Week: Saturday 5th September - Friday 11th September 2026.

 

Week: Saturday 5th September  - Friday 11th September 2026.

Further harbingers of the autumn, with the first returning Brent Geese and Purple Sandpiper!

The wind direction didn’t quite move far enough to the north to bring the best of seawatching conditions, but it was good enough on Wednesday 9th which delivered good counts of Arctic Skua, several Leach’s Petrel, a Balearic Shearwater, a European Storm-petrel and a Little Gull.

Once rare on the island, Turtle Dove has become annual over the past 7 years.  One was seen on the approach to Cemlyn - also on the 9th.  Whether such birds are wild has become a little more difficult to determine over recent years given several reintroduction schemes in the south of the UK that are working on bolstering wild populations.  It is not always possible to check for rings etc., and it is probably best to err on the side of the bird being of genuine wild origin.

Both Leach’s Petrel and Turtle Dove were new for the year and takes the cumulative year list to date up to 209 (LISTS) - subject to the appropriate records being accepted by the British and Welsh Birds Rarity Committees as applicable.  

Wildfowl:

Pale-bellied Brent Goose

6, at Beddmanarch Bay (5th).

2, at Cemlyn (5th).

2, at the Alaw estuary (7th).

1, flew past Point Lynas (9th).

1, flew past Bull Bay (9th).

Dark-bellied Brent Goose

1, at Beddmanarch Bay (5th).

Greylag Goose 

c. 500, flew in to roost at Llyn Maelog (9th).

Common Scoter

c. 160, flew west past Cemlyn (5th).

15, flew past Holyhead breakwater (7th).

550, flew past Point Lynas 6.40am - 9.15am (9th).

c. 350 flew past Bull Bay 06.50am - 08.50am (9th).

Wigeon

1, at Llyn Cefni (8th).

Pintail

1, at Llyn Cefni (8th).

Coot

28, at Llyn Rhos Ddu (6th).

70, at Llyn Maelog (6th).

Waders:

Oystercatcher

115, at Moel y Don and from the coastal path to the west (6th).

Ringed Plover

Up to 18, at Llyn Cefni (18 on 5th, 12 on 8th, 11 on 11th, 8 on 6th, 5 on 7th).

17, at Traeth Dulas (6th).

13, at Porth Cwyfan (6th).

20, at the Alaw estuary (8th).

5, at Silver Bay, Rhoscolyn (8th).

Little Ringed Plover

1, at Llyn Cefni (11th).

Lapwing

35, at Llyn Cefni (6th-8th).

Curlew

45, at Moel y Don and from the coastal path to the west (6th).

69, on Afon Cefni at Malltraeth (6th).

Bar-tailed Godwit

3, at the Alaw estuary (8th).

6, flew past Bull Bay (9th).

Black-tailed Godwit

Up to 18, at Llyn Cefni (18 on 6th, 13 on 7th & 11th, 12 on 8th, 11 on 5th, 10 on 9th).

Up to 5, at Llyn Llywenan (5 on 11th, 2 on 5th).

2, at the Cefni estuary (7th).

c.6, at Malltraeth cob pool (10th).

Snipe

4, at Llyn Llywenan (5th).

1, along the Afon Crygyll, Rhosneigr (6th).

7, at Llyn Llygeirian (7th).

Common Sandpiper

1, along the Afon Crygyll, Rhosneigr (6th).

3, at Church Island / Ynys Tysilio (8th).

Green Sandpiper

Up to 4, at Llyn Cefni (4 on 5th, 3 on 6th & 7th, 2 on 8th, 9th, 11th).

Wood Sandpiper

2, at Llyn Cefni (5th).aa

Spotted Redshank

2, at Llyn Llywenan (5th).

Up to 6, at Llyn Cefni (6 on 9th, 5 on 8th, 4 on 11th, 2 on 6th, 7th, 10th).

Redshank

4, at Llyn Cefni (6th).

55, on Afon Cefni at Malltraeth (6th).

25, at the Alaw estuary (8th).

14, at Traeth Dulas (9th).

Greenshank

Up to 2, at Llyn Cefni (2 on 8th, 1 on 5th - 7th).

1, off Church Island (6th).

1, at Moel y Don and from the coastal path to the west (6th).

1, at Valley tidal doors (6th).

1, at the Cefni estuary (7th).

Up to 10, at Traeth Dulas (10 on 8th, 9 on 9th).

12, at the Alaw estuary (8th).

Turnstone

15, at Porth Cwyfan (6th).

1, at Silver Bay, Rhoscolyn (8th).

Knot

2, at Malltraeth cob pool (10th).

Ruff

Up to 11, at Llyn Cefni (11 on 5th, 5 on 6th, 7th & 8th, 4 on 9th, 3 on 11th, 2 on 10th).

4, at Malltraeth cob pool (10th).

Curlew Sandpiper

1, at Cemlyn (5th, 10th, 11th).

Up to 2, at Malltraeth cob and nearby (2 on 5th & 7th, 1 on 6th & 10th).

Up to 4, at Llyn Cefni (4 on 9th, 3 on 11th, 2 on 8th).

2, at the Alaw estuary (8th).

Sanderling

1, at the Alaw estuary (7th).

2, at Silver Bay, Rhoscolyn (8th).

Dunlin

3, at Llyn Llywenan (5th).

1, at Traeth Dulas (6th).

65, on Afon Cefni at Malltraeth (6th).

Up to 6, at Llyn Cefni (6 on 8th, 5 on 11th).

22, at the Alaw estuary (8th).

Purple Sandpiper

2, flew past Bull Bay (9th).

Baird’s Sandpiper

1, probable, at Malltraeth cob pool - but regrettably not confirmed sufficiently for BBRC submission (6th).

Little Stint

1, at Llyn Llywenan (5th).

Up to 3, at Llyn Cefni (3 on 7th, 2 on 8th, 1 on 6th & 9th).

Seabirds and gulls:

Arctic Skua

1, flew past Point Lynas (5th).

19, flew past Point Lynas 06.40am - 11.30am (9th).

18, flew past Bull Bay 06.50am - 08.50am (9th).

2, flew past Cemlyn (9th).

Black Tern

1 flew past Point Lynas 09.30am - 11.30am (9th).

Sandwich Tern

436, flew past Point Lynas 06.40am - 11.30am (9th).

Little Gull

1, juvenile, past Point Lynas (9th).

Kittiwake

600, flew past Point Lynas 06.40am - 09.15am (9th).

Great Black-backed Gull

15, at Traeth Dulas (9th).

European Storm-petrel

1, flew past Cemlyn (9th).

Leach’s Storm-petrel

2, flew past Cemlyn (8th).

2, flew past Bull Bay (8th).

5, flew past Point Lynas 06.40am - 09.15am (9th).

5, flew past Bull Bay 06.50am - 10am (9th).

2, flew past Cemlyn (8th).

Fulmar

4, flew past Point Lynas 06.40am - 09.15am (9th).

Manx Shearwater

150, flew past Point Lynas 06.40am - 09.15am (9th).

Balearic Shearwater

1, flew past Llam Carw, Amlwch Port (9th).

Gannet

60, flew past Point Lynas 06.40am - 09.15am (9th).

Grebes & Divers:

Little Grebe

1, off Church Island (6th).

13, at Llyn Llygeirian (7th).

c.40 at Llyn Cefni (8th).

Great-crested Grebe

2, juveniles, at Llyn Rhos Ddu (6th).

Red-throated Diver

2, flew past Bull Bay 6.50am - 0850am (9th).

4, flew past Point Lynas 6.40am - 9.15am (9th).

Herons, Egrets & allies:

Little Egret

13, roosting on Ynys Weltog, off Church Island, Menai Bridge (6th). 

24, at Llyn Cefni (8th).

Great Egret

Up to 4, at Llyn Cefni (4 on 5th, 2 on 8th, 1 on 6th & 7th).

Grey Heron

21, roosting on Ynys Weltog, off Church Island, Menai Bridge (6th). 

Water Rail

1, at Malltraeth cob pool (6th).

Raptors:

Osprey

1, fishing at the Inland Sea (7th).

Goshawk

1, juvenile over Mynydd Bodafon (7th).

Marsh Harrier

1, female at Llyn Llygeirian (7th).

Red Kite

1, at Llyn Cefni (6th).

1, over Talwrn (7th, 8th).

2, over Tregele (7th).

1, over the B5110, c. 1 mile NE of Llangefni (8th).

Hobby

1, being mobbed by hirundines near the Black Lion pub, Llanfaethlu (6th).

Passerines & others:

Turtle Dove

1, on approach road to Cemlyn then flew towards Hen Borth (9th).

Stock Dove

2, at Llyn Llygeirian (7th).

Kingfisher

1, at Cemlyn (5th).

1, at Valley tidal doors (6th).

1, at Holyhead Country Park (7th).

1, at the Alaw estuary (8th).

1, at Porth Wylfa (9th).

Reed Warbler

1, at Llyn Llywenan (5th).

Sand Martin

1, at Llyn Llywenan (5th).

House Martin

c. 50, at Holyhead Country Park (7th).

Cetti’s Warbler

1, at Llyn Llywenan (5th).

1, along the Afon Crygyll, Rhosneigr (6th).

1, at Llyn Cefni (8th).

Willow Warbler

1, at Rhoscolyn (7th).

Blackcap

1, at Llyn Cefni (6th).

Lesser Whitethroat

1, at Rhoscolyn (7th).

Common Whitethroat

2, at Rhoscolyn (7th).

Starling

c.75,000 , in evening roost in reedbeds at Llyn Maelog (9th).

Fieldfare

1, at Bodorgan estate (5th).

Northern Wheatear

1, along the Afon Cefni at Malltraeth (6th).

1, at Holyhead breakwater (7th).

5, at Rhoscolyn (7th).

Linnet

c.120, feeding on Sea Lavender, Afon Crygyll, Rhosneigr (6th).

c. 70, at Traeth Dulas (9th).