Week: Saturday 13th November 2025 - Friday 19th December 2025.

Has it been a good breeding year for Great Northern Diver? It might well have been given just how many are now wintering off the Anglesey coast, with 8+ around the Holyhead area, 3 off Cemlyn etc plus the potential for birds to be in the mouth of the Menai Strait around Penmon and off the likes of Llanddwyn - both good sites in previous years.  The Long-tailed Duck at Llyn Penrhyn is presumably the same as that seen previously at Llyn Trafwll and then the Inland Sea.  Benllech seafront has always been a good site for wintering Long-tailed Duck and presumably the bird seen there was a different individual.

Yellowhammer was missing from the 2025 Anglesey year list and I was grateful for the efforts of Nigel Brown to use his contacts to unearth any records for this year.  First reports were negative in respect of birds around Llanddona and even worse was an account of a wintering flock of around a 100 birds having been lost over just 2 winters.  A record subsequently emerged of 2 having been seen during the month of June (date not noted) around Sling, near Beaumaris.  Sling will be another place to check in the spring in the hope that we might still have a few birds left breeding on the island.  The addition of Yellowhammer to the year list takes the cumulative year list for 2025 up 1 to 227 (LISTS), subject to acceptance of records to be considered by the appropriate rarity committee.  (Note: Green-winged Teal and Hooded Crow have been removed from the year list count following their lumping by the BOURC with Teal and Carrion Crow respectively). 

Just off the island, there is a drake Bufflehead at Foryd Bay (19th) - a potential first for Wales.  Other species have been shown to move between Foryd Bay and Anglesey, so there may be a chance of this bird being seen on the island - if indeed it hasn’t already passed through undetected.

As we move into the festive season, I would wish you and yours a peaceful Christmas.  Nadolig llawen.

Swans, Geese and Ducks:

Pale-bellied Brent Goose

86, at Beddmanarch Bay (15th).

Long-tailed Duck

1, juvenile or female at Llyn Penrhyn (15th).

1, juvenile or female off Benllech seafront (16th).

Greater Scaup

3, 1 male and 2 females / immatures at the Inland Sea (15th).

Pochard

4, drakes at Inland Sea (15th).

23, at Cefni reservoir (16th).

Goldeneye

3, at Cefni reservoir (16th).

Tufted Duck

188, at Cefni reservoir (16th).

Wigeon

75, at Cefni reservoir (16th).

Shoveler

17, at Cefni reservoir (16th).

Gadwall

23, at Cefni reservoir (16th).

Teal

3, at Cefni reservoir (16th).

Eider

8, off Benllech seafront (16th).

Common Scoter

102, off Benllech seafront (16th).

Coot

129, at Cefni reservoir (16th).

Goosander

26, at Llyn Coron (16th).

Waders:

Purple Sandpiper

9, at Trearddur Bay (15th).

Sanderling

2, at Red Wharf Bay (16th).

Eurasian Golden Plover

68, at Cemlyn (15th).

Jack Snipe

1, at Cors Ddyga (16th).

Woodcock

1, at Rhoscolyn (16th, 17th).

Redshank

61, at Traeth Dulas (16th).

Curlew

185, at Traeth Dulas (16th).

Seabirds and gulls:

Black Guillemot

2, off Traeth Bychan (16th).

3, at Beddmanarch Bay (19th).

Common Guillemot

1, at Holyhead harbour (18th).

Mediterranean Gull

7, at the Inland Sea - viewed from the Anchorage (13th).

1, at Four Mile Bridge (13th).

1, at Beddmanarch Bay - from Penrhos Coastal Park (13th, 19th).

Fulmar

5, at Castell Mawr Rock, Red Wharf Bay (16th).

Divers & Grebes:

Great Northern Diver

4, at Beddmanarch Bay (4 on 13th & 18th, 3 on 15th & 19th).

Up to 3, at the Inland Sea (3 on 15th, 2 on 19th).

3, off Cemlyn (15th).

1, off Benlllech seafront (16th).

1, off Traeth Bychan (16th).

1, at Holyhead harbour (17th).

Red-throated Diver

10+, off Benllech seafront (16th).

Red-necked Grebe

1, at Holyhead harbour (13th).

Great crested Grebe

Up to 2, at Holyhead harbour (2 on 15th, 1 on 18th).

1, in Holyhead bay (18th).

Slavonian Grebe

2, at the Inland Sea (15t, 19th).

Up to 6, at Beddmanarch Bay (6 on 15th, 2 on 18th).

Little Grebe

20, at Cefni reservoir (16th).

Passerines & others:

Black Redstart

1, female type on cliff tops north of the old jetty, Point Lynas (15th).

Cetti’s Warbler

1, at Valley wetlands (15th).

3, at Cors Ddyga (19th).

Starling

c. 250,000, at Cors Ddyga (19th).

Kingfisher

1, at Valley wetlands (15th).

1, at Red Wharf Bay (16th).

Skylark

200+, in flock between Llyn Coron and Aberffraw (16th).

Greenfinch

15, at Beddmanarch Bay (15th).

Yellowhammer

2, near Sling, Beaumaris - belated report (June - month only).

Raptors:

Marsh Harrier

1, female / immature at the Inland Sea (15th).

4, at Cors Ddyga (4 on 16th, 2 on 19th).

Red Kite

1, over A55 near Cors Ddyga (13th).

1, over the  A5110, Llangefni - Benllech road, c. 1 mile NE of Llangefni (13th).

1, over A5025 near Red Wharf Bay (19th).

Merlin

1, flew across the A5025 on the approach to Cemlyn (15th).

Herons, Egrets & allies:

Water Rail

1, at Valley wetlands (15th).

3, at Cors Ddyga (19th).