Saturday 1st August – Friday 7th August 2020

Intro:

Waders are still the dominant feature at the moment, albeit nothing particularly scarce or rare.

Waders:

A Green Sandpiper was on the Alaw estuary (1^st, 6^th), with another at Cemlyn (7^th).  Common Sandpipers were seen at multiple sites including 7 on the Alaw estuary (1^st), 2 at Cemlyn (1^st), 1 at Traeth Dulas (1^st) and 2 at Llyn Alaw (3^rd).  The number of Greenshank on the Alaw estuary reached a peak of 16 (16 on 1^st, 14^th on 6^th), with 4 birds on the brickworks pool, Treath Dulas (1^st & 7^th).  There were 7 Whimbrel on Alaw estuary (7 on 1^st, 3 on 6^th).  Other waders on the Alaw estuary included 2 Black-tailed Godwit (1^st), 1 Sanderling (1^st), 2 Turnstone (1^st), 1 Knot (6^th), 13 Ringed Plover (1^st) and 13 Dunlin (1^st).  At Traeth Dulas, there were 18 Ringed Plover (7^th) and 18 Dunlin (7^th).

Seabirds:

An Arctic Skua flew past South Stack in 1-hour sea-watch (1^st), as did 240 Manx Shearwater (1^st).  A dark-phase Arctic Skua flew over the rocks at Trearddur Bay (7^th).  Late report of 4 European Storm-Petrels caught and ringed at Point Lynas on the 31^st July, one of which was a bird ringed 10 days earlier at the Calf of Man.

Gulls and Terns:

The best find of the week was a juvenile Yellow-legged Gull on the Alaw estuary (1^st).  There continue to be good numbers of Mediterranean Gulls around the island, with 42 at Beddmanarch bay (5^th) and 13 on Alaw estuary (6^th).  Roseate Terns continue to be seen at Cemlyn (2 on 2^nd, 1 on 6^th – 7^th) and appear to be showing rather well.  

Roseate Tern at Cemlyn - 06/08/20 by Lewi Burgess with Plas Cemlyn farm in background

Passerines:

The Rose-coloured Starling was still at Cemaes at the start of the week (1^st), but hasn’t been reported since.  3 Wheatear were seen between Cemlyn – Henborth (1^st) and 4 on The Range, Holyhead (6th).  A Hooded Crow was on The Range, South Stack (1^st) and another by the burial site near the Road Chef, Holyhead (6th).

Herons, Egrets and allies:

A Great Egret was at Llyn Alaw (3^rd).

Swans, Geese & Ducks:

A Goldeneye was found on Llyn Alaw (3^rd).  The eclipse plumage Common Eider was still at Henborth (1^st) and 6 Common Scoter past South Stack in 1hour sea-watch (1^st).

Divers & Grebes: 

A Red-throated Diver was at Cemlyn (5^th).

Raptors:

An Osprey was seen over the Malltraeth cob and Cefni estuary on the 6^th August.  It is understood that at least 1 bird is summering on the estuary.  A juvenile Marsh Harrier was at Llyn Alaw (3^rd)

Other:

A Kingfisher was on the Alaw estuary (6^th).

Species – year to date:

Yellow-legged Gull was new for the Anglesey 2020 year list, which ticks up by 1 to 200.

The forthcoming week 8^th August – 14^th August?

Previous records suggest that this is a very quiet time for scarce and rare birds, with just the one notable record of a Temminck’s Stint on the Cefni reservoir (12^th) in 1984.

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