Week: Saturday 29th August - Friday 4th September 2026.

Seabirds and Waders.

It was a good week for Arctic Skua with a minimum of 20 birds noted off the NW coast, although there may have been more with 37 sightings noted at various sites along the coast.  Added to which there were the first sightings of the year of Sabine’s Gull and Black Tern, plus sightings of European Storm Petrels and Balearic Shearwaters.  Subject to favourable winds, the forthcoming weeks should see further records of scarce seabirds.

Wader sightings at various sites continued to provide interest, with the highlight being 6 Spotted Redshank at one site.  This has been a scarce wader on the island over recent years with perhaps 1 or 2 records across the year.  2 at Llyn Cefni, then 6 at Llyn Llywenan is quite unprecedented.

Black Tern and Sabine’s Gull were both new for the year and takes the cumulative year list to date up to 207 (LISTS) - subject to the appropriate records being accepted by the British and Welsh Birds Rarity Committees as applicable.  

Wildfowl:

Mute Swan

55, at Llyn Cefni (3rd).

Common Scoter

18, flew past Cemlyn (29th).

11, flew past Bull Bay (31st).

6, flew past The Range (3rd).

Red-breasted Merganser

4, at Traeth Dulas (29th, 31st, 2nd) - 1 female and 3 well grown chicks.

Gadwall

71, at Llyn Cefni (1st).

Wigeon

Up to 11, at Llyn Cefni (11 on 2nd, 4 on 1st, 1 on 30th).

Pintail

1, at Llyn Cefni (2nd).

Teal

9, at the Alaw estuary (31st).

4, at Garreglwyd, Rhoscolyn (1st).

Coot

130, at Llyn Cefni (3rd).

Waders:

Oystercatcher

c.90, at Malltraeth cob (30th).

313, at the Alaw estuary (1st).

Grey Plover

1, at Cemlyn (4th).

Golden Plover

46, at Cemlyn (29th).

Ringed Plover

Up to 9, at Llyn Cefni (9 on 2nd, 7 on 1st, 4 on 31st, 1 on 30th).

10, at Malltraeth cob (30th).

1, at Llyn Llywenan (31st).

20+, at Cymyran (31st).

35, at the Alaw estuary (1st).

12, at Traeth Dulas (2nd).

Lapwing

Up to 22, at Llyn Cefni (22 on 1st, 18 on 2nd).

Whimbrel

1, at Malltraeth (1st).

1, calling at Llyn Llywenan (3rd).

1, at the Alaw estuary (3rd).

Curlew

60, at Malltraeth cob and nearby (31st).

Up to 82, at Traeth Dulas (82 on 2nd, 39 on 31st).

35, at Cymyran (31st).

218, at the Alaw estuary (1st).

70, in fields at Malltraeth (1st).

Bar-tailed Godwit

1, at Malltraeth cob (30th).

3, at the Alaw estuary (3rd).

Black-tailed Godwit

Up to 8, at Llyn Llywenan (8 on 31st, 4 on 1st, 1 on 29th).

Up to 20 at Llyn Cefni (20 on 1st, 15 on 30th & 3rd, 12 on 31st, 11 on 2nd).

3, at Cemlyn (31st).

Up to 3, at Malltraeth cob and nearby (3 on 1st, 2 on 30th).

Snipe

8, at Llyn Llywenan (30th).

2, at the Alaw estuary (31st).

Common Sandpiper

3, at Cemlyn (29th).

1, at Traeth Dulas (31st).

1, at the Alaw estuary (31st).

Green Sandpiper

Up to 2, at the Alaw estuary (2 on 29th & 31st, 1 on 3rd).

2, at Llyn Cefni (2nd).

Wood Sandpiper

1, at Llyn Cefni (29th).

Up to 2, at Llyn Llywenan (2 on 31st, 1 on 30th).

Spotted Redshank

Up to 6, at Llyn Llywenan (6 on 2nd & 4th, 5 on 3rd - photographed, 1 on 29th, 31st).

Up to 2, at Llyn Cefni (2 on 1st, 1 on 2nd).

Redshank

Up to c. 140, at Malltraeth cob (c 140 on 30th, 41 on 31st).

12, at the Alaw estuary (31st, 1st).

1, at Llyn Cefni (2nd).

Greenshank

1, at Valley tidal doors (29th).

Up to 2, at Llyn Cefni (2 on 31st & 2nd, 1 on 30th & 1st).

Up to 11, at Traeth Dulas (11 on 2nd, 10 on 1st, 3 on 31st).

Up to 2, at Malltraeth cob and nearby (2 on 3rd & 4th, 1 on 30th, 1st).

Up to 17 , at the Alaw estuary (17 on 1st, 15 on 3rd, 11 on 31st).

Turnstone

4, at Malltraeth cob (30th).

1, at Cymyran (31st).

5, at the Alaw estuary (3rd).

Knot

Up to 2, at Cemlyn (2 on 31st, 1 on 29th).

2, at Malltraeth cob pool (30th).

Up to 7, at the Alaw estuary (7 on 1st, 1 on 31st).

7, at Traeth Dulas (2nd).

Ruff

1, at Llyn Llywenan (29th, 30th, 3rd).

Up to 11, at Llyn Cefni (11 on 30th, 8 on 31st - 2nd).

1, at Malltraeth cob pool (30th).

2, at the Alaw estuary (31st).

Curlew Sandpiper

Up to 3, at Malltraeth cob and surrounds (3 on 29th & 31st, 2 on 3rd & 4th, 1 on 30th).

Up to 5, at the Alaw estuary (5 on 3rd, 3 on 31st, 2 on 29th, 1st & 4th).

1, at Cemlyn (31st, 4th).

Sanderling

1, at Cymyran (31st).

2, at Cemlyn (31st).

1, at the Alaw estuary (3rd).

Dunlin

12, at Valley tidal doors (29th).

1, at Llyn Cefni (30th).

Up to 13, at Llyn Llywenan (13 on 30th, 12 on 31st, 10 on 1st).

45, at Malltraeth cob and nearby (30th).

Up to 43, at the Alaw estuary (43 on 1st, 4 on 31st).

14, at Traeth Dulas (2nd).

Little Stint

1, at Cemlyn (29th).

Up to 3, at Llyn Llywenan (3 on 3rd, 2 from 30th-2nd).

Seabirds and gulls:

Arctic Skua

1, flew past Cemlyn (29th).

10, flew past Point Lynas between 6.55am and 8.45am (31st).

5, flew past Llam Carw (31st).

9, flew past Cemlyn (31st).

6, flew past Point Lynas between 7.30am - 10.15am (1st).

2, flew past Llam Carw, Amlwch Port, between 9.30am- 10.30am (1st).

1, flew past Bull Bay (1st).

2, dark phase birds flew past Bull Bay (2nd).

1, pale phase flew past Cemlyn (4th).

Black Tern

1, flew past Cemlyn (31st).

2, flew past Bull Bay (2nd).

Sandwich Tern

c. 40, at Bull Bay (2nd).

Kittiwake

c. 140, flew past Cemlyn (31st).

Sabine’s Gull

1, flew past The Range (3rd).

Mediterranean Gull

7, at the Alaw estuary (3rd).

European Storm-petrel

2, flew past Cemlyn (29th).

1, flew past Bull Bay (31st).

Manx Shearwater

35, flew past Cemlyn (29th).

Balearic Shearwater

1, flew past Cemlyn (29th).

3, flew past Cemlyn - 1 am, 2 pm (4th).

Grebes & Divers:

Red-throated Diver

1, flew past Point Lynas between 6.55am and 8.45am (31st).

1, flew past Cemlyn (31st).

Herons, Egrets & allies:

Little Egret

18, at Llyn Cefni (2nd).

Great Egret

2, at Llyn Llywenan (29th).

Up to 4, at Llyn Cefni (4 on 30th & 2nd, 3 on 1st, 2 on 3rd) - one bearing a red ring with the letters AHU inscribed in white.  Ringed as a chick at a nest at RSPB Ham Wall, Somerset on the 20th April 2026. Identified as a female by DNA analysis of a feather. Noted at Rhuddlan, Denbighshire on the 29th June and the 14th July.

3, at Llyn Alaw (1st).

1, flew over Beddmanarch Bay (3rd).

Raptors:

Osprey

1, at Malltraeth cob (30th, 1st).

1, possibly 2, at Llyn Alaw (1st).

Marsh Harrier

Up to 2, at Malltraeth cob and nearby (2 on 31st, 1 on 30th).

Up to 2, at the Llyn Llywenan (2 on 1st, 1 on 31st).

Red Kite

1, at Malltraeth cob (30th).

1, at the Llyn Llywenan (31st-1st).

Hobby

1, at Llyn Llywenan (1st).

Passerines & others:

Kingfisher

1, at Malltraeth cob (30th).

1, at Llyn Cefni (30th).

1, at the Alaw estuary (31st, 1st, 3rd).

1, at Traeth Dulas (2nd).

1, at Llyn Llywenan (3rd).

Hooded Crow

1, at Carmel Head (3rd).

Sedge Warbler

1, at Carmel Head (3rd).

Reed Warbler

1, at Carmel Head (30th).

Sand Martin

3, at Llyn Cefni (1st).

25, flew through Traeth Dulas (2nd).

House Martin

20, flew through Traeth Dulas (2nd). 

Cetti’s Warbler

1, at Llyn Maelog (31st).

2, at Llyn Llywenan (4th).

Willow Warbler

1, at Carmel Head (3rd).

Garden Warbler

1, at Llyn Cefni (30th).

Blackcap

4, at Llyn Cefni (30th).

Common Whitethroat

3, at Carmel Head (3rd).

Spotted Flycatcher

1, at Hen Borth, Cemlyn (3rd).

Northern Wheatear

1, at turning for The Range, Holyhead (29th).

3, at Cemlyn (29th).

2, at Carmel Head (30th).

1, at Llyn Llywenan (2nd).

Week: Saturday 22nd August - Friday 28th August 2026.

One of the positives from the hot and dry weather - for birders at least - is that the water levels on some of Anglesey’s lakes have fallen considerably and are now showing quite a bit of exposed mud.  The western end of Llyn Cefni in particular is very low and has attracted a good array of waders, although the hoped for rarity is still to make an appearance.

In contrast, the weather hasn’t been particularly supportive of seawatching, but a brief switch in the wind direction to something of a northerly flow did produce a Balearic Shearwater (aka Mediterranean Shearwater) and a couple of Arctic Skuas.

One of the highlights of the spring was the female Woodchat Shrike that had an extended stay at South Stack between the 28th May and the 9th June.  What wasn’t known at the time was that it had been preceded by a male that was seen and photographed at an undisclosed site in the south-west of the island on the 22nd May.  Both records have now been assessed and accepted by the Welsh Birds Rarity Committee.

Finally, news has now been shared in the public domain of the pair of Ospreys that nested and reared two chicks.  With birds having summered for a number of years and more having been seen on passage, this year's successful breeding is a really positive development.

Balearic Shearwater was new for the year and takes the cumulative year list to date up to 205 (LISTS) - subject to the appropriate records being accepted by the British and Welsh Birds Rarity Committees as applicable.  

Wildfowl:

Mute Swan

Up to 50+, at Llyn Llywenan (50+ on 28th, 41 on 24th).

Tufted Duck

4, at Llyn Llywenan (28th).

Shoveler

6, at Llyn Llywenan (28th).

Wigeon

2, at Llyn Cefni (23rd).

3, at the Alaw estuary (25th).

2, at Cemlyn (28th).

1, at Llyn Llywenan (28th).

Pintail

1, at the Inland Sea (24th).

Teal

Up to 46, at the Alaw estuary (46 on 26th, 32 on 25th).

4, at Llyn Llywenan (28th).

Coot

60+, at Llyn Llywenan (28th).

Waders:

Oystercatcher

Up to 319, at the Alaw estuary (319 on 24th, 277 on 26th).

Golden Plover

Up to 24, at Cemlyn (24 on 28th, 12 on 22nd).

30, at Malltraeth cob and surroundings (24th).

1, at Mynydd y Garn (27th).

Ringed Plover

Up to 60, at the Alaw estuary (60 on 28th, 55 on 25th, 12 on 26th).

4, at Llyn Cefni (28th).

Whimbrel

17, flew west over Bull Bay (23rd).

4, at Llyn Llywenan (28th).

1, at the Alaw estuary (28th).

Curlew

Up to 44, at the Alaw estuary (44 on 24th, 39 on 26th).

Bar-tailed Godwit

Up to 4, at the Alaw estuary (4 on 24th, 3 on 25th, 1 on 28th).

Black-tailed Godwit

Up to 15, at Llyn Cefni (15 on 24th, 8 on 23rd & 28th).

13, at Malltraeth cob and surroundings (24th).

6, at Malltraeth cob pool (26th).

1, at Cemlyn (28th).

9, at Llyn Llywenan (28th).

Snipe

5, at Llyn Cefni (24th).

Up to 18, at Llyn Llywenan (18 on 24th, 16 on 26th, 6 on 28th).

1, at Malltraeth cob and surroundings (24th, 28th).

Common Sandpiper

3, at the Afon Cefni, Malltraeth (3 on 22nd & 24th, 1 on 26th).

Green Sandpiper

1, at the Afon Cefni, Malltraeth  (22nd).

2, at Llyn Cefni (23rd-24th, 28th).

Up to 3, at the Alaw estuary (3 on 25th, 1 on 26th).

Wood Sandpiper

1, at Llyn Cefni (23rd-25th, 28th).

Spotted Redshank

1, at Malltraeth cob pool (23rd).

1, at Llyn Llywenan (28th).

Redshank

12, at the Alaw estuary (24th, 26th).

Greenshank

5, at Cemlyn (22nd).

Up to 16, at the Afon Cefni, Malltraeth (16 and 24th, 12 on 22nd, 1 on 26th).

Up to 3, at Llyn Cefni (3 on 28th, 2 on 23rd, 1 on 24th-25th).

1, at Llyn Llywenan (24th).

Up to 16, at the Alaw estuary (16 on 24th, 15 on 25th, 11 on 26th).

Turnstone

11, at Cemlyn (28th).

Knot

Up to 6, at Malltraeth cob pool (6 on 26th, 5 on 24th, 3 on 22nd).

Up to 10, at the Alaw estuary (10 on 25th, 1 on 28th).

1, at Cemlyn (26th).

Ruff

1, at Malltraeth (22nd).

Up to 13, at Llyn Cefni (13 on 24th, 10 on 28th, 8 on 25th, 5 on 23rd).

Up to 3, at Llyn Llywenan (3 on 24th & 26th, 2 on 28th).

1, at Cemlyn (26th).

Curlew Sandpiper

Up to 3, at Malltraeth cob pool (3 on 27th, 2 on 28th).

1, juvenile at Cemlyn (28th).

2, at the Alaw estuary (28th).

Sanderling

1, at Malltraeth cob pool (24th).

Dunlin

Up to 114, at Malltraeth cob pool (114 on 24th, 75 on 22nd).

Up to 6, at Llyn Cefni (6 on 28th, 1 on 24th).

Up to 122, at the Alaw estuary (122 on 28th, 36 on 26th, 17 on 25th, 3 on 24th).

Seabirds and gulls:

Arctic Skua

2, flew past Bull Bay (23rd).

Black Guillemot

1, off Cemlyn (22nd).

Mediterranean Gull

32, at the Inland Sea (25th).

Manx Shearwater

500+, flew west past Cemlyn (22nd).

Balearic Shearwater

1, flew west past Cemlyn (22nd).

Grebes & Divers:

Little Grebe

30, at Llyn Cefni (28th).

Herons, Egrets & allies:

Spoonbill

1, at the Inland Sea (24th).

Great Egret

Up to 4, at the Cefni reservoir (4 on 28th, 2 on 24th).

1, at Llyn Llywenan (28th).

Water Rail

1, at Malltraeth cob pool (22nd, 28th).

Raptors:

Osprey

Up to 3, at Malltraeth cob pool and surroundings (3 on 24th, 2 on 22nd).

1, at Llyn Cefni (24th, 28th).

Marsh Harrier

1, at Llyn Cefni (24th).

1, at Llyn Llywenan (28th).

Red Kite

2, over the Dulas estuary (23rd).

1, north of Pen-llyn (24th).

1, at Llyn Llywenan (28th).

1, over Pentraeth (28th).

Passerines & others:

Cuckoo

1, at Rhoscolyn (28th).

Kingfisher

2, at Cemlyn (22nd).

Up 2, at Malltraeth (2 on 26th, 1 on 22nd & 24th).

1, at the Alaw estuary (26th).

1, at Llyn Cefni (28th).

Hooded Crow

1, at Carmel Head (27th).

Sedge Warbler

1, at Llyn Llywenan (28th).

1, at Rhoscolyn (28th).

Reed Warbler

1, at Llyn Llywenan (28th).

1, at Hen Borth, Cemlyn (28th).

Grasshopper Warbler

1, at Tyn Llan, Cemlyn (22nd).

1, at Rhoscolyn (28th).

Whinchat

1, at Hen Borth, Cemlyn (28th).

Siskin

Family party, in copse at Llyn Cefni (28th).