Week: Saturday 5th October 2024 – Friday 11th October 2024.

This week saw an unprecedented number of Yellow Browed Warblers with a minimum of 14 at Holyhead, plus 1 Hen Borth and 1 at Wylfa Woods.  Those who have birded Anglesey for some time will know that it isn’t too long ago that Yellow-browed Warbler was a rare bird.  The table below sets out previous records.  Birds of Anglesey details records to the end of '99, while the annual reports of the Cambrian Ornithological Society COS detail subsequent sightings but these reports tend to document sightings and didn’t always make a judgement of the number of birds involved.  Notwithstanding this, an attempt has been made to quantity the number of birds involved.  The general picture is one of increasing numbers and a record daily count that even surpasses the previous highest annual total that was in 2016.

 

Decade											Total	Av. per year	Source
1980-89	‘80	‘81	‘82	‘83	‘84	‘85	‘86	‘87	‘88	‘89
	0	0	0	0	0	2	3	0	1	0	6	0.5	B of A
1990-99	‘90	‘91	‘92	‘93	‘94	‘95	‘96	‘97	‘98	‘99
	1	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	1	1	4	0.34	B of A
2000-09	‘00	‘01	‘02	‘03	‘04	‘05	‘06	‘07	‘08	‘09
	1	1	1	3	0	3	0	4	2	2	17	1.41	COS
2010-19	‘10	‘11	‘12	‘13	‘14	‘15	‘16	‘17	‘18	‘19
	2	2	4	2	4	5	12	5	6	8	50	4.16	COS
2020-24	‘20	‘21	‘22	‘23	‘24
	7	1	6	5	17							7.2	ABN

Hot on the heels of the Yellow-browed Warbler, was a Pallas’ Warbler seen and photographed at the plantation, South Stack (10^th).  It will become only the 3^rd Anglesey record since 2000 – albeit that there is still a 2016 report that has still to be submitted.  This takes the 2024 year list up to 226.

As temperatures dropped on the 10^th, the first arrival of Whooper Swans was noted with first 11 birds seen in flight over Rhosneigr (10^th), then Llyn Trafwll before presumably the same flock joined another 13 at Cors Ddyga during the early evening (10^th).  The first Woodcock was reported near Llynon Mill (10^th) and 3 Brambling flew over Hen Borth (5^th) – winter isn’t too far away.

 

Swans, Geese & Ducks:	Whooper Swan	·       11 seen in flight over Rhosneigr, then over Llyn Trafwll and presumably the same then joined another 13 at Cors Ddyga (10th).
	Pale-bellied Brent Goose	·       50+ at Red Wharf Bay (7th). ·       218 at the Inland Sea (10th).
	Shelduck	·       45 at Red Wharf Bay (10th).
	Pintail	·       4 at the Inland Sea (10th).
	Wigeon	·        c 80 at Beddmanarch Bay (9th). ·        c. 140 at Red Wharf Bay (10th).
	Common Scoter	·        15 off Wylfa Head (5th).
	Red-breasted Merganser	·        Up to 8 at Traeth Dulas (8 on 6th, 4 on 11th, 2 on 5th). ·        2 off Wylfa Head (5th). ·        18 at the Inland Sea (10th).
Waders:	Green Sandpiper	·       1 at the Llanfachraeth end of the Alaw estuary (7th).
	European Golden Plover	·       450+ at Cors Ddyga (10th).
	Lapwing	·       c. 30 at Traeth Dulas (6th).
	Dunlin	·       Up to 15 at Traeth Dulas (15 on 6th, 6 on 11th). ·       14 at the Inland Sea (10th).
	Wookcock	·       1 near Llynon Mill (10th).
	Jack Snipe	·       1 at South Stack (6th).
	Common Snipe	·       Up to 25 at Traeth Dulas (25 on 5th, c. 15 on 6th). ·       60+ at Red Wharf Bay (7th).
	Greenshank	·       Up to 11 at Traeth Dulas (11 on 11th, 8 on 6th, 7 on 5th). ·       2 at the Inland Sea (10th).
	Redshank	·       68 at the Inland Sea (10th). ·       10 at Traeth Dulas (11th).
	Bar-tailed Godwit	·       2 at Traeth Dulas (6th).
	Curlew	·       95 at Traeth Dulas (5th). ·       106 at the Inland Sea (10th).
Seabirds & gulls:	Mediterranean Gull	·       1 at the Inland Sea (10th).
	Great Black-backed Gull	·       15 at Traeth Dulas (5th).
Divers & Grebes:	No records of note
Passerines & others:	Pallas’s Warbler	·       1 at the plantation, then Cwm reservoir, South Stack (11th).
	Yellow-browed Warbler	·       Up to 10 at Breakwater Country Park, Holyhead (10 on 8th, 2 from 5th-6th & 11th, 1 on 7th & 9th). ·       1 at South Stack (6th & 8th). ·       Up to 2 at near Twr quarry off South Stack road (2 on 6th, 1 on 7th). ·       Up to 2 at Castell, Holyhead mountain (2 on 8th, 1 on 6th). ·       1 at Hen Borth, near Cemlyn (8th). ·       1 at Wylfa woods (8th).
	Firecrest	·       1 at South Stack (6th).
	Chiffchaff	·       Up to 4 at Wylfa woods (4 on 8th, 2 on 5th). ·       Up to 12 at Breakwater Country Park, Holyhead (12 on 8th, 4 on 5th). ·       12 at South Stack (8th).
	Willow Warbler	·       1 at Wylfa woods (8th).
	Garden Warbler	·       1 at Rhoscolyn (8th).
	Blackcap	·       3 at Octel, Amlwch Port (5th). ·       5 at Breakwater Country Park, Holyhead (5 on 5th, 3 on 8th). ·       1 at Wylfa woods (8th). ·       4 at South Stack (8th). ·       2 at Soldier’s Point, Holyhead (8th).
	Goldcrest	·       3 at Wylfa woods (5th). ·       2 at Breakwater Country Park, Holyhead (5th). ·       10 at Breakwater Country Park, Holyhead (8th). ·       16 at South Stack (8th).
	Spotted Flycatcher	·       1 at Breakwater Country Park, Holyhead (5th).
	Whinchat	·       1 at South Stack (6th).
	Northern Wheatear	·       2 at Wylfa Head (5th). ·       1 at Porth Saint, Rhoscolyn (8th). ·       2 at The Range, Holyhead (10th).
	House Martin	·       Up to 6 at Breakwater Country Park, Holyhead (6 on 7th, 5 on 5th).
	Brambling	·       3 over Hen Borth, Cemlyn (8th).
	Kingfisher	·       1 at Hen Borth, Cemlyn (5th).
	Jay	·       5 at South Stack (6th). ·       2 at Breakwater Country Park, Holyhead (6th).
	Hooded Crow	·       1 on roadside fields near The Range, Holyhead (5th). ·       1 at Traeth Dulas (11th).
Raptors:	Hen Harrier	·       Ring-tailed at Tyn Llan fields, Cemlyn (5th).
	Marsh Harrier	·       1 at Cors Ddyga (10th).
	Red Kite	·       2 at Ynys-y-Fydlyn (6th). ·       1 at Talwrn (8th & 10th).
Herons, Egrets & allies:	Cattle Egret	·        Up to 6 with cattle on fields west of Cors Ddyga (6 on 11th, 5 on 10th, 4 on 5th).
	Great Egret	·        1 at Cors Ddyga (10th).
	Little Egret	·        Up to 17 at Traeth Dulas (17 on 5th, 16 on 11th).
	Great Bittern	·        1 at Cors Ddyga (10th).
	Water Rail	·        2 east of coastal marsh at Red Wharf Bay (7th). ·        4 at Breakwater Country Park, Holyhead (8h). ·        1 at Soldier’s Point, Holyhead (8th).