Saturday 31st July – Friday 6th August.

Intro:

Just enough to keep interests piqued …

Waders:

Waders have traditionally been one of the main sources of interest during late July and early August.  While Anglesey can boast a good list, there is one particularly glaring gap following the recent filling of another gap with last week’s Pacific Golden Plover.  Each year, Ireland and the east coast of England turn up records of White-rumped Sandpiper, with one being as close as the Swords estuary, Dublin at the time of writing.  It’s a rare bird in the context of North Wales with only two previous records – a bird found at Shotton, Flintshire on the 30^th July 1984 and a late record of a bird at Broadwater, Tywyn on the 5^th November 2011.  Perhaps it is a tad greedy to look to have another gap filled so soon after last week’s Pacific Golden Plover, but here’s hoping!

Getting back to what has been seen, there were 2 Green Sandpiper on the Alaw estuary (31^st), up to 7 Common Sandpiper on the Alaw estuary (7 on 2^nd, 3 on 31^st) and 2 Common Sandpiper at Traeth Dulas (6^th).  There are still very few small waders being reported with up to 22 Dunlin at the Alaw estuary (22 on 5^th, 3 on 2^nd), a single Dunlin at Traeth Dulas (1^st), up to 21 Ringed Plover at the Alaw estuary (18 on 2^nd, 21 on 5^th), 1 Sanderling at the Alaw estuary (2^nd, 5^th), 2 Snipe at the Alaw estuary (2^nd) and 1 Snipe at RSPB Cors Ddyga (2^nd). 

Up to 16 Greenshank were on the Alaw estuary (16 on 31^st, 12 on 2^nd), 1 Greenshank at Malltraeth cob (5^th), 45 Redshank at Malltraeth cob (5^th), 3 Black-tailed Godwit were at Treath Dulas (1^st) and up to 10 Bar-tailed Godwit were on the Alaw estuary (4 on 31^st, 10 on 2^nd, 10 on 5^th).  There were up to 3 Whimbrel on the Alaw estuary (3 on 2^nd, 1 on 31^st), 1 Whimbrel at Traeth Dulas (2^nd), 86 Curlew at the Alaw estuary (5^th) together with 238 Oystercatcher (5^th).

Gulls and Terns:

Having been found on the 4^th July, the Elegant Tern was last seen on the 30^th and has since been seen at the Formby Point / Hightown areas of Merseyside.  The number of Sandwich Terns at Cemlyn has fallen to c. 40 birds (5^th), with 60+ Common Terns (5^th) and a few Arctic Terns still present (5^th).  A colour ringed Sandwich Tern seen at Cemlyn (3^rd) had been seen at Minsmere, Suffolk as recently as the 1^st July 2021.  Several of the Common Terns had yellow flags and are part of a ringing scheme on the Skerries off the north Anglesey coast.

 

Common Tern - Colour flagged Yellow LM, Cemlyn 05/08/21 - ringed as an adult on the Skerries 24/06/19.  Photo: J Martin Jones.

25 Mediterranean Gulls were seen at the Alaw estuary (25 on 31^st, 12 on 2^nd), with just the 1 bird at Treath Dulas (2^nd, 5^th).

Seabirds:

The wind direction hasn’t offered particularly good sea-watching opportunities, but 2197 Manx Shearwater past South Stack in 1 hour (1^st) was noteworthy.  There was just the 1 report of a skua, with a Great Skua being seen off Cemlyn (5^th).  Cemlyn also had 3 Black Guillemot in the bay Cemlyn  (5^th).

Passerines:

Perhaps an early sign of some migrants with a Wheatear at Cemlyn (6^th) and the first trickle of warblers with Lesser Whitethroat, Blackcap, Willow Warbler and Chiffchaff at the Holyhead Breakwater Country Park (6^th).  A Hooded Crow was at Mynachdy (1^st), a Kingfisher at Malltraeth cob (5^th) and a Kingfisher on the Afon Cefni south of Llangefni (6^th).

Raptors:

Three good raptor reports with an Osprey at the Braint estuary (4^th), an Osprey at Malltraeth cob (5^th) and a Hobby at RSPB Cors Ddyga (6^th).

Herons, Egrets and allies:

Up to 2 Great Egrets were at RSPB Cors Ddyga (2 on 2^nd, 1 on 4^th).

Swans, Geese & Ducks:

Nothing of particular note, but please assist if you can with records of evidence of breeding of Red-breasted Merganser on the island as the UK’s Rare Breeding Birds Panel has asked for records.  Please send details to Steve Culley, Anglesey County recorder either via twitter @Zoobirder or e-mail at: SteCul10@aol.com.  There were 2 uneven broods at Traeth Dulas (6^th) with one female with 17 young and another with just the 3.

Divers & Grebes:

No records of note.

 

The forthcoming week 7^th – 13^th August?

A quiet week with just the three records of note; a Spotted Crake at Malltraeth (7^th) in 2001, a Rose-coloured Starling at Llanfachraeth (7^th) in 2003 and a Temminck’s Stint at the Cefni reservoir (12^th) in 1984.

Other news:

A couple of changes to the scientific names of birds on the Anglesey list with the IOC Word Bird List having changed the scientific name of Shag to Gulosus aristotelis and Leach’s Petrel to Hydrobates leucorhous.