Saturday 13th February - Friday 19th February 2021.

Intro:

A 2nd Taiga Bean Goose on Anglesey within 12 months!

Swans, Geese & Ducks:

There was an eclectic mix of geese on fields at the Llanfachraeth end of the Alaw estuary (18^th) which included a Taiga Bean Goose, 10 Pink-footed Geese, 3 Barnacle Geese, c.102 Greylag Geese and 234 Pale-bellied Brent Geese.  A Pink-footed Goose was with Greylag Geese off Henllys Lane, Beaumaris (15^th).  Pale-bellied Brent Geese are by far the commoner form on Anglesey, but there were also 2 Dark-bellied Brent Geese at Traeth Lligwy (13^th).  4 Whooper Swans were at Rhosgoch (17^th), while the Long-tailed Duck remained at 4-mile bridge, Holy Island (16^th).  There were 55 Northern Pintail on the Alaw Estuary (18^th), while the north-east of the island did well for Common Eider with 5 at Traeth Bychan (13^th) and 2 off Benllech (16^th).

Herons, Egrets and allies:

The Cattle Egret was still 1-mile NE of Valley (14^th, 15^th, 17^th), while 2 Great Egret were at Llyn Llywenan (18^th).  A Water Rail was at Soldier’s Point, Holyhead (15^th).

Passerines:

The Rose-coloured Starling continued its winter stay at Amlwch Port (14^th, 17^th), while nearby the male and female/immature Black Redstarts continued to be seen at the former Octel factory, Amlwch Port (15^th-18^th).  A further female/immature Black Redstart was seen again at Beaumaris (15^th, 17^th).  A Firecrest was at Porth Eilian (17^th) with another at Beaumaris (18^th) , the wintering Lesser Whitethroat was still at Carreglefn (13^th), a Chiffchaff was at Penrhos Coastal Park (17^th) and Blackcaps seen in private gardens at Pentraeth (13^th) and Llanfechell (19^th).  2 Dipper were on the Afon Cefni at Llangefni (13^th).  Hooded Crows were seen at Henborth (13^th) and on the construction site near Roadking, Holyhead (17^th).

Waders:

Purple Sandpipers featured strongly in this week’s reports with 11 at Trearddur Bay (17^th), 9 at Cemlyn (18^th) and 1 seen and photographed in flight at Traeth Lligwy (13^th).  There have been few Sanderling reported this winter; sightings this week were limited to 2 birds at Traeth Lligwy (13^th) and 2 birds at Porth y Mor, N of Traeth Lligwy (17^th).  The Green Sandpiper continues to be seen on the flooded field between Valley cemetery and A55 (15^th), while up to 12 Grey Plover were seen at Cemlyn (18^th).  Sightings of Bar-tailed Godwit included 12 birds in Holyhead Bay (17^th) and 35 on the Alaw estuary (18^th).  There were 2 Greenshank on the Alaw estuary (18^th) and 2 sightings of wintering Whimbrel with 1 at Red Wharf Bay (13^th) and 1 at Cemlyn (18^th).  One of the features of the recent cold spell were sightings of Golden Plover and Northern Lapwing on fields where they aren’t normally seen.  80 Golden Plover (14^th) feeding with 120 Northern Lapwing (14^th) in roadside field by entrance to the Range Car Park, near South Stack were said to have offered wonderful close views.  40+ Northern Lapwing and c.400 Golden Plover were seen near Llyn Trafwll (14^th)

Divers & Grebes: 

A Great Northern Diver was off Traeth Lligwy (17^th), 2 Slavonian Grebe were in Beddmanarch Bay (17^th) and 1 Slavonian Grebe was on the Inland Sea (17^th).

Raptors:

No reports of note.

Gulls and Terns:

Sightings of Mediterranean Gulls included 2 birds on the shore at Beddmanarch Bay (17^th) and 2 at the Alaw estuary (18^th).  Lesser Black-backed Gull remains a scarce bird on Anglesey during winter months, but there has now been a marked increase in sightings with 17 birds on the Alaw estuary (18^th), which also held 182 Common Gulls.

Seabirds:

Black Guillemots are into their fine summer plumage, with 4 birds seen in Holyhead harbour (17^th), 3 at Holyhead Fish Quay (17^th) and 2 off Traeth y Ora, north of Treath Lligwy (17^th).

 

Summer migrants – they are on their way!

Aside from the aforementioned return of Lesser Black-backed Gulls, we are rapidly approaching the return of early spring migrant in the form of birds such as Northern Wheatear and Sand Martin.  The first Northern Wheatear for Wales has already been reported from Llanelli WWT, South Wales (17^th) and the first Sand Martin from Cardiff Bay (19^th).  Given the southernly aspect of the wind direction at present, there must be a fair chance of bettering last year’s earliest date for both species.  In 2020 the first Northern Wheatear on Anglesey was found at Cemlyn on the 14^th March and the first Sand Martin at the Gorad flood, Valley on the 17^th March.

 

Species – year to date:

The addition of Taiga Bean Goose to the 2021 cumulative year list takes the running total to 148.

 

The forthcoming week 20^th – 26^h February?

Still a quiet time for records of rare and scarce birds, but made up by the quality.  A Ring-billed Gull was at Penrhos Coastal Park (23^rd) in 2008 whilst Wales’ first White-billed Diver was found in Holyhead Harbour (24^th) in 1991.