Saturday 25th April - Friday 1st May 2020

Intro:

A quieter week, perhaps reflecting poorer weather and some shutdown fatigue.  Nonetheless, a scattering of reports to keep the interest going.  Waders reports were particularly interesting, so I’ll change the order of the broad bird groupings and start with them.

Waders:

Cemlyn was the wader hotspot, with a Ruff (25^th) – presumably the same bird reported last week – which was found to be colour ringed; with an orange ring above the ankle on its left leg and a green flag on the right leg above the ankle with the letter AJX in black.  

Further investigations showed that the bird was ringed on the 24/08/2019 at Makkevika, Giske, Møre og Romsdal, Norway.  8 days later, on the 1^st September 2019 the bird was at Liddel Loch, South Ronaldsay, Orkney, Scotland where it stayed until the 16/09/2019.  There were no further reports until the sighting at Cemlyn.

Also at Cemlyn were 2 Little-ringed Plover (25^th), which are always good birds for Anglesey – with records probably being less than annual.  Cemlyn also produced a Purple Sandpiper (25^th), 25 Whimbrel (25^th) and 5 Common Sandpipers (25^th).  A Snipe was over Cemaes (25^th). 

Passerines:

Cuckoos were seen or heard calling at the Inland Sea (25^th) and Cemlyn (25^th).  30 Northern Wheatear between Cemaes and Cemlyn (25^th) was a good count.  There was a Grasshopper Warbler on the same stretch of coast (25^th), with 1 or 2 birds at Cors Bodeilio (28^th).  A Stock Dove was seen over Cemaes (26^th), whilst there were 9 Yellowhammers at Brynteg (27^th) and 5 Lesser Redpoll, Brynteg (27^th).  A Siskin was seen on garden feeders at Tregele (29^th). 

Divers & Grebes: 

The Great Northern Diver was still on the Inland Sea (26^th).

Seabirds:

A Black Guillemot were seen off Cemlyn (25^th), with a further 2 birds off Beaumaris pier (27^th).

Herons, Egrets:

No scarce Herons or Egrets were reported.

Swans, Geese & Ducks:

The 2 Long-tailed Ducks were still at Cemlyn (25^th), whilst there were 5 pairs of Common Eider in the Cadnant estuary on the Menai Straits (28^th).

Gulls & Terns: 

A single Mediterranean Gill was at Cemlyn (25^th). A single Roseate Tern was at Cemlyn (30^th), with 7 Common Terns (25^th) and 2 Arctic Terns (25^th). 

Raptors:

There was a female Merlin at Cemlyn (26^th).  1 or possibly 2 Short-eared Owls were seen at Rhoscolyn (27^th- 28^th).

Species – year to date:

Little-ringed Plover and Roseate Tern were both new species for this year, taking the running total for Anglesey for the year to date to 181. 

The forthcoming week 2 May – 8^th May?:

Spotted Flycatcher is still to be reported from Anglesey this year and must be a candidate for the forthcoming week.

In previous years, this has been a good week for scarce and rare birds.  A Montague’s Harrier was over fields adjacent to South Stack road on the 2^nd in 2001, whilst a Snowy Owl was at Mynachdy on the 3^rd in 1972.   A Woodchat Shrike was at Henborth on the 8^th in 2016 and a Short-toed Lark was at Trwyn trewan common on the 2^nd in 2012.  Waders at Cemlyn included a Pectoral Sandpiper on the 3^rd in 2015 and a Lesser Yellowlegs on the 7^th in 1999.   A Red-rumped Swallow at Porth Wen on the 4th in 2008 was a good find and would today be highly sought after.