Week: Saturday 24th May 2025 - Friday 30th May 2025.

An exceptionally quiet week, with no new additions to the year list which remains at 205 (LISTS). 

Swans, Geese and Ducks:

Pink-footed Goose

1, at Cors Ddyga (28th).

Red-breasted Merganser

6, at Traeth Dulas (27th).

Waders:

Common Ringed Plover

10, past The Range over a 2hr seawatch (28th).

Bar-tailed Godwit

2, at Cemlyn (24th-25th).

Black-tailed Godwit

1, at Cors Ddyga (28th).

Seabirds and gulls:

Roseate Tern

Up to 4, at Cemlyn (4 on 28th, 2 all other days).

3-4, on the Skerries off the north coast (28th).

Manx Shearwater

30, past Traeth yr Ora, near Lligwy over 15 minutes (29th).

364, past The Range over a 2hr seawatch (28th).

Kittiwake

36, past The Range over a 2hr seawatch (28th).

24, flying around the lagoon at Cemlyn was noteworthy (30th).

Gannet

14, past The Range over a 2hr seawatch (28th).

Divers & Grebes:

Nothing of note.

Passerines & others:

Northern Wheatear

1, at Soldier’s Point, Holyhead (28th).

Cuckoo

1, calling near Traeth Lligwy (30th).

Hooded Crow

1, on fields near the entrance to The Range, Holyhead (30th).

Raptors:

Osprey

1, flew north over Malltraeth (30th).

1, flew south over Cemlyn (30th).

Red Kite

1, over Talwrn (26th & 29th).

Herons, Egrets & allies:

Nothing of note.

Reports where submissions needed to County Recorder & WBRC:

Black Kite

1, reported over fields north of Bryngwran (29th).

Week: Saturday 17th May 2025 - Friday 23rd May 2025.

Five new additions to the 2025 year list - Little Tern (2), Red-backed Shrike, Arctic Skua, Pectoral Sandpiper and Pomarine Skua.  The year list is now up to 205 (LISTS).  Bird of the week for many was what was widely considered to an Iberian Wagtail Motacilla flava iberiae.  With only 7 previous records accepted to date by the British Birds Rarity Committee, this is a rare race of Western Yellow Wagtail for the UK.  Both photos and audio appear supportive.  It will be interesting to see how the record progresses.  Various photos of the bird can be seen on the Bluesky feed - @angbirdnews.bsky.social

Swans, Geese and Ducks:

Pale-bellied Brent Goose

1, at the Inland Sea viewed from the Anchorage (20th).

Pink-footed Goose

1, at Cors Ddyga (19th-21st).

Wigeon

1, drake at Cors Ddyga (20th).

1, drake at Cemlyn (22nd).

Eider

1, from a boat trip around Puffin Island (22nd).

Waders:

Pectoral Sandpiper

1, at Cors Ddyga (20th-23rd).

Little Stint

Up to 3, at the Alaw estuary (3 on 17th, 1 on 18th & 19th).

Curlew Sandpiper

Up to 2, at the Alaw estuary (2 on the 20th & 21st, 1 on 17th).

Sanderling

12, at the Alaw estuary (18th).

Dunlin

16, at Cemlyn (20th).

68, at the Alaw estuary (23rd).

Little Ringed Plover

1, at Cors Ddyga (21st).

Common Ringed Plover

13, at Traeth Dulas (22nd).

93, at the Alaw estuary (23rd).

Bar-tailed Godwit

4, at Cemlyn (22nd).

Black-tailed Godwit

1, at Cors Ddyga (20th-21st).

Oystercatcher

23, at Traeth Dulas (22nd).

3 pairs counted in clutch count at Cemlyn (23rd).

Whimbrel

3, at Llyn Llywenan (18th).

1, at the Alaw estuary (23rd).

Seabirds and gulls:

Little Tern

1, bearing an Irish darvic colour ring was at Cemlyn (17th).  Subsequent enquiries showed that it had been ringed as a chick at Kilcoole in 2023, seen at Portrane in north Dublin in the summer of 2023, but hadn’t been seen again prior to the sighting at Cemlyn.

1, unringed bird at Cemlyn (21st-22nd).

Arctic Skua

1, chasing terns offshore at Cemlyn (19h).

Pomarine Skua

1, adult summer plumage with full ‘spoons’ flew north past The Range, Holyhead (22nd).

Roseate Tern

2, pair at Cemlyn (17th-23rd).

Sandwich Tern

87 pairs counted at the recently established Inland Sea colony (during the week).

2167 pairs counted in clutch count at Cemlyn (23rd).

Commic (Common or Arctic) Tern

291 pairs counted in clutch count at Cemlyn (23rd).

Mediterranean Gull

Up to 6 at Cemlyn (6 on 18th, 3 on 20th, 2 on 22nd).

2 pairs counted in clutch count at Cemlyn (23rd).

Black-headed Gull

200 pairs counted in clutch count at Cemlyn (23rd).

Puffin

3, at South Stack (20th).

10+, from a boat trip around Puffin Island (22nd).

Black Guillemot

Up to 2, in the bay at Cemlyn (2 on 20th, 1 on 22nd).

Manx Shearwater

58, past The Range over a 2hr seawatch (22nd).

Kittiwake

51, past The Range over a 2hr seawatch (22nd).

Divers & Grebes:

Nothing of note.

Passerines & others:

Yellow Wagtail

1, male at Traeth Penial, Llanfwrog (18th-19th) - believed to be Iberian Wagtail (M.f.iberiae).

1, female M.f.flavissima, Llanfwrog (20th).

1, blue-headed M.f.flava at Tyn Llan fields (21st).

Red-backed Shrike

1, male at Llangefni marshes (19th).

Spotted Flycatcher

1, at South Stack (20th).

1, at Hen Borth (23rd).

Garden Warbler

1, at Newborough Forest (17th & 18th).

Grasshopper Warbler

1, at Cors y farl, Talwrn (18th).

Cuckoo

1, at Parys mountain (17th).

1, at Cors Goch (17th).

1, at Mynydd Bodafon (18th).

1, at Cors Erddreiniog (19th).

1, at Cors Ddyga (19th).

1, at Llanfihangel (20th).

Northern Wheatear

4, at South Stack (20th).

Red Crossbill

4, at Newborough Forest (20th).

Raptors:

Red Kite

1, at Llyn Llywenan (18th).

1, at Carmel Head (21st).

1, at Llanfairynghornwy (21st).

Marsh Harrier

1, male at Cors Ddyga (19th).

2, at Tyn Llan, Cemlyn (23rd).

Herons, Egrets & allies:

White Stork

1, belated report of one photographed at the Ucheldre area, Holyhead (8th May).

Spoonbill

1, at Malltraeth cob pool (17th-19th), then presumably the same at Cors Ddyga (20th-22nd).

Week: Saturday 10th May 2025 - Friday 16th May 2025.

A pair of Roseate Terns, a Grey Partridge and a Black Stork took the 2025 year list up to 200 (LISTS).  Reports of Montagu’s Harrier, Golden Oriole and Black Kite require engagement with the County Recorder and submission to the Welsh Birds Rarity Committee.  Neither Montagu’s Harrier nor Golden Oriole will be added to the year list for the time being.

Swans, Geese and Ducks:

Russian White-fronted Goose

1, at RSPB Cors Ddyga (13th).

Pink-footed Goose

1, at Cors Ddyga (12th, 13th).

Common Scoter

2, past The Range over a 1hr seawatch from (14th).

Red-breasted Merganser

3, at Traeth Dulas (3 on 12th).

Waders:

Knot

1, at Cemlyn (6th).

Sanderling

Up to 8, at Cemlyn (8 on 11th, 2 on 16th).

9, at the Alaw estuary (12th).

Dunlin

Up to 22, at Cemlyn (22 on 11th, 3 on 16th).

271, at the Alaw estuary (12th).

Common Ringed Plover

Up to 40, at Cemlyn (40 on 10th, 13 on 11th).

Up to 288, at the Alaw estuary (288 on 12th, 8 on 15th).

Turnstone

17, at Cemlyn (11th).

Ruff

1, on the main island at Cemlyn (13th, 15th).

Greenshank

1, at Traeth Dulas (12th).

Black-tailed Godwit

1, at Cemlyn (13th).

Oystercatcher

98, at the Alaw estuary (15th).

Whimbrel

3, at Cemlyn (11th).

1, at Traeth Dulas (12th).

7, at the Alaw estuary (12th).

3, at Hen Borth, Cemlyn (13th).

Seabirds and gulls:

Roseate Tern

2, pair at Cemlyn (15th, 16th).

Little Gull

1, 2nd calendar year at Cemlyn (10th-11th).

Kittiwake

70, past The Range over a 1hr seawatch from (14th).

Manx Shearwater

474, past The Range over a 1hr seawatch from (14th).

Gannet

25, past The Range over a 1hr seawatch from (14th).

Divers & Grebes:

Nothing of note.

Passerines & others:

Yellow Wagtail

3, at Tyn Llan fields - Blue-headed M.f.flava, an integrade ((possibly (M.f.flava x M.f.flavissima) x (M.f.flavissima) and British M.f.flavissima (10th).

1, at South Stack (11th).

1, at Cors Ddyga (11th)

1, flew over the warden’s cottage, Cemlyn (12th).

3, at Hen Borth, Cemlyn (13th).

Tree Pipit

1, near Felin Gadfan, Cemlyn (11th).

1, at South Stack (11th).

1, at Carmel Head (14th).

Spotted Flycatcher

1, near Llanfairynghornwy (11th).

1, near Felin Gadfan, Cemlyn (11th & 12th).

4, at South Stack (11th).

Up to 9, between Hen Borth & Cemlyn (9 on 13th, 2 on 12th).

2, at Carmel Head (14th).

1, at Soldier’s Point, Holyhead (15th).

3, at Holyhead Breakwater Country Park (15th).

Reed Warbler

1, singing in the reedbed at Hen Borth, Cemlyn (10th, 13th).

1, at Cemlyn (13th).

Lesser Whitethroat

1, at the Alaw estuary (13th).

Cetti’s Warbler

1, at Cors Erddreiniog (14th).

Cuckoo

1, at Brynteg (12th).

1, at Aberffraw (15th).

1, at Cemlyn (16th).

Hooded Crow

1, on the shore between Tyn Llan beach and the Trwyn, Cemlyn (11th).

1, on fields at the entrance to The Range (12th, 13th, 16th).

Raptors:

Osprey

1, at Cemlyn (10th, 11th, 16th).

Up to 2, at Llyn Coron (2 on 10th, 1 on 12th).

1, at the Inland Sea (15th).

Marsh Harrier

1, female at Cemlyn (14th).

1, at Carmel Head (14th).

Herons, Egrets & allies:

Black Stork

1, photographed over North Stack, Holyhead (16th).

Spoonbill

1, at Malltraeth cob pool (16th).

Cattle Egret

1, at Cors Ddyga (12th, 13th).

Grey Partridge

1, heard calling from the footpath from Dwyran to the stepping stones at the Afon Braint (16th).

Reports where submissions needed to County Recorder & WBRC:

Montagu’s Harrier

1, ringtail reported flying in off the sea at Rhoscolyn (11th).

Black Kite

1, reported over Holyhead Breakwater Country Park (13th).

Golden Oriole

1, female or 1st summer male reported at Rhoscolyn (13th).