Following last week’s disappointment at the lack of Siberian vagrants, a Yellow-browed Warbler duly appeared at Wylfa woods.
A shift in wind direction to a northerly flow brought in the first Whooper Swans of the year, on a date towards the middle of a 3 week period when we might have expected their arrival.
Given past dates, we might reasonably expect the first Slavonian Grebe to return for the winter in the next week or two. Their earliest dates of return have been:
A belated disclosure relates to a record of a male Dartford Warbler. It was seen, heard calling and was suspected to have been on territory at a site between the 7th February - 6th March.
Yellow-browed Warbler and Dartford Warbler were both new for the year. Regrettably, submissions are still outstanding for sightings of Surf Scoter and Caspian Gull from earlier in the year and it is considered prudent to remove these from the cumulative list for the time being. So, with 2 on and 2 off, the cumulative year list to date continues at 213 (LISTS) - subject to the appropriate records being accepted by the British and Welsh Birds Rarity Committees as applicable.
Wildfowl:
Whooper Swan
8, at Cemlyn - the first returning birds of the winter period (7th).
12, over South Stack (8th).
2, at Llyn Llywenan (8th).
Pale-bellied Brent Goose
40, at the Inland Sea (3rd).
Common Scoter
61, off Benllech sea front (6th).
Red-breasted Merganser
4, at Traeth Dulas (8th).
Goosander
20, at the Inland Sea (3rd).
Wigeon
170, at the Inland Sea (3rd).
Pintail
1, at Llyn Llygeirian (4th).
Coot
100+, at Llyn Llygeirian (4th).
Waders:
Golden Plover
1, at Llyn Cefni (6th).
Up to 550, at Cemlyn (550 on 9th, 300+ on 7th).
Ringed Plover
7, at Llyn Alaw (7th).
Lapwing
5, at Llyn Alaw (7th).
Curlew
5, at Cemlyn (7th).
Bar-tailed Godwit
30, at Porth Penrhyn Mawr (4th).
3, at Traeth Dulas (8th).
1, at Cemlyn (8th).
Black-tailed Godwit
Up to 19, at Llyn Cefni (19 on 6th, 8 on 5th).
Snipe
1, on marshland and Afon Cefni between Cors Ddyga and Llangefni (3rd).
12, at Llyn Cefni (6th).
Spotted Redshank
Up to 3, at Llyn Cefni - Bodffordd end (3 on 3rd, 5th, 6th, 1 on 4th).
Redshank
6, at Cemlyn (7th).
Greenshank
1, at the Inland Sea (3rd).
1, at Cemlyn (7th).
5, at Traeth Dulas (8h).
Turnstone
3, at Cemlyn (7th).
Knot
20, at Porth Penrhyn Mawr (4th).
Ruff
4, at Malltraeth cob (3rd).
1, with Lapwing on fields opposite the cob pool, Malltraeth (4th).
Curlew Sandpiper
1, at the Afon Cefni, Malltraeth (3rd) and presumably the same at the cob pool (4th).
1, adult, on the muddy beach area to the east of the Trwyn, Cemlyn (4th).
Sanderling
19, at Traeth Lligwy (5th).
Dunlin
28, at Llyn Alaw (7th).
Seabirds and gulls:
Guillemot
17, off Benllech sea front (6th).
Little Gull
1, 1st winter, at Red Wharf Bay (6th).
Mediterranean Gull
1, at the Inland Sea (3rd).
1, at Beddmanarch Bay (9th).
Manx Shearwater
1, flew west past Cemlyn (9th).
Gannet
37, off Benllech sea front (6th).
10, off Cemlyn (7th).
Grebes & Divers:
Red-throated Diver
3, off Benllech sea front (6th).
Herons, Egrets & allies:
Little Egret
4, at Llyn Alaw (7th).
Great Egret
1, on marshland and Afon Cefni between Cors Ddyga and Llangefni (3rd).
5, at Llyn Alaw (7th).
Cattle Egret
1, at Cors Ddyga (4th).
Raptors:
Short-eared Owl
1, seen in flight around islets from Cadnant Bridge, Menai Bridge (7th).
Marsh Harrier
1, 1st winter over the lagoon at Cemlyn (4th).
1, at Llyn Llywenan (8th).
1, juvenile at Llyn Coron (9th).
Merlin
1, at the Trwyn, Cemlyn (9th).
Passerines & others:
Turtle Dove
1, at Penmon Priory (3rd).
1, in a private garden at Holyhead Mountain (4th).
Kingfisher
1, on Afon Cefni between Cors Ddyga and Llangefni (3rd).
1, at Llyn Cefni (6th).
Jay
25+, flew over South Stack (8th).
Hooded Crow
1, at Hen Borth, Cemlyn (3rd-5th, 7th).
1, at The Range, South Stack (7th).
Barn Swallow
2, near the Jam factory, Cemlyn (9th).
Cetti’s Warbler
2, on marshland and Afon Cefni between Cors Ddyga and Llangefni (3rd).
Yellow-browed Warbler
1, at Wylfa woods (3rd, 5th).
Willow Warbler
1, at Wylfa woods (8th).
Chiffchaff
Up to 2, outside of Octel, Amlwch Port (2 on 4th, 1 on 3rd).
3, at Wylfa woods (3rd, 5th, 8th).
Up to 7, at Holyhead Breakwater Country Park (7 on 3rd, 1 on 7th & 8th).
Blackcap
1, at Wylfa woods (3rd, 8th).
1, outside of Octel, Amlwch Port (6th).
1, at Holyhead Breakwater Country Park (8th).
Goldcrest
Up to 4, at Holyhead Breakwater Country Park (4 on 8th, 2 on 3rd).
Redwing
2, at South Stack (7th).
Fieldfare
1, at Cors Ddyga (4th).
Northern Wheatear
9, at The Range, South Stack (7th).
Yellow Wagtail - (not-identified, presumed flavissima)
Up to 2, at Hen Borth, Cemlyn (2 on 5th, 1 on 4th with Pied & White Wagtails and later heard calling over Tyn Llan, Cemlyn).
White Wagtail
2, at Hen Borth, near Cemlyn (4th).
Reports requiring submission to County Recorder - SteCul10@aol.com
Pectoral Sandpiper
1, report of a bird seen and photographed on the beach at Cemlyn - 19th September 2026.
Great Grey Shrike
1, reported at Porth Penrhyn, near Penmon Pool - 29th September 2026.
