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Aberystwyth Town, Seafront, Bay and Tanybwlch: Map Reference: SN581818 Map: View a map of the area - taken from www.multimap.com
Aberystwyth is situated on the coast of Cardigan Bay, between three hills and with a mostly pebbled beach, which extends round to Tanybwlch. There are also a number of rock platforms, including Castle and College Rocks, and a harbour. As expected with such a wide expanse of coastline there is a wide variety of avifauna, that can be seen around town, on the beaches and further out to sea. Some of these species include:
Information on some of the species that can be found is below: These can be seen around the Castle. The black redstart only became an established breeding species from the 1940s and since then numbers have increased, however it is still mostly a south eastern species. They are mostly found in towns, where they feed mainly on insects. The male is characterised by black body plumage, with a white wing panel and red tail, whereas the female has a more grey-brown body plumage, a lot like the young males. The female's colouring is well suited for camouflage when nesting in holes in walls. It is mostly a late autumn and winter visitor to Aberystwyth. For more information visit the R.S.P.B website. The starling roost under the pier is one of the only two starling roots on piers in the country. They give one of the most spectacular shows of the autumn in Aberystwyth. Also they have given many students a very interesting research project!
Most UK starlings remain resident throughout the year. The Manx shearwater, although not breeding close to Aberystwyth, can been seen off the coast during the summer months and is most likely to be seen in great numbers when offshore. Like other shearwaters, the Manx shearwater is very vulnerable to predators on land and therefore spends most of its time at sea.
It only comes to land to breed where it rears its young in burrows. It feeds on mostly fish and squid. The Manx shearwater are fast flying birds which appear to skim the water as they fly. They have a dark brown to black plumage above and a white one below. Manx shearwaters are only seen around the UK coast during summer, preferring to spend the winter months in south America, some 5000 miles away!
Rock pipits are a generally solitary species found almost exclusively along rocky coasts and salt marshes. They feed on marine animals and insects, as well as seeds. As the name suggests, rock pipits tend to nest in rock crevices and it is not uncommon for them to have two broods. Their appearance is very similar to a meadow pipit, however they are slightly larger; a meadow pipit weighs around 14g, compared to a rock pipit at 16g. Their upperparts are also darker; a more greenish brown, with darker legs and less well defined breast streaks. Along the coast of Ceredigion, the rock pipit is a common species, which is resident. For more information visit the R.S.P.B website.
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