Saturday 13th November - Friday 19th November 2021

Intro:

… a new species for the year …

Seabirds:

Whilst Anglesey does well for a range of Auks, with breeding Puffins, Common Guillemots, Black Guillemots and Razorbill, the diminutive Little Auk is a far rarer species with only a handful of sightings over the past years.  Whilst it has been a pretty good year for them off the east coast of England, it wasn’t really on the radar for one to be found off the Anglesey coast this week.  But one did turn up – and it was no fly-by of a coastal headland - being found by a JCB driver (other makes of mechanical digger are available) on a building site at Trearddur Bay (18^th), before being taken first to RSPB South Stack to be checked over before being released at Porth Dafarch.

Photo: Little Auk at RSPB South Stack, 18^th November, by Andrew Clarke.

Passerines and others:

A Black Redstart was seen at Cemlyn, initially on the old barn by the west car park before getting on the wall surrounding Bryn Aber (13^th), while a male Black-Redstart was seen again at the former Octel plant, Amlwch Port (13^th & 19^th).  A Snow Bunting was seen on the sandy beach to the east of the Trwyn, Cemlyn (13^th).

There were a few warblers to be had, the pick of the bunch being a Lesser Whitethroat at Soldier’s Point, Holyhead (15^th).  Blackcaps were seen at Soldier’s Point, Holyhead (13^th) and at Holyhead Breakwater County Park (14^th).  A Cetti’s Warbler was heard calling at Llyn Coron (19^th).  Chiffchaffs – some showing an eastern influence and considered by some as being good for tristis – were seen at the former Octel plant, Amlwch Port (13^th), the willows behind the beach at Traeth Lligwy (13^th) and at Soldier’s Point, Holyhead (14^th&15^th).  Up to 2 Water Pipits were at RSPB Cors Ddyga (2 on 13^th, 1+ on 19th), while up to 3 Barn Swallows were at Tregele (13^th-19^th) with 1 at RSPB Cors Ddyga (19^th).  There is a sizeable roost of Starlings at RSPB Cors Ddyga with the number of birds being said to be in excess of 100,000 (16^th) and in excess of 1 million (19^th) – whatever the exact detail, there are likely to be some impressive murmurations.  A Hooded Crow was again at The Range, Holyhead (16^th).

Waders:

A very late Common Sandpiper was at salt island, Holyhead harbour (19^th) and was scrutinised closely to eliminate Spotted Sandpiper.  Up to 5 Purple Sandpipers were at Cemlyn (5 on 13^th, 1 on 14^th, 2 on 15^th), 9 Knot were at Beddmanarch Bay (13^th), 7 Knot were at the Alaw estuary (17^th) and 11 Sanderling were at Traeth Lligwy (13^th).  Records of Dunlin included 263 at the Alaw estuary (17^th), 92 at Beddmanarch Bay (13^th) and 40 at Traeth Lligwy (13^th).  There were 40 Ringed Plover at Traeth Lligwy (13^th) and 29 at the Alaw estuary (17^th).  59 Grey Plover were at the Alaw estuary (17^th), with 18 at Beddmanarch Bay (13^th).  There were 400 Golden Plover off the Trwyn at Cemlyn (15^th), with 106 at the Alaw estuary (17^th).  The latter site also held 331 Lapwing (17^th), 28 Bar-tailed Godwit (17^th), 88 Curlew (17^th) and 155 Oystercatcher (17^th).  Sightings of Greenshank included 4 at Church Island, Menai Bridge (15^th) and 3 at the Alaw estuary (17^th), while there were 40 Redshank at the Alaw estuary (17^th) and 36 at Traeth Dulas (17^th).  There were an estimated 500 Common Snipe at RSPB Cors Ddyga (15^th), with 12 also being seen on The Range, Holyhead (16^th).  A Jack Snipe was at RSPB Cors Ddyga (19^th), while Woodcock were seen at the former Octel factory site, Amlwch Port (13^th), The Range, Holyhead (16^th) and South Stack (16^th).

Divers & Grebes:

The bay at Cemlyn held both Great Northern Diver (1 from 13^th-15^th) and 3 Red-throated Divers (15^th).  2 Slavonian Grebes were seen on the Inland Sea (13^th&17^th), with 1 bird being seen at Beddmanarch Bay (13^th).

Swans, Geese & Ducks:

Sightings of Whooper Swan included up to 3 on the Inland Sea (3 on 17^th, 1 on 13^th), 4 that flew south over Llanerchymedd (14^th) and 2 at RSPB Cors Ddyga (19^th).  There were 43 Mute Swans on the Inland Sea (17^th).  There were 133 Pale-bellied Brent Geese at the Alaw estuary (17^th), with 9 at Benllech (14^th).  The drake Long-tailed Duck was seen again off Benllech seafront (14^th & 19^th), a site which also held up to 8 Eider (13^th).  A Common Scoter was on the Inland Sea (13^th), while sightings of Goldeneye included 6 on the Inland Sea (13^th), 6 on the lagoon at Cemlyn (15^th) and 1 at Llyn Trafwll (19^th).  There were 300 Pintail at RSPB Cors Ddyga (15^th), with 92 birds at the Alaw estuary (17^th).  84 Wigeon were at the Alaw estuary (17^th).  Sightings of Goosander included 2 at the Alaw estuary (17^th) and 1 on the Inland Sea (17^th).

Gulls and Terns:

A Little Gull flew west past Point Lynas (13^th), while sightings of Mediterranean Gulls included 2 at Traeth Dulas (13^th), 3 at RSPB Cors Ddyga (15^th) and 4 at the Alaw estuary (17^th).

Raptors:

A Short-eared Owl was seen at Cemlyn (13^th), up to 5 Marsh Harriers were at RSPB Cors Ddyga (15^th) and a Merlin was at RSPB Cors Ddyga (19^th).

Herons, Egrets and allies:

3 Spoonbills were again seen in flight over RSPB Cors Ddyga (15^th), with the site also holding up to 2 Great Egrets (2 on 13^th, 1 on 19^th).

 

Forthcoming week – 20^th November – 26^th November?

Just the two rare and scarce birds; a Richard’s Pipit at Cors Erddreiniog (24^th) in 2002 and a Desert Wheatear at North Stack (26^th) in 2011.