Week: Saturday 22nd August - Friday 28th August 2026.

One of the positives from the hot and dry weather - for birders at least - is that the water levels on some of Anglesey’s lakes have fallen considerably and are now showing quite a bit of exposed mud.  The western end of Llyn Cefni in particular is very low and has attracted a good array of waders, although the hoped for rarity is still to make an appearance.

In contrast, the weather hasn’t been particularly supportive of seawatching, but a brief switch in the wind direction to something of a northerly flow did produce a Balearic Shearwater (aka Mediterranean Shearwater) and a couple of Arctic Skuas.

One of the highlights of the spring was the female Woodchat Shrike that had an extended stay at South Stack between the 28th May and the 9th June.  What wasn’t known at the time was that it had been preceded by a male that was seen and photographed at an undisclosed site in the south-west of the island on the 22nd May.  Both records have now been assessed and accepted by the Welsh Birds Rarity Committee.

Finally, news has now been shared in the public domain of the pair of Ospreys that nested and reared two chicks.  With birds having summered for a number of years and more having been seen on passage, this year's successful breeding is a really positive development.

Balearic Shearwater was new for the year and takes the cumulative year list to date up to 205 (LISTS) - subject to the appropriate records being accepted by the British and Welsh Birds Rarity Committees as applicable.  

Wildfowl:

Mute Swan

Up to 50+, at Llyn Llywenan (50+ on 28th, 41 on 24th).

Tufted Duck

4, at Llyn Llywenan (28th).

Shoveler

6, at Llyn Llywenan (28th).

Wigeon

2, at Llyn Cefni (23rd).

3, at the Alaw estuary (25th).

2, at Cemlyn (28th).

1, at Llyn Llywenan (28th).

Pintail

1, at the Inland Sea (24th).

Teal

Up to 46, at the Alaw estuary (46 on 26th, 32 on 25th).

4, at Llyn Llywenan (28th).

Coot

60+, at Llyn Llywenan (28th).

Waders:

Oystercatcher

Up to 319, at the Alaw estuary (319 on 24th, 277 on 26th).

Golden Plover

Up to 24, at Cemlyn (24 on 28th, 12 on 22nd).

30, at Malltraeth cob and surroundings (24th).

1, at Mynydd y Garn (27th).

Ringed Plover

Up to 60, at the Alaw estuary (60 on 28th, 55 on 25th, 12 on 26th).

4, at Llyn Cefni (28th).

Whimbrel

17, flew west over Bull Bay (23rd).

4, at Llyn Llywenan (28th).

1, at the Alaw estuary (28th).

Curlew

Up to 44, at the Alaw estuary (44 on 24th, 39 on 26th).

Bar-tailed Godwit

Up to 4, at the Alaw estuary (4 on 24th, 3 on 25th, 1 on 28th).

Black-tailed Godwit

Up to 15, at Llyn Cefni (15 on 24th, 8 on 23rd & 28th).

13, at Malltraeth cob and surroundings (24th).

6, at Malltraeth cob pool (26th).

1, at Cemlyn (28th).

9, at Llyn Llywenan (28th).

Snipe

5, at Llyn Cefni (24th).

Up to 18, at Llyn Llywenan (18 on 24th, 16 on 26th, 6 on 28th).

1, at Malltraeth cob and surroundings (24th, 28th).

Common Sandpiper

3, at the Afon Cefni, Malltraeth (3 on 22nd & 24th, 1 on 26th).

Green Sandpiper

1, at the Afon Cefni, Malltraeth  (22nd).

2, at Llyn Cefni (23rd-24th, 28th).

Up to 3, at the Alaw estuary (3 on 25th, 1 on 26th).

Wood Sandpiper

1, at Llyn Cefni (23rd-25th, 28th).

Spotted Redshank

1, at Malltraeth cob pool (23rd).

1, at Llyn Llywenan (28th).

Redshank

12, at the Alaw estuary (24th, 26th).

Greenshank

5, at Cemlyn (22nd).

Up to 16, at the Afon Cefni, Malltraeth (16 and 24th, 12 on 22nd, 1 on 26th).

Up to 3, at Llyn Cefni (3 on 28th, 2 on 23rd, 1 on 24th-25th).

1, at Llyn Llywenan (24th).

Up to 16, at the Alaw estuary (16 on 24th, 15 on 25th, 11 on 26th).

Turnstone

11, at Cemlyn (28th).

Knot

Up to 6, at Malltraeth cob pool (6 on 26th, 5 on 24th, 3 on 22nd).

Up to 10, at the Alaw estuary (10 on 25th, 1 on 28th).

1, at Cemlyn (26th).

Ruff

1, at Malltraeth (22nd).

Up to 13, at Llyn Cefni (13 on 24th, 10 on 28th, 8 on 25th, 5 on 23rd).

Up to 3, at Llyn Llywenan (3 on 24th & 26th, 2 on 28th).

1, at Cemlyn (26th).

Curlew Sandpiper

Up to 3, at Malltraeth cob pool (3 on 27th, 2 on 28th).

1, juvenile at Cemlyn (28th).

2, at the Alaw estuary (28th).

Sanderling

1, at Malltraeth cob pool (24th).

Dunlin

Up to 114, at Malltraeth cob pool (114 on 24th, 75 on 22nd).

Up to 6, at Llyn Cefni (6 on 28th, 1 on 24th).

Up to 122, at the Alaw estuary (122 on 28th, 36 on 26th, 17 on 25th, 3 on 24th).

Seabirds and gulls:

Arctic Skua

2, flew past Bull Bay (23rd).

Black Guillemot

1, off Cemlyn (22nd).

Mediterranean Gull

32, at the Inland Sea (25th).

Manx Shearwater

500+, flew west past Cemlyn (22nd).

Balearic Shearwater

1, flew west past Cemlyn (22nd).

Grebes & Divers:

Little Grebe

30, at Llyn Cefni (28th).

Herons, Egrets & allies:

Spoonbill

1, at the Inland Sea (24th).

Great Egret

Up to 4, at the Cefni reservoir (4 on 28th, 2 on 24th).

1, at Llyn Llywenan (28th).

Water Rail

1, at Malltraeth cob pool (22nd, 28th).

Raptors:

Osprey

Up to 3, at Malltraeth cob pool and surroundings (3 on 24th, 2 on 22nd).

1, at Llyn Cefni (24th, 28th).

Marsh Harrier

1, at Llyn Cefni (24th).

1, at Llyn Llywenan (28th).

Red Kite

2, over the Dulas estuary (23rd).

1, north of Pen-llyn (24th).

1, at Llyn Llywenan (28th).

1, over Pentraeth (28th).

Passerines & others:

Cuckoo

1, at Rhoscolyn (28th).

Kingfisher

2, at Cemlyn (22nd).

Up 2, at Malltraeth (2 on 26th, 1 on 22nd & 24th).

1, at the Alaw estuary (26th).

1, at Llyn Cefni (28th).

Hooded Crow

1, at Carmel Head (27th).

Sedge Warbler

1, at Llyn Llywenan (28th).

1, at Rhoscolyn (28th).

Reed Warbler

1, at Llyn Llywenan (28th).

1, at Hen Borth, Cemlyn (28th).

Grasshopper Warbler

1, at Tyn Llan, Cemlyn (22nd).

1, at Rhoscolyn (28th).

Whinchat

1, at Hen Borth, Cemlyn (28th).

Siskin

Family party, in copse at Llyn Cefni (28th).