Saturday 23rd May - Friday 29th May 2020

Intro:

A quiet start to the week, but a flurry of activity towards the end that would in ‘normal’ times have drawn local birders hoping the catch up with 3 scarce migrant passerines.  For those reading this blog and residing outside of Wales, please note that discretionary travel for leisure purposes is still not permitted in Wales.

Passerines:

Wood Warbler is a scarce bird on Anglesey with less than annual records, so one found at Wylfa (26^th) was an excellent record.  At the same site, a Reed Warbler sang from a hedge nearby (26^th) – no doubt on passage to a more suitable reedbed.  Birds seen feeding young included both Skylark and Meadow Pipit at Caergeiliog.  Northern Wheatear continue to move through the island; some of which have been of the Greenland race, Oenanthe oenanthe leucorhoa, which breed in Greenland, Iceland and north-east Canada.  There were 10+ Wheatear at Wylfa head (26^th), 3 at South Stack (26^th) and 1 at Caergeiliog (28^th).  Spotted Flycatcher were seen at Holyhead Bay (28^th) and Soldier’s Point (29^th), whilst a Crossbill was at Wylfa wood (26^th).  A Lesser Whitethroat was at Holyhead Bay (28^th) and a Grasshopper Warbler was ‘reeling’ at Cors Efail Newydd, Benllech (28^th).  The week then ended with what would have been 2 sought after birds, a Golden Oriole at Cors Ddyga (28^th) and a Red-backed Shrike (29^th) at Cemaes.

Waders:

Late May always includes a few waders sporting their finest summer plumage.  This usually involves a scattering of Turnstones and Sanderling and this proved to the case again this year.  Cemlyn held 2 Turnstones and 2 Sanderling (23^rd), whilst 5 Sanderling were briefly at Holyhead Bay (28^th).  In terms of our breeding waders, Northern Lapwing were seen feeding chicks at Caergeiliog.

Herons, Egrets and allies:

A Cattle Egret was seen at Cemlyn (26^th), whilst up to 3 Great Bittern have recently been seen or heard at RSPB Cors Ddyga and a further ‘booming’ male is at another Anglesey site.

Gulls & Terns: 

A Roseate Tern was at Cemlyn (23^rd). 

Seabirds:

3 Puffins were seen on the sea off South Stack, with Razorbill, Common Guillemot and Fulmar on the coastal cliffs (26^th).  Several Manx Shearwater were seen off the Range (24^th).

Swans, Geese & Ducks:

The Brent Goose continued its extended stay at Cemlyn (23^rd)

Raptors:

A belated report has been received of a Hobby at RSPB Cors Ddyga, though the exact date hasn’t yet been established.  Red Kite were reported from several locations over the past few week, with the largest count at any location being 8.      

Divers & Grebes: 

No scarce Divers or Grebes were reported.

Species – year to date:

The details of the record of Golden Oriole and Hobby will be followed up by the County recorder in due course, but for the purpose of this blog they will be added to the list of Anglesey birds for the year to date.  These, along with Wood Warbler and Red-backed Shrike, take the list up 4 species to a running total of 190.

The forthcoming week 30^th May – 5^th June?:

Black-crowned Night Heron has been recorded twice in this week, the first being a historical record of a bird at Rhosneigr (30^th) in 1919 and little more recently a bird at Cefni reservoir (2^nd) in 1994.  Waders have included an American Golden Plover at Cemlyn (30^th) in 2008, a Spotted Sandpiper at Malltraeth (2^nd) in 2009, a Broad-billed Sandpiper at Malltraeth (4^th) in 1984 and a Red-necked Phalarope (5^th) at Penmon Park in 1902.  A Corncrake was seen at Penmon Priory (1^st) in 2015, a Common Crane was on the Alaw Estuary (4^th) in 2007 and an Alpine Swift was at Fedw Fawr (5^th) in 2003.  There have been 2 records of Common Rosefinch; a bird at Cemaes (31^st) in 2008 and another at Cemlyn (5^th) in 2010.  Other scarce passerines have included a Bluethroat at South Stack (30^th) in 1991 and a Red-breasted Flycatcher (1^st) on the Skerries in 1998.  Whilst there are some good birds mentioned above, these were outshone by a Rufous-tailed Rock Thrush at Llyn Alaw (4^th) in 1986 and the Black Lark found at South Stack (1^st) in 2003.

An abstract of an article on the finding of the Black Lark can be found at: https://britishbirds.co.uk/article/black-lark-new-to-britain/ Click in the hyperlink at the bottom of the abstract for the full article.

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