Saturday 23rd January – Friday 29th January 2021.

Intro:

53^rd blog post and over 10,000 page views.  Thank you for all the positive feedback over the past year and for the messages in which individuals have shared the value they get from reading the blog.  The first was published on the 3^rd February and covered the week from Saturday 25^th January to Friday 31^st January 2020.  Over the past year many of us have not been able to get out birding as much as we might have wanted to and some have been luckier than others in where they live and what sites they have been able to continue to access.  I hope that the weekly blog has helped contribute to the sense of a birding community and help quench the thirst for birding if only by proxy.  So, without more ado …   

Herons, Egrets and allies:

Last week’s Cattle Egret continued to be seen approximately 1 mile just north-east of Valley (23^rd-27^th).  There were reports of Great Egret from Llyn Llywenan (23^rd) and Cors Erddreiniog (27^th).

Passerines:

The wintering adult Rose-coloured Starling continues to be seen at Amlwch Port (24^th – 27^th), whilst the 2 Snow Bunting remain at Soldier’s Point, Holyhead (27^th).  Sightings of Black Redstart included a male bird at Trearddur Bay (23^rd – 26^th), a female / immature at Beaumaris (29^th), a female / immature at Octel, Amlwch (25^th) and then both a male and a female/immature at Octel, Amlwch (29^th).  Reports of Siskin included 2 birds at the Inland Sea (25^th), 2 birds at Mynydd Bodafon (27^th) and 6 birds at the Inland Sea (28^th).  There were 2 Chiffchaff at the water treatment plant, Amlwch (25^th), with another 2 birds at Tregele (25^th).  The Lesser Whitethroat of presumed eastern origin was still at Carreglefn (23^rd).  Following last week’s confirmation that Tree Sparrow continues with its rather precarious foothold on Anglesey, 3 birds were seen away from the known sites around a pheasant feeder near Talwrn (24^th).  The Hooded Crow was seen again near the Roadking truck stop, Holyhead (27^th), whilst 33 Chough were on a garden fence at a private property to the south of Llyn Trafwll (28^th).

Waders:

A Green Sandpiper was seen again on the flooded field between Valley cemetery and the A55 (26^th-27^th).  A Purple Sandpiper was seen at Penmon Point (23^rd).  20+ Lapwing and 6 Snipe were on RSPB land next to the Afon Crigyll, which runs to Rhosneigr (28^th).  The Alaw estuary held 39 Bar-tailed Godwit (27^th) and 3 Greenshank (27^th).  5 Woodcock were seen near Plas Llanddyfan, Talwrn (25^th).

Swans, Geese & Ducks:

9 Whooper Swans (6 adults and 3 juveniles) were north east of Bodedern (23^rd), whilst 2 Barnacle Geese were at Llyn Llywenan (23^rd).  A Long-tailed Duck was on the Inland Sea from 4-mile bridge (27^th), with another at Cors Erddreiniog (27^th).  An Eider was seen off Beaumaris (27^th).  There was an impressive count of 179 Pintail at the Alaw estuary (27^th), whilst at the Afon Crigyll there were 10 Shoveler, 4 Gadwall, 6 Wigeon and 4 Teal (28^th). 

Divers & Grebes: 

Sightings of Great Northern Diver included 2 birds off Beaumaris (25^th), 2 birds off Traeth Lligwy (27^th) and 1 in Holyhead Bay (28^th).  Sightings of Red-throated Diver included 6 birds off Traeth Lligwy (27^th) and 1 off the headland adjacent to Holyhead harbour (27^th).  A Slavonian Grebe was on the Menai Strait between Menai Bridge and Bangor (26^th), with 2 other birds at Beddmanarch Bay (27^th).

Raptors:

A Red Kite was seen between Llangefni and the A55 (26^th), with a belated report of 1 near Llanerchymedd (15^th).  A Goshawk was seen at Cors Erddreiniog (27^th), the 2^nd sighting already for the year; are they – like Red Kite – becoming a more established part of our avifauna?

Gulls and Terns:

6 Mediterranean Gulls were on a roadside field next to the gorad road flood (28^th).   The first 2 returning Lesser Black-backed Gulls to the Holyhead area were on the Alaw estuary (27^th).

Seabirds:

Sightings of Black Guillemot included 2 birds off Penmon Point (23^rd), 5 at Traeth Lligwy (27^th).  Common Guillemot are back on the cliffs at South Stack (26^th).

Other:

A Common Kingfisher was in Holyhead harbour (27^th). 

 

Species – year to date:

No new additions to the 2021 Cumulative year list, which remains stuck on 140.  Birds that we might have expected in times when wider access was possible would have included Greenland White-fronted Geese, Eurasian Bittern, Brambling, Whimbrel and Common Sandpiper.  If you have seen any of the above, then please let me know.

Avian Influenza

Following news of a number of outbreaks in wild birds across Europe, it was saddening to learn of an outbreak within pheasants on Anglesey - https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-55838006 which has led to a declaration by Welsh Government of a temporary control zone https://gov.wales/sites/default/files/publications/2021-01/declaration-of%20a-temporary-control-zone-avian-influenza.pdf  Hopefully, the outbreak will be contained without further spread to either domestic poultry or wild birds.

2020 Annual Report of Bird Sightings:

A big thank you to those of you who have requested a copy of the 2020 Annual Report and made donations to the Bangor Bird Group’s Just Giving Page.  Donations, both for the report and more generally, now stand at £943 which will aid the Group in continuing to run a full program of lectures via zoom until such time as physical meetings can resume.  Recent virtual meetings have been recorded and can be found at the Bangor Bird Group YouTube channel.

If you want a copy of the report, please email angleseybirdnews@gmail.com so that a PDF copy can be provided by return. 

Donations to the Bangor Bird Group – for the report, in recognition of the programme of lectures or more generally can be made at: https://justgiving.com/crowdfunding/bangorbirdgroup

 

The forthcoming week 30^th January – 5^th February?

An American Wigeon was at Llyn Bodgylched (30^th) in 1977, a Black Scoter flew past Point Lynas (31^st) in 2002 and a Cattle Egret was at Malltraeth (1^st) in 2008.