Saturday 2nd October – Friday 8th October

Intro:

Sabine’s ….

Gulls and Terns:

A windy week, with winds often coming in from the North-West, meant that reports from seawatching contributed a significant element of the week’s news.  The highlights were Sabine’s Gulls and Leach’s Petrels (see later).  It had been a quiet year for Sabine’s Gulls when compared to last year, but sightings on the 6^th sought to address that imbalance with at least 3 birds – an adult past Point Lynas, an adult past Octel, Amlwch, an adult past Cemlyn and a juvenile past Cemlyn.  The timing of the sightings of the adult bird at Cemlyn and that from Octel meant that at least 2 different birds were involved.

Other notable gulls included 3 Little Gulls seen off Cemlyn (6^th).  42 Mediterranean Gulls were at Beddmanarch Bay (2^nd) and 3 were seen off Cemlyn (6^th).  449 Kittiwakes were counted passing Cemlyn (6^th) over the course of a 4hr seawatch.  Sightings of terns off Octel, Amlwch included 2 Arctic Terns (5^th) and 6 Sandwich Terns (6^th).

Seabirds:

Just the single report of a Leach’s Petrel, with 1 off Point Lynas (6^th).  Sightings of Arctic Skuas included 1 past Cemlyn (3^rd), 2 past Bull Bay (5^th) and 2 past Cemlyn (6^th).  Reports of Great Skua included 1 past Octel, Amlwch & then presumably the same bird past Bull Bay (5^th), 1 past Cemlyn (5^th) and 2 past Cemlyn (6^th).  30 Manx Shearwater flew past The Range in 1hr (3^rd), with 7 past Bull Bay (5^th).  67 Gannets passed Cemlyn (6^th), as did 3 Black Guillemots (6^th).

Divers & Grebes:

3 Great Northern Diver flew past Cemlyn (5^th), with 1 the following day (6^th).   Sightings of Red-throated Diver included 1 past Cemlyn (3^rd), 3 past Octel, Amlwch and then presumably the same past Bull Bay (5^th), 9 past Cemlyn (5^th) and 21 past Cemlyn (6^th).  10 Great Crested Grebe were at Llyn Alaw (3^rd).

Swans, Geese & Ducks:

The headline bird in terms of waterfowl was an eclipse adult drake Ring-necked Duck found at Llyn Alaw (4^th) and seen the following day (5^th).  Whilst not reported subsequently, there have recently been >600 Tufted Duck on the reservoir so it may well still be hiding among other waterfowl waiting to be relocated. The report has been considered and accepted by the Welsh Birds Rarity Committee - a subcommittee of the Welsh Ornithological Society - which considers scarce species which it defines as those occurring on average five times or fewer annually in Wales. Ken Croft advises that it is only the second American duck to be found and reported from Llyn Alaw – the 1^st being a Green-winged Teal in 1984 - quite a meagre return for such a large body of water and it is perhaps illustrative of how little scrutiny the area has had over recent years.

 

Ring-necked Duck, Llyn Alaw, 4^th October.  Photo: J Martin Jones

A Pink-footed Goose was with c. 175 Greylags on fields west of Pont Bulkeley near RSPB Cors Ddyga (7^th), while Pale-bellied Brent Geese featured in seawatching returns with 38 past Cemlyn (5^th-7^th) and 1 past Octel, Amlwch (6^th).  15 Pale-bellied Brent Geese were also on the Alaw estuary (10^th).

Returning to Llyn Alaw, the reservoir also held c. 40 Gadwall (3^rd), c. 30 Shoveler (3^rd), c. 350 Teal (3^rd), c. 300 Coot (3^rd) and 3 Goosander (6^th).  Sightings of Wigeon included c. 30 at Llyn Alaw (3^rd) and 26 at Traeth Dulas (4^th).

And back to seawatching returns, a drake Eider flew past Cemlyn (5^th & 6^th), while up to 358 Common Scoter flew past Cemlyn (5^th), with 164 past the following day (6^th).

Waders:

1, possibly 2, Little Stints continued to be seen at Llyn Alaw (4^th, 6^th).  There were c. 70 Golden Plover at Cemlyn (3^rd) and 3 on the Alaw estuary (10^th) where they are fairly uncommon.  2 Grey Plover were on the Alaw estuary (10^th) and up to 7 Ringed Plover were at Llyn Alaw (7 on 6^th, 2 on 3^rd).  A Jack Snipe was at RSPB Cors Ddyga (7^th), while 2 Common Snipe were at Llyn (3^rd).  A Purple Sandpiper was at Cemlyn (3^rd) and 11 Dunlin were at Llyn Alaw (6^th).

51 Bar-tailed Godwits were on the Alaw estuary (10^th) and up to 12 Black-tailed Godwit were at Llyn Alaw (12 on 6^th, 3 on 4^th).  2 Ruff were at Llyn Alaw (6^th), while 2 Greenshank were at Traeth Dulas (4^th).

Passerines and others:

A very quiet week for passerines, with the unexpected highlight being a very noticeable movement of Eurasian Jays which turned up at both unexpected locations and in unusual numbers.  Sightings included 3 at South Stack (3^rd), 11 at The Range (4^th), 5 over Octel, Amlwch (4^th), 37 at the Inland Sea in 2 flocks of 22 and 15 (4^th), 21 over RSPB Cors Ddyga (5^th), 6 over Hen Borth (10^th), 3 over Rhoscolyn (10^th) and 5 over Wylfa woods (10^th).

Herons, Egrets and allies:

Llyn Alaw continued to be the stronghold for Great Egrets with up to 5 (5 on 4^th, 2 on 3^rd, 4 on 6^th) while singles were seen at the Inland Sea (3^rd) and Cemlyn (6^th).  11 Little Egrets were at Traeth Dulas (4^th).

Raptors:

A Goshawk was seen over Church Bay (6^th), with a Red Kite seen over woodland near Llyn Llywenan (6^th).

Forthcoming week – 9^th October – 15^th October?

There have been 5 Richard’s Pipits with birds at Carmel Head (9^th) in 2005, at Mynachdy (13^th) in 2015, at Carmel Head (14^th) in 2018, at Soldiers Point (15^th) in 2011 and at South Stack (15^th) in 2015.  There have been 4 Barred Warblers with birds at Soldier’s point (11^th) in 1986, at South Stack (12^th) in 1996, at Holyhead Breakwater Country Park (13^th) in 2013 and again at Holyhead Breakwater Country Park (14^th) in 2005.  There have been 3 Red-breasted Flycatchers, with birds at Soldiers Point (10^th) in 1999, at South Stack plantation (12^th) in 2008 and at South Stack (13^th) in 1990.  Siberian Stonechat has 2 records, with birds at South Stack (10^th) in 1987 and again at South Stack (15^th) in 1987.  There was a Rose-coloured Starling at Holyhead (11^th) in 2011 and an Isabelline Shrike – consider by some to have been a Daurian – at Holyhead Breakwater Country Park (15^th) in 2017.

A quieter time for waders with just an American Golden Plover at Cemlyn (14^th) in 2008.  There have been 2 Glossy Ibis with birds at RSPB Cors Ddyga (9^th) in 2014 and at Valley (15^th) in 2010.  A Cattle Egret was at the Inland Sea (9^th) in 2018.

Finally - a bird which is now very much overdue another showing – a Forster’s Tern was at Penmon (15^th) in 1988.