Saturday 9th October – Friday 15th October

Intro:

A scarce egret … a good sea-duck … returning winter swans, finches and thrushes …

Herons, Egrets and allies:

Whilst perhaps no longer rare or scarce in some parts of the UK, Cattle Egret is still a good bird for Anglesey with no more than a handful of records each year.  So, news that one was in roadside fields between Bodedern and Llanynghenedl (11^th-12^th, 15^th) was warmly welcomed.  Avid year listers will hope that it might take up a winter residency.

 

Cattle Egret, Bodedern, 15^th October.  Photo: J Martin Jones

Elsewhere, 3 Great Egrets were at Llyn Alaw (11^th) and 2 were at Llyn Maelog (10^th).  2 Water Rails were heard squealing just south of RSPB offices, Cors Ddyga (10^th), with the 1^st returning bird of the autumn at Holyhead Breakwater Country Park (12^th).

Swans, Geese & Ducks:

It was a good week for sea-duck, with the highlight being a drake winter plumage Long-tailed Duck seen off Benllech (10^th), with the same site also having 2 drake Eider (11^th-12^th) and numerous Common Scoter (11^th-12^th).  c. 200 Common Scoter flew past Point Lynas (10^th).

In a further sign of autumn, Whooper Swans started to make an appearance with 5 past Wylfa Head (15^th) and 2 at Llyn Alaw (15^th).  32 Pink-footed Geese were seen to fly over Hen Borth, Cemlyn (15^th), while there were c. 200 Pale-bellied Brent Geese were at Beddmanarch Bay (11^th) and 73 birds at the Alaw estuary (15^th).

Counts of some of the commoner ducks included up to 50 Shoveler at RSPB Cors Ddyga (50 on 14^th, c. 35 on the 10^th), 33 Shoveler at Cefni reservoir (14^th), up to 300 Teal at RSPB Cors Ddyga (300 on 15^th, c. 200 on 10^th), up to 80 Wigeon at RSPB Cors Ddyga (80 on 14^th, c. 70 on 10^th), 79 Gadwall at Cefni reservoir (14^th) and 33 Pintail at the Alaw estuary (10^th).  There were 248 Coot at the Cefni reservoir (14^th), 9 Goosander at Llyn Maelog (10^th), a Goosander at RSPB Cors Ddyga (14^th) and 21 Red-breasted Merganser on the lagoon at Cemlyn (13^th).

Divers & Grebes:

All 3 divers were seen off Benllech with a Black-throated Diver (11^th), a Great Northern Diver (11^th) and c. 20 Red-throated Diver (11^th).  Other sightings of Red-throated Divers included 5 off Traeth Bychan (12^th), 8 off Moelfre (12^th) and 1 off Point Lynas (14^th).  63 Little Grebes were at the Cefni reservoir (14^th).

Seabirds:

A dark phase Arctic Skua was seen off Traeth Lligwy (12^th), with 2 Arctic Skuas and 1 Great Skua past Point Lynas (13^th).  28 Northern Gannets, and 273 Common Guillemots flew past Point Lynas (14^th).  Winter plumaged Black Guillemots were seen off Benllech (11^th) and Traeth Lligwy (12^th).

Gulls and Terns:

A Little Gull was at Traeth Lligwy (13^th).  Sightings of Mediterranean Gulls included up to 33 at the Alaw estuary (33 on 10^th, 28 on 15^th), 19 in a ploughed field east of Valley (12^th) and up to 20 Traeth Lligwy (c.20 on 12^th, 12 on 13^th).  21 Great Black-backed Gulls were at Traeth Dulas (14^th) and 6 flew past Point Lynas (14^th).  A Sandwich Tern was seen resting on the green buoy off Benllech (11^th), with another at Traeth Lligwy (13^th).  A late juvenile Common Tern was also at Traeth Lligwy (13^th).

Waders:

Sightings of Golden Plover included up to 200 at Cemlyn (c. 200 on 10^th, 108 on 13^th), 5 at the Alaw estuary (10^th) and 2 at The Range, South Stack (12^th).  There were up to 7 Grey Plover at the Alaw estuary (7 on 10^th, 4 on 15^th) and 3 Ringed Plover were also on the Alaw estuary (10^th).  Reports of Knot were restricted to the Alaw estuary where there were up to 4 (4 on 15^th, 1 on 10^th).  There are still very few Dunlin being reported with 25 at Llyn Alaw (11^th), up to 7 at the Alaw estuary (7 on 10^th, 3 on 15^th) and 1 at Traeth Dulas (14^th).  Reports of Turnstone included up to 7 birds at the Alaw estuary (7 on 10^th, 2 on 15^th) and 15 at Cemlyn (15^th).  2 Purple Sandpiper were at Cemlyn (10^th).

Up to 52 Bar-tailed Godwits were at the Alaw estuary (52 on 10^th, 32 on 15^th), while up to 3 Black-tailed Godwit were at the Alaw estuary (3 on 10^th, 2 on 15^th) and 2 were at RSPB Cors Ddyga (15^th).  Ruff were seen at the Alaw estuary (10^th), Llyn Alaw (11^th) and up to 2 at RSPB Cors Ddyga (2 on 15^th, 1 on 14^th).  Up to 7 Greenshank were at the Alaw estuary (7 on 15^th, 4 on 10^th) with 2 birds at Traeth Dulas (14^th).  There were 42 Redshank on the Alaw estuary (15^th), while counts of Lapwing included 51 at Llyn Alaw (11^th), 33 at the Alaw estuary (15^th) and 30 at RSPB Cors Ddyga (15^th).  There were up to 106 Curlew on fields at Cemlyn (106 on 13^th, 53 on 15^th) and 66 at the Alaw estuary (15^th).  284 Oystercatchers were counted on the Alaw estuary (15^th).

Sightings of Jack Snipe included a bird at The Range (10^th) and another at RSPB Cors Ddyga (14^th), while reports of Common Snipe included 5 at The Range (10^th), c. 30 at RSPB Cors Ddyga (10^th), 3 at Llyn Alaw (11^th) and 3 at Cemlyn (15^th).

Passerines and others:

A week when winter finches and thrushes started to appear.  A Brambling flew over Mynydd Bodafon (13^th), up to 87 Siskin flew over South Stack (87 on 13^th, 6 on 10^th) and 2 Common Crossbill also flew over South Stack (10^th).  The 13^th marked the arrival of Redwing, with 90 over Cemaes and 83 over South Stack.  Skylarks were also particularly noticeable, with 20 seen overhead at Cemlyn (15^th) and 34 at South Stack (15^th).

Lingering summer migrants included several Northern Wheatears, with 8 at South Stack (10^th), up to 5 at The Range (5 on 10^th, 1 on 11^th) and 2 at Foel (10^th).  It was quiet on the warbler front, with sightings of our resident Cetti’s Warblers including 2 at Llyn Maelog (10^th) and 1 at RSPB Cors Ddyga (10^th).  Reports of Blackcaps included birds at South Stack (10^th), Holyhead Breakwater Country Park (11^th) and Octel water treatment plant, Alwch Port (15^th). 

The impressive movement of Eurasian Jays continued with up to 72 at South Stack (72 on 10^th, 8 on 11^th) and 4 at Cors Erddreiniog (10^th).  30 Magpies were seen to go to roost in trees near Llangefni sewage works (9^th), while Hooded Crows were seen at South Stack (11^th) and at The Range (12^th, 13^th).

Raptors:

The first report of the autumn of a Hen Harrier involved a ring-tailed at RSPB Cors Ddyga (12^th), from where up to 3 Marsh Harriers (3 on 10^th, 1 on 15^th) and 2 Barn Owls (10^th) were also seen.  A Short-eared Owl was seen to come in off the sea at Cemlyn (13^th), with another seen over Mynydd Bodafon (13^th).  A Little Owl was at South Stack (13^th), while a Merlin was seen at Cemlyn (10^th, 13^th).

 

Forthcoming week – 16^th October – 22^nd October?

It is still a good time for Richard’s Pipit with 4 birds during this week; at Soldier’s Point (16^th) in 2005, at Cemaes (16^th) in 2011, at Cemlyn (16^th) in 2016 and at the Alaw estuary (18^th) in 2019.  There have been 3 Red-breasted Flycatchers with birds at Holyhead Breakwater Country Park (17^th) in 2012, at South Stack (18^th) in 1987 and at Soldier’s Point (20^th) in 2007.  A taste of Siberia with 2 Pallas’s Warbler, with a bird at Carmel Head (16^th) in 2011 and at Holyhead Breakwater Country Park (16^th) in 2016.  Other passerines have included a Penduline Tit at Llyn Rhos Ddu (21^st) in 1992 and a Wood Lark at Cemlyn (21^st) in 2020.

Waders have included a historical record of a Red-necked Phalarope at Valley (17^th) in 1929 and a Lesser Yellowlegs at the Alaw estuary (22^nd) in 2011.  A well twitched Lesser Scaup was found at Llyn Llygerian (20^th) in 2018.   Finally, the Foster’s Tern mentioned last week started 2 more of its annual appearances being seen at Penmon (17^th) in 1987 and at Penmon (22^nd) in 1986.