Saturday 4th September – Friday 10th September.

Intro:

… passerines in the ascendancy …

Passerines and others:

Whilst there were still some good waders about, the main thrust of the week’s news moved towards passerines with some good sightings particularly towards the end of the week.  A juvenile Rose-coloured Starling found at Amlwch Port (9^th – 10^th) by @atypicalbirder was undoubtedly the star bird in terms of national scarcity, but it is interesting to note that in the context of Anglesey both a Redstart at South Stack (9^th) and Pied Flycatchers at Rhoscolyn (9^th) and Holyhead (10^th) are scarcer.  In what has been a good year for Rose-coloured Starlings, Anglesey has had 12 birds (assuming no duplication), whilst there have been only 6 sightings of Redstart (also a good year) and just the 2 Pied Flycatchers!  The last few days of the week delivered a number of Spotted Flycatchers, with 1 at Wylfa woods (8^th), 4 birds at South Stack (9^th), 1 bird at Rhoscolyn (10^th), 5 birds at Cemlyn (10^th), 7 birds at Holyhead Breakwater Country Park (10^th) and 2 birds in a Holyhead private garden (10^th) .  A Tree Pipit was at Rhoscolyn (9^th).

It was a good early part of the week for Whinchat with 2 birds at Carmel Head (4^th), 1 on The Range, Holyhead (4^th) and 1 at South Stack (6^th).  Northern Wheatear were again seen in reasonably good numbers with 13 birds at The Range, Holyhead (4^th), 5 birds at Rhoscolyn (6^th) – 1 possibly being of the Greenland form leucorhoa and 2 birds at South Stack (6^th).

Sightings of warblers included a late Sedge Warbler around Malltraeth cob pool (4^th), 2 Garden Warblers at Carmel Head (4^th), a Garden Warbler at Holyhead Breakwater Country Park (10^th) and a Lesser Whitethroat at Carmel Head (4^th).  There were good numbers of Common Whitethroats about, including 2 birds at The Range, Holyhead (4^th), 3 birds at South Stack (4^th), 1 bird at Llam Carw (5^th), 1 bird at Octel/Amlwch Port sewage works (6^th), 2 birds at South Stack (9^th) and 3 birds at Holyhead Breakwater Country Park (10^th).   Blackcaps were also seen in good numbers during the last few days of the week with 5 birds at South Stack (9^th), 3 birds at Cemlyn (10^th) and 8 birds at Holyhead Breakwater Country Park (10^th).  The highest count of Chiffchaff was 8 birds at South Stack (4^th), with 2 birds at The Range, Holyhead (4^th), 3 birds at Llam Carw, Amlwch Port (4^th), 4 birds at South Stack (6^th), 2 birds at the Octel/ Amlwch Port sewage works (6^th, 10^th) – 1 of which was still in full song – and 4 birds at South Stack (9^th).  There were 2 Willow Warblers at Llam Carw (8^th), 1 bird at South Stack (9^th), 1 bird at Holyhead Breakwater Country Park (10^th) and 1 at Octel/ Amlwch Port sewage works (10^th).  2 Stock Dove were at Pont Marquis, near Malltraeth (4^th), while there were sightings of Hooded Crow at South Stack (7^th) and off the approach road to The Range (10^th).  Kingfishers were seen at Traeth Dulas (4^th & 9^th) and on the Alaw estuary (9^th).

Waders:

The week started with multiple sightings of both Little Stint and Curlew Sandpiper.  Up to 7 Little Stint were at the Cefni estuary / Malltraeth cob pool (7 on 5^th, 3 on 4^th) and up to a further 2 birds at the Alaw estuary (2 on 6^th, 1 on 5^th).  3 sites had juvenile Curlew Sandpiper, with birds seen at Traeth Dulas (4^th-5^th), at the Alaw estuary (5^th) and at Malltraeth cob pool (6^th). 

A Dotterel was seen and heard in flight from the approach road to The Range (10^th).  Sightings of Green Sandpiper included 2 birds on the Alaw estuary (5^th) and 1 at Llyn Llywenan (9^th).  There were 5 Sanderling at Llanddwyn (9^th), 1 Sanderling on the Alaw estuary (6^th) and 4 Knot were at the Alaw estuary (6^th).  Up to 271 Dunlin were seen on the Alaw estuary (6^th), with 68 birds at Traeth Dulas (8^th) and 63 birds at Red Wharf Bay, Pentraeth (7^th).  Sightings of Ringed Plover included 32 birds at Traeth Dulas (4^th), 23 birds at Red Wharf Bay, Pentraeth (7^th) and 12 birds on the Alaw estuary (6^th).

Sightings of Bar-tailed Godwit included 17 birds at the Alaw estuary (6^th), 4 birds on the Inland Sea (4^th) and 1 bird at Traeth Dulas (5^th).  25 Black-tailed Godwit were on the Inland Sea (4^th), with up to 8 birds at Malltraeth cob pool (8 on 9^th, 6 on 6^th) and 1 bird at Traeth Dulas (5^th-6^th).  19 Greenshank were on the Alaw estuary (6^th), with 2 birds at Traeth Dulas (4^th-5^th, 8^th) and 1 at Malltraeth (4^th).  There were 23 Redshank on Alaw estuary (6^th) and 9 birds at Traeth Dulas (4^th).  A Ruff was at RSPB Cors Ddyga (6^th, 8^th) and 2 Snipe were at Traeth Dulas (5^th).  There was 1 Whimbrel at Traeth Dulas (5^th), 72 Curlew at Traeth Dulas (9^th), 109 Curlew at the Alaw estuary (6^th) and 217 Oystercatcher at Alaw estuary (6^th).

Herons, Egrets and allies:

Sightings of Great Egret included birds at Pont Marquis, near Malltraeth (4^th), Llyn Maelog (5^th) and RSPB Cors Ddyga (8^th).  Up to 21 Little Egrets were at Traeth Dulas (21 on 9^th, 16 on 5^th).

Gulls and Terns:

45 Mediterranean Gulls were on the Inland Sea (4^th), with 3 birds at Penhos Coastal Park (10^th).  A Black Tern was seen feeding off Cemlyn (10^th).

Raptors:

2 sightings of Hobby, the 1^st at Pont Marquis, near Malltraeth (4^th) then a 2^nd sighting at RSPB Cors Ddyga (8^th).  5 Little Owls were found at RSPB South Stack (4^th), with another at The Range, Holyhead (4^th).  Belated news of 2 adult Red Kites and 2 fledglings seen at an Anglesey site – supportive evidence of them joining the breeding avifauna of the island.

Seabirds:

A quiet week for seabirds, with just a report of a single Black Guillemot in the bay at Cemlyn (9^th).

Swans, Geese & Ducks:

2 Barnacle Geese were on the Inland Sea (6^th), together with a probable Lesser Snow Goose x Barnacle Goose hybrid.  6 Pale-bellied Brent Geese flew past Cymyran beach (7^th). 

A Garganey was on the mitigation pool, Inland Sea (10^th), while the build-up of winter ducks continues with 1 Pintail on Alaw estuary (6^th), 9 Pintail on the Inland Sea (6^th), 6 Wigeon on Alaw estuary (6^th), 106 Wigeon on the Inland Sea (6^th) and 160 Teal on the Inland Sea (6^th).  There were 7 Red-breasted Merganser on Inland Sea (4^th) and 3 birds at Traeth Dulas (9^th).

Divers & Grebes:

27 Great Crested Grebe were counted on the Inland Sea (6^th).

 

Forthcoming week – 11^th September – 17^th September?

Still a good time for scarce waders with 3 Pectoral Sandpipers, with birds at Malltraeth (11^th) in 1960, at Llyn Alaw (11^th) in 1982 and at Llyn Alaw (12^th) in 2003.  Also 2 Buff-breasted Sandpipers, with birds seen at Cemlyn (11^th) in 2005 and at The Range (14^th) in 2011.  Wader sightings were topped off with 2 Baird’s Sandpiper, with birds seen at Rhosneigr (14^th) in 1992 and at the Alaw estuary (15^th) in 2009.

Seabirds have included 2 Barolo Shearwaters, with birds seen off South Stack (12^th) in 1987 and again at South Stack (15^th) in 1987.  A Cory’s Shearwater was off North Stack (17^th) in 1983.

There is a historical record of a Little Bittern that was shot at an unspecified site (11^th) in 1882, a Purple Heron was on the Inland Sea (15^th) in 2007 and a Glossy Ibis was at the Alaw estuary (17^th) in 2009.

Turning to passerines, there was an Ortolan Bunting at the Breakwater Country Park (13^th) in 2003 and another at Soldier’s Point (15^th) in 2008.  A Red-breasted Flycatcher was found near Holyhead (13^th) in 2013, a Barred Warbler was at Soldiers Point, Holyhead (14^th) in 2010 and a Red-backed Shrike was at Cestyll (14^th) in 2020.