Saturday 29th August – Friday 4th September 2020

Intro:

A rare Wheatear failed to do the decent thing and wait around for would be admirers.

Passerines:

The headline bird for the week was the discovery of the UK’s earliest Isabelline Wheatear, which was found between Hen Borth and Carmel Head (30^th).  This is Anglesey’s 2^nd county record, following a bird also between Hen Borth and Carmel Head on the 22^nd September 2006.  

Isabelline Wheatear at Hen Borth - Carmel Head by Mark Sutton (finder).

Anglesey’s 2^nd Turtle Dove of the year was found between Hen Borth and Llanfairynghornwy (1^st), whilst the 3^rd Common Redstart of the year - a good year – involved a male along the cob at Malltraeth (30^th).  There was a Spotted Flycatcher at South Stack and Plantation (1^st) and sightings of warblers at South Stack and Plantation included 7 Chiffchaff (1^st), 3 Blackcap (1^st) and 3 Whitethroat (1^st).  A Cetti’s Warbler was singing at RSPB Cors Ddyga (31^st).  Hooded Crows were seen on the Range, near South Stack (30^th & 3^rd) and at Hen Borth (3^rd).  1000+ Swallows went to roost at RSPB Cors Ddyga (31^st) and there were some late sightings of Swift with 1 between Cemlyn – Henborth (31^st) and another in Holyhead Breakwater Country Park (31^st).  Some of our more common birds are starting to form large autumn flocks with a mixed flock of 100+ Linnet and Goldfinch feeding on common knapweed seedheads at Talwrn (31^st), 12 Mistle Thrush in a feeding flock at RSPB Cors Ddyga (30^th) and 30 Mistle Thrush in a feeding flock at Talwrn (4^th).

Waders:

A Bar-tailed Godwit was at Cemlyn (29^th) and up to 4 at the Alaw estuary (4 on 30^th).  There was a single Black-tailed Godwit at Cemlyn (1^st) and up to 17 at RSPB Cors Ddyga (4 on 30^th, 2 on 31^st, 9 on the 2^nd & 3^rd, 17 on 4^th).  Whimbrel numbers were low with up to 3 on the Alaw estuary (3 on 31^st, 2 on 2nd, 1 on 4^th) and 1 on the Inland Sea (29^th).  Greenshank numbers remain high with up to 17 on the Alaw estuary (17 on 29^th) and up to 6 at Traeth Dulas (6 on 29^th, 4 on 30^th - 3^rd,, 3 on 4^th).  There were 6 Ruff at Traeth Dulas (29^th), 3 were on the gorad flood, Valley (30^th) and up to 2 birds at RSPB Cors Ddyga (1 on 31^st & 3^rd, 2 on 4^th).  75 Lapwing were counted at RSPB Cors Ddyga (30^th), 3 Golden Plover were at RSPB Cors Ddyga (4^th) and there was a belated report of a Spotted Redshank on Malltraeth cob pool (27^th).

Curlew Sandpiper showed up at both Malltraeth and the Alaw estuary with 1 at Malltraeth (30^th) and up to 3 juveniles on Alaw estuary (3 on 1^st – 3^rd, 2 29^th – 31^st, 1 on 4^th).  There were good numbers of Knot on passage with 50 at Malltraeth (30^th), 22 on the Inland Sea (29^th), up to 9 at Traeth Dulas (2 on 29^th, 9 on 2^nd) and 4 on the Alaw estuary (31^st).  Sightings of Sanderling included 1 at Traeth Dulas (29^th) and 4 on the Alaw estuary (31^st).  Up to 5 Green Sandpiper were on the Alaw estuary (2 on 1^st, 5 on 4^th) and another was seen to fly over the road at Llanynghenedl and headed in the direction of the Alaw estuary (30^th).  Lone Common Sandpiper were seen at the Alaw estuary (31^st, 1^st, 4^th), RSPB Cors Dyga (3^rd) and Traeth Dulas (4^th).  Whilst Snipe are understood to still breed on the island in small numbers, this week saw a pronounced increase in numbers which must have also involved migrant birds.  24 were seen at Cemlyn (31^st) and an impressive 150 were seen flighting at RSPB Cors Ddyga (30^th).

Seabirds:

A quieter week when compared with last week’s high numbers, but still 7 Arctic and 5 Great Skuas.  The Arctic Skuas involved 3 past Bull Bay (29^th), 2 past Penmon (4^th), 1 past Point Lynas (29^th) and 1 past Cemlyn (1^st).  Great Skuas were seen off Bull Bay (29^th), 2 past Cemlyn (29^th), 1 past Cemlyn (2^nd) and 1 past South Stack (3^rd).  There are still good numbers of Manx Shearwater with 410 counted past South Stack in 90-minute seawatch (3^rd).

Gulls and Terns:

There were 2 sightings of Little Gull, with one past Point Lynas (29^th) and a juvenile past Cemlyn (2^nd).  Mediterranean Gull numbers are still high with 64 Mediterranean Gulls on Inland Sea (29^th) and a pronounced influx of birds in the Cemlyn area with 30 at Hen Borth (3^rd), 6 at Cemlyn (3^rd) and 24 in fields on the south side of the lagoon (3^rd). Elsewhere, 35 were on the Alaw estuary (4^th), 16 were seen in flight over the road near 4-mile bridge (3^rd) and a juvenile was a juvenile was at Traeth Dulas (2^nd).

Herons, Egrets and allies:

2 Great Egrets were at RSPB Cors Ddyga (31^st), as were 3 squealing Water Rail (31^st).

Swans, Geese & Ducks:

Autumn cannot be far away when our wintering wildfowl start to return.  3 Dark-bellied Brent Geese flew past Point Lynas (29^th) and 5 Brent Geese were on the Alaw estuary (30^th).  Wigeon numbers have been building up at RSPB Cors Ddyga from 6 (30^th), to 12 (2^nd) to 50 (3^rd).  Other wildfowl at RSPB Cors Ddyga included 20 Shoveler (30^th) and up to 45 Teal (2^nd).  Our resident geese appear to have had a good breeding season, with 280 Greylag Geese flying into RSPB Cors Ddyga (30^th) being a notable count.  On the Alaw estuary, there were 4 Goosander (3^rd).

Divers & Grebes: 

A Red-throated Diver flew past Point Lynas (29^th)

Raptors:

A Hobby was seen south of Llyn Trafwll (29^th), whilst an osprey continues to be seen at the Cefni estuary (30^th & 31^st).  Also, at the Cefni estuary there was a Goshawk that was seen over the marsh on Newborough side of the estuary (31^st) as was a Peregrine.  A Peregrine was also seen north of Talwrn (31^st).  4 Red Kite were over Rhoscoch (30^th) and 1 was at Capel Coch (4^th).  Marsh Harriers were seen at RSPB Cors Ddyga (31^st) and RSPB Valley lakes (3 on 3^rd).  Barn Owls were seen at RSPB Cors Ddyga and in the  Llyn Coron – Aberffraw common area, as was a Short-eared Owl.

Other:

A Common Kingfisher was on the old brickworks pool, Traeth Dulas (30^th, 4^th)), another over Malltraeth cob pool (31^st) and another over the Alaw estuary (1^st).

 

Species – year to date:

Isabelline Wheatear, Spotted Redshank and Goshawk were all new for the year taking the 2020 Anglesey year list to 208.

 

The forthcoming week 5^th September – 11^th September?

A good week for scarce waders.  Pectoral Sandpiper features strongly with three records, with birds at Rhosneigr (8^th) in 1998, Malltraeth (11^th) in 1960, and Malltraeth (11^th) in 1992.  Other scarce waders include an American Golden Plover on the Malltraeth cob pool (5^th) in 2012, a Temminck’s Stint at Malltraeth (6^th) in 1959, a Lesser Yellowlegs on the Alaw estuary (6^th) in 2016, a Red-necked Phalarope at Llyn Llywenan (8^th) in 1995 and a Buff-breasted Sandpiper at Cemlyn (11^th) in 2005.

Scarce passerines have included a Red-breasted Flycatcher at Point Lynas (8^th) in 1972, two Barred Warblers – one at South Stack (8^th) in 2008 and an old record on the Skerries (10^th) in 1910, two Bluethroats – one on the Skerrries (10^th) in 1961 and another one close by at Carmel Head (10^th) in 1963 and a juvenile Rose-coloured Starling at Cemlyn (10^th) in 2019.  There is a historical record of a Little Bittern at an undocumented location (11^th) in 1882 and a White-winged Black Tern was at Llyn Trafwll (8^th) in 1998.

There have been a number of sightings of Leach’s Petrel off Blackpool today.  If the wind turns to the right direction, we might expect sightings off the north Anglesey coast.

 

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