Saturday 22nd August – Friday 28th August 2020

Intro:

.. and the wind blew!

Seabirds:

Top prize among the excellent array of scarce seabirds was a Sooty Shearwater seen of Cemlyn (26^th) the day following Storm Francis, closely followed in terms of scarcity by a juvenile Long-tailed Skua also at Cemlyn (26^th) – both new for the year.  Also new for the year was Pomarine Skua with 1 seen off Cemlyn (24^th) and 1 past Cemlyn (26^th).  Great Skua (a.k.a. Bonxie) is our 2^nd most common skua and 26 were reported (albeit that some may have been seen at more than one site); 8 past Point Lynas (23^rd), 7 past Point Lynas (26^th), 4 past Cemlyn (24^th), 3 past Cemlyn (26^th), 2 past Bull Bay (28^th), 1 past South Stack (24^th) and 1 past Amlwch Port (28^th).  Arctic Skua is our most frequently seen skua and 54 were reported during the week; 18 past Point Lynas (26^th), 17 past Cemlyn (26^th), 9 seen past Point Lynas (23^rd), 4 past Cemlyn (24^th), 4 past Bull Bay (28^th), 1 past North Stack (22^nd) and 1 past South Stack (28^th).  After an early Balearic Shearwater back in July, 4 more were seen this week with 2 past Cemlyn (26^th), 1 past Point Lynas (23^rd) and 1 past Cemlyn (24^th).  Aside from the scarcer seabirds, there were impressive numbers of commoner species which included an estimate of between 5000 - 10,000 Manx Shearwater past Point Lynas from dawn to ~ 8.50am (23^rd) and a count of 812 past South Stack during a 1hr seawatch (24^th).

Gulls and Terns:

Sabine’s Gull is quite a scarce bird for Anglesey, so 4 past Point Lynas (26^th) was both a good count and another new species for the year.  There were also 2 adults past Cemlyn on the same day (26^th) and later in the week there was 1 past Bull Bay (28^th) and 1 past Cemlyn (28^th).  As with the skuas, it is possible that the same birds might have been seen from more than one site.  A Little Gull flew past Point Lynas (26^th) and a juvenile Little Gull went past Cemlyn (26^th), with the same or another juvenile seen off Cemlyn (27^th).  Mediterranean Gulls are still present in good numbers with 65 on the Alaw estuary (22^nd), 13 off Penrhos Coastal Park (26^th) and up to 4 juveniles at Traeth Dulas (23^rd).  A juvenile Yellow-legged Gull at Traeth Dulas (23^rd) was Anglesey’s 2^nd for the year.  There were also impressive numbers of Kittiwake, with a count of 1840 seen in a 2hr seawatch off Cemlyn (22^nd) and an estimate of between 5,000 -10,000 past Point Lynas from dawn to ~ 8.50am (23^rd). 

Waders:

Starting with the larger waders, there were up to 8 Black-tailed Godwit on the ‘gorad flood’, Valley (8 on 22^nd, 7 on 23^rd, 6 on 24^th) and 5 Black-tailed Godwit off Penrhos Coastal Park Car park (26^th).  Reports of Bar-tailed Godwit were restricted to the Alaw estuary, where there were up to 4 birds (4 on 22^nd, 2 on 24^th, 2 on (28^th).  The ‘gorad flood’, also held up to 4 Ruff (1 on 22^nd, 4 on 24^th & 25^th, 3 on 26^th & 27^th).  Whimbrel were seen widely, with 3 at Cemlyn (22^nd), 2 on the Alaw estuary (22^nd), 3 at the Pentraeth end of Red Wharf Bay (23^rd) and 1 between Henborth and Carmel Head (23^rd).  There were 163 Curlew on Alaw estuary (24^th), c. 100 at Traeth Dulas (26^th) and 381 Oystercatcher on Alaw estuary (24^th).  Greenshank continue to be seen on our estuaries with up to 13 birds on the Alaw estuary (13 on 22^nd & 28^th ,8 on 24^th) and up to 4 birds at Traeth Dulas (23^rd, 26^th, 27^th, 28^th).

Turning to the smaller waders, Curlew Sandpiper was a new addition for the year with 1 at Malltraeth (28^th) and 2 at the Alaw estuary (28th).  Knot featured prominently with up to 32 on the Alaw estuary (32 on 24^th, 10 on 22^nd), 9 at Cemlyn (24^th), up to 6 at Traeth Dulas (2 on 23^rd, 6 on 26^th & 27^th) and 4 at the Pentraeth end of Red Wharf Bay (23^rd). There were up to 8 Sanderling on the Alaw estuary (8 on 22^nd, 1 on 24^th), 1 at Cemlyn (22^nd) and 1 at Traeth Dulas (28^th).  The highest count of Common Ringed Plover was 98 on the Alaw estuary (22^nd), whilst for Dunlin it was 165 on the Alaw estuary (165 on 22^nd, 38 on 24^th).  Both species were also reported from Traeth Dulas and Red Wharf Bay.  6 Green Sandpiper were seen; 2 on the Alaw estuary (24^th), 1 on the Alaw estuary (28th), 1 at Cemlyn (24^th) and 2 at Cemlyn (27^th).  There were 3 Common Sandpiper on the Inland Sea (24^th), 3 at Traeth Dulas (26^th), 1 at Traeth Dulas (28^th) and 1 on the Alaw estuary (22^nd & 24^th, 28^th).  There was a single European Golden Plover at Cemlyn (24^th), 5 European Golden Plover at the Alaw estuary (28th) and 2 Grey Plover at the Alaw estuary (28th).

Passerines:

The top birds included a juvenile Cuckoo between Henborth and Carmel Head (23^rd) and a Rose-ringed Parakeet at Benllech (23^rd).  Northern Wheatear appear to be on their southbound migration with 1 between Henborth and Carmel Head (23^rd), 1 on the Alaw estuary (22^nd), 2 at Cemlyn (24^th), 6 near Caergeiliog (25^th) and 6 at Cemlyn (27^th).  There was a Hooded Crow at The Range, near South Stack (24^th & 28^th) and another south of Bull Bay (27^th).

Herons, Egrets and allies:

28 Little Egrets were seen to roost at the Pentraeth end of Red Wharf Bay in a field adjacent to the saltmarsh (23^rd).

Swans, Geese & Ducks:

There have been some early reports of various species of Geese returning to the UK and the report of 24 Barnacle Geese seen resting on the sand at Beddmanarch Bay (25^th) may well have been part of this early return migration.  This number is certainly in excess of that understood to form part of the feral flock around Llyn Trafwll / RSPB Valley wetlands.  The eclipse plumage drake Common Eider was in the bay at Henborth (22^nd) and 3 Gadwall were at Cemlyn (22^nd).  17 Teal on the Alaw estuary (24^th) was further evidence of returning wildfowl.

Divers & Grebes: 

It was noted that there were increased numbers of Great Crested Grebe on the Inland Sea with 32 counted (24^th).

Raptors:

A Barn Owl was seen hunting in the early hours over roadside fields near Llanfachraeth (23^rd) and 3 Little Owls (family group) were at Cemlyn (24^th).

Other:

Common Kingfisher were seen on the Alaw estuary (24^th & 28^th) and at Traeth Dulas (26^th & 27^th).

Species – year to date:

Sooty Shearwater, Pomarine Skua, Long-tailed Skua, Sabine’s Gull and Curlew Sandpiper were all new for the year; taking the Anglesey year list for 2020 to date to 205.

 

The forthcoming week 29^th August – 4^th September?

Both Great and Cory’s shearwater have been seen on the 30^th, with the Great Shearwater seen off Point Lynas & Soldier’s Point (30^th) in 1982 and Cory’s Shearwater seen of Point Lynas (30^th) in 1999.  Melodious Warbler has two records with birds at Cemlyn (30^th) in 2005 and at the South Stack plantation (31^st) in 2014.  Going one better, Pectoral Sandpiper has three records with birds at Llyn Llaethdy (1^st) in 1984, Malltraeth (3^rd) in 1961 and Malltraeth (3^rd) in 1999.  Going further back in the records, Malltraeth also hosted a Temminck’s stint (4^th) in 1945, whilst more recently there was a Baird’s Sandpiper at Traeth Dulas (4^th) in 2009. 

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