Saturday 16th - Friday 22nd May 2020

Intro:

A quiet week for news, albeit that two of the species mentioned last week as having ‘been expected’ were promptly seen or heard the following day.

Herons, Egrets and allies:

The highlight of the week was probably a Spoonbill seen and photographed at Valley (16^th).  There have been no reports since, but there have been several reports of birds on the Wirral so there is hope of either the bird from the 16^th being relocated or another wandering over to Anglesey over the summer.  Once a rare sighting, it is now expected that there should be 1 or 2 sightings each year.  A Common Quail was heard calling in a cereal field at Llandyfrydog (16^th).  Again, this is a bird which we expect to get and once the wind dies down it is worth listening out for their distinctive call.

Quail call: https://www.xeno-canto.org/27535

Source: Xeno-Canto

Passerines:

There were sightings of Common Cuckoo between Cemaes and Cemlyn (16^th) and another at Cemlyn (17^th).  Fewer Northern Wheatears are being reported, with just the 1 bird at Henborth (16^th).  Adding some colour was a Yellow Wagtail on Tyn Llan fields, Cemlyn (17^th).  There was a belated report of a Common Redstart  at Cestyll gardens near Cemlyn.

Waders:

A Sanderling was at Holyhead Bay (17^th), with c.150 Dunlin and c.50 Common Ringed Plover on the Alaw Estuary (16^th).

Divers & Grebes: 

No scarce Divers or Grebes were reported.

Gulls & Terns: 

There were 450 Arctic Terns at Cemlyn (16^th) – a good count and presumed to be birds amassing before moving on to the Skerries.

Seabirds:

21 Manx Shearwater ventured into Holyhead Bay in the murk and drizzle (17^th). 

Swans, Geese & Ducks:

A single Brent Goose was still at Cemlyn (16^th).

Raptors:

There were a number of reports of Red Kite, including 4 birds over one site.  Location details aren’t being shared, but it certainly looks like Red Kites are colonising the island which is tremendously good news.

Species – year to date:

The number of species seen on Anglesey has ticked up by 3 to 186 with the addition of Spoonbill, Common Quail and Common Redstart.

The forthcoming week 23^rd – 29^th May?:

Rare Gulls and Terns include a White-winged Black Tern at Llyn Alaw (23^rd) in 1985 and a Caspian Tern at Cemlyn (26^th) in 1980. European Bee-eaters were seen at Penysarn (25^th) in 1993 and at Cemlyn (27^th) in 2012.  A good week for shrikes also, with Lesser Grey Shrike at South Stack (26^th) in 1961 and a Woodchat Shrike at Cemlyn (26^th) in 2019.  A Short-toed Lark was at South Stack (25^th) in 1993, a Marsh Warbler at Cadnan, Cemlyn (28^th) in 2018 and a Common Rosefinch at Cerrig-Man (29^th) in 2011.  Waders have included a Red-necked Phalarope at Llyn Trafwll (27^th) in 1994 and a Kentish Plover on the Alaw Estuary (29^th) in 2007.

Want to know more about historical birding records in North Wales - see: Scarce and Rare Birds in North Wales by Robin Sandham @birdsandbike  ISBN: 978-0-9957428-0-2