A calm westerly with clear skies allowed for some good bird migration; a mobile Richard's Pipit was briefly on the South End with a Brambling and 'Flava' Wagtail over, a Ring Ouzel was in the Wetlands, a Yellow-browed Warbler and the ringed Reed Warbler were in Cristin Withy and off the West Coast 14 Mediterranean Gulls, 105 Black-headed Gulls, 20 Common Gulls and two Sandwich Terns went south during the morning. The day ended with three Whooper Swans in from the north-west before briefly landing on the sea before continuing south-east and a Short-eared Owl on the Narrows after dark. 

Other birds of note were 15 Common Scoters, three Buzzards, three Merlins, three Sparrowhawks, two Kestrel, a Water Rail, two Snipe, a Whimbrel, seven Guillemots, 434 Razorbills, a Great Spotted Woodpecker, five White Wagtails, 37 Robins, 14 Redwings, four Blackcaps, 30 Goldcrests, 13 Chiffchaffs, 38 Choughs, four Rooks, 47 Chaffinches, 27 Goldfinches, six Siskins, four Lesser Redpolls and a Reed Bunting. 

Buzzard © Ed Betteridge

Whooper Swans © Ed Betteridge

Linnet © Ed Betteridge

It was a chilly day with moderate northerly winds and light rain showers. A Merlin was seen on the South End, a Common Gull was in Henllwyn, and two Water Rails were recorded. Two Grey Herons and 18 Mallards were also seen, and 41 Choughs were counted on the island, with flock numbers fluctuating daily. Wader numbers totalled at 41 Oystercatchers, a Whimbrel, two Curlews, ten Redshanks, and 38 Turnstones, as well as a Snipe on the South End. 

Migrant passerine highlights came in the form of a Ring Ouzel on the Mountain near Cristin, and a Fiercest was seen at Nant. Other species included five Skylarks, 18 Swallows, 94 Meadow Pipits, two 'alba' wagtails, 32 Robins, four Wheatears, nine Blackbirds, four Song Thrushes, 44 Redwings, a Blackcap, three Chiffchaffs, four Goldcrests, a Spotted Flycatcher seen again at Cristin, six Starlings, a Chaffinch, four Goldfinches, 43 Siskins, 19 Linnets and three Reed Buntings. 

In other news, the was marked by the birth of the 70th Grey Seal pup of this record-breaking season! The team also joined a work party of Bardsey Island Trust staff and volunteers to coppice the Willow trees in the northern section of Cristin Withy to open the area up and lower the vegetation for mist netting. 

Grey Seal with pup © Ed Betteridge

The winds turned to northerly with light rain showers. Three Redwings were new in at Cristin with the Spotted Flycatcher still and an adult Mediterranean Gull went south along the West Coast. Other birds was a Merlin, a Water Rail, three Snipe, a Whimbrel, a Skylark, seven Starlings, a Blackcap, four Chiffchaffs, four Goldcrests, seven Chaffinches and three Goldfinches.

The second Island record of Palpita vitrealis was in the moth trap © Ed Betteridge

A Ringed Plover was ringed during the evening © Ed Betteridge

Moorhen © Ed Betteridge

The theme of the day was moderate easterly winds with light rain showers interspersed with sunny spells, before the wind picked up and shifted to the North. 

Two Great White Egrets were the highlight of the day, which flew south along the West Coast, an exciting sighting being only the twelfth island record, and the second this year!

Five Common Scoters, two Arctic Skuas, two Sandwich Terns, four Common Gulls and five Black-Headed Gulls flew south along the West Coast, and a Golden Plover went south over the South End. Wader counts totalled at eight Oystercatchers, a Ringed Plover, a Dunlin, a Snipe, a Whimbrel, 42 Curlews and 28 Turnstones, and an additional five Black-headed Gulls, two Grey Herons and a Little Egret were hanging around the Narrows. A Reed Bunting was heard again at Tŷ Pellaf, the Firecrest ringed on the 6th was retrapped, and the long-staying juvenile Great Spotted Woodpecker was ringed at Cristin. 

There was another push of hirundines heading south, with 173 Swallows and 43 House Martins recorded. Other birds included eight Skylarks, 12 Blackbirds, three Song Thrushes, a Redwing, three Blackcaps, ten Chiffchaffs, seven Goldcrests, a Spotted Flycatcher, a Starling, 14 Chaffinches, and five Goldfinches, and a bumper count of nine Ravens. 

House Martin on the move! © Kate Fox

Great Spotted Woodpecker © Ed Betteridge

Southerly winds eased slightly on recent days with sunny spells throughout the day bring an arrival of birds to the Island. Hirundines were moving for most of the day coming in from the north/west and heading south-east with 278 Swallows and 58 House Martins logged. A Lapwing flew along the West Coast with a Reed Warbler trapped at Cristin, Firecrests at Nant and Cristin Withy, a Reed Bunting at Ty Pellaf and an increase in Stonechats and Robins to 27 and 40 respectively. 

Other birds logged were two Teals, a Whimbrel, a Dunlin, ten Black-headed Gulls, a Lesser Black-backed Gull, two Common Gulls, a White Wagtail, a Grey Wagtail, 113 Meadow Pipits, a Skylark, a Wheatear, a Great Spotted Woodpecker, four Goldcrests, 51 Starlings, two Blackcaps, 12 Chiffchaffs, five Chaffinches, six Goldfinches and two Siskins.  

Reed Warbler © Ed Betteridge

Swallow © Ed Betteridge

 Strong south-easterlies continued with rain showers during the morning finally calming slightly during the evening. A Spotted Flycatcher was trapped at Cristin with a Firecrest trapped at Nant. The Great Spotted Woodpecker remained as did the Water Rail at Nant with a Goldfinch influx totalling 29 including a flock of 25 at Cristin with a Short-eared Owl seen on the South End after dark. Other migrants totalled three Swallows, two Rooks, two Blackcaps, four Goldcrests, three Chiffchaffs and two Chaffinches. 

Firecrest © Ed Betteridge

 The winds went south-east with strong gusts and rain showers meant for non-ideal migration weather. An early Woodcock was in the garden at Cristin, two Merlins hunted the South End, three Common Gulls and 11 Redshanks were around the Narrows, two Lesser Black-backed Gulls and two White Wagtails were in Solfach, a single Swallow went over Cristin, a Siskin went over Nant with the day ending with two Long-eared Owls hunting in the Lowlands. 

Merlin © Ed Betteridge

Grey Seal pup © Ed Betteridge

Strong southerlies saw 201 Swallows and five House Martins battle it south-east with birds coming in-off all morning. Two Common Gulls and seven Black-headed Gulls went south along the West Coast with three Skylarks, eight Goldfinches, nine Starlings and a Grey Wagtail overhead. The Firecrest and Water Rail remained at Nant with two Whimbrels around the Coast and two Buzzards in the Wetlands. Other migrants totalled two Wheatears, three Chiffchaffs and six Goldcrests. 

Grey Heron © Ed Betteridge

Juvenile Woodpigeon © Ed Betteridge

Calmer easterlies with clear skies turned to a calm south-east during the afternoon. Out to sea four Wigeons, 25 Common Scoter, seven Mediterranean Gulls, 36 Black-headed Gulls, 26 Kittiwakes, 107 Common Gulls (highest day count since 2017), a Sandwich Tern and 363 Razorbill went south. Four Whooper Swans went high east over the South End with a Red-breasted Merganser also circling the South End. 

The first Yellow-browed Warbler of the autumn was at Nant with a Firecrest at Nant, Cristin and in the Withies. A Collared Dove was new in with the long staying Great Spotted Woodpecker still around. Overhead nine Swallows, 11 'Alba' Wagtails and 23 Skylarks passed. Three Siskins were at Cristin with Chaffinch totalling 11 including six trapped. Five Redwings were at Nant and Cristin with two Merlins around the Narrows and 51 Choughs on Solfach. Other notable totals were a Ringed Plover, a Snipe, a Water Rail, three Sparrowhawks, 25 Robins, seven Chiffchaffs, 20 Goldcrests, 14 Blackcaps and three Rooks. The day ended with a Long-eared Owl leaving roost at Cristin. 

Yellow-browed Warbler © Ed Betteridge

Whooper Swan  © Ed Betteridge

Red-breasted Merganser © Ewan Turner

Redwing  © Ed Betteridge

Firecrest  © Jess Stuart-smith

Easterly winds saw a Firecrest at Nant, a Water Rail in Cristin Withy, 14 Swallows and two House Martins through, 17 Common Scoters south and a Jackdaw at Tŷ Pellaf. After dark nine Redwing call were heard, the first of the autumn.

Other birds of note were two Buzzards, a Kestrel, a Sparrowhawk, two Ringed Plovers, a Whimbrel, three Common Gulls, two Lesser Black-backed Gulls, a Long-eared Owl, a Great Spotted Woodpecker, four White Wagtails, two Wheatears, two Blackcaps, four Goldcrests, three Chiffchaffs, 22 Carrion Crows, three Rooks, a Starling, four Goldfinches and two Siskins. 

Firecrest © Ewan Turner

Skylark © Ed Betteridge

Jackdaw at Tŷ Pellaf © Kate Fox

Two Woodpigeon chicks were ringed at Cristin © Ed Betteridge

The month started on a better note to the end of September with a straight northerly winds. Out to sea, a Red-throated Diver, two Manx Shearwaters, 120 Common Scoters, an Arctic Skua, ten Mediterranean Gulls, five Common Gulls and nine Black-headed Gulls south. Overhead 58 Swallows, 18 Skylarks, a House Martin, a Golden Plover, two Snipe and a Grey Wagtail passed.

The highlight of the day was a Goosander,  in the Wetlands before moving to Henllwyn; this is only the seventh record and the first since 2016. Elsewhere a Merlin hunting the Narrows, a Starling on Solfach and a Reed Bunting at Cristin. Other notable migrant totals were a Bar-tailed Godwit, four Blackcaps, 24 Chiffchaffs, 16 Goldcrests and six Goldfinches. After dark two Long-eared Owls were seen hunting the Wetlands with a new male caught; a Short-eared Owl was also seen on the Narrows with a Skylark, a Purple Sandpiper, a Grey Heron, a Meadow Pipit, a Magpie and a Curlew trapped elsewhere.  

Goosander © Ed Betteridge

Four new pups today means we have now broken the record with 64 so far...© Ed Betteridge

Starling © Ed Betteridge

Long-eared Owl © Ed Betteridge

Skylark © Ed Betteridge

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