It was a cold start to the morning before developing into another pleasant spring day. The initial consensus indicated that there had a been a clearout of migrants rather than an arrival on the overnight southerly winds with a single Wheatear at the South End, ten Chiffchaffs and a Willow Warbler at Nant being the main talking points of the early censuses. 

As the day grew on though, birds began to appear with the first Blackcaps of the season turning up in the nets at Cristin with six in total recorded around the Observatory along with another Willow Warbler. 

Blackcap (C) Steven Stansfield 

A flyover Siskin and a Stock Dove were notable sightings, the latter being a fairly irregular bird on the island. 

Elsewhere, the regular Merlin at the South End was worrying the Meadow Pipits, the Teal was in the Wetlands and yesterday's Fieldfare was again seen near the Observatory along with a Song Thrush and a Redwing. 

Despite the winds starting to pick up into the night, the first dazzling session of the season was undertaken yielding a Jack Snipe and a Woodcock in the Wetlands. A further two each of Jack Snipe and Snipe were also seen but not ringed along with a Water Rail. The Manx Shearwaters were unperturbed by the deteriorating weather conditions with a continued increase in vocal birds around the island. 

The first Woodcock of the season this evening (C) Greg Lee

Jack Snipe (C) Steve Stansfield 

Away from bird workEmma continued cleaning in the office, Ewan and Greg countinued with preparing bird bags and cleaning bird feeders, whilst Steve got messy with filling the gaps above the new window with expanding foam

Once set the excess foam will be trimmed off with a knife and new plasterboard fitted over it.

Well we've only been on the island a short time but our first scarce bird of the season has already turned up! A Hoopoe was nicely picked up by Steve as it was calling away in the willow tree next to the courtyard. He had a brief view as it flew behind the obs but unfortunately that was the last seen or heard of it!

Hoopoe call and song from today - photo from archive

Spring migrants are trickling through with 35 Chiffchaffs recorded across the island today, the first Willow Warbler of the year turned up on the track between the obs and Ty Pellaf, and one was later trapped and ringed in the garden Heligoland trap. Two Sand Martins flew north over the lighthouse this morning and two Wheatears were also on the south end. 61 Meadow Pipits were recorded across the island and Firecrest was seen with four Goldcrests at Nant this afternoon. 

First Willow Warbler ringed of the year! (C) Ewan Turner

Finches seem to be moving in small numbers with two Goldfinches, three Siskins and two Redpolls seen overhead. The resident Bullfinch is still in the obs garden and has been since the 18th!

Manx Shearwaters are beginning to arrive with a few heard calling on the island the past few night, including one straight behind the obs.

Other sightings of note include three Shelducks on Henllwyn, a Teal in the Withies, two Sparrowhawks at Nant, a Merlin on the West Coast and a second one on the South End. Our resident Whimbrel is hanging around on the West Coast, with two Curlews and a single Turnstone being the only other waders recorded. A Collard Dove was at Nant and the last of the winter birds are still clinging on, with a single Fieldfare over the obs this morning.

Merlin (C) Greg Lee

Today, saw another arrival of Chiffchaffs, with 32 counted. A Swallow was the first of the year, and a sign that spring is on its way. A Wheatear was on the West Coast, whilst a. Fieldfare was in the Observatory garden at dawn. A Rook was the first of the year too. Four Goldfinches were seen, along with three Redpolls and the Bullfinch

After Census, Greg and Ewan worked on the net rides and got the nets errected at Cristin. A few birds were trapped but the star of the show was this third calendar year male Sparrowhawk 

 

Sparrowhawk (C) Steven Stansfield

Sparrowhawk (C) Steven Stansfield

Over the past few days, I have been working with our internet provider to try and get the island's internet system working properly - almost 50 emails later and we have a good speed coming down now! The system is still a little unstable and we may well need a new part too.

Quicker than most mainland broadband!

Emma spent some time filling the gaps under the window with lime mortar in preparation of the sink unit being refitted.

Our internet has still been palying up, and as a result updates have not been coming as readily as we would have hoped.

Thai said, we have been busy again over the past few days....

On Monday 18th, we had a visit from Paul Sandham to help us get the internet sorted. Paul is a complete computer geek (wizard!) and had us up and running again. Over the past weeks we have had many mant emails andd messages trying to get to the bottom of the issue with the internet. Paul brought his pal Noel (and his wife) who is a solar geek. Noel, Colin and I fixed the solar panels back on to the frame, they were forciably removed by Storm Darragh in December!!

Paul, with a bit of help from me, fitted the new bridge between the mainland and the island.

The white square above Paul’s head had blown! Possibly a lightning strike.

Noel and his wife fixed the solar panels back onto the frames.

Panels all fixed and good to go

Our new Assistants Greg and Ewan arrived on Monday evening, and after their unpacking on Tuesday 18th, and doing their census, they set about cleaning the ringing lab. Everything came out, walls were cleaned and painted where needed. All the rings, bags, boxes and books were checked and sorted. They did a sterling job!

Highlights of census were: two Merlins, a Water Rail in the Wetlands, a Collared Dove at Nant and a female Bullfinch at Cristin.

Whilst Ewan and Greg were in the ringing lab I was removing the sink unit from the Lodge as we were having a new window fitted in the kitchen the following day.

Whilst dismantelling the water filter under the sink I discovered the ballast (the electrical controller) on the UV water filter in the obs was broken. Ok order a new one….  Two hours of web surfing and I gave up. I could have one shipped from Australia… by MAY !!  Or buy a whole new UV filter unit to be here by Friday! So we will have a whole new UV filter to fit when it arrives.

In the afternoon, I was required to become a star of the big screen again! A film crew doing a documentary about 'Spring on the farm' wanted to do a piece with me about farming and conservation. Gareth was the main star of the show of course. This will be aired on Channel 5 sometime later in the year.

Whilst filming on the Narrows, four Canada Geese flew over and headed south. 

Mark Carter, our former AW had been on the island since the previous Saturday helping Mari and Emyr. He had a couple of early Wheatears, a pair of Gadwalls and a Hooded Crow and a Painted Lady.

Gadwalls (C) MG Carter 10/3/25

Hooded Crow (C) MG Carter 13/3/25

Painted Lady  (C) MG Carter 13/3/25

Yesterday (Sat 15th) there were a few Chiffchaffs arrived and another couple of Wheatears today. 

Over the winter the WiFi connection bridge to the mainland broke, so we have had no WiFi - hense updates were sporadic until it was fixed.  

Monday the new staff (Greg and Ewan) arrive with Lynda and Mike (we hope).

2025 - A new year and a new team!

 It’s been a while since we posted here. 

Emma and I met up with Joe Brownlie (remotely) along with Greg (remotely) our new Assistant and Ewan (who came to our house in Norfolk. We did our staff inductions and got ready for working together.  

Emma (mostly) and I got our house in Norfolk ready and I finalised lots of the documents for the start of the season and completed the report to NRW. 

We eventually left Owlwood Cottage on 9 March, a bit behind schedule as we had both been quite ill in February (so much so we had to cancel meetings and a presentation in the midlands). 

Then we dashed through Rotherham and spent a day with my mum and took her out for a spot of lunch on Monday.We hoped to get to the island on Wednesday 12th. Lots of food was collected in Southport the following day, but the weather blew up and we had to cancel until Friday!

Lots of food was collected in Southport the following day, but the weather blew up and we had to cancel until Friday!

We left Southport and headed to Aberdaron over the Mersey bridge on a glorious morning.

Eventually getting on the sea about 2pm 

We arrived home 20 minutes later

Colin has done lots of work to Benlli over the winter and it has a new pink bottom!!

When we arrived back we found a tree had fallen and just missed the shed behind our house

Lots of unpacking and cleaning in our barn which had wintered very well, but we had a water issue! 

So into the heavens I went to find the problem. Ela standing on the ladder to save me from certain death!!

First night home and I realised how much I miss these sunsets!

Then, a wonderful welcome home meal with Meriel and Gareth and Ela - Diolch!

The wind calmed overnight to a brisk west-south-west, the sea was slightly quieter than hoped but a good passage of Mediterranean Gulls saw 383 logged south a new Island record! Also south were two Red-throated Divers, seven Manx Shearwaters, 94 Gannets, five Common Scoters, a Golden Plover, 84 Black-headed Gulls, three Common Gulls, seven Lesser Black-backed Gulls, 614 Kittiwakes, seven Guillemots and 2001 Razorbills. A total of 12 Swallows battled south with the Yellow-browed Warbler still in Plas Withy. 

Other birds logged today were a Merlin, a Water Rail, a Ringed Plover, three Whimbrels, four Purple Sandpipers, two Snipe, 12 Redshanks, two Common Gulls, 21 Black-headed Gulls, a Great Spotted Woodpecker, two Skylarks, six Chiffchaffs, three Goldcrests, 49 Choughs, 25 Starlings, four Chaffinches, three Goldfinches, a Siskin, 15 Linnets and three Reed Buntings. 

Common and Black-headed Gull © Ed Betteridge

An extremely windy day started very wet before clearing with winds hitting 81.6 mph during the evening, this combined with a high spring tide was some spectacular waves off the West Coast. Birds were thin of the ground due to the wind but out to sea the first Little Gull of the year battled south alongside two Manx Shearwaters, 46 Common Scoters, seven Mediterranean Gulls, a Common Gull, ten Black-headed Gulls, 278 Kittiwakes and 537 Razorbills pass.  

Other birds seen today was a Merlin, a Woodcock, five Lesser Black-backed Gulls, a Skylark, a Wheatear, a Redwing, 25 Starlings and two Chaffinches. 

Irish colour ringed Great Black-backed Gull in Solfach © Ed Betteridge

A calmer south-westerly with clear skies saw another push of migrants. Out to sea another 159 Mediterranean Gulls went south alongside 56 Common Gulls, 241 Black-headed Gulls, 348 Kittiwakes, a Sandwich Tern, 60 Common Scoters, nine Guillemots and 1346 Razorbills. Overhead a Water Pipit went high south-west over Cristin, this being the 13th record and first since 2021, along with 121 Skylarks and a Grey Wagtail. Finches totalled 64 Chaffinches, five Bramblings, three Greenfinches, 55 Goldfinches, 27 Siskins, a Lesser Redpoll and 36 Linnets. 

Other migrants today were three Manx Shearwaters, 139 Gannets, a Little Egret, two Merlins, two Water Rails, two Purple Sandpiper, three Snipe, 13 Lesser Black-backed Gulls, a Great Spotted Woodpecker, 147 Meadow Pipits, 39 Robins, 16 Stonechats, 11 Song Thrushes, 12 Redwings, two Blackcaps, six Chiffchaffs, seven Goldcrests, 45 Choughs, 112 Starlings and a Reed Bunting. 

Woodpigeon ringed at Cristin © Ed Betteridge

Chaffinch © Ed Betteridge

Greenfinch © Ed Betteridge

Strong southerly winds saw some passage off the West Coast with a Tufted Duck, 27 Common Scoters, 178 Mediterranean Gulls and three Arctic Skuas south. The Yellow-browed Warbler remained in Plas Withy with a Woodcock at Nant and the Withies. 

Migrant totals were six Manx Shearwaters, 65 Gannets, a Little Egret, two Grey Herons, two Merlins, a Golden Plover, two Snipe, a Whimbrel, four Common Gulls, six Lesser Black-backed Gulls, 683 Kittiwakes, 863 Razorbills, two Guillemots, a Great Spotted Woodpecker, eight Skylarks, eight Swallows, four House Martins, four Song Thrushes, four Redwings, four Chiffchaffs, eight Goldcrests, 46 Choughs, 101 Starlings, 31 Siskins, three Goldfinches and 24 Chaffinches. 

Chough © Ed Betteridge

Rock Pipit © Ed Betteridge