Another addition to what has turned out to be quite the summer of warmth on Bardsey. This time, a gentle easterly wind was blowing in and the temperatures rose to 26℃.

There was a noteable increase in migrant passerine action with 30 Willow Warblers, seven Spotted Flycatchers, a single Whitethroat and our first two Pied Flycatchers of autumn. In the afternoon, the shaded plantation was full of action with lemon-yellow Willow Warblers  and two Goldcrests flitting through the twigs and both Spotted and Pied Flycatchers sallying for the bounty of winged insects. It also was another good day for House Martins with another 610 recorded over the island, the Lighthouse being particularly favoured. Amongst them, 58 Swallows and a single Sand Martin were also logged. 

House Martins around the Lighthouse (C) Greg Lee

House Martins on the Lighthouse (C) Greg Lee

Spotted and Pied Flycatchers (C) Greg Lee

A Red Kite toured over the Wetlands late morning, three Grey Herons were on the Narrows and two Collared Doves flew past the Observatory whilst two Kestrels remained around the island. It was quieter day for gulls and seabirds in the calm conditions with totals including five Mediterranean Gulls, 21 Black-headed Gulls and six Sandwich Terns. Waders on the island during the day consisted of seven Turnstones, two Ringed Plovers, one Common Sandpiper, 12 Redshanks, four Whimbrels, 21 Curlews and the first two Purple Sandpipers of the autumn. 

Ringed Plover (C) Greg Lee

A Speckled Wood at Nant was notable and other butterfly counts were 23 Red Admirals, 11 Small Tortoiseshell, five Painted Ladies, two Peacocks and 20 Meadow Browns. Three Migrant Hawkers were also sighted.

Offshore, six Rissos's Dolphins, two Harbour Porpoises and 39 Common Dolphins were seen.

In the evening, after a brilliant talk about birding in Israel from Steve another effort to catch Storm Petrels at the North End. Three were caught including a UK control before a combination of the very bright moon and an increase in the breeze stopped play. However, as it was the peak of the Perseid shower, there were some spectacular shooting stars. 

Meteor Showers and Storm Petrels (C) Steve Stansfield

A still and sunny start to the day before clouding over and even bringing a light bit of rain during the afternoon. The wind switched to the east during the day, it'll be interesting to see if that brings a change to the birds over the next week.

It was a day of interesting sightings throughout with a pod of eight Risso's Dolphins offshore performing for the students seawatching from the Observatory, with sightings of another 15 individuals throughout the day offshore. 23 Common Dolphins also passed by the island and a Harbour Porpoise  was off the West Coast.

On the birding front, two Marsh Harriers and two Kestrels were seen flying south, a group of five Redshanks on Solfach were joined by a Greenshank early morning (it has been a good year for this infrequent wader) and 15 Willow Warblers were in the bushes. The main talking point of the day occurred when the cloud cover rolled in and a spectacular flock of House Martins appeared over the island with a minimum count of 960 birds, the majority being over the Lighthouse, Nant, Henllwyn and the Observatory. Amongst them, two Swifts were spotted wheeling over the South End.

Offshore, three Common Scoters, 11 Sandwich Terns, 42 Gannets and 1870 Manx Shearwaters. In the warm weather, it quickly became apparent it was going to be a flying ant day with a blizzard of insects appearing across the Narrows in the afternoon. As a result, gulls were massing with 815 Herring Gulls, 20 Great Black-backed Gulls, 17 Lesser Black-backed Gulls, 120 Kittiwakes, 20 Black-headed Gulls, 10 Mediterranean Gulls and a Common Gull all recorded. 

Other wader totals for the day included a single Dunlin on Solfach, five Ringed Plovers, eight Turnstones, 46 Curlews and 10 Whimbrels. 

In the afternoon, the students were then taken out to ring Manxie chicks with everyone getting involved in finding them, resulting in 19 being processed over a couple of hours.

Manx Shearwater chick (C) Steve Stansfield

Students getting stuck in (C) Steve Stansfield

Followed by an investigation into looking at some of the rare plants such as Rock Sea-Lavender and the Autumn Ladies Tresses which are spiking into the hundreds in suitable areas of short turf.

Autumn Ladies Tresses (C) Greg Lee

The main event for the evening where two talks presented by Greg and Ewan on their career path before coming to Bardsey. 

Ewan giving his talk (C) Steve Stansfield

A thankfully calmer breeze today with the sun shining nicely for the entire duration.

It didn't take long for the students to get some good birding in when a juvenile Sabine's Gull was picked up early morning flying south off the West Coast before settling on the sea and eventually drifting north. Continued efforts offshore also delivered some good seabird counts with 1405 Manx Shearwaters, 19 Fulmars, 64 Gannets, 288 Kittiwakes, 44 Sandwich Terns, 39 Black-headed Gulls, 14 Mediterranean Gulls, six Razorbills and a juvenile Puffin off the North End. 

Some large gull flocks also gathered around the island anting on the bountiful crop of flying insects with 393 Herring Gulls feeding around the Narrows, Pen Cristin and the South End.

On land, it was slightly quieter for migrants with nine Willow Warblers, five Goldcrests, five Sand Martins, 24 Swallows, 23 Wheatears and a Chiffchaff at Nant. Wader passage was represented by two Ringed Plovers, five Common Sandpipers, a Dunlin, three Turnstones, eight Whimbrels, 45 Curlews and two Redshanks. 

Turnstones (C) Greg Lee

Resident species counts included two Song Thrushes, 73 Linnets, two Blackbirds, seven Dunnocks and five Robins.

As if that wasn't enough, there was also some good dolphin activity with two pods of 20+ Common Dolphins passing off the West Coast during the day as well as two Risso's Dolphins.

Invertebrate sightings consisted of a Wall Brown on the Narrows (a rare butterfly for Bardsey), a Grayling on the North End,  two Hummingbird Hawk-moths, two Small Coppers, 14 Red Admirals and seven Painted Ladies.

In the evening, the still night allowed for a chance to catch some Storm Petrels, ultimately delivering three birds plus an additional Manx Shearwater. 

The gathering of the team (C) Steve Stansfield

Ewan assisting a student with a Storm Petrel (C) Steve Stansfield

Well, it was touch and go but the University Week managed to go ahead despite the wind trying to throw a spanner in the works! Our students from universities across the country arrived mid-afternoon on slightly choppier seas than normal along with Ewan who returned from his summer break. 

As it was changeover day, sightings during the morning were somewhat limited after a few of the Observatory Staff were conscripted into another sheep round-up on the Mountain. However, three Willow Warblers were in the Withies, a flock of 24 Curlews passed off the West Coast along with seven Sandwich Terns, two Whimbrels were on Solfach and a Grey Heron was loitering around the Wetlands.

Willow Warbler (C) Greg Lee

Insect highlights included two Hummingbird Hawk-moths, two Painted Ladies and nine Red Admirals.

Once the students had arrived and been briefed on the events of the week, followed by an orientation walk led by Greg, it was time for dinner with an excellent and vast quantity of chilli and rice followed up by some marble cake.

The arrival of the students (C) Steve Stansfield.

The vats of chilli made by Steve and Emma (C) Steve Stansfield

Later in the night, with the skies lovely and clear some stargazing was done with the bright Sturgeon Moon lighting up the sky with the occasional Perseid Meteor streaking across, the reach their peak mid-week so it should make for some great watching! Lets hope some good bird migration comes this way for the students!

Sturgeon Moon (C) Steve Stansfield

The F6 south-westerly continued today although it remained bright and sunny. 

In the breezy conditions, a large gathering of gulls was on the Narrows with 650 Herring Gulls interspersed with smaller numbers of Great Black-backed and Lesser Black-backed Gulls. Two Black-headed Gulls were on Solfach. 

Passerine migrants were thin on the ground with three Willow Warblers and a Goldcrest sheltering in the bushes. A new brood of House Martins had fledged on the South End, with a swirling party of youngsters routinely flying around the Lighthouse. Raptor activity consisted of singles of Peregrine and Sparrowhawk over the Mountain.

Insects logged during the day included a Painted Lady in the Wetlands, 11 Small Tortoisehells, six Red Admirals and singles of Peacock Butterfly and Migrant Hawker in the Observatory Garden. 

Painted Lady (C) Greg Lee

 A strong south-westerly dominated the first half of the day with light rain arriving in the early hours of the morning. A seawatch from the South End proved to be quieter than hoped with totals consisting of 215 Manx Shearwaters, 19 Gannets and 22 Kittiwakes. On the South End itself there was an impressive showing of Gulls with a mixed flock containing 368 Herring Gulls, 44 Lesser Black-backed Gulls and eight Great Black-backed Gulls. Over on Solfach, four Black-headed Gulls were using the area with two Redshanks.

Meadow Pipit (C) Greg Lee

Passerine numbers were unsurprisingly stifled by the wind with highlights including two Willow Warblers in the Withies and the Goldcrest from the previous day still in the Observatory garden. A check of the second-broods of the Swallows on the island revealed some healthy chicks clearly enjoying the better quantity of insects this season. 

The top sighting of the day was an addition to the Bardsey Odonata list when a Brown Hawker was found mid-morning hawking in the lee of the wind by Plas Withy. This large and striking species with its bronzy wings is fairly widespread across mainland and southern Britain but becomes less numerous in west Wales. This individual appears to be a male owing to the blue markings on the side of the abdomen. 

Brown Hawker (C) Greg Lee

Other invertebrate sightings included a Migrant Hawker in the Observatory garden, a Common Blue, Small Tortoiseshells and 15 Red Admirals.

A lovely calm day on Bardsey with sun shining all the way through. Activity on the South End was more pronounced in the still conditions with 20 House Martins swirling around the Lighthouse, consisting of the some of the juveniles from the various nests in the complex this season. Likewise, there appeared to be a conference for Meadow Pipits with a small flock gathering on the walls of the Lighthouse. 

There was an uptick in Willow Warblers with 16 recorded across the island and a Goldcrest squeaking in the garden at Cristin was a new arrival. A couple of very newly-fledged Dunnocks were also noted around the Observatory Garden. A single Chiffchaff was at Nant along with a Goldfinch.

Wader totals for the day included two Common Sandpipers at Henllwyn, a Ringed Plover over the Narrows, two Redshanks at Solfach and a Greenshank which flew calling loudly over the Observatory heading south. 

The Kestrel continued its stay on the Mountain and a lone Black-headed Gull resided on Solfach. 

Meadow Pipits at the Lighthouse (C) Greg Lee

Invertebrates included a Migrant Hawker at Nant, 25 Meadow Browns, six Red Admirals and seven Small Tortoiseshells. 

Another breezy start to the day with an F6 westerly blowing from the sea. This time though, the sun was out for the whole day. 

It was a quieter day for passerine migrants with sightings including three Willow Warblers and a Whitethroat. Waders were also quiet with two Ringed Plovers, two Redshanks and singles of Common Sandpiper, Whimbrel and Curlew. 

Gull numbers were up again though not quite to the heights of last week with 277 Herring Gulls, 54 Lesser Black-backed Gulls and 13 Great Black-backed Gulls. On Solfach, 11 Black-headed Gulls were concentrated and a juvenile Mediterranean Gull was amongst them. Five Sandwich Terns also passed by including a juvenile in Solfach. 

It was a decent day for raptors too with the lingering Kestrel over the Mountain, two Peregrines, a Sparrowhawk in the Wetlands and our first sighting of a Buzzard on the island for a while, this bird was duly escorted around by three Ravens and a variety of agitated Gulls. 

With the sea too churned up to do any cetacean surveying, Phoebe walked around the island to count the Grey Seals. The majority were sheltering in Henllwyn with a very impressive final total of 252 for the day. We await the first pups to appear in September. 

There were some insects in the sheltered areas with three Migrant Hawkers (one at Cristin, two at Nant), 19 Red Admirals and eight Small Tortoiseshells (the latter seemingly have a nice emergence/influx). In the moth trap, an Orange Swift was new for the year and another smart Antler Moth was caught. 

Antler Moth (C) Greg Lee

The unseasonal F8 south-westerly gale roared in during the morning providing some much needed rain for the relatively parched island. An attempt was made to look at the sea when visibility moderately improved yielding a moderate passage of 571 Manx Shearwaters, 47 Gannets, 43 Kittiwakes, eight Fulmars and an assortment of gulls during an hour period. 

Solfach proved to hold some activity with two Ringed Plovers, a single Common Sandpiper, a Black-headed Gull, eight Magpies, two Choughs and a few large gulls. 

Once the wind had passed through, the afternoon was a complete juxtaposition to the morning with fine sunshine and blue skies. A few passerines had made it through the rain with 18 Willow Warblers, a Sedge Warbler and a Whitethroat seen along the track from the Observatory towards Nant. A Goldcrest was recorded in the Plantation.

Butterflies were unsurprisingly suppressed by the strong winds in the morning but as things calmed there was an improvement in numbers with 21 Red Admirals, eight Large Whites, four Green-veined Whites and singles of Common Blue, Small Copper and Painted Lady logged during the day. There was even some moth action with a Magpie Moth flushed in the garden and a Hummingbird Hawk-moth nectaring on some Honeysuckle at Nant. 

Sedge Warbler (C) Greg Lee

An increase in the wind and rain occured early in the morning, perhaps only a precursor for the forecast conditions on Monday. Despite this unsettled start, it turned into a lovely warm day on Bardsey with the temperatures hitting over 20 degrees on the island in the afternoon.

Passerines were slightly quiet on the migration front although five Willow Warblers were present on the South End with another squeaking away deep in the bushes in Cristin Withy. A Sedge Warbler was present in the Observatory Garden. Over on the South End, the parties of Linnets continued to feed in small parties, flying over noisily on occasion and Meadow Pipits were feeding on the turf. 

Waders were represented with three Redshanks, two Turnstones, a Whimbrel and 15 Curlews. One of the Curlews provided the sight of the day as the bird repeatedly ditched itself in the sea to evade the interest of the young female Peregrine.

Peregrine bothering a Curlew (C) Greg Lee

The lingering Kestrel remained around the Island, being seen hovering over the side of the Mountain before later being relocated over the Wetlands. 

Sandwich Terns were routinely heard throughout the day with several seen off the West Coast during the day, the far-carrying calls often giving away their presence. The largest party containing seven birds diving for fish. Over on Solfach, the Black-headed Gull count reached 11 birds. 

Chough (C) Greg Lee

Away from the birds, a count for Grey Seals yielded a final of result of 197, the majority of which were in Henllwyn. Once the weather had warmed, the insects began to appear with a Migrant Hawker in the Observatory Garden, three Common Blues, nine Red Admirals and a Painted Lady. 

A bright day and fairly warm with the temperature maxing out at 17.8 degrees and a force three north-westerly wind. Like most Saturdays, it was a day of arrivals and departures with Bethany and Tom leaving the island after a week of excellent work volunteering and Greg returning back to the island after his fortnight away on the mainland. 

As usual on a Saturday, changeover was the priority so coverage was lessened but there was a good selection of autumn fare around the island with nine Sandwich Terns including some speckled juveniles feeding off the West Coast and landing on the rocks off Solfach, nine Black-headed Gulls, two Mediterranean Gulls and a Common Gull.

Wader sightings consisted of 18 Curlews and two Whimbrels on the Narrows and three Redshanks on Solfach being joined by a single Turnstone. 

On the passerine-front, the highlight was yet another group of Crossbills with three heading south over the Observatory, mirroring the continued passage being seen across the UK. In the Observatory Garden, two Chiffchaffs and four Willow Warblers were feeding up in the bushes whilst the Song Thrushes ticked from deep in the undergrowth. 

The female juvenile Peregrine on the South End and a Kestrel were the only records of raptor activity.

The Manx Shearwater chicks are sporting some very interesting looks at the moment (C) Lauren Evans

 Insects were highlighted by an Emperor Dragonfly over the garden, a Painted Lady on the South End and 12 Red Admirals. 

In the afternoon, a big pod of 15 Risso's Dolphins passed by the West Coast consisting of 13 adults, one sub-adult and one juvenile. The group were even seen interacting with fishing equipment offshore!

Risso's Dolphins (C) Phoebe Moss

 

The day began with an overnight 'Meet the Manxes' walk and talk for the island's guests. A group of 13 of us headed out into the darkness, eventually returning home at 02:15hrs. It was the first time seeing and holding Manxies for some of the group though we had some Manxy veterans too. In total 62 Birds handled, 25 of which were unringed. Bethany had a wonderful time ringing and did a great job.  One bird was we trapped was originally ringed on 27 May 2003. 22 years, 2 months and five days ago!! It was then recaptured in July 03. It then disappeared until July 2009 and was further recaptured on 27 & 28 July 2011. It then disappeared once again this time for 14 years and 4 days, until tonight.

Bethany ringing a shearwater © Steve Stansfield

As the day dawned it became mild and overcast start with, becoming sunny later, with temperatures hovering around 15–18°C and a steady brisk northwesterly breeze keeping things fresh. Visibility remained good throughout, and the day stayed dry.

Phoebe did another complete Grey Seal haul-out count at  low tide. Henllwyn was particularly busy, with 164 individuals counted. Smaller groups were seen at Carreg yr Honwy (11) and Solfach (2), with another 31 scattered around the coast, bringing the total to 208. No pups yet, but the season is edging closer.

Butterflies were active in the more sheltered spots, with 46 Meadow Browns leading the way. Also noted were 21 Green-veined Whites, 15 Red Admirals, four Painted Ladies, and singles of Large White, Small Copper, and Common Blue. Dragonflies were represented by three Migrant Hawkers.

Seawatching through the day was relatively productive in the brisk northwest wind, with 4934 Manx Shearwaters passing through, joined by two Fulmars, 186 Gannets, and a lone Puffin. Other Auks were otherwise scarce, with just a single Guillemot and two auk sp.seen. Kittiwakes were numerous again with 1,894 counted, and six Mediterranean Gulls added variety among the 193 Herring, 48 Black-headed, 11 Great Black-backed, and ten Lesser Black-backed Gulls. A small movement of Sandwich Terns was noted, with 19 individuals recorded either on the rocks near Solfach or passing offshore during the day

Waders included 19 Curlew, five Whimbrel, four Turnstone, and a single Dunlin. A Common Sandpiper was seen flicking along the shoreline at Solfach. 

Passerine movement was light but included ten Wheatears, 17 Meadow Pipits and 35 Rock Pipits. Warblers were thin on the ground, with just five Willow Warblers after a seemingly massive clear out overnight, and a single Whitethroat logged.

There were 17 Swallows and just three House Martins seen, and a single Swift headed north during the morning. Finches included 36 Linnets and a single Goldfinch.

A late afternoon shearwater chick ringing session produced six fluff-balls from within their subterranean homes.

Bethany with a shearwater chick © Emma Stansfield

one of the baby Manxies © Bethany Wilson

The first Autumn Ladies-tresses are beginning to flower © Bethany Wilson

The day was dry and partly cloudy with sunny intervals, moderate to fresh westerly winds, and temperatures ranging between 16°C and 18°C.

A pod of 30 Common Dolphins was seen offshore, moving steadily west.

Butterflies were active in the more sheltered spots, with 52 Red Admirals leading the way. Also logged were 27 Green-veined Whites, 31 Meadow Browns, six Painted Ladies, six Common Blues, and four Large Whites. A single Humming-bird Hawk-moth was seen at the Observatory, darting between fuchsia in the afternoon sun.

Meadow Brown © Steve Stansfield

Dragonfly sightings included one Emperor Dragonfly and one Migrant Hawker.

Seawatching produced 550 Manx Shearwaters off the west coast, along with 16 Gannets and a single Fulmar. Seven Cormorants and eight Shags were also noted. Gull numbers remained high, with 520 Herring Gulls, 60 Kittiwakes, 16 Black-headed Gulls, six Lesser Black-backed Gulls, three Great Black-backed Gulls, and two juvenile Mediterranean Gulls. 16 Sandwich Terns were seen off Solfach, moving south in loose groups.

Waders were well represented, with  four Whimbrel, eight Curlew, six Turnstones, four Dunlin, two Sanderling, and a single Common Sandpiper all seen on or around Solfach and the Narrows. A lone Snipe, the first of the autumn, was flushed from grass near Pwll G.

Whimbrel © Steve Stansfield

 A single Grey Heron was seen in Henllwyn and raptor activity was limited to a single Sparrowhawk.

Passerine movement included 19 Swallows, eight House Martins, 18 Meadow Pipits, 16 Rock Pipits (13 of which were trapped and ringed), and 12 Pied Wagtails. Resident species included 31 Wrens, seven Dunnocks, seven Robins, and a single Blackbird. Two Wheatears and nine Stonechats were also logged.

Warbler activity was led by 57 Willow Warblers, with smaller numbers of three Chiffchaffs, two Sedge Warblers, one Reed Warbler, one Grasshopper Warbler at Nant, being the first of autumn, and one Blackcap. Two Spotted Flycatchers were also seen.

Tom and Bethany were busy on the beach using a portable Heligoland trap to catch Rock Pipits, successfully trapping sixteen birds—thirteen new individuals and three retraps—all fitted with individually marked plastic Darvic rings to allow field identification without the need for recapture.

Bethany and her Rock Pipit © Tom Williams

Rock Pipit © Tom Williams

  

Fully refurbished beach Heligoland trap © Bethany Wilson

Today the weather was mild and pleasant, with temperatures hovering around eighteen degrees Celsius, light westerly breezes, and a mix of sunshine and cloud that made for excellent visibility and comfortable conditions for being out and about.

Among the non-avian highlights were 14 Risso's Dolphins seen offshore, which included three juveniles — the first of the year.

Butterfly activity saw Green-veined Whites leading the count at 30, followed by Red Admirals with 24 and Meadow Browns with 19. Painted Ladies were also well represented with 15, while smaller numbers of Large Whites, Common Blues, and a single Grayling added to the diversity.

In addition to butterflies, a single Humming-bird Hawk-moth was seen darting among the fuchsia, and an Emperor Dragonfly was recorded in the night; seen by Lauren as she patrolled the Mountain looking for her Manxes with tags on!

Offshore, 300 Manx Shearwaters passed by in steady streams, accompanied by ten Gannets and 35 Shags, some of which were on Carreg yr Honwy, and some on the east face.

On the shoreline, 16 Oystercatchers were counted, along with four Dunlin, three Curlew, four Redshank, two Common Sandpipers, and seven Turnstones. A single Whimbrel was also noted.

Gull numbers were lower again, with 663 Herring Gulls, alongside 48 Lesser Black-backed Gulls, 31 Black-headed Gulls, and four juvenile Mediterranean Gulls. Sandwich Terns were also seen, with eight recorded. Bethany did an excellent job of reading colour rings on the gulls again today, and as well as many of our own large gulls, she found a Russian-ringed Black-headed Gull and an Irish-ringed Herring Gull.

 Heavily cropped picture of the
Russian-ringed Black-headed Gull - Bethany Wilson

Heavily cropped picture of the 
Irish-ringed Herring Gull - Bethany Wilson

Among the land birds, House Martins were the most numerous with 67 seen, followed by 30 Meadow Pipits, 20 Swallows, and 24 Rock Pipits. Willow Warblers were widespread with 46 individuals. Other passerines included 15 Pied Wagtails, ten Wheatears three of which were trapped on Solfach, seven Stonechats, and smaller numbers of Robins, Dunnocks, and Chiffchaffs. Two Spotted Flycatchers were also seen, and a single Tree Pipit was the first of the autumn.

Raptors were scarce today, but a single Sparrowhawk was logged, and corvids were represented by 37 Magpies, 22 Carrion Crows, and three Ravens. Nine Choughs added a splash of character to the cliffs and grasslands.

The day began wet and drizzly, with low cloud and a damp breeze, but gradually brightened into a more pleasant afternoon. 

Despite the slow start, bird activity picked up nicely. The highlight was the Willow Warbler count, with 70 individuals logged, which is quite impressive for late July in recent times. In days gone by, numbers could be in four figures following a lighthouse attraction! 

A juvenile Cuckoo was also seen – the first of the autumn. A single Crossbill was also noted again.

Another notable arrival was a Spotted Flycatcher trapped at Nant.

Spotted Flycatcher © Bethany Wilson

Seawatching was productive, with a steady passage of Manx Shearwaters – 1,200 were logged. Two Fulmars and 31 Gannets were also seen along with and 27 Sandwich Terns. Thirty-two Shags and two Cormorants were present along the coast. 

Wader counts included 16 Oystercatchers, six Dunlin (one of which was trapped and ringed overnight), one adult Sanderling, three Curlews, one Whimbrel, and four Common Sandpipers.

Gull totals were lower again and included 930 Herring Gulls, 84 Lesser Black-backed Gulls, 35 Black-headed Gulls, and eight Mediterranean Gulls. Kittiwakes totalled 400 mostly on Carreg yr Honwy and the West Coast.

Inland sightings included 23 Swallows, 25 House Martins, 27 Rock Pipits, and 12 Pied Wagtails.

Among the other passerines, 30 Wrens, seven Stonechats, and 11 Wheatears were active. There were also four Dunnocks, four Robins, and two Blackbirds.

Warbler totals included one Sedge Warbler, one Whitethroat, and one Chiffchaff in addition to the Willow Warblers.

Raptors were quiet, with just one Sparrowhawk and two Peregrines noted.

Butterfly records included 24 Red Admirals, 21 Meadow Browns, 19 Green-veined Whites, three Small Coppers, three Painted Ladies, one Large White, one Common Blue, and one Small Tortoiseshell.

A full low tide count recorded 240 Grey Seals, along with three Risso's Dolphins observed offshore.

Sunset © Steven Stansfield

Overnight, a Storm Petrel ringing session resulted in six more of these wonderful little birds being trapped, four were new and two that had been ringed elsewhere. Stormies are always a crowd-pleaser. Many thousands of Manx Shearwaters were also ashore, and watching them through the thermal imager offered a fascinating insight into what the naked eye can’t see!

Watching a Storm Petrel © Steven Stansfield

Storm Petrel © Steven Stansfield

Once the  noise from the Manxes had died down and the sun had risen, there was lots of butterfly activity.

Meadow Browns were abundant with 79 of them. 

Meadow Brown © Steve Stansfield

Green-veined Whites weren’t far behind with 71 seen.

Green-veined White © Steve Stansfield

Red Admirals made a strong showing too, with 30 fluttering about.

Red Admiral © Steve Stansfield

Painted Ladies added a splash of colour with ten seen, 

Painted Lady © Steve Stansfield

and both Large Whites and Common Blues showed up five times each.

Large White © Steve Stansfield

there were three Graylings, and one each of Small Copper and Peacock. All in all, a great day for butterfly watching with 205 individuals recorded.

Peacock © Steve Stansfield

On the bird front, there wasn’t a huge amount of passage: three Dunlins, three Whimbrels, 39 Curlews, and singles of both Common Sandpiper and Turnstone were seen.

Far fewer gulls were seen today, although six juvenile Mediterranean Gulls were present in Solfach.

Passerine-wise, Swallow and House Martin numbers had increased slightly, with counts of 26 and 36 respectively.

Two Sedge Warblers were seen, along with two Whitethroats and 17 Willow Warblers. The highlight of the day, however, was a single Common Crossbill that flew south in the early morning.