Saturday 5th June - 11th June 2021.

Intro:

Despite 2 Rose-coloured Starlings, which in any other week would have been a pretty good return, it felt a little bit like the calm after the storm given last week’s notable tally.

Passerines:

Sightings of Rose-coloured Starlings continued with probably two different adult birds.  Firstly, one was seen and photographed as it circled high and called a few times over the coastal path at Cemlyn (5^th).  Secondly, sightings have continued around Cemaes Bay with potentially one mobile bird being involved in sightings at a horse paddock west of Cemaes Bay and then during the evening at Cemaes Bay itself (8^th).

While Rose-coloured Starlings are always noteworthy, they were somewhat outshone by a leucistic Common Whitethroat seen near Cadnan, Cemlyn (5^th) that quite rightly secured a lot of positive comments on social media.

 

Common Whitethroat (leucistic), Cadnan, 5^th June.  Photo: Mark Sutton (finder).

A Grasshopper Warbler was seen and was still ‘reeling’ at RSPB Cors Ddyga (7^th, 11^th).

Waders:

10 Bar-tailed Godwit were at the Alaw estuary (5^th, 11^th), with 7 Black-tailed Godwit at RSPB Cors Ddyga (11^th).  Sightings at Cemlyn included a late Turnstone (6^th) and a Whimbrel (11^th) on rocks off the coast.  The Alaw estuary held a good number of Oystercatcher, with 163 counted (5^th). 

Gulls and Terns:

2 2^nd calendar year Mediterranean Gulls were at Traeth Dulas (11^th).  Hopefully, these are the forerunners of a larger movement as part of a post-breeding dispersal to the west coast, which last year included a count of 136 on the Alaw estuary on the 14^th August.  22 Kittiwake on the lagoon at Cemlyn (11^th) was an unexpected sight, while a Roseate Tern was reported (10^th).

Herons, Egrets and allies:

2 Great White Egret were at RSPB Cors Ddyga (11^th).  A belated report of a Common Quail that was found freshly dead on the 1^st June near Capel Gwyn, south of Bryngwran.  There haven’t been any reports of singing birds so far this year, but there is still time.

Seabirds:

A pair of Black Guillemot were seen between Amlwch Port and Llaneilian (7^th).  51 Manx Shearwater were seen to fly past South Stack (8^th), with 15 birds flying into Holyhead Bay in the misty and murky weather (10^th)

Raptors:

Red Kites continue to be seen across the island with 2 over the A55 near Cors Ddyga (8^th), 1 at Malltraeth (8^th), 1 at RSPB Cors Ddyga (11^th) and 1 over the A55 near Bryngwran (11^th).  3 Marsh Harriers were at RSPB Cors Ddyga (11th).

Divers & Grebes:

Nothing of particular note.

Swans, Geese & Ducks:

Nothing of particular note.

 

The forthcoming week 12^th June – 18^th June?

A good week for rare and scarce warblers with a Savi’s Warbler at RSPB Cors Ddyga (14^th) in 2019, a Marsh Warbler at Llanfachraeth (15^th) in 1986, a Great Reed Warbler at RSPB Cors Ddyga (15^th) in 2010 and a Blyth’s Reed Warbler at Cestyll (15^th) in 2019.  Other passerines have included a Black-headed Bunting (12^th) in 1994, a Rose-coloured Starling at Church Bay (13^th) in 2011, a European Bee-eater at Cemlyn (13^th) in 2010 and a Golden Oriole at Llanfairynghornwy (18^th).  It has also been a good week for terns, with a White-winged Black Tern at Cemlyn (16^th) in 2014 and a Whiskered Tern first at Llyn Trafwll (18^th-19^th) and then at Cemlyn (20^th-23^rd) in 1993.  Last, but not least, waders have included a Wilson’s Phalarope at Malltraeth (15^th) in 1958, and a Stone Curlew at Rhoscolyn (18^th) in 1986.  Egrets and Heron have included a Cattle Egret at Plas Bog (12^th) in 2009 and a Purple Heron at Cors Bodeillo (12^th) in 2016.