Week: Saturday 28th December 2024 – Friday 3rd January 2025.

… and we are off. Firstly, a Happy New Year and the very best for 2025 both generally and in terms of birding.  Those keen on year listing have already made a good start.  The total species declared on day 1 had reached 101, bird race participants on the 2^nd notched up 107, while the collective total at the end of day 3 has now reached 130 (notable omissions include Pink-footed & White-fronted Geese, Great Bittern, Red-legged Partridge, Hen Harrier and Water Pipit) - https://sites.google.com/view/anglesey-bird-news/year-lists.

The first WBRC species has been reported with a Red-necked Grebe at Red Wharf Bay.  Both Green and Common Sandpiper have been seen, plus a Spotted Redshank.  Long-tailed Duck, Greater Scaup and Black-necked Grebe are all good additions to the cumulative year list.

There are still several weeks before we can expect the flurry of new species as spring migration kicks in, so there is always a positive aspect to having missed a few species in that there are still a few birds to search out over the next few weeks.  After last year’s unprecedented number of Yellow-browed Warblers, I wonder if there might be one still out there to be found. 

Swans, Geese and Ducks:

Whooper Swan

-        6 at Cors Ddyga (7 on 3^rd, 6 on 28^th).

-        5 at Llyn Cefni (1^st).

Brent Goose

-        17 at Moel y don (28^th)

-        3 near Church Island, Menai Bridge (28^th).

-        45 at Beddmanarch Bay (2^nd).

Barnacle Goose

-        2 at Llyn Coron (2^nd).

Long-tailed Duck

-        Drake off Benllech seafront (2^nd-3^rd).

Scaup

-        Female at the Inland Sea (1^st - 3^rd).

Eider

-        6 at Traeth Bychan (1^st)

-        3 at Benllech (2^nd).

Shoveler

-        39 at Cors Ddyga (2^nd).

Pintail

-        54 at Malltraeth (2^nd)

-        12 at Llyn Trafwll (2^nd).

Goosander

-        3 at Llyn Alaw, dam end (1^st).

-        Up to 20+ drakes at Llyn Coron (1^st).

-        7 at Llyn Trafwll (2^nd).

 

Waders:

Green Sandpiper

-        1 on flooded field to east of Ynys Wen cemetery (2^nd).

Common Sandpiper

-        1 at Church Island, Menai Bridge (3^rd).

Purple Sandpiper

-        Up to 10 at Cemlyn (10 on 2^nd, 3 on 2^nd).

-        6 at Trearddur Bay (2^nd).

Grey Plover

-        Up to 5 at Cemlyn (5 on 2^nd, 2 on 1^st).

Golden Plover

-        300+ flew over Cors Ddyga (2^nd).

Dunlin

-        6 at Moel y don (28^th).

Knot

-        2 at Cemlyn (2^nd)

-        68 at Beddmanarch Bay (3^rd).

Sanderling

-        c 120, in 2 flocks in flight, off Benllech seafront (2^nd).

Jack Snipe

-        2 at Traeth Dulas (1^st).

-        1 at Cemlyn (2^nd).

Spotted Redshank

-        1 at Malltraeth cob pool (3^rd).

Redshank

-        30 at Moel y don (28^th).

Greenshank

-        2 at Moel y don (28^th).

-        1 at the Inland Sea (2^nd).

-        2 at Church Island, Menai Bridge (3^rd).

Black-tailed Godwit

-        Up to 20+ on the flooded field off Gorad road, Valley (20+ on 1^st, 6 on 29^th).

-        80+ at Cors Ddyga (2^nd).

Bar-tailed Godwit

-        30 at Beddmanarch Bay (2^nd).

-        1 amongst the Curlew roost at Traeth Dulas (3^rd).

Curlew

-        21 at Moel y don (28^th).

-        c. 200 at Traeth Dulas (3^rd).

 

Seabirds and gulls:

Mediterranean Gull

-        Adult off Penrhos Coastal park car park (2^nd & 3^rd).

Lesser Black-backed Gull

-        Adult at Llyn Coron (2^nd).

Kittiwake

-        Fairly constant stream past Llam Carw, Amlwch Port (1^st).

Gannet

-        2 flew past South Stack (2^nd).

Fulmar

-        2 were seen off Benllech seafront (2^nd).

Black Guillemot

-        Up to 3 at Traeth Bychan (3 on 1^st, 1 on 3^rd).

 

Divers & Grebes:

Great Northern Diver

-        Up to 3 off Benllech seafront (3 on 1^st, 1 on 2^nd).

-        1 off Traeth Bychan (1^st & 2^nd).

-        1 in the bay at Cemlyn (2^nd)

-        1 at Beddmanarch Bay (3^rd)

Red-throated Diver

-        5 in the bay at Cemlyn (2^nd).

-        9 off the seafront at Benllech (2^nd).

Red-necked Grebe

-        1 on the river at the north side of Red Wharf Bay (2^nd).

Black-necked Grebe

-        1 at the Inland Sea, then at Beddmanarch Bay (2^{nd &} 3^rd).

Slavonian Grebe

-        Up to 3 at Beddmanarch Bay (2+ on 1^st, 3 on 2^nd, 1 on 3^rd).

-        Up to 2 at the Inland Sea (2 on 2^nd, 1 on 3^rd).

 

Passerines & others:

Firecrest

-        1 at Llyn Parc Mawr, Newborough (1^st & 3^rd).

Chiffchaff

-        1 at Bodffordd water treatment plant (1^st).

Kingfisher

-        2 at Llyn Penrhyn, Valley Wetlands RSPB (2^nd).

-        1 at Soldier’s Point, Holyhead (3^rd).

-        1 at Beddmanarch Bay (3^rd).

Hooded Crow

-        1 on fields off the approach road to the Range, Holyhead (1^st & 3^rd).

-        1 at Hen Borth, Cemlyn (2^nd).

 

Raptors:

Marsh Harrier

-        1 at Llyn Llywenan (2^nd).

Red Kite

-        1 over Hen Borth, Cemlyn (2^nd).

Goshawk

-        1 flew over Cors Erddreiniog (1^st).

Merlin

-        1 at Holyhead (1^st).

 

Herons, Egrets & allies:

Great Egr\et

-        1 at Llyn Alaw (1^st).

-        1 at Llyn Llywenan (1^st).

-        1 at Llyn Penrhyn (2^nd).

-        1 at Llyn Trafwll (2^nd).

-        1 at Llyn Coron (1^st & 3^rd).

Water Rail

-        1 at Cors Ddyga (2^nd).