Saturday 12th June - 18th June 2021.

Intro:

The week TERNed out Rosy … ….

Gulls and Terns:

It is a fair few years since Roseate Terns last nested at Cemlyn.  Over recent years, sightings at Cemlyn have been limited to just a handful of opportunities each year to see 1 or 2 birds either from the small number that continued to take up residence on the Skerries off the Anglesey coast or from further afield.  All that changed this week, with birds being seen daily and with a daily maximum of 4 (14^th).  Interestingly, many of the birds seen over the past decade were ringed on both legs.  Rockabill, County Dublin birds were ringed with a BTO ring on their left leg and a special ring on their right leg and vice-versa for birds at the Lady’s Island colony, Wexford (see Ring-A-Ring -A Roseate!).  Prior to 2017, birds at Coquet Island, Northumberland were ringed with an alpha-numeric ring on the left leg and a standard BTO ring on the right (See Coquet).  Since 2017, only special roseate rings have been used at Coquet and it is understood that the same has applied more generally.  Most of the sightings and photographs of birds at Cemlyn this week show birds that are ringed only on the right leg – certainly young birds and perhaps indicative of an Irish origin, but checks on this are continuing.

Roseate Tern x 2, Cemlyn, 13th June. Photo: J Martin Jones.

Clearly, there is always a potential for one of the island’s tern colonies to pull in a Mega at this time so it is always worth being alert to the possibility of something more unusual.  Previous highlights, mid-June to mid-July have included:

• Sooty Tern, Cemlyn – 13^th June 2020
• Bridled Tern, Cemlyn – 1^st July 1988
• Sooty Tern, Rhosneigr – 5^th July 2005
• Lesser-crested Tern, Cymyran Beach – 13^th July 1982

Aside from the terns, there were 2 Mediterranean Gulls at Cemlyn (17^th).

Passerines:

Continuing with the Rosy theme, we finally had a Rose-coloured Starling take up a more predictable routine so as to enable a fair few admirers to catch up with it.  Initially seen at Tregele late on the 11^th, the bird was seen well over 2 days, with the late afternoon – early evenings being best (13^th-14^th).   Another adult bird was at Valley, but was less helpful with just 2 brief sightings (12^th) and then at Bryn Afon, Valley (14^th).

Rose-coloured Starling, Tregele, 14th June. Photo: J Martin Jones.

The leucistic Common Whitethroat (a.k.a. Cemlyn Whitehead) was seen again (13^th) and a Grasshopper Warbler was near South Stack (17^th).  Sightings of Hooded Crows included 2 at The Range (12^th), 1 between South Stack car park and Ellin’s Tower (15^th) and 1 at South Stack (17^th- 18^th).

Raptors:

An adult White-tailed Eagle was reported from Fedw Fawr (13^th) and will be a first for Anglesey if accepted by the Welsh Birds Rarities Committee.  While sightings of Red Kites on Anglesey are not uncommon, there was a marked increase in reports on the 15^th.  It is difficult to be sure as to how many birds were involved – which is understood to have followed an influx into other parts of the UK, but there were 6 over Tregele, 5 over Llanfechell (probably same as Tregele), 1 over Benllech, 2 over RSPB Cors Ddyga, 2 at Gaerwen, 3 east end of Llanfairpwll, 1 over Llanfaelog, 1 over the A55 at Gwalchmai, 1 over Dulas and 1 between Llanfaes and Beaumaris.  There were 2 sightings of Hobby with 1 at Rhoscolyn (17^th) and 1 at The Range (18^th).  An Osprey was seen over the Inland Sea (17^th).

Waders:

There was a Green Sandpiper at Cemlyn (12^th) and a Knot on the beach at Cemlyn (18^th).

Seabirds:

873 Manx Shearwater were counted during a sea-watch off The Range (12^th).  Sightings of Puffin included 9 birds past The Range (12^th) and 1 at South Stack (14^th).  9 Black Guillemot were in the bay at Cemlyn (16^th).

Herons, Egrets and allies:

No reports of note.

Divers & Grebes:

No reports of note.

Swans, Geese & Ducks:

Two pairs of Pochard were seen with broods at the mitigation pool, Inland Sea (14^th).

 

The forthcoming week 19^th June – 25^th June?

A good week for rare and scarce waders, with a Kentish Plover at Rhosneigr (19^th) in 1984, a Buff-breasted Sandpiper at Cemlyn (20^th) in 2013, a Stone Curlew at Penmon (21^st) in 1997 and a Terek Sandpiper at Cemlyn (21^st) in 2005.  There was a Black Stork at Carmel Head (22^nd) in 1999 and a Black-crowned Night Heron at Malltraeth (23^rd) in 2005.  There is a historical record of an American Wigeon at Llyn Llywenan (21^st) in 1910, while passerines have included a Rose-coloured Starling at Valley (19^th) in 2012 and a Common Rosefinch at Porth Eilian (21^st) in 2013.