Saturday 16th July – Friday 22nd July 2022.

Herons, Egrets and allies:

The headline bird for the week was an adult Purple Heron seen in flight - by 3 observers - over the reedbed at the north end of Llyn Dinam (19^th).

11 Little Egrets were at Traeth Dulas (20^th), 1 of which had darvic colour rings (17^th & 20^th) – left White, ‘T’ in black, right Yellow, ‘6’ in black.  The sighting has been reported and details of the bird’s history are awaited.

Seabirds & gulls:

The latter half of July can often produce a few early skuas and so it did this week with 2 Arctic Skuas seen to fly past Bull Bay (21^st).  A 2hr seawatch off The Range (21^st) produced 321 Manx Shearwaters, 5 Fulmars, 52 Gannets, 3 Kittiwake, 9 Sandwich Tern, 107 Auk species, 2 Puffins and a Black Guillemot with all birds moving north.  Good numbers of Manx Shearwaters, Gannets and Sandwich Terns were also reported as flying west past Point Lynas (21^st).

Earlier in the week, 11 Puffins were seen on the sea at RSPB South Stack (16^th).  Sightings of Mediterranean Gulls included a juvenile at Cemlyn (19^th), 2 adults flying west past Point Lynas (21^st), 10 moving north past The Range (21^st), 6 on the Inland Sea (22^nd) and 4 from 4-mile bridge (22^nd).  54 Black-headed Gulls were also noted moving north past The Range (21^st) and an adult Common Gull was at Traeth Dulas (20^th).  It was confirmed (18^th) that a Roseate Tern pair with fledgling had left the Skerries which had also hosted a roseate x common-roseate hybrid pair and a roseate x common pair with 3 common-roseate chicks having fledged.

Passerines and others:

A male Ring Ouzel seen in a field between Bryngwran and Bodedern (21^st) was an excellent find.  Staff at RSPB South Stack noted a movement of hirundines with 22 Swifts and 79 Swallows counted (16^th).  Elsewhere, 30 Swifts were seen over Holyhead (18^th) and 17 over Penysarn (18^th).

Sightings of Hooded Crows included 1 near RSPB South Stack (16^th), 1 at the Alaw estuary (20^th & 22^nd) and 1 at Traeth Dulas (20^th).

Waders:

A Curlew Sandpiper was at the Alaw estuary (22^nd).  2 Green Sandpipers were seen at the Alaw estuary (20^th & 22^nd) and 1 at RSPB Cors Ddyga (22^nd).  Up to 13 Common Sandpipers were at the Alaw estuary (13 on 20^th, 4 on 22^nd).  A trickle of returning Dunlin was evident with up to 24 on the Alaw estuary (24 on 22^nd, 1 on 20^th), 2 at Traeth Dulas (17^th) and 1 at Cemlyn (20^th).  5 Turnstones were at Cemlyn (19^th), as were 2 Common Ringed Plover (20^th) and 2 Sanderling (20^th).  A very impressive 103 Sanderling were at the Alaw estuary (22^nd).

Up to 14 Greenshank were at the Alaw estuary (14 on 22^nd, 12 on 20^th), with 2 at Traeth Dulas (17^th) and 2 at the Cefni estuary (21^st).  52 Redshank were at the Cefni estuary (21^st), with 17 at the Alaw estuary (20^th & 22^nd), 2 at Cemlyn (16^th) and 2 at Traeth Dulas (17^th).  3 Black-tailed Godwits were at the Cefni estuary (16^th-22^nd) and 4 Bar-tailed Godwit were at the Alaw estuary (22^nd).  The Alaw estuary had up to 2 Whimbrel (2 on 22^nd, 1 on 20^th), 61 Curlew (22^nd) and 197 Oystercatcher (22^nd).

Raptors:

An Osprey was seen at the Cefni estuary (22^nd).  A juvenile Marsh Harrier was over the reedbed at Garreg Lwyd (18^th), while a female Marsh Harrier was seen hunted over the reedbed at Llyn Dinam, RSPB Valley wetlands (21^st).  A Red Kite was seen over Llanfaethlu (19^th), with another seen over fields between the Pilot Boat and Lligwy (21^st-22^nd).  An adult Peregrine was at the Cefni estuary (19^th-22^nd).

Swans, Geese & Ducks:

Up to 3 Black Swans were on the Inland Sea (3 on 22^nd, 2 on 19^th).  16 Common Scoter flew past The Range during a 2hr seawatch (21^st), with 10 past Rhoscolyn (22^nd).  The first returning Teal was at the Alaw estuary (22^nd), while at the Cefni estuary there were 3 Wigeon, 1 Pintail and 2 eclipse plumage Shoveler (20^th).  An eclipse drake Ring-necked Duck or hybrid (further views and hopefully some photographs are awaited) was on Llyn Penrhyn, RSPB Valley wetlands (22^nd).

Divers & Grebes:

6 Great crested Grebes were seen at the Inland Sea (19^th).

 

2022 Year List:

Purple Heron was a new addition to the 2022 year list which ticks up to 200.