Saturday 12th September – Friday 18th September 2020

Intro:

A week of scarce passerines and probable record counts of two wader species.

Passerines:

The bird of the week was most probably the European Turtle Dove at Hen Borth which was a life tick for quite a few and a Welsh tick for considerably more.  It has been a scarce bird for Anglesey over the past 30 years, but over the last couple of years we have had a good run of records with 3 sightings last year and 3 this – albeit that it isn’t impossible that all the records this year might involve a single bird with all the records being in a relatively small area stretching from Wylfa Head to Llanfairynghornwy.  The bird was seen regularly in the two small wooden plantations at Hen Borth and the adjoining barley field (12^th – 16^th). 

 Photo: European Turtle Dove, Hen Borth, 15th September - by Martin Jones

Not far away, a Red-backed Shrike was seen from the approach road to Cemlyn near the footpath to Cestyll gardens (14^th) and the adult Rose-coloured Starling was still in Bull Bay often favouring the wires behind the Bull Bay hotel and the blackberry bushes to the right of the footpath to the coast (12^th – 17^th).

 Photo: Red-backed Shrike, near Cestyll, 14th September - by Martin Jones

Lapland Bunting seem to be on the move, with 1 seen on the ground with Meadow Pipits at Carmel Head before flying east towards Hen Borth (12^th), 1 over South Stack (17^th) and 1 on the Range, near South Stack (18^th).  Up to 2 Hooded Crows were at The Range and the surrounding area, near South Stack (2 on 15^th & 18^th, 1 on 17^th) and a late Common Whitethroat was seen on the Range, near South Stack (14^th).  Up to 5 Cetti’s Warbler are still singing at RSPB Cors Ddyga (5 on 13^th, 2 on 16^th) and a Spotted Flycatcher was at the Plantation, South Stack (18^th).

Waders:

Whilst waders didn’t weigh in too heavily in terms of scarcity, they made up for it in terms of numbers.  The fox-fenced field at the North end of RSPB Cors Ddyga held a staggering estimation of c.400 Common Snipe (16^th) only to be followed by any equally staggering count of 30 Ruff at RSPB Cors Ddyga (30 on 17^th, 3 on 15^th - 16^th).  RSPB Cors Ddyga also held up to 25 Black-tailed Godwit (25 on 15^th, 20 on 16^th).  The vast expanse of water that must be contributing to making the birds more visible will not last for long, as it is understood that Natural Resources Wales will soon be working on the main drain after which water levels are expected to subside.  Elsewhere,  there were 6 Bar-tailed Godwits at Cemlyn (15^th) and 5 on the Alaw estuary (18^th).  16 Greenshank continue to be seen on the Alaw estuary (18^th) and the last sighting of Curlew Sandpiper involved 2 birds seen on the Alaw estuary (13^th).  Finally, a Wood Sandpiper flew over the Inland Sea (18^th).

Seabirds:

If there was an award for the most bizarre sighting of the week, it would certainly go to the Common Guillemot – and the bridled form at that – seen among the salt marsh grass at the Braint estuary (12^th).  More conventionally, there were a couple of sightings of Skuas with both a Great Skua and an Arctic Skua past Bull Bay (12^th).

Photo: Common Guillemot, Braint Estuary, 12th September - by Dan Brown.

Gulls and Terns:

Nothing particularly scarce or rare, but a Great Black-backed Gull eating an Octopus at Bull Bay (12^th) made interesting viewing.  12 Mediterranean Gulls were on the Alaw estuary (18^th).

Herons, Egrets and allies:

Up to 2 Great White Egrets were at RSPB Cors Ddyga (2 on 15^th, 1 on 17^th), with 1 at the farm end of Tyn Llan pool, Cemlyn (12^th); presumably the latter being seen again at Hen Borth and Cemlyn (18th).  There were 25 Little Egret at RSPB Cors Ddyga (13^th).

Swans, Geese & Ducks:

Of the returning wildfowl, 5 Pintail at RSPB Cors Ddyga (13^th) were perhaps the most noteworthy.  6 Common Scoter were seen flying past Point Lynas (13^th).

Divers & Grebes: 

A Great Northern Diver was seen from Cemlyn (15^th).

Raptors:

Hot on the heels of the sighting of a Goshawk on the Cefni estuary a few weeks ago and another bird, this time involving an immature female over Pengorffwysfa, near Point Lynas (13^th).  Both Barn Owl (15^th) and a male Marsh Harrier (13^th) were seen at RSPB Cors Ddyga, whilst an Osprey was seen over the Menai Strait and then thermalling over Llandegfan (17^th)

Other:

2 Common Kingfisher were on the Alaw estuary (18^th).

Species – year to date:

After two good weeks for additions to the year list, a fallow week with no new species.  The 2020 Anglesey year list remains at 213 although it can’t be long before a Yellow-browed Warbler will be added – here’s hoping!.

 

The forthcoming week 19^h September – 25^th September?

Still a good time for Pectoral Sandpiper with two old records of birds at Llyn Alaw (19^th) in 1981 and at Malltraeth (24^th) in 1963.  A Buff-breasted Sandpiper was at Cemlyn (21^st) in 1977.

Scarce passerines have included two Ortolan Buntings, one on the Skerries (19^th) in 1961 and another at South Stack (24^th) in 2006.  A Common Rosefinch was at Soldier’s Point (19^th) in 2004, an Isabelline Wheatear at Mynachdy (22^nd) in 2006, a Bluethroat (23^rd) in 2001, a Barred Warbler (23^rd) in 2008, a Little Bunting (25^th) on the Skerries in 1961 and 2 Tawny Pipits (25^th) at Hen Borth in 2006.  A Glossy Ibis was at Llyn Park Mawr (22^nd) in 2009 and a Black Kite at Talwrn (25^th) in 2019.