Friday 18 November 2016

The surprising highlight of the day came when a flock of 60 Wood Pigeons swooped over the Observatory and headed down into the Withies where they rested for some time. Wood Pigeons are a breeding bird on Bardsey in small numbers but during the autumn and winter months most leave the island, returning later. The Withies were fairly active with birds flitting in the warm morning sunlight, currently a long staying Willow Warbler is smashing the record for the latest record of this species, seemingly a happy habitant in the Withies, moving between the different willow crops. The two Siberian Chiffchaffs still remained and a single Chiffchaff, six Goldcrests and Water Rail were also present, the Water Rail deciding to break cover and fly straight towards the observer before realising and veering off course to dive into cover. A small number of Meadow Pipits were spread out through the Lowlands and amounted to five individuals and a pair of Stonechats perched on the fence lines at Carreg. Chough sightings are still sparse at the moment, birds are starting to make daily excursions to the Narrows and Solfach but numbers are still far fewer than the expected tens that turn up over winter, seven were seen today, other corvid highlights were four Ravens together soaring over the mountain. Additions included the Common Buzzard, Kestrel and Peregrine Falcon, Fieldfare, Song Thrush, Blue Tit and 250 Starlings.

Redshanks totalled eight around the Narrows, residing with three Turnstones, just up the West Coast 13 Mallards were seen and offshore a Gannet, 84 Black-headed Gulls, 38 Herring Gulls, four Greater Black-beacked Gulls, 120 Kittiwakes, seven Guillemots and 121 Razorbills were logged.

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