Saturday 26th September – Friday 2nd October 2020

Intro:

The birds continued to turn up at RSPB Cors Ddyga!

Swans, Geese & Ducks:

Headline bird for the week was a Taiga Bean Goose found at RSPB Cors Ddyga (27^th – 28^th) amongst the Greylag Geese.  Whilst there are old records of Bean Goose on Anglesey, these often weren’t assigned to what were then sub-species levels of Tundra and Taiga, but which are now recognised as 2 distinct species.  There have been records of Tundra Bean Geese on Anglesey, but this is the first known record of Taiga Bean Goose not only for Anglesey but also North Wales. 

Taiga Bean Goose – found by Ed Betteridge @EdJBetteridge, photo by Martin Jones 

The sense of Autumn migration was added to be the sight of 14 Whooper Swans in off the sea at Bull Bay (26^th).  The Garganey continued to be seen on the mitigation pool, Inland Sea (26^th, 28^th).  A Barnacle Goose was at Cemlyn (29^th), 69 Common Scoter past Point Lynas (26^th) and there were good numbers of Teal including c.300 on an unnamed pool one mile north of Talwrn (27^th).

Passerines:

After last week’s prediction that it wouldn’t be too long before Yellow-browed Warbler was added to the Anglesey year list, birds duly obliged with 1 at Amlwch Port (28^th – 30^th) and another at Wylfa woods (1^st).  After a period of not being reported, the Rose-coloured Starling was seen again behind the Bull Bay hotel (1^st).  Up to 2 Lapland Bunting were in a stubble field south of Hen Borth (1 on 30^th, 2 on 1^st), whilst 1 and possibly 2 were seen over South Stack (1^st).  2 Yellowhammer were seen at Llandyfrydog (29^th), 2 Grey Wagtail were on the river Cefni by the Council offices, Llangefni (27^th), a Hooded Crow was at The Range, South Stack (26^th, 1^st) and single Blackcaps were seen at Penmon Point (1^st) and near the Amlwch water treatment plant (1^st).  Winter thrushes started to arrive, with the first report of returning Redwing being over Holyhead mountain (28^th).

 Rose-coloured Starling (aka Rosy Starling) photo by Martin Jones

Herons, Egrets and allies:

The 2 Glossy Ibis continued to be seen at RSPB Cors Ddyga (26^th – 27^th), but ranged over a larger area.  On 1 occasion they were seen to fly north of Llangefni and it is still possible that they may be on the island.  There were up to 2 Great White Egret on Inland Sea (1 on 26^th, 2 on 27^th) and another at the Cefni estuary at Malltraeth (29^th).  Little Egret numbers seem particularly high, with a count of 61 birds on the Inland Sea (27^th).

Waders:

There were up to 2 Green Sandpiper on Alaw estuary (1 on 26^th, 2 on 2^nd), 2 Common Sandpiper at Church Island (26^th), 3 Grey Plover at Cemlyn (26^th), 8 Grey Plover on Alaw estuary (26^th), 18 Golden Plover on the Alaw Estuary (2^nd), 1 Jack Snipe at the Alaw estuary (26^th), whilst 15 Purple Sandpiper flew past Point Lynas (26^th).

In respect of the larger waders, there were up to 24 Bar-tailed Godwit on the Alaw estuary (7 on 26^th, 24 on 2^nd), 3 Bar-tailed Godwit on Penmon Pool (1^st), 12 Black-tailed Godwit at RSPB Cors Ddyga (28^th), up to 19 Greenshank on Alaw estuary (13 on 26^th, 19 on 2^nd), 6 Greenshank on the old Brickworks pool at Traeth Dulas (26^th) and 210 Curlew at Penmon Pool (1^st).

Seabirds:

4 Arctic Skua seen off Point Lynas (26^th), 3 Arctic Skua past Cemlyn (26^th) and 2 Arctic Skua past Llam Carw, Amlwch Port; it is possible that some of the same birds were seen at multiple sites.  8 Razorbill were on the Inland Sea (26^th).

Gulls and Terns:

A juvenile Sabine’s Gull was seen off Point Lynas (26^th), as was a Little Gull (26^th) and 625 Kittiwake (26^th) during a 3-hour sea-watch.  37 Mediterranean Gulls on Inland Sea (27^th).

Divers & Grebes: 

9 Red-throated Diver flew past Point Lynas (26^th), with 4 past Cemlyn (26^th).  Again, some of the birds may have past and been seen at both sites.

Raptors:

Merlins were seen at Henborth (26^th) and The Range, South Stack (1^st), whilst an Osprey continued to be seen over the Inland Sea (26^th – 1^st).

Other:

Kingfishers were reported from multiple sites including the river Cefni by the Council offices, Llangefni (27^th), RSPB Cors Ddyga (28^th), Inland Sea (28^th) and at the mitigation pool, Inland Sea (28^th).

 

Species – year to date:

The cumulative Anglesey year list for 2020 has ticked up by another 2 species with the addition of Taiga Bean Goose and Yellow-browed Warbler.  The 2020 Anglesey year list now stands at 216.

 

The forthcoming week 3^rd October – 9^th October?

The 4^th October is a special date in Anglesey birding history with both Grey Catbird and Red-eyed Vireo found at South Stack in 2001.  Other scarce passerines have included a Short-toed Lark (7^th) at Tyn Llan, Cemlyn in 2014, an Alpine Swift (8^th) at South Stack in 1960 and a Red-breasted Flycatcher (8^th) at the Breakwater Country Park, Holyhead in 2005.  There is a historical record of a Red-necked Phalarope (5^th) at Valley in 1893 and more recently an American Golden Plover (8^th) on the Alaw estuary in 2004.  Finally, there was a Glossy Ibis (9^th) at RSPB Cors Ddyga in 2014.