Saturday 2nd May - Friday 8th May 2020

Intro:

A quiet week in terms of news, but still 2 new additions to the 2020 Anglesey Year list.  Waders once again produced some of the most interesting sightings and this is where I’ll start.

Waders:

 

Short video of Wood Sandpiper on gorad road flood by Norman Rowbotham

The star bird for the week was a Wood Sandpiper found on the ‘gorad’ flood, Valley (6th), which appeared to be part of a mini influx of birds into the UK.  Cemlyn had a good selection of waders including the Norwegian colour-ringed Ruff (2nd^, 4th), Bar-tailed Godwit (3rd, 8th), Black-tailed Godwit (4th), 3 Sanderling (3rd), 200 Dunlin (3rd) and 100 Common Ringed Plover (3rd).  Whimbrel were still on the move across the island with 30+ around the Inland Sea/ Beddmanarch Bay (3rd) and 25 at Cemlyn (3rd).

Passerines:

Scarce passerines included 4 Yellow Wagtails; a male and a female at Cemlyn (3rd), another female on the ‘gorad’ flood, Valley (4th) and another bird between Cemlyn and Cemaes (8th).  Whinchat’s were seen at Henborth (3rd), Cemaes (4th), Cemlyn (7th) and Holyhead Bay (7th).  The first report of a returning Spotted Flycatcher was from Coedana (6th).  A number of Garden Warblers were seen including birds at Cemaes brickworks (2nd) and Newborough (5th).  There were 2 singing Cetti's Warblers at Rhoscolyn (8th).  50 Northern Wheatears were seen in just 1 field at Henborth (3rd) and attracted the attention of a male Merlin.  A Swift was seen at the base of South Stack hill (5th).  A Hooded Crow was at South Stack (8th).

Divers & Grebes: 

No scarce Divers or Grebes were reported.

Seabirds:

3 Puffins was seen at South Stack (8th) and a Black Guillemot was in Holyhead Bay (8th).

Herons, Egrets:

No scarce Herons or Egrets were reported.

Swans, Geese & Ducks:

A late Brent Goose was at Cemlyn (3rd - 8th) and another at Lleiniog (8th).  The 2 Long-tailed Ducks were still at Cemlyn (2nd).  An Eider was off Aber Lleniog (8th).

Gulls & Terns: 

2 Roseate Terns were at Cemlyn (7th).  Also at Cemlyn, there were c. 100 Arctic Terns and 10 Common Tern (3rd).

Raptors:

A male Merlin was at Henborth near Cemlyn (3rd).  A Short-eared Owl was along the coastal path from Cemlyn (8th), with another on the Range near South Stack (8th).

Species – year to date:

Spotted Flycatcher and Wood Sandpiper were new species for this year, taking the running total for Anglesey for the year to date to 183. 

The forthcoming week 9 May – 15^th May?:
The forthcoming week, has in previous years, been good one for Corncrake, with birds in fields on the approach to South Stack on the 11th (2011 and 2012) and another at Dulas bay on the 15th (2015).  Sticking with crakes, a Spotted Crake was at Rhoscolyn on the 10th (2009).  Sought after scarce finds have included a Tawny Pipit on the Range on the 10th (2008), Red-rumped Swallow at South Stack on the 11th (2004), a Cattle Egret at Llanfachraeth on the 12th (2013), a Bluethroat at South Stack on the 14th (2014) and a European Bee-eater at Cemlyn on the 14th (2017).  A further splash of colour was also added by two Golden Orioles, 1 on the 13th at Penmon (1994) and 1 on the 15th at Malltraeth (2015). Rare and scarce waders included a Pectoral Sandpiper on the 9th at Cemlyn (1999), a Stone Curlew at Fedw Fawr on the 10th (1971) and a Kentish Plover at Ynys Feurig, Rhosneigr on the 13th (1994).