What a difference a day makes! It was glorious weather with wall-to-wall sunshine, far more in tune with the rest of the country. Migration highlights included a Redshank and two Common Sandpipers in Henllwyn and a Sand Martin over Pen Cristin. A flock of seven Curlews were off of the South End where a pod of three Risso's Dolphins were briefly seen mid-morning. On the breeding bird-front, our Observatory brood of Swallows has appeared to have fledged as well as a nice brood of three youngsters swirling over Ty Pellaf and Pen Cristin. The parents will be wanting to see these ones off so they can get started on cramming a second-brood in before summer ends. In the afternoon, at least two young Sedge Warblers were rattling away in the bushes around the Observatory front garden, presumably from the Green Lane territory. 

Some larger Oystercatcher chicks are on the South End (C) Greg Lee

In the warmth, the butterflies also were abundant with the first double-figure count of Meadow Browns this season, our first Large White floating around the Observatory garden, two Painted Ladies on the South End and a Small Copper. Several Red Admirals were also distributed around whilst a small influx of Silver Y's appears to have occurred, although the moth-trap didn't yield any obvious migrants. A Hummingbird Hawk-moth also appeared around the Observatory in the early evening, even landing providing a rare perched view of this normally restless moth. 

Hummingbird Hawk-moth (C) Greg Lee

A sodden day to start off July with a drizzle through most of the morning before conditions eventually brightened up during the day. At least three Common Sandpipers were around the island as well as four Curlews. The Linnets are starting to congregate on the South End in large flocks with 42 recorded this morning. 

A bright moon at 11:30pm (C) Greg Lee

Lovely and still today. The first bit of action was a pod of six Risso's Dolphins swimming in Cafn! Two Redshanks, three Common Sandpipers and four Curlews were a mix of early autumn wader passage. A Sand Martin along the West Coast was the first returning migrant and a bit of Swift passage was noted, with a particularly sizeable flock of 28 over the Mountain. Two Sandwich Terns flew south offshore in the evening and a Willow Warbler was in the Observatory garden. 

As it was the first day for a while that we could get around the East Side, the opportunity was taken with great haste. Although many of the Razorbill chicks have already fledged during the spell of unsuitable weather, several were ringed. The Guillemots appear to be slightly later, so several chicks and adults were also processed. The real success of the day was with the Kittiwakes with a good total of 31 chicks ringed along with an adult bird. 

Adult Kittiwake (C) Ewan Turner

A Drinker and Garden Tiger in the moth-trap were sizeable additions to the egg cartons this morning.

Whilst many areas of the country are enjoying the current heatwave, we had a pea-souper of a fog which lasted well into the afternoon until it cleared by 5pm! In the early morning, at least seven juvenile Wheatears were frolicking on the South End along with a plethora of young Linnets. A Common Sandpiper was at Henllwyn and a Curlew flew along the West Coast. 

Once the fog had lifted, three Swifts were screaming high over the Observatory. A Manx Shearwater was seemingly trying to imitate an Ostrich burying its head in the sand by sticking its head into some long grass in the garden, unware it was in plain sight to the Assistant Warden looking through the moth trap. Perhaps it had lost its way in the fog. 

Views from the Observatory during the welcome talk to the guests (C) Greg Lee

The streak of foggy mornings continued although by midday the sun was shining strongly.  The Curlew number was up to six on the island whilst singles of Common Sandpiper and Turnstone remained on Solfach. Over the Mountain, the newly-fledged Peregrine chick from the second brood was noisily nagging its parents. In the Observatory garden, the tapping of a Song Thrush using an anvil for the snail shells was frequently heard, with the young bird lurking in the bushes. Occasionally, the male would burst into song, despite the breeze.

A smart Buff Arches in the trap this morning (C) Greg Lee

A grey and overcast day which felt quite autumnal on the morning patrol. The highlight came early with an Arctic Skua which flew low over the Narrows in the morning, just our second of the season so far. There were three Common Sandpipers around the island, with a single on the South End and two at Solfach with a summer-plumaged Turnstone at the latter site. A Curlew also flew along the West Coast. A Grasshopper Warbler was briefly reeling in Plas Withy.

Turnstone (C) Greg Lee

Continued strong wind today which curtailed any chance of getting amongst the seabirds. Five Swifts flew over, potentially these are second-calendar year birds (also known as bangers) which are wandering around the UK looking for nest-sites for next season. Two Curlews were in Henllwyn along with a Whimbrel. Eight Mallards in Solfach appeared to be progeny of the local birds from the spring. 

A few Common Spotted Orchids can be seen around the island at the moment. (C) Greg Lee

A day of murk around the island. A Ringed Plover and Curlew flew over the South End in the morning and a Sedge Warbler foundaway from the known territories this season was interesting. In the afternoon, the team headed back around the North End to continue work on the Gulls in the still conditions. Another 26 Herring Gull chicks were fitted with colour-rings. It was interesting to note at least four House Martins hanging around the East Side, possibly hinting that there has been a nesting attempt on one of the cliffs this year. 

A creche for the Herring Gull chicks (C) Greg Lee

The most unusual sighting of the day came courtesy of Gareth, who had managed to catch a huge Crawfish on his most recent lobster-fishing trip.  A very bizarre-looking creature that wouldn't have looked out of place on a sci-fi film set!

The Crawfish, straight off the set of Doctor Who (C) Greg Lee

More breeze again with the weather getting gloomier and overcast as the day grew on. Our first fledged Swallows of the year were seen flying, presumably the rather advanced brood at Nant. Six Curlews in Henllwyn were new migrants whilst three Whimbrels were also seen off the West Coast. Off the South End, there seemed to be a good number of Manx Shearwaters and Gannets moving. A Common Sandpiper was also at the North End.

The weather slackened sufficiently in the afternoon to allow a visit to the North End gull colony to ring some of the chicks. The trip was a success with 40 chicks ringed with 29 Herring Gulls and 11 Lesser Black-backed Gulls respectively. They were also given colour-rings which should aid in-field reading of the rings. Previous birds ringed in the Bardsey colonies have been reported from as far as West Africa so it'll be interesting to see where the new cohort will wander to.

Lesser Black-backed Gull (C) Ewan Turner

Another arrival this week has been Phoebe Moss who is with us until September. Phoebe is here to study the Risso's Dolphins which will be using the waters off of Bardsey during the summer, most excitingly with a drone which will be used to identify individuals and provide an insight into these fascinating cetaceans.  More information on the Marine Mammal project can be found here: https://bbfo.blogspot.com/p/bardsey-marine-mammal-project.html

This past week we've had Harry Black volunteering with us and he has done a sterling job battling the summer growth in the various Withies. Well done Harry! Nant Withy (C) Harry Black.

Blustery again but brighter this time with sunshine through the day. Of course, in the birding calendar, it is now autumn and nothing exemplified this more than the sighting of two Common Sandpipers bobbing on the rocks in Henllwyn this morning. Small snippets of return movement will be the flavour of the next couple of weeks as we enter the typically quieter part of the season, fortunately here we are very lucky to have some seabirds to keep us occupied.  A single Curlew and a Whimbrel were also in Henllwyn.

Common Sandpiper (C) Greg Lee

This week, we've welcomed the return of Lauren Evans back to Bardsey where she'll be continuing her PHD research with the University of Bangor on the movements of Manx Shearwaters and how differences in foraging effort and diet through oceanographic features affects the growth-rate of chicks. This does mean that she'll be very nocturnal during the couple of months she is on the island, but we can't wait to see what results her second season here will yield for our special Shearwaters. 

In the garden, a young Song Thrush was pleasing to see, the parents having nested somewhere down the track towards Carreg. At the moment, the bushes also seem to be alive with young Wrens, with family parties squeaking away in the low vegetation. 

Butterflies continued to appear with several Meadow Browns seen around the island, having only just emerged last week. Two Red Admirals were engaged in a high-octane dogfight at Nant in the sheltered Plantation.

A much breezier day out there with a variety of weather from sunny spells to fog and rain. Perhaps the highlight of the morning South End patrol was a Red-veined Darter found amongst the low vegetation, the first record for several years of this small dragonfly (also the first dragonfly species of the season). This species is a migrant, often turning up more regularly in the south of the UK but can be found anywhere in the right wind conditions. 

Red-veined Darter (C) Greg Lee

Offshore, the seabirds were enjoying the blustery conditions with Manx Shearwaters, Gannets and the various auks passing offshore. Around the South End and Narrows, more broods of Wheatear are starting to appear and enjoy their new sense of freedom. A check of the Manx Shearwater burrows revealed the chicks are starting to appear.

Manx Shearwater chick (c) Ewan Turner

 A mixed day with spells of sunshine and intermittent patches of fog/mist. A Swift wheeled over the Wetlands mid-morning and two each of Black-headed Gull and Curlew were in Henllywn.

The warm weather overnight brought a few new moths for the year including Grass Emerald, Common Emerald and a Narrow-winged Pug.

Grass Emerald (C) Greg Lee

Hot again, very hot even with the temperature of 24℃ a very high temperature for Bardsey. Still, there was some activity around with four Crossbills seen early morning flying south and a Grey Wagtail hanging around the North End. It was also a good day for butterflies with Red Admirals and Painted Ladies arriving on the very warm southerly breeze, two Dark Swordgrasses where representatives of the recent influx of migratory moths across the UK whilst a Shark Moth was a bit more local. 

Oystercatcher chick (C) Greg Lee

It was a warm and pleasant day, which meant the Observatory team were able to do their annual trip to the Gwylan Islands to do the seabird colony census. Shags and Cormorants were counted, with lots of chicks ringed. Counts were made of Herring, Lesser Black-backed and Great Black-backed Gulls. This included the nests, eggs and chicks. For Auk counts, Puffins were the main focus, where counts were made of burrows and three Puffin chicks (also known as Pufflings) were ringed.

Puffling (C) Steve Stansfield

Great Black-backed Gull chick (C) Steve Stansfield

A day of fine weather on the island with almost no wind. At least two of the visiting Grey Herons were present and a Whimbrel was still lingering around. Two Swifts over the Mountain continued our run of activity over the past few days for this species. Return passage for Swifts starts very early and the next month will see more passing through on their departure from the UK. 

Early dawn on the South End (C) Greg Lee

There was moderate wind throughout the day, with little activity from birds passing through on migration towards their breeding grounds. As we are getting towards the end of the June, spring migration has nearly finished. However, some of the resident species on Bardsey such as the Magpies are busy feeding their chicks, with some already fledged and are now hanging around in small family parties.

Away from birds, a Green-veined White Butterfly was seen at the Wetlands.

Magpie family: From left to right, adult and fledged juvenile. Note the shorter tail feathers on the juvenile compared to the adult (C) Colin Teal

 A foggy start to the morning which fortunately burned off as the sun heated up. A party of three Swifts toured over mid-afternoon and the visiting Grey Heron population had risen to three. For the Observatory staff, the calmer weather allowed for more work to be undertaken on the East Side with the first Puffin, Razorbill and Guillemot chicks of the year ringed as well as some more Shags. As darkness fell, two Storm Petrels were seen flying around the cliffs. 

Puffin chick (C) Colin Teal

Away from the birding, several species of Jellyfish were noted in Henllywn with many Moon Jellyfish joined by up to four Blue Jellyfish and a Lion's Mane. The smart Buff Arches was new for the year in the moth-trap. 

Buff Arches (C) Greg Lee

With the excitement of a second Blyth's Reed Warbler in the Observatory Garden yesterday, unfortunately it didn't appear to stay for a second day. The observatory team were busy with an Oystercatcher Nest Survey, checking the nests for chicks and any eggs still being incubated. Most of the eggs have now hatched and the chicks are exploring the coastline, being closely watched by their parents. There were also some newly fledged young Linnet, Wheatear and Rock Pipit moving around the nest sites and regularly being fed by their parents. Some of the Chough have well-grown young which are getting close to fledging.

A couple more butterflies were seen, including a Red Admiral in the Observatory Garden and the first Meadow Brown of the year was seen on Green Lane.

A newly hatched Oystercatcher chick (C) Colin Teal

Chough nestling (C) Colin Teal

An impressive thunderstorm rolled in overnight and brought a cascade of rain in the small hours of the morning. Despite this, the Observatory staff woke up to the sound of our second Blyth's Reed Warbler of the spring singing in the garden, in roughly the same spot as the first. The song, however, was quite different to the individual on 5th June, with less rapid mimicry and more of a slower-paced song. The bird was then ringed mid-morning before singing again during the afternoon. Elsewhere, singles of Blackcap and Willow Warbler were in the Observatory garden whilst a Black-headed Gull remained on Solfach.

Blyth's Reed Warbler (C) Steve Stansfield

Away from the birds, a Blue-tailed Damselfly and a Silver Y were in the Wetlands.

The day started with bright sunshine and moderate wind, until late afternoon when it started to cloud over and rained briefly early evening. It was another quiet day for migrants, although a couple were still moving through, including a Whitethroat at Nant and a Black-headed Gull at Solfach. A recently fledged Wood Pigeon was discovered on the West Side of the Mountain, indicating another successful year for them.

A couple of butterflies were also noted, including two Painted Ladies at the Narrows and Ty Pellaf.

Painted Lady at Ty Pellaf (C) Colin Teal

View from the South End towards the Lighthouse and the Mountain (C) Colin Teal

During such a calm and beautiful summer night last night, it was hard to fathom that the upcoming forecast would come into fruition, espcially as it detailed constant rain throughout the day. However, this did come to pass and we were faced with a real wash-out of a day as the island received a soaking. As a result, prospects were limited but four each of Black-headed Gull and Curlew on Solfach showed that some dispersal was going ahead. Likewise, a Dunlin was either a tardy spring migrant or an early failed breeder, it can be a bit of a grey area at this time of year. A Spotted Flycatcher was again at Nant.

Black-headed and Herring Gulls at Solfach (C) Greg Lee

It was another day with calm and sunny weather throughout. A few migrants were recorded, including a Curlew and a Whimbrel at Solfach. A Spotted Flycatcher at Nant showed nicely as it was feeding on insects. There was also a small passage of Swifts with six going south over the Mountain early monring and another eight seen later at Nant. 

In the afternoon, the Observatory team went on a boat around the East Side to monitor the seabirds and had amazing views of  Guillemots, Razorbills and Puffins close to the boat! Some of the Razorbills were noted carrying some Sand Eels in their beaks, clearly they have some hungry mouths to feed! Otherwise, the ledges were looking healthy for Guillemot numbers and the Kittiwakes appear to be nesting in new areas too!

Razorbill with a beak stuffed with food (C) Greg Lee

 A fair bit of sunshine today although a slight breeze remains. A Curlew in Henllwyn was perhaps an indicator of early autumn, whilst a Whimbrel could possibly have been the lingering bird. A rather mobile Chaffinch was heard around the island, seemingly dropping by every garden to start calling.

The moth trap also yielded some new species for the year thanks to the calmer night with additions such as Crescent Dart, Mottled Beauty and Map-winged Swift recorded.

Map-winged Swift- a species associated with moorland (C) Greg Lee

It was another day with overcast weather. The morning was bright and calm, with wind and rain picking up in the afternoon. It was relatively quiet for migrants, with one Grey Wagtail over the Wetlands, and two Willow Warblers, with one singing at Nant and another in the Observatory Garden.

View from the Observatory towards the Lighthouse (C) Colin Teal

A day of changeable weather with the odd rain shower and spells of sunshine. A smart summer-plumaged Golden Plover was on the South End first thing, with two newly-fledged Wheatears also noted. At Nant, a Willow Warbler was in the Plantation. 

Young Wheatear (C) Greg Lee

The wind was calm enough in the night to try the first session for Storm-petrels this year. Although only one was caught, the thermal imagers revealed a good number flying around the cliffs.

Storm Petrel (C) Greg Lee

The last four days have had a good run of rarities turn up on the island, however today sadly didn't produce another. Fewer migrants were noted today, including a Reed Warbler at the Withies, a Lesser Redpoll at the Observatory Garden and two Whimbrels on the West Coast.

In the afternoon, the observatory teamed up with the local community to round up the sheep on the mountain, while enjoying the views over the island. The sheep were moved without a hitch!

View over Nant from the Mountain (C) Colin Teal

Yesterday's star bird had moved on overnight but it was replaced by another talented songster when, after what seemed like a quiet morning for birding in the strong breeze, a Melodious Warbler was discovered singing in the front garden of the Observatory! The bird was quite mobile and elusive at times, often lurking deep in bushes and only giving away its presence by bursting into the rapid and varied song. Throughout the day, the Melodious Warbler seemed to enjoy doing a circuit consisting of the Observatory front garden, the back garden and the garden at Plas. This species has over 120 records on the island, making it somewhat of a Bardsey specialty.

Melodious Warbler (C) Ewan Turner

Whilst this well-appreciated modicum of late spring migration was occuring, the first sign of autumn announced itself with the discovery of a Cuckoo in the Heligoland. The bird was subsequently ringed and identified as a young male from last year, with plenty of juvenile feathers still retained. This bird is almost certainly already heading back to Africa having spent just a few weeks in the UK.

Elsewhere, a Spotted Flycatcher was at Nant and a Reed Warbler was in the Observatory garden.

Cuckoo (C) Greg Lee

The day started with a Blyth's Reed Warbler singing in the Observatory garden! It sang enthusiastically, mimicking several species and remained elusive all day. It was trapped and ringed early evening, which allowed for viewing of the subtle features of the bird. This constitutes the eighth record of this species for Bardsey, which breeds in Eastern Europe and winters in India.

Blyth's Reed Warbler (C) Steve Stansfield

Blyth's Reed Warbler (C) Steve Stansfield

The Common Rosefinch was still singing at Nant, with the same or possibly a second bird in the Observatory garden. A Spotted Flycatcher showed nicely at Nant.

A breezy start to the morning with the wind increasing into the day. The highlight of the morning was the discovery of a singing Common Rosefinch at Nant, favouring the withy near Ty Capel (which has history for this species!). Despite singing relatively frequently, the bird proved to be incredibly elusive, only offering brief glimpses which confirmed it as plainer, younger bird. This species is almost annual with birds occurring in both spring and autumn. 

                                                     

On the other end of the spectrum, the male Red-backed Shrike discovered yesterday was performing very well in the Wetlands, moving from various fences and bushes, even heard to be singing at times. 

Red-backed Shrike (c) Steven Stansfield

Whilst looking for the Rosefinch, singles of Spotted Flycatcher, Blackcap and Chaffinch were also seen at Nant and it was pleasing to see broods of young birds around including some healthy fledgling Robins and a brood of Stonechats. 

Stonechat (C) Greg Lee

After an overnight storm, it was another bright, sunny day. A stunning male Red-backed Shrike was found actively feeding on insects at Ty Pellaf mid-morning. It gave excellent views for the observatory team and visitors alike! Red-backed Shrike is still the most recorded species of Shrike on the island with 33 records, however, today's bird is the first since 2020.

It was otherwise a relatively quiet day for migration, although a Reed Warbler was still singing in the observatory garden along with a Blackcap. A Ringed Plover also flew south at Solfach and there was plenty of Manx Shearwater activity offshore. 

Male Red-backed Shrike at Ty Pellaf (C) Colin Teal

Calmer conditions overnight allowed for an increase in late spring migration on the island with a few new arrivals. Two Spotted Flycatchers were in the Withies along with another at Nant. A Garden Warbler and four Blackcaps were also at Nant and two Reed Warblers were logged, one of which was singing heartily in the garden despite the increase in wind throughout the day. 

Chaffinch (C) Greg Lee

It was a clear, sunny day with a moderate south-westerly wind. A few passage waders passed through, including one Whimbrel and two Turnstones at Solfach. More passerines were seen including singles of  Spotted Flycatcher at Nant and Willow Warbler at Green Lane.

View towards the Mountain from the Narrows (C) Colin Teal