Saturday 9th May - Friday 15th May 2020

Intro:

Firstly, a big thank you for all who continue to share their sightings.  It is understandable that some are reluctant to share news during the lockdown, perhaps driven by a concern that others may either travel to see the birds or get frustrated at not being able to do so.  On the flip side, I know that others find some comfort and interest in the continuing exchange of information.

Despite the limited reports, there were still some interesting news.  To mix it up a little, I’ll start with Gulls and Terns.

Gulls & Terns: 

Perhaps the most interesting piece of news on Gulls came from the Northern Ireland branch of the British Trust for Ornithology @BT_NIreland who have been tracking a Lesser Black-backed Gull named Europa. 

  

Image - BTO - How to join the BTO

Europa was GPS tagged on the Europa Hotel in Belfast on the 15/05/19.  She overwintered in Cádiz, Spain and started her return journey on the 11/03/20.  She visited the cities of Huelva, Lisbon, Póvoa de Varzim & A Coruña on her journey north, before heading off across the Bay of Biscay, spending some time on the Channel Islands of Jersey & Guernsey in late April.  She left the Channel Islands on the 29/04/20, travelled across England and Wales, before embarking on a crossing of the Irish Sea from Holyhead.  She arrived back in Belfast on the 03/05/20 and it looks like she will once again nest on the Europa Hotel. 

An amazing account, which might cause us to look a little differently at our Lesser Black-backed Gulls on Anglesey during the spring, some of which may have further to travel beyond where we see them.

Concerning Terns, Cemlyn has - as might be expected - Sandwich, Common and Arctic Terns, but has also this spring had sightings of Roseate Tern on at least two occasions.  Common Terns are also visible over Beddmanarch Bay enabling those travelling over the cob for essential shopping trips to add them to their year lists (10^th).

Passerines:

Summer migrants continue to be seen, although there hasn’t been anything new.  A Cuckoo was seen at Soldier’s Point, Holyhead (9^th) and another was heard calling at Brynddu woods, Llanfechell (14^th).  Spotted Flycatcher, Whinchat and Lesser Whitethroats were all seen at Soldier’s Point, Holyhead (9^th).   A Grasshopper Warbler has been ‘reeling’ over the course of the week at Cors Efail Newydd, Benllech.  Northern Wheatear’s continue to move through the island with 5 seen on telegraph poles and wires at Llandyfrydog (9^th). 

Waders:

Wader news has been confined to Cemlyn where there was a summer plumaged Turnstone (12^th), Bar-tailed Godwit (12^th & 13^th) and a Sanderling (13^th).

Divers & Grebes: 

No scarce Divers or Grebes were reported.

Seabirds:

6 Black Guillemots were off Benllech (12^th) with 3 off Wylfa Head (10^th).

Herons, Egrets:

No scarce Herons or Egrets were reported.

Swans, Geese & Ducks:

A single Brent Goose was still at Cemlyn (12^th).

Raptors:

A Merlin was seen over the mitigation pond, adjacent to the Inland Sea.

Species – year to date:

No new species were seen for this year, leaving the running total for Anglesey for the year to date at 183. 

Some of the species that we might have expected include Dotterel at sites such as the Range – there have been up to 8 birds on the Great Orme in the past week.  The Skua passage should be underway and both Pomarine and Arctic Skuas might be expected off the Range.  Black-necked Grebe might have been a possibility on Valley lakes and given that there have been several reports of Quail in the North West, we might possibly have expected birds around Newborough warren / Braint Estuary.  There have been 13 European Bee-eaters on the Llŷn earlier in the week and its possible that we might have expected them to turn up over Anglesey at some point.  There have also been Hoopoes at Llanfairfechan and Morfa Nefyn – there were 3 sightings on Anglesey last year – so perhaps there is one somewhere on the island.  There has been a Little Bittern on the Isle of Man on the 9^th and 13^th which perhaps passed over us.  What might be lurking in Anglesey’s reed beds – Little Bittern, Purple Heron, Spoonbill? 

The forthcoming week 16 May – 22nd May?:

Back in 1998, the 16^th turned out to be a particularly good birding day with the discovery of 2 Bonaparte’s Gulls just off the car park at Penrhos Coastal Park.  Those looking to relocate the birds later in the day then found a Ring-necked Duck at Holyhead harbour.  By coincidence the 16^th had also produced a Ring-necked Duck 4 years earlier in 1994 at a pond on Mynachdy.

South Stack has done well in this week for scare or rare passerines, with a Black-headed Bunting on the 18^th (2001), a Common Rosefinch on the 18^th (2008) and a Bluethroat on the 19^th (1990).  Still in the Holyhead area, there was a European Bee-eater on the 16^th (2001) at Breakwater Country Park and a Golden Oriole on the 20^th at Soldier’s Point, Holyhead (2010).  Cemlyn produced a Citrine Wagtail on the 17^th (2011).

A White-winged Black Tern was at the Aberffraw estuary on the 21^st (1961) and an American Golden Plover at Cemlyn on the 22^nd (2005).  A Corncrake at Bull Bay Golf Club on the 17^th (2001) was enjoyed by many, but perhaps the most unexpected and significant record was that of at least 4 calling male Baillon’s Crake on the 22^nd at RSPB Cors Ddyga (2012).

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