Saturday 3rd July – 9th July

Intro:

16 out of 19 Tern species grace Anglesey ….

Gulls and Terns:

19 species of tern have been accepted on to the British List and 15 of them had been seen previously on Anglesey.  Sunday 4^th bumped that number up to 16 when Mark Sutton @keelebirder discovered an orange-billed tern on the main island at Cemlyn.  Whilst it initially proved a little difficult to see amongst the vegetation on the main island, the bird later showed well and the consensus reached was that it was an Elegant Tern – a 1^st for Anglesey and a 2^nd for Wales after a bird at Black Rock Sands on the 23rd July 2002.  Over subsequent days it was seen displaying to Sandwich Terns and would often fly out to sea from the tern colony for prolonged periods to feed.  Nonetheless, most if not all birders with a little patient waiting managed to see the bird well.  The bird was still present on the 9^th.

Elegant Tern, Cemlyn, 4th July.  Photo: J Martin Jones

The 3 species missing for a full house are Least Tern (if only that Dublin bird would take a little jaunt across the Irish Sea), Aleutian Tern (who knows with climatic change) and Cabot’s Tern (still a pity that the 2006 Cemlyn Bird wasn’t able to be assigned confidently to a species).

Aside from the Elegant Tern, Cemlyn also had up to 2 Roseate Terns across the week; the ringed bird that has paired with a Common Tern and an un-ringed bird.  Cemlyn also produced a good haul of colour-ringed terns, including a dozen or so colour-ringed Sandwich Terns.  Most were part of the Lady’s Island Lake, Wexford study with other birds from the Mid-Wales Ringing Group which rings birds caught on autumn passage at the Ynyslas NNR.  Reports of ring readings have shown just how far the Sandwich Terns we enjoy each summer travel, with birds being recorded as far away as the Western Cape, South Africa.  If you are waiting for the Elegant Tern to come back in from a feeding trip, try reading some colour rings.

Turning to gulls, there were up to 7 Mediterranean Gulls at Traeth Dulas (7 on 3^rd, 5 on 7^th), 7 at the Inland Sea (5^th), 1 at Cemlyn (4^th) and 1 over Beddmanarch Bay (7^th).

Waders:

The return wader passage is very much underway, with a notable increase in a number of species.  There were several reports of Black-tailed Godwits, of the Icelandic race, with 5 birds at Red Wharf Bay (3^rd), 1 at Penmon pool (5^th), 2 on the Alaw estuary (5^th), 2 at Traeth Dulas (8^th) and 5 at the Inland Sea (9^th).

 Black-tailed Godwit, Traeth Dulas, 7th July.  Photo: J Martin Jones

The Alaw estuary is one of the best places to see Bar-tailed Godwit on the island and up to 11 birds were seen during the week (11 on 6^th & 8^th, 7 on 5^th).  The Alaw estuary also held up to 9 Greenshank (9 on 8^th, 6 on 5^th), while 1 was on the old brickworks pool, Traeth Dulas (8^th).  Up to 4 Whimbrel were at the Alaw estuary (6^th, 8^th), with 1 at the Inland Sea (5^th) and 2 at Traeth Dulas (6^th).  Curlew numbers continue to build up with 111 birds at Traeth Dulas (9^th) and 90 at the Alaw estuary (8^th).  140 Oystercatchers were counted at the Alaw estuary (8^th).

There was a noticeable increase in reports of Common Sandpiper with up to 5 birds on the Alaw estuary (5 on 8^th, 3 on 5^th), 4 birds at Rhoscolyn (7^th) and 3 birds at Traeth Dulas (3 on 8^th).  There was just the 1 report of a Green Sandpiper, a bird at RSPB Cors Ddyga (4^th).  The number of Dunlin is just starting to build with up to 25 birds in the Alaw estuary / Beddmanarch Bay area (25 on 7^th, 19 on 6^th, 15 on 5^th).  It will be interesting to learn what effect high temperatures at northern latitudes may have had on breeding success.  High temperature over parts of NW USA & Canada have been well reported, but perhaps record temperatures in Nordic countries has had less coverage - Lapland recorded its hottest day since 1914.

Herons, Egrets and allies:

Up to 2 Great White Egret were at RSPB Cors Ddyga (2 on 6^th, 1 on 4^th)

Passerines:

An adult Rose-coloured Starling was seen and photographed at Moelfre (5^th) and a Hooded Crow was at RSPB South Stack (7^th).  A Rose-ringed Parakeet was seen and photographed at Benllech (7^th) and was the 1^st report this year of this species.

Swans, Geese & Ducks:

There were several reports of Common Scoter off the coast with 15 offshore from Red Wharf Bay (3^rd), 11 flew past Penmon Point (5^th), 17 flew past Fedw Fawr (6^th) and 48 flew past Cemlyn (9^th).  A drake Wigeon, now in eclipse plumage, was still at Valley wetlands RSPB (6^th).

Raptors:

A late report of an Eagle Owl last week at Amlwch Port, which presumably is the same bird that has been seen over the past 18 months at Red Wharf Bay and Pentraeth.  Whilst almost certainly of captive origin, it would nonetheless have been a good bird to see.

Seabirds:

It seems that many birds visiting Anglesey for the Elegant Tern also took the opportunity to catch up with the likes of Black Guillemot which locally we perhaps take a little for granted.  Reports of Black Guillemot included up to 10 birds at Holyhead Harbour (8^th), 8 birds at Porth Eilian (6^th), 7 birds at Fedw Fawr (6^th) and 2 birds at Cemlyn (8^th).  There were a number of reports of Puffin passing Point Lynas (5 on the 6^th) and 3 flew past Cemlyn (9^th).  99 Manx Shearwater were counted passing Penmon Point (5^th).

Divers & Grebes:

8 Great Crested Grebe were offshore at Red Wharf Bay (3^rd).

 

The forthcoming week 10^th July – 16^th July?

A European Bee-eater was at South Stack (11^th) in 1987 and a Woodchat Shrike was at Cemlyn (12^th) in 2012.  And perhaps it is not too late to hold out hope for another rare tern, with previous years turning up Britain’s first Lesser-crested Tern at Cymyran Bay (13^th) in 1982, a White-winged Black Tern at Llyn Trafwll (16^th) in 1977 and a Gull-billed Tern at Point Lynas (16^th) in 1978.