Saturday 28th November – Friday 4th December 2020.

Intro:

Unprecedented numbers of Black Redstart.

Passerines:

Black Redstart is usually a scarce species on Anglesey with Anglesey birders often having to travel to the Great or Little Orme to catch up with it.  The tables have very much been turned this autumn with the bulk of the records coming from Anglesey.  Regular readers of the blog will have noted sightings of Black Redstart at the tail end of last week with 1 between Trearddur Bay and The Range (26^th – 27^th) and 2 (male and juvenile / female) just south of Porthdafarch (27th); let’s suppose that there was no overlap and that there were 3 birds.  This week there have been sightings of both a male and a juvenile /female at Octel, Amlwch Port (29^th), 1 near Pete’s eats / then coastguard’s station at Holyhead (29^th) and another female / immature at the start of Holyhead breakwater (29^th) – believed to have involved 2 separate birds, another at Point Lynas (1^st) and then a further bird around at Moelfre head (1^st – 3rd).  That’s 9 separate birds in just over a week, with no birding reports from the Carmel Head or Penmon areas which have regularly held birds in the past.  Quite remarkable.

Added to the above, we have been fortunate to still have up to 4 Snow Buntings still at Soldiers Point on rough ground at the start of the breakwater (28^th-30^th) and another at Cemlyn (1^st).  The Rose-coloured Starling continued to be seen in private gardens in Amlwch Port (28^th – 4^th), whilst a Firecrest was at Porth Eilian (1^st).  Warbler interests included a Siberian Tristis race Chiffchaff at the Braint estuary (1^st) and a Cetti’s Warbler at RSPB Cors Ddyga (28^th).  The Starling murmuration at RSPB Cors Ddyga (29^th) involved an estimated 1- 1.5 million birds.

Swans, Geese & Ducks:

Up to 17 Greenland White-fronted Geese were seen at RSPB Cors Ddyga (28^th). 28 Brent Geese were at the mouth of the Afon Nodwydd, Red Wharf Bay (30^th).  The 7 Greater Scaup remain on the Inland Sea (28^th- 3^rd) as does the Long-tailed Duck at Four mile bridge (28^th – 4^th).

Divers & Grebes: 

Sightings of Great Northern Diver included up to 2 birds at Beddmanarch Bay (2 on 28^th) and up to 2 birds at Four mile bridge (2 on 2^nd).  The Red Throated Diver remains in Holyhead Harbour (4^th).  Up to 3 Slavonian Grebe were at Beddmanarch Bay (3 on 3^rd), with up to 2 Slavonian Grebe on Inland Sea (2 on 1^st).

Seabirds:

A Black Guillemot was in Beddmanarch Bay (3rd), with 3 in Holyhead Harbour (3^rd).

Herons, Egrets and allies:

No reports this week, though a Great Egret or more will no doubt be at one of the regular haunts.

Waders:

3 Green Sandpiper were still to be seen between Valley cemetery and the A55 (28^th – 4^th, 3 on 28^th), a Jack Snipe was at RSPB Cors Ddyga (29^th) and a Greenshank was at the mouth of the Afon Nodwydd, Red Wharf Bay (30^th).  4 Purple Sandpiper were at Trearddur Bay (1^st), as was a German ringed Common Ringed Plover (29^th – 1^st).

Raptors:

A Hen Harrier was at RSPB Cors Ddyga (28^th, 29^th, 1^st), up to 4 Marsh Harriers were at RSPB Cors Ddyga (4 on 30th) and a Merlin was at RSPB Cors Ddyga (28^th, 1^st).

Gulls and Terns:

No reports of any scarce or rare gulls this week.

Other:

A Common Kingfisher was at the mouth of the Afon Nodwydd, Red Wharf Bay (30^th)

Species – year to date:

Remains stubbornly stuck at 218.

 

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

There is a historical record of a Little Bustard at Llanabo (9^th) in 1884, whilst more recently there was the Royal Tern at Traeth Dulas (10^th) in 2018.