Another wild and wet day on the island as the tail end of Hurricane Melissa hit us hard. Winds reached force ten during the morning, battering the coastline and making even short walks feel like a battle. The sea was far too rough to produce any visible passage, and visibility was poor throughout.

Despite the conditions, a few hardy Chaffinches and Goldfinches were still clinging to the feeders, riding out the storm as best they could. It’s been a quiet day for birds otherwise, with the weather dominating everything.

We’re hoping to get off the island mid-week, but that’s looking increasingly uncertain—we’ll have to wait and see if the wind drops enough to make it possible.

In the absence of anything new, here's a short video that I put together last week from a few clips when the weather was slightly nicer!!

After a few days of grim weather, today finally brought a break in the gloom. Sunshine bathed the island for much of the day, and the solar panels responded with a modest, but very welcome 4.3kWh—still barely enough to keep me and Emma powered up, especially with the amount of washing we’ve been doing lately!

Tŷ Capel and The Chapel in the morning sun

A quick trip to the Narrows produced a few bits of interest. Skylarks were on the move, with twenty-seven noted overhead, accompanied by a small passage of pipits. A decent count of 740 Starlings was also logged, swirling and chattering in loose flocks.

The bird of the morning was a toss-up between two brief but exciting encounters. A very vocal Richard’s Pipit gave me the runaround while I was scanning for new seal pups; heard clearly but never settled long enough for a proper look or any pictures. Moments later whilst in hot pursuit of said pipit, a Snow Bunting appeared in front of me, only to realise I was there and bomb off towards the lighthouse in a flash of white and cinnamon, but did hang around long enough for me to rattle off a few shots.

Snow Bunting -  nice little addition to the day © Steven Stansfield

A walk along the west coast in search of seal pups proved fruitless, but one new pup was seen on the Narrows. Unfortunately, her mother wasn’t present, so I wasn’t able to get the images we need for our site fidelity project.

a 'new' week to ten days old, seal pup © Steven Stansfield

the Solfach mob © Steven Stansfield

a fine fiery sunset © Steven Stansfield

The weather’s been rubbish lately—grey skies, persistent drizzle, and a biting wind that made even the hardiest think twice about venturing out. 

With little happening on the bird front, Emma and I are pressing on with packing up and tackling the end-of-year admin; always a mammoth task, but one that brings a sense of closure to the season.

So with not much to report from the island in terms of movement, we did receive a nice bit of news from across the Irish Sea.

One of our Bardsey-ringed Rock Pipits has been refound at Carne Harbour, County Wexford, Eire. The bird was originally ringed by Ed on 8 October 2024, part of a small passage of Rock Pipits that moved through during that week. It was seen yesterday (31 October 2025) by Micheal Noonan. This marks the first Irish sighting of one of our colour-ringed birds—a fantastic record.

The bird in question is almost certainly a Scandinavian individual of the subspecies Anthus petrosus littoralis, and was probably just passing through Bardsey on migration. It showed the characteristic much paler streaking and lacked the dark olive tones typical of our breeding nominate petrosus birds.

'Our' colour-ringed Rock Pipit in Ireland - Courtesy of Micheal Noonan

Detail of the ring... APD - Courtesy of Micheal Noonan

 So Halloween was a bit of a stormy washout birdies, the Long-tailed Tit flock still visited the garden and a few finches were still on the feeders.

Just a grey gloomy day!

We have been busy packing op the Obs and getting it all sorted for the winter. Here's a quick video of me getting all the bedding put in sealed bags for the winter super fast!

The day began with a welcome lull in the weather and clearer calmer conditions overnight. Winds were lighter than they’ve been for some time, and the early calm brought a brief window of decent visibility and dry conditions. However, by mid-morning things had deteriorated rapidly, with heavy rain and strong gusts making for horrendous conditions across the island.

The moon over the courtyard at Cristin © Steven Stansfield

A gloomy old day! © Steven Stansfield

In the midst of the worsening weather, a dramatic event unfolded when the Coastguard rescue helicopter arrived and hovered over Ogof Diban on the South End. One man was winched down into the Ogof, and shortly afterwards, two men were lifted out, maybe I missed the first one go down?? The nature of the incident remains unclear and I've not heard anything, so it was probably just a training exercise.

The Holyhead Coastguard rescue helicopter typically operates out of Caernarfon Airport,  
callsign Rescue 936, the Sikorsky S-92A is maintained by Bristow Helicopters Ltd © Steven Stansfield

One man in... © Steven Stansfield

...two men out! © Steven Stansfield

The overnight calm spell appeared to encourage a few new arrivals among the passerines. One Manx Shearwater was heard calling over Tŷ Pellaf just after midnight.

The first Yellow-browed Warbler since 19th was found at Nant, unringed and actively feeding. Two new Firecrests were also present there, along with a Great Spotted Woodpecker at the Observatory. The Cetti’s Warbler remained at Nant, continuing its stay.

New un-ringed Greater Spotted Woodpecker © Steven Stansfield

Offshore, one Great Northern Diver was seen off the West Coast.  Two Cormorants and four Shags were also logged offshore.

Raptors included a Sparrowhawk and a Merlin, both seen at Nant. 

A rather dull morning had me using slow shutter speeds, but it gave an arty impression to this near-adult male Sparrowhawk (and Goldcrest!) © Steven Stansfield

Water Rails were heard calling in Withies and Nant, and five Moorhens were recorded; three at the Observatory and two at Pwll Cain.

Wader counts included 18 Oystercatchers and 14 Curlews on the Narrows. Gull passage was steady, with 34 Mediterranean Gulls off the West Coast, two Common Gulls, three Lesser Black-backed Gulls, 14 Herring Gulls, and 29 Great Black-backed Gulls all noted around the Narrows.

Some of the 29 Great Black-backed Gulls on the narrows © Steven Stansfield

Among the passerines, five Skylarks were over Nant, 12 Meadow Pipits were on the Lowlands, and five Rock Pipits were on Solfach. Wrens totalled 12 and nine Dunnocks were recorded with eight Robins, with birds at the Observatory, Tŷ Bach, and Nant.

Five Blackbirds were present, mostly around the Observatory and Nant, and one Song Thrush was seen at the Observatory. Two Blackcaps were at Nant, along with two Chiffchaffs and one new Siberian Chiffchaff. Goldcrests were active, with 16 at Nant, and the two Firecrests were also there. Eight Long-tailed Tits between the Observatory and Green Lane, and singles of Blue Tit and Great Tit at the Observatory.

Some of the Long-tailed Tits have been here for a while and are wearing rings © Steven Stansfield

Corvids included 14 Magpies and 27 Choughs around the Narrows, eight Carrion Crows across the Narrows, Observatory, and Nant, and two Ravens between the Mountain and Observatory.

Finch passage brought 79 Chaffinches, with 45 at Nant and 34 at the Observatory. Fourteen Goldfinches and 12 Siskins were also logged at the Observatory.

Grey Seal counts were high again for the time of year, with 70 hauled out at Henllwyn and 120 on Solfach, both counted from the Observatory so there were probably more!

Some of the Grey Seals on Solfach © Steven Stansfield

Today brought bright and breezy conditions across the island, with a steady westerly wind keeping things fresh. Temperatures hovered around 11 degrees , and although cloud cover was variable, there were plenty of sunny spells throughout the day. Visibility remained excellent, and the wind, gusting up to 32 mph, added a lively feel to the otherwise pleasant autumn weather.

Away from recording birds, Emma and Steve have been packing up the Lodge for the winter and washing load after load of bedding - over 20 loads of sheets, duvet covers, mattress and pillow protectors and pillow cases, all washed, dried and folded in the past week.

one of the last loads of washing to be done

Offshore movement was notable first thing, with two Great Northern Divers seen off the West Coast, including one adult in full summer plumage again. A single Manx Shearwater headed south; Argentina-bound! while 34 Gannets and four Shags passed by steadily. Three Cormorants were on Carreg yr Honwy, and one Grey Heron was seen on the Narrows.

Wildfowl included three Wigeons and 14 Mallards on Solfach, while a female/imm Tufted Duck off the West Coast was the first of the year.

A single Merlin was over the north end, and a Water Rail was heard calling in Withies. Three Moorhens were at the Observatory.

Waders were again present in modest numbers, with 21 Oystercatchers at Henllwyn, four Curlews off the West Coast.

Gull passage was quite impressive today, with 228 Mediterranean Gulls moving along the West Coast, and as well as the spectacle, it was was particularly striking in the context of long-term trends. Between 1964 and 2004, we logged just 211 bird-days - 179 of those since 1998. But since 2004, the island has recorded a staggering 9287 bird-days (excluding this year). How times have changed.

Also seen were two Common Gulls, 14 Lesser Black-backed Gulls, 43 Herring Gulls, and 17 Great Black-backed Gulls. One Arctic Tern was also recorded offshore, along with 126 Kittiwakes and a movement of 338 Razorbills.

Overhead passage included 74 Skylarks over the Observatory, 27 Meadow Pipits across the Lowlands and West Coast. A single Grey Wagtail was seen at the Observatory.

Resident and migrant passerines included six Wrens, four Dunnocks, four Robins, and nine Blackbirds. A lone Song Thrush was also present. Just one Chiffchaff today - at Ty Pellaf and two Goldcrests at the Observatory.

Long-tailed Tit

The tit flocks was still here, with 12 Long-tailed Tits, and singles of Blue Tit and Great Tit. 19 Magpies were logged, mostly around Ty Pellaf, and 24 Choughs were seen feeding on Solfach. 23 Carrion Crows were around the Narrows, and 14 Ravens were seen over the Observatory and the Mountain.

Starling numbers were down on yesterday's arrival, with just 600 moving across the lowlands. Finch passage included was also down, with 245 Chaffinches, one Brambling, 23 Goldfinches, 16 Siskins, and two.

The day ended with a great sunset over the Irish Sea.

Sunset © Steven Stansfield

A lively and blustery day brought strong westerlies and excellent visibility, setting the stage for some impressive movement. 

Offshore, two Great Northern Divers were seen off the West Coast, one of them an adult in summer plumage. Gannets trickled through in small numbers, with 14 noted, and 16 Shags were logged, 14 at Henllwyn and two on Solfach. Henllwyn also held 12 Cormorants and a lone Grey Heron.

Grey Heron, Grey Seals and waders © Steven Stansfield

Wildfowl were scattered across the Narrows, where the regular five Wigeons joined 26 Mallards. A Peregrine powered over Tŷ Pellaf, while Water Rails called from both the Withies and Nant. Three Moorhens lingered around the Observatory.

Waders were well represented. The Narrows held 46 Oystercatchers and 14 Turnstones, and eight  Purple Sandpipers appeared, the first for some time. 

Purple Sandpipers © Steven Stansfield

Solfach produced a Bar-tailed Godwit and two Whimbrels (one of which was colour-ringed from September 2024) while Henllwyn added 22 Curlews and two Redshanks.

This Whimbrel was ringed here on 28 September 2024 © Steven Stansfield

Curlew over the sea © Steven Stansfield

Gull passage saw 65 Mediterranean Gulls moved off the West Coast, accompanied by an adult Little Gull, four Lesser Black-backed Gulls, 27 Herring Gulls, and 25 Great Black-backed Gulls on the Narrows. Offshore counts also included 75 Kittiwakes and 224 Razorbills.

Overhead passage was strong, with 36 Skylarks and 34 Meadow Pipits moving south, plus a single Swallow over the Narrows. On Solfach, 20 Rock Pipits were joined by nine more at Henllwyn, including 12 presumed Scandinavian Rock Pipits and a the regular Water Pipit among them. Two Pied Wagtails were also noted on Solfach.

Water Pipit © Steven Stansfield

Wrens were ever present, with 28 logged across the island, with 15 Dunnocks and 15 Blackbirds scattered across the usual haunts, while two Song Thrushes and two Redwings were seen along with a single Blackcap.

Warblers were thin on the ground, with just two Chiffchaffs and four Goldcrests. The tit 'flock' comprised 12 Long-tailed Tits today, plus the Blue Tit and Great Tit.

Corvids were busy, with 32 Magpies spread across Tŷ Pellaf, the Lowlands, the Narrows, and Nant. 28 Choughs fed on Solfach, three Carrion Crows were on the Narrows, and 18 Ravens flew over the Observatory and the Mountain.

Lammergier Raven (!!) © Steven Stansfield

Carrion Crow © Steven Stansfield

Starling passage was dramatic, with 2,556 sweeping across the West Coast and Narrows. 

Flocks of up to 200 strong Starlings were moving through  © Steven Stansfield

All congregations on the Narrows © Steven Stansfield

and looking smart in the morning sun © Steven Stansfield

Finch movement was equally impressive, with 2,243 Chaffinches heading south in large flocks over the Observatory and West Coast. These were accompanied by 16 Bramblings, 46 Goldfinches, 287 Siskins, 24 Lesser Redpolls, six Linnets, and two Greenfinches.

One of hundreds of Chaffinches that dropped into the garden © Steven Stansfield

Goldfinches were on the feeders all day © Steven Stansfield

A new seal pup was seen on the Narrows, the first for some time, with 124 adults in Henllwyn and 88 more on Solfach, plus six hauled out on the South End.

New pup © Steven Stansfield

New mum! © Steven Stansfield

Henllwyn haul-out © Steven Stansfield

you looking at me? © Steven Stansfield

A mild and bright day brought good visibility across Bardsey, with a continued strong westerly wind. Offshore movement was modest, with six Shags seen off the West Coast and 120 Razorbills passing steadily. A single Arctic Skua was also recorded offshore.

Wildfowl remained consistent, with five Wigeons on the Narrows pond and eight Mallards on Solfach. A Peregrine was seen over the Mountain, and a Water Rail was heard calling in Withies. Three Moorhens were again present at the Observatory.

Waders were represented, with 23 Oystercatchers at Henllwyn, 14 Curlews, and four Turnstones off the West Coast. Mediterranean Gull numbers dropped slightly, with five seen offshore.

Among the passerines, five Wrens were at the Observatory, and eight Dunnocks were logged — six around Tŷ Pellaf and two at the Observatory. Four Blackbirds were also present. Tit flocks included  just seven Long-tailed Tits, and the regular Blue Tit and Great Tit.

Wren © Steven Stansfield

Corvids included six Magpies on the Lowlands, four Choughs at the Observatory, six Carrion Crows on the Narrows, and three Ravens on the Mountain.

On Solfach, 23 Rock Pipits and five Scandinavian Rock Pipits added to the diversity. Finch passage included 16 Chaffinches (split between the Observatory and Tŷ Pellaf), nine Goldfinches, and 14 Siskins. 

A breezy day and quite wet day with variable cloud and sunny spells. Offshore, three Shags passed along the West Coast, and a single Cormorant was on Carreg yr Honwy. Wildfowl remained unchanged, with five Wigeon on the Narrows and eight Mallards on Solfach.

A Water Rail was again heard in Withies, and two Moorhens were at the Observatory. Wader numbers were low, with six Curlews off the West Coast.

Mediterranean Gulls continued to move, with 34 seen off the West Coast. Also offshore were 14 Kittiwakes and 85 Razorbills.

Passerines included six Wrens, six Robins, three Dunnocks and six Blackbirds. 

Robin © Steven Stansfield

Tit numbers were steady, with five Long-tailed Tits, and singles of Blue Tit and Great Tit. 14 Magpies were around Tŷ Pellaf, and six Choughs were on Solfach. five Carrion Crows were at North West Fields, and two Ravens were seen on the Mountain.

Finch passage was lighter, with just eight Chaffinches, 13 Goldfinches and two Siskins at the Observatory.

A strong westerly breeze brought bright skies and excellent visibility across the island. Offshore, a single Great Northern Diver was seen moving south off the West Coast and over the Withies. 

Great Northern Diver © Steven Stansfield

Gannet passage was light, with six birds recorded off the West Coast, while two Shags were seen on Solfach and two Cormorants were at Henllwyn.

Wildfowl included five Wigeons on the Narrows and three Mallards on Solfach. Most notable was a group of six White-fronted Geese on the Narrows pond. A Water Rail was heard calling in Withies, and three Moorhens were at the Observatory.

Wader activity included four Curlews off the West Coast and five Turnstones on Solfach. Gull numbers were notable, with 18 Mediterranean Gulls moving along the West Coast, with other gulls included 32 Great Black-backed Gulls, 12 Lesser Black-backed Gulls and 125 Herring Gulls. Just three Kittiwakes and 98 Razorbills were seen offshore.

Passerines included six Wrens, five Dunnocks, two Stonechats in the Green Lane, four Blackbirds, and two Song Thrushes. A single Redwing was at Withies, and two Blackcaps were at the Observatory. Five Long-tailed Tits, and singles of Blue Tit and Great Tit were sheltering from the raging winds..

Corvids included 22 Magpies (mostly around the Narrows and Tŷ Pellaf), 11 Choughs on Solfach, five Carrion Crows on the Narrows, and two Ravens at the Observatory. Finch passage brought 14 Chaffinches and 25 Goldfinches in the Observatory garden and 20 Starlings were seen over the Narrows. 

A real washout of a day. The westerly wind brought with it heavy rain spells and rough seas, which, coupled with staff and guests packing up for a departure in the afternoon, meant coverage was limited. A few gazes at the sea when visiblity allowed showed that it was mostly quiet, however, the first White-fronted Geese of the year were seen flying into the Sound from the North End as well as a Great Skua and two Arctic Skuas passing off the West Coast. Down in the Withies, a single Firecrest was picked out amongst a small scattering of Goldcrests and Chiffchaffs. The Long-tailed Tits continued to roam around the Withies and the Observatory Garden, where a Blue Tit and Great Tit also spent much of the day making use of the birdfeeders and left out apples, which were also popular with a Blackcap and a couple of Blackbirds. Our long-staying Cetti's Warbler remained at Nant and the Water Pipit was still on Solfach where two Ringed Plovers, two Redshanks and 22 Turnstones were also spotted, 

Mercifully, the wind slackened in the afternoon and even some sunshine broke out. As a result, it was all hands on deck departing the island with Ewan and Greg leaving for the season along with volunteer Rosie, Connor and the final set of guests for the year with just Steve and Emma remaining to finish closing up the Observatory for the long winter. Just as they were leaving on the boat, a rainbow broke out seemingly arcing over the entirety of the Mountain, quite the stunning parting gift from the island!

Rainbow over the Mountain (C) Greg Lee

The weather increased to an F7 westerly bringing lots of rain in until mid-afternoon. As a result, most of the day was spent by the staff preparing the Observatory for the end of the season as well as their own luggage in case of a premature exit off the island tomorrow, with the weekend looking pretty foul for a boat crossing. 

Despite some excellent counts of large Shearwater species off Pembrokeshire today, our own dedicated watchers weren't able to replicate much success although singles of Great Northern Diver and Sooty Shearwater would pass off the West Coast when visibility somewhat improved. A few finches made their way through early in the day, the majority being Chaffinches with a total of 418 moving north along with 150 Siskins and four each of Brambling and Greenfinch. Seven Fieldfares were a marginal increase on recent days and 11 Skylarks trickled overhead. A Merlin and a Golden Plover were off the West Coast.

The Seals were enjoying a haul out on Solfach. (C) Steve Stansfield

The wind dropped down for what will be the last still day of the season with plenty of sunshine to be enjoyed too. Despite this, the fairly strong westerly winds overnight had not prompted an arrival of migrants with the cast mostly being now quite familiar faces from the past week or so. The Water Pipit was still performing on Solfach throughout the day, the Cetti's Warbler remained at Nant and the Little Owl was rediscovered at the North End. Goldcrests totalled 33 and there were just nine Chiffchaffs in the bushes as well as the ringed Siberian Chiffchaff. 

Offshore, a total of 640 Black-headed Gulls, 220 Mediterranean Gulls, six Common Gulls, a Little Gull and a single Arctic Skua moved past on the calmer seas. Two each of Wigeon and Teal remained around the island. 52 Curlews along the West Coast was a good count and other wader totals included 21 Turnstones, three Ringed Plovers and the lingering Bar-tailed Godwit, Grey Plover and Whimbrel. The Ravens were clearly up to something with 17 descending over the Narrows briefly in the morning although they were outshined by 25 Rooks also on a day visit to the island.  The Choughs were also enjoying themselves with a total of 27 on Solfach. 

Corvids on Solfach (C) Steve Stansfield

Finch passage consisted of 44 Chaffinches, 11 Greenfinches, 12 Siskins, 42 Linnets, 22 Goldfinches and a Lesser Redpoll. A chance glance at the Heligoland trap also delivered a fine Brambling. 75 Skylarks, 87 Meadow Pipits, 144 Starlings and nine Reed Buntings were the best of the rest seen on visible migration. 

Brambling (C) Steve Stansfield

A strengthening westerly wind through the day made the birding difficult on the island. Attempts at seawatching were short-lived with 28 Common Scoters, 400 Razorbills, two Guillemots, and five Manx Shearwaters being notable. Our first sighting of a Purple Sandpiper for a few weeks came from the Narrows with singles of Lapwing and Grey Plover, Bar-tailed Godwit and three Ringed Plovers all providing wader interest.

Water Pipit (C) Steve Stansfield

Yesterday's Water Pipit remained on Solfach amongst a healthy scattering of Rock Pipits, often feeding amongst the impressive numbers of Seals hauled out from the rough seas. Another congregation of gulls was also enjoyed with 74 Herring Gulls, 12 Mediterranean Gulls, two Common Gulls and 64 Black-headed Gulls counted. Overhead passage was somewhat limited with 301 Starlings, 28 Skylarks, a single Grey Wagtail and small numbers of Chaffinches, Goldfinches, Siskins and Linnets. At least three Bramblings, four Lesser Redpolls and two Greenfinches were also picked up on the move. Just nine Chiffchaffs and 18 Goldcrests were in the bushes, with a roving flock of Long-tailed Tits failing to attract the attention of any unusual stragglers though three Firecrests at Nant were found in the afternoon. The ringed Siberian Chiffchaff continued its stay in Cristin Withy. Thrushes were represented by 15 Blackbirds, six Redwings and four Song Thrushes.

Mynydd Mawr and Braich y Pwll bathed in the evening sun from the Nant Plantation (C) Greg Lee

In the evening, we enjoyed our end of season curry night with a fabulous offering of different curries provided by guests and staff alike. 

Curry Night and satisfied diners (C) Steve Stansfield

The weather seemed to be more amicable than the forecast had suggested and it was a very pleasant autumnal day on Bardsey with ample amounts of sunshine and the wind dropping down relatively early. 

The highlight of the birding was a Water Pipit found on Solfach amongst an influx of 50 Rock Pipits to the island. The bird wasn't the easiest to connect with but stayed around for the day enjoying the piles of seaweed offerings on the beach. Visible migration also continued for the day with a Lapland Bunting over the South End, three Lesser Redpolls, three Crossbills, 196 Chaffinches, five Bramblings, nine Greenfinches, 21 Siskins, 44 Goldfinches, two Swallows, 91 Starlings and 55 Skylarks. At Nant, the Treecreeper remained in the Plantation and the Cetti's Warbler was quite vocal in the undergrowth. 31 Goldcrests were around the island along with 28 Chiffchaffs, 27 Robins, 12 Blackcaps, two Siberian Chiffchaffs and five Firecrests. Two Great Tits, two Blue Tits and a Coal Tit continued the recent showing for this group of birds whilst the roaming Long-tailed Tit flock numbered ten. 

Greenfinch (C) Greg Lee

Corvids enjoyed a busy day too with five each of Jackdaw and Rook over the Narrows, a reappearance of the Hooded Crow, 33 Carrion Crows and 58 Magpies. There were now two Grey Plovers on Solfach along with five Ringed Plovers and a Jack Snipe was flushed from the Wetlands. Gulls had also increased in number as 77 Herring Gulls descended on the Narrows along with 128 Mediterranean Gulls, 90 Black-headed Gulls, 53 Common Gulls and 11 Lesser Black-backed Gulls mostly passing by the South End and West Coast.

Away from the birds, a Migrant Hawker at Nant was the first sighting this month.

A very miserable and wet start to the day with gloomy low cloud and a strong south-easterly wind blowing, bringing a fine mizzle that threatened to soak the unwary through to the skin. Eager eyes still risked the weather and headed outside although the birds for the most part were wisely keeping low. A new unringed Yellow-browed Warbler in Cristin Withy was the best discovery of the day, being caught and ringed when the wind dropped later in the afternoon, our fourth contribution to the Yellow-browed project this year whilst the ringed Siberian Chiffchaff also made an appearance. The Cetti's Warbler was rediscovered in the dense vegetation at Nant, having been off the radar for a couple of days. Commoner migrants included 20 Chiffchaffs, 20 Goldcrests, two Firecrests, 14 Blackbirds, six Redwings and seven Blackcaps. A few glances at the sea were made sporadically with 556 Kittiwakes, six Manx Shearwaters, 33 Mediterranean Gulls, five Common Gulls and a Black-headed Gull. 

Yellow-browed Warbler (C) Steve Stansfield

A Sanderling and Grey Plover were on Solfach whilst a single Jack Snipe and two Common Snipes were flushed from the Wetlands. 

A quieter day as the unsettled weather system begins to make an appearance. Goldcrest and Chiffchaff numbers had dropped to 18 each and the supporting cast of two Firecrests, 27 Robins, 10 Blackcaps and a single Yellow-browed Warbler made for slim pickings. Thrushes were thin on the ground too with 11 Blackbirds, seven Redwings, five Song Thrushes and a single Fieldfare. Visible migration was reduced to a trickle with two Siskins, four Skylarks, a single Grey Wagtail, 21 Chaffinches and 29 Starlings recorded.

On the other hand, it was a better day for waders with 35 Turnstones, 37 Curlews, five Redshanks, three Snipes, two Lapwings and singles of Bar-tailed Godwit, Grey Plover, Jack Snipe, Sanderling, Ringed Plover and Whimbrel.

The south-easterly wind was not perhaps the most conducive for seawatching but a passage of gulls occurred early in the morning off the South End with totals equalling to 715 Kittiwakes, 328 Mediterranean Gulls, 298 Black-headed Gulls, 322 Common Gulls, 46 Lesser Black-backed Gulls, 27 Herring Gulls, 11 Great Black-backed Gulls and a single Little Gull. In addition, two Arctic Skuas, two Manx Shearwaters, 1100 Razorbills and a single Guillemot passed by. Wildfowl counts included the single Pintail lingering in the Wetlands, four Teals on the West Coast, three Wigeons and 19 Mallards.

Pintail (C) Greg Lee

At least two Merlins were dotted around with a brief appearanace of one of the local Peregrines over the Mountain. 

With a star-filled sky during the night without a wisp of cloud plus little to no wind, it perhaps wasn't a surprise that many of the migrants took the opportunity to move on. Visible migration was reduced on the whole though a trickle of finches were present including 61 Goldfinches, 73 Siskins, 75 Linnets, 27 Chaffinches, seven Greenfinches, five Crossbills, four Bramblings and three Lesser Redpolls. A Lapland Bunting flying north over the South End was only the second for the season and ten Reed Buntings were heard in various places. A push of 95 Skylarks was also noted, with a constant trickle through the day as were seven Swallows, seven Grey Wagtails and 67 Meadow Pipits.

A brilliant night for star-gazing (C) Connor Stansfield

On the ground, it was a rather similar picture with highlights including the lingering Yellow-browed Warbler and ringed Siberian Chiffchaff in Cristin Withy, the Treecreeper at Nant and singles of Coal Tit, Blue Tit and Great Tit. A flock of 17 Long-tailed Tits seemed to enjoy doing a tour of the island throughout the day. It is always worth gleaning the flocks of the gregarious little birds as they tend to attract other species tagging along including various warblers, Goldcrests and Firecrests. The Pintail was still loitering in the Wetlands, enjoying the various pools, as were three Teals and two Wigeons. Commoner migrant totals for the day included 47 Robins, 16 Stonechats, 27 Blackbirds, 16 Song Thrushes, 26 Redwings, 34 Chiffchaffs, 33 Goldcrests, 27 Blackcaps, four Firecrests and a late Garden Warbler in the dense withy by the Chapel. The latter being perhaps a bit frustrating as you could hope for another larger, paler relative of the Garden Warbler at this time of year... On the West Coast, singles of Black Redstart and Wheatear were present. 

Garden Warbler (C) Greg Lee

Sightings of smaller gulls continued with 42 Black-headed Gulls, six Common Gulls and seven Mediterranean Gulls passing offshore. A Lapwing was at the North End and five Redshanks were on Solfach along with 13 Turnstones. Interestingly, there appears to be no less than five Water Rails currently on the island at the moment, with seemingly one hiding in each Withy as well as the vocal bird at Nant. 

Two Common Dolphins were seen off the West Coast.