Alongside this, a very good selection of species showed up on the land. By far and away the highlight was a Nightingale seen briefly at Nant Withy, the first seen since 2014 and only the 47th sighting for Bardsey. A Lesser Whitethroat in Cristin Withy appeared very sandy brown on the back, with the brown colour extending into the nape. It thus appeared a good candidate for an eastern subspecies like Blythii, but, typcially, it disappeared as soon as we got cameras to the scene and opened up mist nets! It was surprisingly the first of the autumn, and a good sighting at any rate, but one we can't help but feel got away.
Other highlights of a fine day included a small arrival of atypical migrants, with four Great Spotted Woodpeckers, two Blue Tits and two Coal Tits. A Pied Flycatcher was in the Obs garden, a Whinchat was near Ty Capel and a Mistle Thrush briefly on the Mountainside. However, more common migrants were thin on the ground, apart from 130 Goldcrests and 46 Robins. Warblers seen were six Chiffchaffs, five Blackcaps and reasonably late singles of Willow Warbler and Whitethroat. Also seen were four Song Thrushes, and a single Water Rail remained in the Withies.
Stonechat, Ephraim Perfect; Ephraim's Bird Blog |
Gulls were, once again, the only obvious signs of migraton on an otherwise quiet sea. 1100 Kittiwakes and 735 Black-headed Gulls were seen, the latter being the peak count so far this year, and another very good day for Mediterranean Gulls saw 49 seen mixed in with these flocks. Eight Common Gulls were also to be seen, while off the South End in the morning two Sabine's Gulls went west in relatively quick succession. Five Sandwich Terns and two Arctic Terns were also mixed in with the gull flocks, while several of the six Arctic Skuas and two Great Skuas were harrying this bonanza of potential victims. Otherwise six Common Scoters, 82 Gannets and 119 Razorbills moved through, amongst the latter was just a single Guillemot.
The highlight of a small selection of Waders was two Lapwings on the North End, the first sighting in almost a month. A Ringed Plover flew over the Wetlands, from which a Snipe flushed up, while on the Narrows were 64 Curlews, three Whimbrels (including the colour-ringed bird that's been ever-present for 13 months now!) and two Sanderlings.
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