The F8 south-westerly blasted in overnight decided to remain today. All the various coves were filled with ample amounts of sea foam with more catching the breeze and floating over the island.

Lots of sea foam (C) Greg Lee

It wasn't until later on, however, that the birds would begin to show with a Sooty Shearwater being the main highlight of the morning seawatch. A visit to Solfach late afternoon by a guest was rewarded with excellent views of two Grey Phalaropes spinning in the churning waters and flying close to shore. Like many Grey Phalaropes that often turn up in such conditions on sheltered water bodies on the coast or even inland, they proved to be very tame and approachable. Things then picked up offshore with another seven Grey Phalaropes heading south joined by 13 Arctic Skuas, six Great Skuas, single Pomarine and Long-tailed Skuas, three Balearic Shearwaters, a juvenile Sabine's Gull and 545 Manx Shearwaters. 

Grey Phalarope (C) Greg Lee

Grey Phalaropes (C) Greg Lee

It was also a good day for waders with two Golden Plovers on the South End, with another two on the West Coast, 47 Curlews, one Dunlin, three Sanderlings, five Ringed Plovers and two Bar-tailed Godwits. 

A Wryneck was discovered on the South End, though proved to be more elusive, it feasibly is the same bird seen four days prior given that they can hide away if they wish. Four Goldcrests remained at Nant, two Wheatears were on the South End and 49 Linnets were on the Narrows. A bit of after dark dazzling proved to be successful with the first Sanderling of the year caught, four Ringed Plovers and singles of Dunlin and Redshank. 

Sanderling (C) Ewan Turner

We experienced the stillest conditions overnight for some days but it was soon a return to normal with the spells of rain and wind beginning to gust for the upcoming upheaval in the weather on Monday. Highlights of a period spent watching the sea included an adult Sabine's Gull, a Sooty Shearwater, a Balearic Shearwater and our first Curlew Sandpiper of the year, perhaps not surprising given the recent wave of these elegant waders to Britain. Despite, a decent bout of wader passage, Solfach appeared to be relatively quiet save for the day-by-day increase in Seal pups. A Bar-tailed Godwit and seven Sanderlings were grounded and feeding up in the frothing surf. 

Sanderling (C) Greg Lee

A decent stakeout in the Withies did yield some passerines, notably Plas Withy which was concealing singles of Spotted Flycatcher, Pied Flycatcher and two each of Goldcrest and Willow Warbler. A second Pied Flycatcher also remained in the Observatory garden. Another Goldcrest was also sheltering in the small withy by Ty Pellaf. 

On the insect front, a Hummingbird Hawk-moth briefly zoomed through the Observatory garden and Buff-tip caterpillar was found in Ty Pellaf Withy. 

Buff-tip Caterpillar (C) Greg Lee

A rather unusual start with a brief window to get the guests off the island and bring our next set in meant for a very early start for staff to do the weekly changeover. 

On the sightings front, things were a bit limiting with the continuing strong winds but despite conditions that don't hold much promise rather dominating the start to September, we've done rather well for ourselves which was further proved today with the discovery of our seventh (!) Hoopoe of the season briefly on Pen Cristin before vanishing around the East Side. The two Pied Flycatchers remained on the island, two Willow Warblers were in the Withies and several Goldcrests were scattered around. A Sparrowhawk was feasting on an unfortunate Woodpigeon in the garden. 47 Linnets were congregating on the South End and three Wheatears were still hanging on. 

Hoopoe (C) Steve Stansfield

Sanderling (C) Steve Stansfield

On the beach, a Knot, two Sanderlings and three Bar-tailed Godwits were present, three Grey Herons were loitering in the Wetlands and two Whimbrels were on the Narrows. Offshore, two Great Skuas passed off the North End. 

The Grey Seal Pups have had a recent surge in number with 24 now around the islands. A Silver Y was on the mountainside and four Small Coppers were on the wing.

Seal Pup (C) Steve Stansfield

The F6 south-westerly continued for the day with conditions remaining bright during the daylight hours.  Offshore, a modest passage highlighted by three Sooty Shearwaters and four Grey Phalaropes was enjoyed. Other counts included 14 Sandwich Terns, 10 Arctic Terns, one Arctic Skua, three Common Scoters, nine Fulmars, 36 Gannets and 149 Manx Shearwaters. 

Waders were also in decent supply with Solfach holding three Bar-tailed Godwits, two Ringed Plovers, two Sanderlings and a Knot (continuing a good showing of this species over the past fortnight). On the land, another Wryneck was briefly flushed from the scrub behind the Schoolhouse but remained stubbornly elusive, the track along the Mountainside is often popular for them. Two Pied Flycatchers remained, with one at Nant and the other at the Observatory garden. A Grey Wagtail flew over the Observatory and four Willow Warblers and a Chiffchaff were logged. Four Wheatears were distributed around the southern portion of the island. 

Knot (C) Phoebe Moss

The atypical sighting of a Seal pup idly sleeping on the grass in the middle of the Narrows was interesting, though everything was clearly fine as it had relocated back to its cove later in the day. Two Small Coppers remained in the Wetlands and a four Red Admirals were logged. 

Seal Pup on the Narrows (C) Greg Lee

A slight twist of the dial to a south-westerly breeze was enough to bring in some quality on the sea with a Sooty Shearwater racing down the West Coast, two Black Terns and a juvenile Long-tailed Skua past the South End, commoner fare including 34 Arctic Terns, 18 Sandwich Terns, 19 Fulmars, 182 Razorbills, 66 Gannets, one Arctic Skua and 165 Manx Shearwaters. A Ruff flying high south over the Wetlands was also a surprise, having been reported earlier in the morning from another coastal watchpoint. 

The highlight of the day came courtesy of the land, when a collection of Linnets was counted around the Gorse on the South End. One flock had landed on a Gorse bush, which the observer began totalling, whilst being fully aware there was something else sharing the bush. Once counting had finished, they finally paid attention to the "other" bird and was greeted by the distinctive cryptic patterning of a Wryneck, our first for the season of this classic autumn drift migrant and bang on cue for their mid-September peak arrival.  Fortunately, and quite unlike many of the Wrynecks that turn up on Bardsey, this bird was quite tolerant of human presence and decided to avoid the usual routine of diving into deep cover. Instead, it fed up on the areas of short turf, using the incredible long tongue to grab ants before eventually slinking off into the grass. Although this species is always an expected/anticipated scarcity on Bardsey, they have been rather thin on the ground in recent years with one record in 2023 and blank years in 2022 and 2024. Prior to this however, there have been some excellent years with a slew of records notably in 2016, 2020 and 2021, the former with 20+ bird-days. Here's hoping some more of these characterful birds appear over the next month.

Plenty of ants for the visiting Wryneck! (C) Greg Lee

Spot the Wryneck- a testament to the camouflage (C) Greg Lee

Otherwise, there were a few tidbits on the birding front, with a Little Egret on Pwll Ty Pellaf, two Willow Warblers, two Chiffchaffs, six Goldcrests, two Pied Flycatchers, a Firecrest at Nant, a Tree Pipit over the South End and a collection of Oystercatchers on the Narrows being joined by seven Turnstones. A small bit of hirundine passage was noted over the South End with two House Martins and 24 Swallows moving south before the wind began to pick up. 29 Curlews were also around the island with 27 feeding in the fields by Traeth Ffynnon. 

Insects were more obvious today after the wet weather from the previous day with two Small Coppers battling out on the South End, seven Red Admirals at the Observatory enjoying a provided feast of grapes and a Hummingbird Hawk-moth performing nicely on the Narrows. A Small White was still in the Wetlands along with a handful of Green-veined Whites. Meanwhile, three new Grey Seal pups were found on the seal census!

Hummingbird Hawk-moth (C) Greg Lee

A real washout for a day with spells of heavy rain limiting visibility offshore and causing Assistant Wardens to scramble into shelter to avoid getting too saturated in the horrid conditions. As expected passerine sightings were very limited with just a single Willow Warbler in the Withies, seven Robins and three White Wagtails. Waders were represented by 11 Curlews, a single Bar-tailed Godwit on Solfach, a Common Sandpiper, seven Turnstones, a Whimbrel and a Redshank. 

In the afternoon, the conventicle of Magpies at Ty Pellaf was given a brief scare by one of the Peregrines, who cruised by overhead. Two immature Grey Herons were on the Narrows whilst two Ravens cronked over the Mountain.

Curlews (C) Greg Lee

A Grey Seal count in the early evening numbered 139, with many of the Pups hiding from the strong waves. A Hummingbird Hawk-moth was also feeding up at Pen Cristin.

Unsettled weather dominated the day with rain coming through during the morning along with strong gusting winds from the south-east. The birding highlight came early doors with a Common Rosefinch calling away in the Cristin garden and showing briefly before vanishing. A few of these birds have been turning up elsewhere in the country over the past week.

Offshore, a brief movement of 101 Sandwich Terns, 36 Arctic Terns and two Common Scoters was noted but passage soon dried up. A single Teal was loitering with some Oystercatchers on the South End. A few waders were also present with a good count of 16 Sanderlings on Solfach along with eight Ringed Plovers, six Turnstones, five Bar-tailed Godwits, three Redshanks, three Dunlins and a Common Sandpiper. At least 39 Curlews were around the island, with a flock congregating on Pen Cristin, 14 Whimbrels were also mainly scattered around the Narrows and the West Coast and a Golden Plover flew over the Wetlands. 

Passerines were thin on the ground but a Pied Flycatcher remained in the Observatory garden and a  Blackcap was at Pen Cristin. Commoner migrants included seven Goldcrests, four Wheatears, three White Wagtails, two Willow Warblers and a Chiffchaff.

Two Painted Ladies were seen at Nant. 

The South End viewed from Pen Cristin (C) Greg Lee

Another day of quality with a good mix. The sea was first to deliver with highlights including a Grey Phalarope, an adult Sabine's Gull, an impressive adult Pomarine Skua, Balearic Shearwater, our first Black Tern of the year and a stream of terns including 66 Arctic Terns, 19 Sandwich Terns and 18 Common Terns plus two Arctic Skuas. 214 Razorbills south down the West Coast was also a fair tally. It was also a good day for gull passage with 34 Black-headed Gulls and singles of Common Gull and Mediterranean Gull.

At Nant, our second Nightingale of the year was caught along with a Pied Flycatcher. A similar effort at Cristin delivered another Pied Flycatcher along with our first Garden Warbler of autumn. Another Pied Flycatcher was present in the afternoon at the Observatory with another down in Plas Withy. Willow Warblers totalled six whilst Robins had decreased to four and a single Wheatear was between the Observatory and Ty Pellaf. Our second Great White Egret of the year also flew over the island heading south before disappearing low over the sea. Two Grey Wagtails would fly over during the day and three White Wagtails were on Solfach. 

Nightingale (C) Steve Stansfield

Pied Flycatcher (C) Steve Stansfield

A count of 207 Grey Seals was obtained across the island and there was a fair bit of invertebrate variety with singles of Hummingbird Hawk-moth and Migrant Hawker in the Observatory garden. Butterflies included five Small Coppers, two Painted Ladies and eight Red Admirals.

Horrid weather during the early part of the day with a substantial bit of rainfall early on to coincide with the strong south-easterly winds. As a result, the sea was rather quiet for passage with three Arctic Skuas being the most noteworthy sightings amongst small numbers of Manx Shearwaters, Gannets and Kittiwakes.

The Narrows proved to be a bit of wader-fest in the pouring rain with three Knots, four Bar-tailed Godwits, 20 Ringed Plovers, 14 Turnstones, four Sanderlings, 14 Dunlins, seven Purple Sandpipers, six Redshanks and three Common Sandpipers all being found. As well as this, seven Black-headed Gulls were amongst the larger gulls on Solfach. 

Knot and Oystercatchers (C) Greg Lee

Sanderling and Ringed Plovers (C) Greg Lee

A extended period in Cristin Withy also held some rewards with a Pied Flycatcher, a Spotted Flycatcher and a five Willow Warblers taking refuge in the relative shelter along with another of the latter at Nant where, the Collared Dove also reappeared. Other migrants included 13 Robins ticking around the bushes, five Goldcrests, one Blackcap, 11 Wheatears and seven White Wagtails. The Mallard flock around Solfach had also risen to 25 birds and the Kestrel made a reappearance over the Observatory.

Other wildlife were reduced in the wild weather but three Risso's Dolphins were sighted off the North End. 

A rather strange sighting of a rainbow in the middle of the night lit up by the large full moon (C) Greg Lee

Continued wind although conditions remained dry for the day. A Swift blitzed through the South End early doors and two Little Egrets were on the Narrows. Offshore, it was rather quiet in the south-easterly wind with five Common Scoters, 14 Dunlins and two Arctic Skuas being notable. A mix of waders were around with two Bar-tailed Godwits, 29 Curlews, eight Turnstones, two Dunlins and a Ringed Plover mainly around the Narrows/Solfach. 

Bar-tailed Godwit (C) Greg Lee

On the land, it was rather quiet with eight Wheatears, 10 Robins, three each of Willow Warbler, White Wagtail and Goldcrest, two Chiffchaffs and a Grey Wagtail noted. Butterflies were also thin on the ground with 15 Red Admirals mainly based around the Withies and the Observatory Garden as well as a Speckled Wood at Nant. 

168 Grey Seals including nine pups were counted on the island and a Risso's Dolphin was briefly showing off the South End. 

The seal pups are gaining size quickly (C) Phoebe Moss

An F4 SW continued through the day, as a result, with a deterioration in weather forecast for the upcoming days the staff had to do an impromptu changeover to welcome our next set of guests during the evening. 

The sea proved to be quiet with four Teals moving west, four Common Scoters, nine Fulmars, 27 Gannets, 25 Manx Shearwaters, 33 Razorbills, 12 Sandwich Terns and one Arctic Tern.

In Henllwyn, a Common Sandpiper was bobbing on the rocks with other waders including 25 each of Turnstone and Curlew along with two Whimbrels. It was a bit of a clearout in passerine migrants with 19 Robins, eight Wheatears, eight Willow Warblers, three Chiffchaffs, eight Goldcrests, three White Wagtails, a Grey Wagtail and a Whitethroat. 

Great Black-backed Gull and Herring Gull (C) Greg Lee

Other wildlife sightings included six Painted Ladies, 13 Red Admirals, three Small Coppers and two Migrant Hawkers. 

A calmer day with the breeze picking up into the afternoon. The sea was expectedly quieter with a handful of Terns moving offshore and three Arctic Skuas giving them grief. So it was up to the land to try and deliver some birds. 

As Greg was immersing himself deep into the recesses of Cristin Withy looking for migrants, he sighted a Spotted Flycatcher and a number of Robins and Willow Warblers. It was then that a pale, unstreaked, Acrocephalus Warbler with a notable supercilium briefly popped out from the understorey before diving deep back into the scrub, something that clearly didn't resemble just a standard warm-toned autumn Reed Warbler. After over an hour of frustratingly brief and tantalising views, mixed in with clear views of another Reed Warbler, clearly placed by the birding gods to sow doubt, Ewan came down to set-up a net, also getting a fleeting glimpse of the skulking bird. Fortunately, it didn't take too long to wait and our third Blyth's Reed Warbler of the year was in the net! There is still some gap to beat Hoopoe for most regularly occurring scarcity of the year, but you have to applaud the effort from a species that should be be heading to India. There are fewer autumn records on Bardsey historically of this species than spring, as silent individuals in autumn can be a bit of a quandary if views are insubstantial.

Blyth's Reed Warbler (C) Greg Lee

The emargination on two of the primaries (C) Steve Stansfield

The head pattern with the distinctive supercilium in front of the eye (C) Steve Stansfield

It continued to be a productive day on the island with two Redstarts including a smart male found behind the Schoolhouse, a Whinchat at Ty Pellaf (only the second of the autumn), two Blackcaps at Ty Pellaf, 20 Willow Warblers, six Spotted Flycatchers, 14 Robins and 11 Goldcrests. On the Narrows, a flock of eight White Wagtails was by the Boathouse and two Grey Wagtails flew over with another six recorded elsewhere. It was also a good day for Swallow movement with a decent pulse including a flock of 180 that descended over the Wetlands before vanishing south-west with the total count for the day being 235. 30 House Martins would also briefly drop in. 

Redstart (C) Greg Lee

Whinchat (C) Greg Lee

Waders were a bit quiet today but 29 Curlews, 15 Whimbrels and singles of Redshank, Dunlin, Turnstone and Bar-tailed Godwit were present. 

Away from the birds, 27 Red Admirals, four Painted Ladies, two Small Tortoiseshells, two Common Blues and an excellent 17 Small Coppers (they've been doing very well currently!) were recorded. Two Migrant Hawkers were also present and a brief sighting of two Risso's Dolphins was well-appreciated. 

Attention turned to the sea again this morning with a lashing of heavy rain first thing reducing visiblity dramatically. Once it had cleared, staff were set-up in position to take a look at the sea. 

Lighthouse with a cloudy backdrop (C) Greg Lee

The first Pomarine Skua of the year was the highlight, with a juvenile passing south but a pair of Knots flying past the West Coast were also a very nice sighting of this infrequent wader to Bardsey. There was some very light tern passage with 17 Sandwich Terns, 13 Arctic Terns, nine Common Terns and 30 Commic Terns seen off the North End. In addition, nine Arctic Skuas, 85 Common Scoters, 46 Gannets, 55 Manx Shearwaters, four Fulmars and 174 Kittiwakes were also logged.

The land was quiet in the strong breeze with a single White Wagtail, six Wheatears, six Willow Warblers, five Goldcrests, two Chiffchaffs and a Spotted Flycatcher across the island. A small and brief altercation between a Sparrowhawk and a Kestrel in the Observatory garden was an unusual sighting in the early evening. Whether the Sparrowhawk had thought it had lucked out with a large snack, only to realise they got more than they bargained for is unclear. 

One of many fresh young Meadow Pipits (C) Greg Lee

A Painted Lady on the South End was one of the few butterflies braving the winds, whilst the Grey Seal pups now numbered nine with another 188 adults distributed around the island. 

A day of good variety with the wind calming during the day and the conditions being overcast. The sea held some rewards with two Balearic Shearwaters and three Arctic Skuas, although a Ruff was the most unusual sighting, our first of the year. A Green Sandpiper also flew north early in the morning, only our second record this season. A movement of Lesser Black-backed Gull was also noted with 135 flying south over the course of the morning.

Grey Wagtails continued to move with a steady stream recorded overhead through the morning and a Yellow Wagtail alighted briefly on Solfach. The Withies held a mix of migrants during the day with 11 Willow Warblers, our first Blackcap of autumn, a Spotted Flycatcher, two Whitethroats and a Grasshopper Warbler. Over at the Observatory garden, a Pied Flycatcher was ringed and a pair of Goldcrests were squeaking away in the bushes. It was also evident that an influx of Robins had occurred with birds ticking in the Wetlands, Observatory garden, Ty Pellaf and the Withies. 

Willow Warbler (C) Greg Lee

This week we are hosting a Marine Mammal University week consisting of students from around the country to show them the world of cetacean and seal monitoring. So it was just as well a spectacular and prolonged display from a large pod of Common Dolphins occurred mid-afternoon on the calm waters. 

Staff and students watching the dolphins (C) Greg Lee

In the moth-trap, four Rusty-dot Pearls and a Rush Veneer hinted at some migration occurring on the southerly winds. 

Rusty-dot Pearl (C) Greg Lee

September started where August left off although the wind had dropped (only) to an F6. The sea was absolutely the place to be with a real mix of birds through the morning. The highlight of the show were two Great Shearwaters that worked their way south along the West Coast performing nicely for their observers and being reasonably close to the island. Considering the numbers seen off southern Ireland in recent days, it was hoped that one or two may have worked their way up the Irish Sea. Manx Shearwaters were in reasonable numbers with 1740 passing through over the course of the watching and a pronounced movement of Kittiwakes was noted early on before tailing off with other regular sea fare including 138 Gannets, 43 Fulmars, 69 Razorbills, 30 Common Scoters, 21 Arctic Terns, 18 Common Terns and 36 Sandwich Terns. Amongst the Manx Shearwaters, two Balearic Shearwaters and a single Sooty Shearwater passed south. Arctic Skuas totalled 20 with a mix of dark-phase and pale-phase birds and the menacing shape of a Great Skua was also picked out. The recent struggle of this species with avian flu making them scarcer than they once were. Two Grey Phalaropes also passed by and as the passage began to ebb, a Long-tailed Skua providing something of an encore for an enjoyable morning of seawatching.

One of the "closer" Arctic Skuas (C) Greg Lee

Sandwich Tern (C) Greg Lee

On the land, two Pied Flycatchers were new in at Nant and a Spotted Flycatcher was in the Observatory garden with two Goldcrests (another two were at Nant) and two Willow Warblers were recorded. Grey Wagtails also increased with five recorded on visible migration. Waders included two Bar-tailed Godwits down the West Coast, two Ringed Plovers, 19 Whimbrels, 11 Curlews and two Redshanks.

Other wildlife sightings included a Small Copper hiding near the Observatory along with 11 Red Admirals and the Grey Seal population totalled 190 animals. 

August went out like a lion with an F7 south-westerly blowing in all day. Mercifully, the heavy rain held off until late in the night, only slightly soaking the blog author on his return back to his night quarters. 

It was a day of quality over quantity on the sea with year-ticks in the form of three Roseate Terns and a smart juvenile Little Gull. The supporting cast included four Arctic Skuas, 68 Arctic Terns, 48 Sandwich Terns, 26 Fulmars, 84 Gannets and 422 Manx Shearwaters. 

Sandwich Tern on a stormy backdrop (C) Greg Lee

On the land, there was a mix of waders to be had including two Purple Sandpipers, singles of Ringed Plover, Dunlin and Bar-tailed Godwit, 13 Turnstones, 11 Whimbrels, two Redshanks and two Curlews. A Common Snipe was additionally flushed off the Wetlands. As expected passerine migrants were limited in the conditions but a Sedge Warbler was in Cristin Withy, three Wheatears were on the South End and a White Wagtail was on the Narrows. 

Turnstone (C) Greg Lee

Other fauna included a pod of three Common Dolphins off the North End and a Small Copper near Ty Pellaf was found hiding from the gusting winds.

Breezy today with an F8 south-westerly picking up later on and plenty of rain dropping in. Despite the wind, the sea was quiet with nine Common Scoters, 11 Fulmars, 24 Gannets and 128 Manx Shearwaters.

Migrants on the land included a Tree Pipit and Grey Wagtail at the North End, two White Wagtails on the South End, singles of Spotted Flycatcher and Sedge Warbler in the Withies and seven Willow Warblers. The Pied Flycatcher remained at the Observatory. Waders were represented by a Ringed Plover and two Common Sandpipers on the South End, seven Whimbrels, six Curlews and eight Turnstones. Four Grey Herons were also touring around the island, often in pairs. 

In the choppy waters off the West Coast, a Risso's Dolphin was briefly seen twice before vanishing. A Rosy Rustic was new for the year in the moth-trap, one of the classic moths of the late summer period.

The sky managed to clear up as night fell and it was another decent showing of the stars (C) Greg lee

A slight drop in the breeze today with the sun shining throughout which was sufficient enough to bring in some more migrants.

Notably, Grey Wagtails appeared to be on the move with nine birds recording, the distinctive sharp flight-call giving away their presence. Other visible migration was also to be had with three Tree Pipits and four White Wagtails flying in/off the sea, another two of the latter were on the South End.  A small increase in Willow Warblers was also evident with 17 across the island along with nine Goldcrests and the Pied Flycatcher was still sallying around the Observatory garden throughout the day. Seven Robins also hinted to a small influx of these familiar garden birds. Hirundine passage consisted of 36 Swallows and 11 House Martins. 

Bar-tailed Godwit and Oystercatchers (C) Greg Lee

An Arctic Skua off the North End was the best on the sea with only a light passage of Manx Shearwaters noted along with 29 Gannets and a Fulmar. Four Turnstones, nine Curlews and singles of Bar-tailed Godwit, Whimbrel, Redshank and Dunlin were the wader totals for the day. 

Nine Small Coppers continued their recent uptick in numbers with sites across the UK hinting at a good generation recently. A Painted Lady was on the South End and there were nine Red Admirals. 

Continued F6 south-westerlies today bringing more rain early on. The sea was quieter than hoped with only a light passage of Manx Shearwaters supported by smaller numbers of Gannets, Kittiwakes and Fulmars. The Pied Flycatcher in the garden resumed its stay for the third day and another was in the Plantation at Nant. Only three Willow Warblers and five Goldcrests were on land, with other migrants either non-existent or hunkered down out of sight. 

Rain clouds passing through the Sound (C) Greg Lee

This young Manx Shearwater was exploring the outside world during the night- some down is still present on the head. (C) Greg Lee

On the other hand, a count of the Grey Seals totalled 222 with another new pup on Carreg Yr Honwy found late in the day. Butterflies were also quiet in the breezy conditions with singles of Small Copper and Painted Lady on the South End and nine Red Admirals, the majority staying around the Observatory garden

Further spells of rain ensued overnight and a strong F6 south-westerly dominated the proceedings of the day. Periods spent watching the sea were rewarded with some moderate passage including our first Balearic Shearwater of the year off the West Coast, three Arctic Skuas, 95 Sandwich Terns, 25 Arctic Terns, 184 Kittiwakes, 116 Manx Shearwaters, 81 Gannets, nine Fulmars, six Razorbills and three Guillemots. 

Stormy waters from the South End hide (C) Greg Lee

Passerine migrants were thin on the ground with the Pied Flycatcher still lingering around the Observatory, eight Willow Warblers, five Goldcrests and a single White Wagtail. There was a small selection of waders to be had with six Redshanks, two Turnstones, seven Curlews, two Whimbrels and the Bar-tailed Godwit. 

Despite the winds, there were a few butterflies around with notably a resurgence in Small Coppers, with eight individuals seen across the island of this charming species. Two Painted Ladies were also whizzing around whilst a pair of Common Blues were seen in the Wetlands. 

A count of the Grey Seals in the turbulent weather yielded another pup on the coast.

Rain hammering on the roof overnight was a welcome sound and hopefully the forecast precipitation helps to rejuvenate the parched grass across the island. Despite the strong breeze, the seawatching was a relatively quiet affair with 481 Manx Shearwaters, 27 Gannets, eight Fulmars, 10 Razorbills, five Common Terns, seven Arctic Terns, 99 Kittiwakes, two Common Scoters and two Teals recorded.

Pied Flycatcher (C) Greg Lee

On the land, there were Pied Flycatchers at Plas Withy and the Observatory garden, five Willow Warblers and our first Reed Warbler of the autumn also in Plas Withy. Waders were in similar numbers to previous days with 42 Curlews on the Narrows, four Whimbrels, the Bar-tailed Godwit, 17 Turnstones, seven Redshanks, two Dunlins and a Purple Sandpiper. 

Teals (C) Greg Lee

Today's Grey Seal count totalled up to 188, with many sheltering from the stormy waters. A White-point in the moth trap was the first record for the year of this infrequent migrant, although this species has colonised southern England. 

The winds are starting to pick up for the week but it remained dry and sunny through the day. There were some considerable activity on the Narrows with 38 Turnstones, the ringed Bar-tailed Godwit, seven Redshanks, 50 Curlews, four Dunlins, five Ringed Plovers and a Purple Sandpiper. Two Mediterranean Gulls were feeding close offshore and two Sandwich Terns were on Solfach along with 14 White Wagtails. Some light hirundine passage was also noted with 40 Swallows and 33 House Martins over the island. 

Mediterranean Gull (C) Greg Lee

On the land, there were two Pied Flycatchers, with a bird in the Plantation at Nant and another on the rocks at Pen Cristin, the latter individual even landing on the observer's boot! Two Spotted Flycatchers were also at Nant along with the remaining Firecrest and there were seven Willow Warblers.

Other wildlife sightings included 191 Grey Seals, a Migrant Hawker at the Observatory, 16 Red Admirals, a Painted Lady and three Lion's Mane Jellyfish in Cafn.

It was a warm day with a gentle southerly wind and further sunshine. Four Spotted Flycatchers had dropped in with three at Nant and one at Ty Bach with a single Firecrest at the former site. A flava Wagtail flew over the Wetlands mid-morning, three White Wagtails were on Solfach and 50 Swallows headed north early on. Two Whitethroats appeared to be hanging around together in the Wetlands before later being seen near Carreg Bach and a Sedge Warbler was also hiding in the bushes along with three Willow Warblers. Perhaps most notable for us island-folk was a Blue Tit seen early in the Observatory garden before heading south, a first record of the season for a species that can even be easily seen coming up from the boat at Porth Meudwy and has bred on the island in the past!

It was a quieter day for waders with the lingering Bar-tailed Godwit on the Narrows, 27 Oystercatchers, nine Turnstones and singles of Ringed Plover and Dunlin. With the conditions still enough and the forecast predicting stronger winds coming up, a Storm Petrel session was carried out with 15 birds caught including five re-traps from elsewhere in the UK.

Solfach looking idyllic (C) Greg Lee

It was also a great day for marine mammal babies with two new Grey Seal pups discovered around the coast and a calf Harbour Porpoise seen with adults!

Grey Seal Pup (C) Phoebe Moss

Continued calm weather with plenty of sun to welcome our next set of guests onto the island on changeover day.

The birding highlight came fairly early doors when the distinctive flight calls of a Dotterel were heard and the wader was seen flying northwards over the Mountain. Later attempts in the afternoon to relocate the bird on the Mountain and Northwest fields were unsuccessful. Otherwise, it was a fairly steady day on the migration front with 12 Willow Warblers, two Whitethroats, three Goldcrests, two Chiffchaffs and a Sedge Warbler noted. White Wagtails have also began to appear with seven seen. 

Stonechat (C) Greg Lee

A single Bar-tailed Godwit was on Solfach along with ten Turnstones and three each of Purple Sandpiper and Dunlin were on the Narrows with a increase in Oystercatchers at the latter site to 26, after a drop in numbers post-breeding. 

Red Admirals continue to increase with 20 seen across the island along with two Painted Ladies, eight Small Whites, four Large Whites and a single Small Copper. 

Views across the Bardsey Sound from the Mountain (C) Greg Lee