLE 1 The number of proved nests by sub-colonies Year Sub-colonies Total Year Sub-colonies Total MET MET 1953 1 1 1953/65 16 106 17 139 1954 10 10 1966 5 12 1 18 1955 1 1 1967 2 15 3 20 1956 2 1 3 1968 2 14 4 20 1957 1 4 2 7 1969 1 19 4 24 1958 1 9 1 11 1970 1 14 4 19 1959 3 13 1 17 1971 2 24 6 32 1960 10 3 13 1973 2 26 6 34 1961 2 13 2 17 1974 7 24 8 39 1962 2 12 3 17 1975 17 6 23 1963 3 16 3 22 1976 2 14 6 22 1965 4 15 1 20 1977 1 7 8 16 Totals 16 106 17 139 [Totals 42 292 73 406 Nests were not recorded in 1964 and 1972. If an estimated total of 54 (the averages of the preceding and following years) is added for those years, the colony has had minimum of 460 occupied nests in 25 years.