Tuesday 21 September 2021

We have been oh so blessed with the weather for the past many months now. We could do with more water falling from the skies overnight though!

Seal pupping continues at a fair old rate, with 17 of the 24 pups being recorded today.

Hello.... 

Gannets were seen offshore for most of the day in small numbers with 13 counted from the south end and 9 from the west side. Shag numbers were higher than normal as 44 were counted from the east face of the island, added to the 43 seven on Honwy, making 87. Three Grey Herons were seen, two on the Narrows and on on the east side.

Two each of Sparrowhawk and Buzzard were logged as was a single Peregrine.

Common Buzzard

The high tide wader roost was again productive, with 40 Oystercatchers, one Grey Plover, eight Sanderling (in Solfach), 11 Purple Sandpipers, one Dunlin, a Whimbrel, 68 Curlews, six Redshanks and 44 Turnstones. Three Snipes were seen in the Wetlands.

Sanderlings

Back out to sea, a Great Skua was seen from the South End - all skuas have been in very poor numbers this year as there have been very few days when it has been windy! A Mediterranean Gull was on Carreg yr Honwy. There were just five Black-headed Gulls, three Lesser Black-backs, 15 Herrings and 13 Great Black Backed Gulls along with 300 Kittiwakes from the South End. There were 51 Guillemots and 33 Razorbills recorded too.

The Collared Dove flock was at the Obs today, with 13 counted there, ten Wood Pigeons were widely scattered. The Great-spotted Woodpecker was in the Withies too.

Eight Skylarks flew over the Obs, but hirundine numbers were much reduced, with 27 Swallows and two House Martins being seen. 

migrating Skylark

Meadow Pipits were also down in number at 64, though Rock Pipits increased to 41; 11 on the South End and 30 on the Narrows.

Rock Pipit

A flava wagtail flew over the South End, three Grey Wagtails passed through and four Pied and ten White Wagtails were seen around the narrows and South End, with 12 unspecified albas on the Narrows too.

White Wagtail

The Whinchat was still at Ty Pellaf, 11 Stonechats were counted, and at least 25 Wheatears were seen, with a small arrival taking place late afternoon, many of which were Greenland birds

Some of the Wheatears in the late afternoon
Most of which were bright and rich Greenland birds of the race O.o.leucorrhoa

Two Whitethroats, five Chiffchaffs and six Goldcrests were the only warblers recorded... not even a Blackcap today!

The Chough flock is starting to increase, with 33 seen over the mountain. Three Ravens were seen from the South End and 148 Linnets were counted, 98 from the South End alone.

Fantastic sunset this evening

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