Common Scoter sea ducks came in their droves to Carmarthen Bay this winter – smashing previously recorded numbers. There are usually around 20,000 birds in the bay – but this winter it was an astonishing 43,000.

The numbers were recorded as part of the Countryside Council for Wales’ programme of work to monitor wildlife in marine areas of European importance for wildlife. The cold winter probably contributed greatly to the size of this year’s flock, with birds from Scandinavia being displaced and settling in our relatively warmer waters.

The Common Scoter population recovered well from the Sea Empress oil disaster in the winter of 1996 but, in the last couple of years, there have been some unusually low counts. Therefore this year’s high numbers indicate that there is enough food for the birds in the Bay and that the sensitive management of the site is working.

This winter’s results show the importance of our sustained monitoring work in understanding the condition and sensitive management of Carmarthen Bay. Wildfowl and Wetland Trust Consulting’s surveyors, on behalf of CCW, counted the birds from cliff tops and other good vantage points around the bay. Most of the ducks were recorded in a 8-km long dense, continuous band extending from close to Pendine sands near the Three Rivers estuary around to west of Dolwen Point.

Unfortunately due to budget cuts the scoter monitoring work has not been funded this year.