Saturday 19th June - 25th June 2021.

Intro:

Quip-ip-ip … and a new breeding species for Anglesey.

Herons, Egrets and allies:

The highlight of the week for many of Anglesey’s birders was a calling Common Quail at Aberffraw Common (22^nd – 23^rd).  As a bird that is not quite annual on the island, it is always good to catch up with one and hear its ‘Quip-ip-ip’ or ‘wet my lips’ call https://www.xeno-canto.org/27535.

Less co-operative were 3 Spoonbills seen over RSPB Cors Ddyga (21^st & 23^rd).  There have now been several brief sightings since the spring, but the birds are still to be located at a site that would allow more prolonged viewing.

Waders:

Little Ringed Plover has been a scarce passage migrant to Anglesey, but over the past couple of years the wader fields at RSPB Cors Ddyga have produced a few birds with up to 4 being present on the 3^rd April.  Fast forward to this week and successful breeding has been confirmed with 3 young being seen (23^rd); the first known breeding record for Anglesey.

Elsewhere there is evidence of waders starting to return to the island’s estuaries, with 7 Lapwing seen on the Alaw estuary (20^th).  Also present at the Alaw estuary were 2 Bar-tailed Godwit (20^th) and 122 Oystercatcher (20^th).  3 Black-tailed Godwit were at RSPB Cors Ddyga (22^nd), a Whimbrel at Traeth Dulas (19^th) and 3 Sanderling at Traeth Llydan, Rhoscolyn (19^th).

Gulls and Terns:

Cemlyn has attracted a steady stream of birders hoping to see a Roseate Tern and most will have left successful with at least 1 bird being seen across the week, with a maximum of 3 birds (3 on 22^nd).  Cemlyn has also had Mediterranean Gulls across the spring / early summer and what was thought to be a Mediterranean Gull nest with 3 eggs was found during a survey.  An adult and a 1^st summer bird were at Cemlyn (24^th) and there was a probable sighting of two chicks although they remaining partially hidden in vegetation.  It would be good to receive any reports of fresh juvenile birds from this site over coming weeks.  Elsewhere, Traeth Dulas had a 2^nd calendar year Mediterranean Gull (19^th) and then 2 adults and 5 2^nd calendar year birds (23^rd).

Passerines:

Hooded Crows were seen at Newborough Warren - on the yellow trail (20^th) and at South Stack (24^th). A Stock Dove was on a cattle pasture, behind dunes at Traeth Llydan, Rhoscolyn (19^th) and a Lesser Whitethroat was at Pwll Pillo, Rhoscolyn (19^th).  A Grasshopper Warbler still ‘reeling’ off Lôn y Gors, RSPB Cors Ddyga (19^th).

Raptors:

An Osprey flew south over the Inland Sea (19^th), while sightings of Red Kite included birds over the A55 near the Rhosneigr turn off (21^st) and over the Pentre Berw to Newborough road (24^th).

Seabirds:

Black Guillemots are being seen around the coastline with 4 birds at Porth Eilian (20^th), 2 at Holyhead Harbour (21^st) and 2 at Cemlyn (21^st).  Manx Shearwaters can be seen passing coastal headlands.

Divers & Grebes:

No reports of note.

Swans, Geese & Ducks:

Request for info: The UK’s Rare Breeding Birds Panel is interested in breeding records of Red-breasted Merganser.  If you see or have any other evidence of breeding on the island, please submit details to Steve Culley, Anglesey County recorder either via twitter @Zoobirder or e-mail at: SteCul10@aol.com.

 

The forthcoming week 26^th June – 2^nd July?

A quiet week, but the sparsity of records is compensated for by some real quality.  A European Bee-eater was at the Mariandyrys nature reserve, near Glan-yr-afon (26^th) in 2015, a Hoopoe was at Mynydd Eilian (26^th) in 2019, a Marsh Sandpiper at Malltraeth cob pool (30^th) in 1977 and a Squacco Heron at Cemlyn (30^th) in 2015.  A good week for rare terns, with a White-winged Black Tern at Llyn Maelog (1^st) in 1973 and one of Anglesey’s top records – a Bridled Tern at Cemlyn (1^st) in 1988.

There have been several sightings of Caspian Tern across the UK in the past week, with one over the past 2 days at the Llanelli Wetlands Centre WWT.  It has been a considerable while since there was one of Anglesey with the only two records having been at Cemlyn on the 26^th May 1980 and the 5^th Aug 1988.  Cemlyn would probably be the best bet for another, so fingers crossed that we get a bird locally that stays to delight an admiring crowd.