Today saw a strong wind with some rain showers passing through. Birds were thin on the ground but Curlew numbers continue to grow with 18 today. Also seen today was a Common Sandpiper around the Narrows. 

Most of the day was spent inputting the ringing data from all the seabirds ringed over the last month. As a result, we now know that this year we have ringed the most Shags, Puffins, Razorbills and adult Guillemots then any other year in the last 70 years of Bardsey Bird Observatory! Hopefully this will result in lots of important data on survival and movement of these species. 

A colourful Peach Blossom was the highlight from the moth traps © Ed Betteridge

This evening was again spent monitoring and catching Manx Shearwaters. In total 136 new birds were ringed with 38 retraps caught including birds ringed in 1992, 1997 and 2001!

Manx Shearwater ringed as an adult in 1992 and not seen since 2003! © Ed Betteridge

It was another quiet day in terms of migration on the Island, however the first Hobby of the year was sighted flying south over Cristin garden late in the morning. 

Hobby © Ollie King

Today were round the East Side again, focussing on gull and auk monitoring. We ended up ringing 23 Guillemots (21 pullus, 2 adults), eight Lesser Black-backed Gull, seven Herring Gull and three Shag chicks during the session. 

Lesser Black-backed Gull chick © Ed Betteridge

Guillemot chick - not far off fledging! © Ed Betteridge

Last night saw yet another successful Manx Shearwater around Nant with many easily seen. Fortunately, the weather this morning was foggy and damp which meant a lie in was in order after the late night work.  

Guests enjoying the Manx Shearwaters up close © Steve Stansfield

Birds were few and far between but nine Curlews were on Carrag y Honwy once the fog cleared.

Passerine ringing has been slow recently but four juvenile Wrens today were the first of the season
© Ed Betteridge

With wet weather this morning, last night was spent in the North West Fields ringing Manx Shearwaters with 108 ringed and 40 retraps including two birds ringed in both 2001 and 2003.

Manx Shearwater  © Ed Betteridge

Elsewhere, the Shelducks still have eight ducklings in Solfach and the Mallard brood at Nant is still going strong with eight almost fully grown chicks. Three Curlews were still around the Narrows and a Starling was at Ty Pellaf.

Freshly hatched Oystercatcher chick © Ed Betteridge

The moth trap has continued to deliver with a few Island scarcities of Small Blood Vein (forth Island record), Purple Clay (first for two years) and the first Island record of Latticed Heath.

Swallowtail  © Ed Betteridge

A brighter day today with clear skies but still a brisk wind. Birds included two Curlews on the Narrows, the Grasshopper Warbler still reeling in Ty Pellaf Reedbed and three freshly fledged Pied Wagtails at Cristin.

Swallow © Ed Betteridge

Steph started tagging Manx Shearwaters with a further five tagged today; all this birds are still incubating however, yet more early birds are beginning to hatch with another rather cute chick found today.

Manx Shearwater chick Swallow © Ed Betteridge

New tags with a hinged solar panel! Swallow © Ed Betteridge

A drier but still windy day saw little turnover in terms of avian life. The only birds of note were three Collared Doves that blogged around the Island before pitching up at Ty Bach.

Steph Harris arrived on the Island yesterday for the next seven week were she will be tagging another 60 Manx Shearwaters in collaboration with Bangor University. During the afternoon we went to look for more accessible burrows that could be tagged tomorrow; this resulted in finding the first chicks of the year!

A rather cute Manx Shearwater chick!  © Ed Betteridge

Strong wind during the morning meant for a slightly different changeover with guests not leaving until 16:30! Like the last few days the morning was spent at the computer however, two potter traps were set in the front garden and successfully caught two juvenile Moorhens! These were both fitted with a colour ring to aid the UK wide study into Moorhens movements. 

A young Moorhen with its new colour ring!

Migration is still slow but a Swift headed south, a Black-headed Gull was off the West Coast and nine Curlew were on Carrag y Honwy.                                                

Last night we had another successful Storm Petrel ringing season with guests with a total of 15 new birds and two retraps including a bird ringed last week on the Llyn. And of course you can't ring Storm Petrels without catching a few Manx Shearwaters with a handful caught. 

Storm Petrel © Steve Stansfield

Guests enjoying the opportunity to handled a Storm Petrel © Steve Stansfield

The weather was again wet and windy so the day was spent inputting some of the 100's of seabird ringing data collected over the last month. This included looking through some of the recoveries which included an adult Razorbill trapped on 16th May at Seal Cave that was originally ringed as a chick on Fair Isle in 2009. 

Razorbill © Ed Betteridge

Today saw the third and final visit to the Gwylan Islands to finish monitoring and ringing the breeding seabirds. However, the weather almost but a stop to this with dense fog but the flat calm seas and radar meant we could still go...

Atmospheric boat trip © Ed Betteridge

Manx Shearwater © Ed Betteridge

For most of the morning we were immersed in fog which gave it a slightly eerie feel being on a uninhabited island. However, this didn't stop play with 28 Guillemots chicks and four adults ringed. This was followed by a look for any gull chicks that hadn't been ringed yet with 13 Great Black-backed Gulls, two Lesser Black-backed Gulls and 20 Herring Gulls ringed. A further ten Shags were ringed with the day ending ringing 14 Puffins and 25 Pufflings

One of four adult Guillemots ringed © Ed Betteridge

A rather cute Puffling © Ed Betteridge

Some of the Great Black-backed Gulls are now very large and able to fly © Ed Betteridge

Also seen of the Gwylans was a rather unexpected Song Thrush sat on rocks with the Rock Pipits, a Common Sandpiper, a Mediterranean Gull and a Hummingbird Hawkmoth. Whilst back on Bardsey birds included two Lapwings, ten Curlews, two Whimbrels and three Redshanks.

Spot the Mediterranean Gull!  © Ed Betteridge

A small and unexpected passage of hirundines saw seven Sand Martins, two House Martins and two Swallows go south alongside two Swifts. A Ringed Plover, a Curlew and a Whimbrel were around the Narrows with a Black-headed Gull flying north and a Sandwich Tern of the West Coast. The Grasshopper Warbler was again reeling in Ty Pellaf reedbed with 12 Starlings in the garden at Cristin.

Gannet © Ed Betteridge

Last night was spent ringing Manx Shearwaters along the West Coast and resulted in catching a bird for the first time since it was ringed as a chick in 1986! Also, caught were birds from 1998 and 1999!

The lighthouse is currently getting painted! Definietly not for the light hearted!
© Ed Betteridge 

Birds today included a Curlew, two Black-headed Gulls, two Collared Doves and 11 Swifts. The afternoon was spent focusing on Lesser Black-backed Gulls that breed in dense grass and Bracken at the North End of Bardsey. As a result, they are hard to find as the chicks hide in the vegetation however, as a team 33 Lesser Black-backed Gulls and 34 Herring Gulls were ringed. Unfortuanly, this two species look identical when they are young and its not until they start to grow juvenile feathers that they can be identified by the presence of a white 'window' on the inner primaries of Herring Gulls; the primaries are all black in Lesser Black-backed Gulls. 

Lesser Black-backed chick © Meg Betteridge

Dark inner primaries of the Lesser Black-backed Gull © Meg Betteridge

 

A highlight of an afternoon swim was this glowing Comb Jelly © Meg Betteridge

A quiet day for migrants saw four Curlews and a Collared Dove logged. Whilst the Shelducks still have nine chicks in Solfach and the Goldcrest pair at Nant fledged at least four young.

The afternoon was spent at Bae Felan ringing more Razorbill chicks and doing the first good amount of Guillemot chicks. A further ten Shag chicks were also ringed making it 247 for the year and betting the previous highest annual total of 243 in 1989 and second highest total of 239 last year!

A rather cute Puffling © Ed Betteridge

The record breaking Shag chicks! © Ed Betteridge

Good to see the Storm Petrel in the nest box at Bae Felan has now got an egg © Meg Betteridge

A juvenile Carrion Crow was unexpected to say the least on the ledges with the auks! © Ed Betteridge

Light south easterlies resulted in some further movement today with two Teal on Pwll Cain, 12 Common Scoters went south off the West Coast, a Lapwing flew high over Nant, a Whimbrel, four Curlews, six Black-headed Gulls, two Sandwich Terns off the South End, a Collared Dove, 23 Starlings, and a Siskin at Nant. Another pair of Shelduck have fledged young in Solfach with nine ducklings seen today!

Cloud hugging the Mountain at dawn © Ollie King

The last round of the CBC Breeding Bird Survey was undertaken, with today's survey at the Wetlands. Due to the time of year, fewer birds are singing as territories are largely established, but Meadow Pipits are still singing heartily, and Wrens keep hammering their loud song home! 

Eyed Hawkmoth © Ollie King

A quieter day with little movement of note, some waders are still on the move with a Dunlin, a Turnstone, 19 Curlews and a Whimbrel logged. Five Sandwich Terns went pass the Narrows, two Collared Doves were at Nant, with two Starlings at Ty Pellaf and the Grasshopper Warbler was singing again in the Reedbed after dark.

Shag chicks © Ed Betteridge

Second island record of Eyed Hawkmoth © Ed Betteridge

Bordered Sallow, third island record © Ed Betteridge

The trickle of autumnal migration continued today as gently easterlies continued to waft through, as 25 Common Scoters, a Black-headed Gull, two Sandwich Terns, two Swifts that swirled around the Lighthouse, a Lesser Redpoll, a Cuckoo at Nant, a Whimbrel, and five Curlews were all recorded. 

More Swift action © Ollie King

Outside of birding, butterflies and damsels were out and about, with five Meadow Browns, eight Red Admirals, six Small Tortoiseshells, a Small White at Ty Pellaf, and a Blue-tailed Damselfly all recorded.

Wren © Ollie King

The weather continued in clear sunny skies, the first 28 Common Scoters of the 'autumn' went south, two Lapwings went over the Narrows, two Black-headed Gulls and three Dunlins were at Solfach, a Cuckoo was in the Wetlands alongside ten Starlings and 15 Swifts passed through.

Juvenile Wheatear © Ed Betteridge

The second trip of the year to the Gwylan Islands was undertaken today, where we continued our seabird monitoring work. Almost all eggs had hatched this time round, so many more of young of Great Black Backed Gulls, Herring Gulls, Shags, Cormorants, Puffins, Guillemots, and Razorbills were ringed. One of the adult Guillemots we retrapped was originally ringed as a chick in 1987, making it 35 years old! We also caught the same bird last year. Sadly there was no sign of the Canada Geese goslings and nest on this visit. We managed to get to both Islands (Ynys Gwyland Fawr and Ynys Gwlan Bach) again, thanks to Colin and his knowledge of the waters in the area!

Puffling © Ollie King

Shag chicks - they'll be fledging fairly soon © Ollie King

Until next time Gwylans! © Ollie King

Back on Enlli, it was a fairly quiet day with a Reed Warbler, three Curlews, a Collared Dove, and a flock of 24 Linnets at Ty Pellaf the avian highlights. The first Emperor Dragonfly of the year was seen at Ty Pellaf late in the afternoon. 

Sunset over the West Coast © Ollie King

It may still be June, but for some species autumn passage has already started especially waders with two Redshanks a clear sign of this. Other waders today included a Lapwing and two Curlews. The highlight of the day were four Black Guillemots seen flying past the South End by Gareth from his boat! Elsewhere, the best day for Swifts for the year saw 23 logged alongside two Sandwich Terns and a Cuckoo.

Swift © Ed Betteridge

The afternoon was spent at Bae Felen focussing on auk chicks. This resulted in a good catch of 27 adult Guillemots of which 14 were retraps including a bird not ringed on Bardsey! Also ringed today was 40 Razorbill chicks with the first Guillemot chicks now hatching.

Guillemot © Ed Betteridge

 

Razorbill chick © Ed Betteridge

Today was fairly quiet migration wise, with a mix of late spring migrants passing through and the first autumnal migrants starting their return passage - most of which are likely to be failed breeders. Waders provided some entertainment with a Dunlin sighted on Solfach, alongside four Curlews and two Redshanks. Elsewhere, there was a Cuckoo at the Obs, two Swifts flew over the Lowlands, and a Spotted Flycatcher was seen at Nant.

Oystercatcher chick on the Narrows © Ollie King

The Lepidoptera highlight of the day the first Meadow Brown of the year, that was seen in Cristin garden. 

Navelwort © Ollie King