Strong north-westerly winds to end the month mixed with heavy rain for much of the middle of the day saw very little arrivals. Migrants totalled three Sandwich Terns, ten Redshanks, nine Purple Sandpiper, four Dunlins, two White Wagtails, three Wheatears, seven Goldcrests, a Blackcap and six Chiffchaffs. 

Despite the storms, today we hit 60 pups for the year, this is an incredibly high count for September with the record being only 62! 

Large amount of sea foam in lots of the Seal pup's bays  © Ed Betteridge

An overly dark seal pup © Ed Betteridge

In other news a Ringed Plover ringed on Solfach on 4th September was seen in France on 27 September! 

Strong south easterlies saw a Firecrest at Nant with a Golden Plover on the South End and the Bar-tailed Godwit still. Other migrant totals included a Little Egret, a Teal, a Black-headed Gull, two Skylarks, a Great Spotted Woodpecker, four Swallows, three White Wagtails, a Blackcap, six Chiffchaffs and ten Goldcrests.

After dark, staff and visitor went out for a successful night dazzling with a retrap Long-eared Owl from 2022 and caught in 2023, two Mallards, a Whimbrel, three Ringed Plovers, two Dunlins, eight Purple Sandpipers, three Oystercatchers, seven Turnstones, a Moorhen, a Stonechat and a Greenland Wheatear trapped. 

Whimbrel © Ed Betteridge

Wheatear © Ed Betteridge

Turnstone © Ed Betteridge

Long-eared Owl © Ed Betteridge

Westerly winds saw a small arrival with a total of 17 Goldcrests, five Blackcaps and ten Chiffchaffs. The Great Spotted Woodpecker remained with a Reed Bunting at Ty Pellaf, a Bar-tailed Godwit on the Narrows and two Common Gulls on Carreg yr Honwy. Overhead two Grey Wagtails, 12 Swallows and three Skylarks passed with a total of two Wheatears, nine Goldfinches, a Little Egret, two Black-headed Gulls and a Whimbrel elsewhere. 

Wheatear © Ed Betteridge

A Stonechat was caught yesterday evening © Ed Betteridge

Great Spotted Woodpecker among the gorse © Kate Fox

Strong northerly winds with rain showers made for a rather bleak day, three Golden Plovers battled north along the West Coast with two Common Scoters south, the Great Spotted Woodpecker remained, a White Wagtail was on Henllywn, two Skylarks and a Grey Wagtail went overhead, a Common Gull was in Solfach and two Wheatears were around the Narrows and South End.   

Great Black-backed Gull © Ed Betteridge

Grey Heron© Ed Betteridge

A brisk north easterly saw a Merlin hunting the South End, a Jack Snipe was in the Wetlands, a Water Rail called from Cristin Withy where the Great Spotted Woodpecker remained and a build up of Kittiwakes saw 3000 feeding to the south. Six Grey Herons remained alongside the Little Egret with a total of two Skylarks, a Wheatear, a Swallow, six White Wagtails, a Grey Wagtail, seven Blackcaps, 14 Chiffchaffs, a Willow Warbler and 13 Goldcrests.

Kestrel © Ed Betteridge

A Bar-tailed Godwit was trapped during the evening © Ed Betteridge

It was a wet and windy day on Enlli with strong south-easterlies bringing heavy showers. An Osprey battled its way south against the wind, low over the Wetlands, the Great Spotted Woodpecker was present for a fourth day, and the Reed Bunting was seen again around the Wetlands. A Whimbrel was in Traeth Ffynnon, and 55 Curlews roosted on Carreg yr Honwy. A total of 19 Swallows were seen, and Meadow Pipits were up with 86 recorded. Seven Grey Wagtails and two 'alba' wagtails flew south over Cristin, and six Blackcaps, eight Chiffchaffs, two Willow Warblers, six Goldcrests and a Chaffinch were counted. 

Osprey © Ed Betteridge

Grey Seal mum with pup © Ed Betteridge

After dark the team had a successful dazzling session, catching two new Ringed Plovers along with a retrap, three new Dunlins and a retrap Meadow Pipit from 2023. Six Grey Herons were seen roosting on Henllwyn, of which three were caught and ringed! 

One of three Grey Herons caught on Henllwyn © Ewan Turner

During a dazzling session last night, a Long-eared Owl was retrapped in the Lowlands. The individual was a female ringed on Bardsey as a first-year bird in October 2022, so it's exciting to see her back! She was one of three ringed in 2022, the other two of which were retrapped in 2023. 

Long-eared Owl © Kate Fox

The wind shifted to a brisk westerly, with light rain showers in the morning clearing up to a warm sunny afternoon. A trip to Nant became a raptor-fest, with a Sparrowhawk, two Buzzards, three Kestrels, two Peregrines and a juvenile Hobby recorded! 

Sparrowhawk © Ed Betteridge

Two Arctic Skuas passed south along the West Coast, and a Black-headed Gull was in Solfach. Other highlights included a Reed Bunting in the Wetlands, a Firecrest at Nant, and the Great Spotted Woodpecker remained. A House Martin passed over the Mountain, as well as a Grey Wagtail at Cristin, six White Wagtails on Solfach. There was a small arrival of other passerines, with three Blackcaps, 17 Chiffchaffs, a Willow Warbler, 16 Goldcrests, two Spotted Flycatchers and four Goldfinches. 

Lots of Silver Y moths have been seen around the Island recently © Ed Betteridge

The wind continued from the north, a male Shoveler flew in from the east over the Narrows before landing on the ponds; this is only the 31st record for the Island. A Lapland Bunting was new in on the South End with a Starling and Common Gull were in Henllwyn, the Great Spotted Woodpecker still in the Withies, a total of three Spotted Flycatchers, a Skylark over, 19 Wheatears around the coast and three House Martin east. Other migrant totals were nine Chiffchaffs, a Willow Warbler, two Blackcaps, seven Swallows and 16 White Wagtails. 

Magpie © Ed Betteridge

Spotted Flycatcher © Ed Betteridge

A northerly wind saw little changeover however, 48 Pink-footed Geese went north along the West Coast mid-morning, these are only the 14th Island record with seven of these records being since 2016 it would be expected to get a lot more with the previous record count being only 11 on 16th September 2022. 

Elsewhere, the first Great Spotted Woodpecker of the year was at Cristin before becoming mobile, the Lesser Whitethroat was again around Ty Pellaf with two Swallows, three Skylarks, a House Martin and seven Grey Wagtails over. Other notable totals included eight Ringed Plovers, a Dunlin, two Snipe, two Whimbrels, 13 White Wagtails, a Blackcap, 13 Chiffchaffs, a Willow Warbler, six Goldcrests, a Wheatear and 21 Robins. 

A very busy day on the Grey Seal front with nine fresh new pups around the coastline increasing the total number to 56; with the record being 62 pups in both 2022 and 2021 and still a few months of pupping to go this could easily be a record breaking year! 

Pink-footed Goose © Ed Betteridge

New seal pup with mum on Solfach ©  Ed Betteridge

Strong north-easterly winds produced few arrivals with a Yellow Wagtail, two Skylarks, a Grey Wagtail, two Swallows and a Rook overhead; a Black-headed Gull around the Narrows, the Little Egret in Henllwyn, six Wheatears on the South End and 17 White Wagtails, the Bar-tailed Godwit, two Dunlins and 11 Ringed Plovers on Solfach. The day ended with a Long-eared Owl around Ty Pellaf after dark. 

Rook © Ed Betteridge

Bar-tailed Godwit © Ed Betteridge

Strong easterly weather with clear skies saw some overhead movement with six Skylarks, 20 'Alba' Wagtails, 297 Meadow Pipits and eight Grey Wagtails over. Four Wigeon went over the Narrows with three Snipe on the South End, a Bar-tailed Godwit, eight Ringed Plovers, 17 White Wagtails and six Teals in Solfach, three Mediterranean Gulls and two Common Scoters were out to sea, a Spotted Flycatcher was at Nant, a Lesser Whitethroat was at Ty Pellaf with a total of 121 Linnets, seven Chaffinches, 12 Goldfinches a Willow Warbler, six Wheatears, 29 Robins, three Kestrels and four Whimbrels logged. 

Lesser Whitethroat © Steve Stansfield

Bar-tailed Godwit © Steve Stansfield

Yet another day of bright sun and light easterly winds saw some movement. Highlights included an Osprey and a Marsh Harrier which both drifted south over Pen Cristin, a Lapwing on the West Coast, a Whinchat at the North End and an adult Mediterranean Gull south along the West Coast. A Collared Dove was at Nant, a Teal was on Pwll Cain, and a probable Long-eared Owl was seen over the Wetlands after dark. 

Waders on the Narrows included a Ringed Plover, eight Purple Sandpipers, a Whimbrel, 43 Curlews and 12 Turnstones. Five Common Scoters, ten Black-headed Gulls and six Common Gulls flew south along the West Coast. Hirundines were on the move, with 340 Swallows, 134 House Martins and a Sand Martin recorded. Other migrants included a Grey Wagtail, 23 White Wagtails, 50 Meadow Pipits, three Blackcaps, nine Chiffchaffs, a Willow Warbler, seven Goldcrests, a Spotted Flycatcher, seven Chaffinches, 122 Goldfinches and 121 Linnets. 

Our 40th Grey Seal pup of the season was found today. The pups are growing fast and building confidence, with some practicing their swimming skills under the watchful eye of mum, and when dinner time comes their whining calls to their mothers can be heard across the Narrows! 

Kestrel © Ed Betteridge

Common Gulls © Ed Betteridge

Grey Seal © Ed Betteridge

The spell of gorgeous weather and easterly winds continued on Enlli. The first two Wigeons of thge autumn flew north after a single record in March, and 12 Common Scoters flew south along the West Coast as well as a Teal and three Common Gulls. A Redshank, Common Sandpiper and a Black-headed Gull were around the Narrows, and 59 Curlews roosted on the South End. 

Wigeons © Ed Betteridge

It was a quieter day for 'vismig', with ten Skylarks over the Lowlands the highlight along with a total of 15 Swallows, four Grey Wagtails, a Rook and a Goldfinch. There was a drop in Meadow Pipit numbers, with 37 recorded, but White Wagtail numbers remained similar with 32 coming into roost in Ty Pellaf reedbed with two Pied Wagtails. Robin numbers were also lower, at 28, and 13 Dunnocks were counted. There was a Whinchat at Ty Pellaf, a total of two Wheatears, three Blackcaps, seven Chiffchaffs, a Willow Warbler, four Goldcrests, two Spotted Flycatchers. 

Ewan weighing a Manx Shearwater chick for weekly growth-rate monitoring © Kate Fox

Most of the Manxie chicks have now fledged, and some are looking like punk rockers! © Kate Fox

It was another sunny day, starting with light south-easterly winds before shifting to stronger northerlies. 

A Lapwing was on the Narrows, as well as 48 Oystercatchers, 14 Ringed Plovers, a Sanderling, a Dunlin, two Whimbrels, 47 Curlews, four Redshanks, a Common Sandpiper and eight Turnstones. Three Snipes were also recorded, as well two Bar-tailed Godwits on the South End. Two Sandwich Terns flew south along the West Coast, and 47 Black-headed Gulls passed the South End, plus a juvenile in Solfach.

Lapwing © Steven Stansfield

Also of note were a Skylark over the Narrows, a Tree Pipit over Nant, a Wheatear on the South End, 31 White Wagtails around the Narrows (plus another 20 'alba' wagtails south over the South End), and totals of 19 Dunnocks, 40 Robins, 17 Grey Wagtails, 58 Swallows, 151 House Martins, and 155 Meadow Pipits. Other migrants included a Garden Warbler at Nant, three Blackcaps, eight Chiffchaffs, a Willow Warbler, seven Goldcrests, six Spotted Flycatchers. Finches were also on the move with four Chaffinches, 30 Goldfinches, and a Siskin recorded. 

Spotted Flycatcher in the Sycamore © Kate Fox

A stark contrast to the day before, it was sunny with light easterly winds bringing birds with it. It was a big day for hirundine movement, with 40 Sand Martins, 350 Swallows and 500 House Martins flocking over Nant. Of these, a Sand Martin, four Swallows and four House Martins were ringed. Other passerines on the move included a Tree Pipit over Nant, a two Goldfinches over Cristin, a total of 24 Grey Wagtails overhead, 17 White Wagtails (plus another 11 'alba' wagtails south over the South End), two Wheatears, eight Chiffchaffs, seven Goldcrests, five Spotted Flycatchers, and a notable increase to 113 Meadow Pipits. 

Sand Martin, Swallow and House Martin  © Ed Betteridge

Six Common Scoters, four Arctic Skuas, two Black-headed Gulls, 120 Kittiwakes and 30 Razorbills were counted off the West Coast during a seawatch. At high tide Henllwyn hosted 13 Ringed Plovers with a Sanderling and a Common Sandpiper. Other waders included three Whimbrels, 17 Curlews, six Redshanks and 20 Turnstones. 

The Little Egret remained on the Narrows along with two Grey Herons, as well as two Sparrowhawks over the Wetlands, a Kestrel at Nant, a Feral Pigeon and Rook over Cristin, a total of 33 Carrion Crows and five Ravens. 

Sunrise over the mainland mountains, viewed from Pen Cristin © Kate Fox

Sunset on the Narrows © Kate Fox

Strong south-westerly winds continued with heavy rain for much of the day before it cleared and calm late afternoon. Waders around the Narrows and the South End totalled a Sanderling, two Purple Sandpipers, a Whimbrel, four Ringed Plovers, two Dunlins and a Common Sandpiper. A Spotted Flycatcher was at Cristin and Nant with a total of six Chiffchaffs, eight Goldcrests and two Blackcaps. A Wheatear was on the South End with an evening roost catch in Ty Pellaf Reedbed producing two White Wagtails and a Reed Warbler; the 11th to be ringed this year beating the previous annual total of ten in 2021. 

Reed Warbler © Steve Stansfield

A Turnstone was trapped in the Solfach Heligoland Trap © Ed Betteridge

Alongside a Ringed Plover! © Ed Betteridge

A brisk south-westerly but clear skies saw a Pomarine Skua, two Arctic Skuas and five Common Scoters pass on the sea. A Merlin hunted the North End with a Knot on the South End, two Whimbrels on the Narrows, a Sanderling on Solfach and 12 mobile Ringed Plovers. The Little Egret remained on Henllywn with a Feral Pigeon around the South End, a Grey Wagtail and 18 White Wagtails around the Narrows, a Rook over Nant, a Sedge Warbler on the track and a total of eight Goldcrests, a Blackcap and six Chiffchaffs. 

Peregrine hunting a Dunlin © Ed Betteridge

Peregrine © Ed Betteridge

Peregrine © Ed Betteridge

Three Dunlin and three Ringed Plovers were trapped after dark © Ed Betteridge

There was finally a break in the weather with bright sunshine and a calm start to the day with light north-westerlies, shifting to stronger south-westerlies in the afternoon. 

It was a quieter day on the sea with the highlights being four Arctic Skuas were harassing feeding flocks of up to 100 Kittiwakes off the West Coast, and two Red-throated Divers moving north. Eight Ringed Plovers and two Sanderlings were on Solfach, and a Whimbrel and a Black-headed Gull were on the Narrows. Solfach was also busy with pipits and wagtails, with 30 Meadow Pipits indicating some movement at last, 48 Rock Pipits, three Pied Wagtails, 16 White Wagtails and three Grey Wagtails, with a further four of the latter flying south over Cristin. A session catching birds in the portable Heligoland trap resulted in 17 Meadow Pipits and seven Rock Pipits ringed, plus two Rock Pipits retrapped. 

There was a small arrival of Robins with a total of 15 recorded between Cristin and Ty Pellaf, six Dunnocks were seen around Ty Pellaf, and a total of 26 Swallows were recorded. Other birds included a Teal on Pwll Cain, two Grey Herons on the Narrows, two Kestrels hunting over the Mountain along with four Ravens and a flock of 33 Choughs. 

The calm conditions enabled mist netting at Cristin, with ringing highlights including a Garden Warbler, seven Blackcaps, three Chiffchaffs, and three Goldcrests, a Blackbird and five new Robins, with an additional Goldcrest and a Chiffchaff seen at Ty Pellaf. 

Garden Warbler © Ed Betteridge

Grey Seal with pup © Ed Betteridge

Strong north-westerly winds continued to dominate with the sea off the West Coast alive with birds moving south; in total 90 Gannets, 703 Kittiwakes, 468 Razorbills, a Storm Petrel, an Arctic Tern, six Sandwich Terns, two 'Commic' Terns, three Guillemots and four Manx Shearwaters went south during a 2 and a half hours from 0730. Elsewhere, two Common Sandpipers, a Sanderling and three Ringed Plovers were around the Narrows with a Grey Wagtail north, two Feral Pigeons pass, 14 White Wagtails and only three Chiffchaffs, a Goldcrest and a Blackcap in the bushes. 

The 21st Sanderling to be ringed on the Island was caught in the Solfach Heligoland trap, with this being the first since 2019 © Ed Betteridge

Sanderling © Ed Betteridge