Strong westerly winds reaching Force 5 along with a matching sea state of five brought an impressive day of seabird movement. The standout highlight of the day was the first Sooty Shearwater of the season heading northeast along the West Coast.

Seawatching off the West Coast featured a heavy morning passage of 6,013 Manx Shearwaters heading North, with peak movement reaching around 2,500 birds per hour. An evening seawatch from the South End produced an estimated 5,000 birds past the point, gathering around the island waiting for it to get dark bringing the daily total of Manx Shearwaters to 11,013. Additional seabirds pushing North off the West Coast included 159 Gannets (with a further three off the South End bringing the total to 162), 11 Fulmars, 55 Kittiwakes (alongside 20 off the South End and 17 at Carreg yr Honwy for a total of 92), 13 Black-headed Gulls, two Great Black-backed Gulls, two Shags, one Lesser Black-backed Gull, and six Herring Gulls. Heading south off the West Coast were 11 Sandwich Terns.

Coastal counts around Carreg yr Honwy, Solfach, and Pen Cristin included 493 Herring Gulls split between 250 at Pen Cristin and 243 at Carreg yr Honwy, 15 Lesser Black-backed Gulls at Carreg yr Honwy, ten Black-headed Gulls across Carreg yr Honwy and Solfach, six Great Black-backed Gulls at Carreg yr Honwy, three Shags at Carreg yr Honwy, a lone Oystercatcher at Pen Cristin, and a Moorhen in Withies.

Landbird migration featured ten Willow Warblers spread across Nant, Withies, the Observatory, and Wetlands, two Sedge Warblers and a single Reed Warbler along Green Lane. Other passerine records included two Chiffchaffs at the Observatory, 12 Stonechats, four Swallows and two Pied Wagtails at Nant. Raptors were represented by single records of both Kestrel and Sparrowhawk near the Observatory. 

During the afternoon we went to monitor and ring some of the Manx Shearwater chicks which are growing quickly and starting to look quite large and downy.

Five week old Manxy chick (c) Steven Stansfield

Overnight rain giving way to daytime showers and morning fog made for a damp, murky start to the day. A Force 4 southerly wind was prsent throughout the day alongside, moderate visibility, a sea state of three, and a mild temperatures reaching 19°C.

Wader activity along the coast was led by 34 Oystercatchers, distributed as 21 at Henllwyn, five at Traeth Ffynnon , three at Solfach, three at the West Narrows, one at the Narrows, and one at Carreg yr Honwy. Shoreline counts also included three Curlews (two at Traeth Ffynnon and one at the West Narrows), two Turnstones at Solfach, and a single Redshank at Solfach.

Gulls and coastal seabirds logged a single Mediterranean Gull at Carreg yr Honwy, six Black-headed Gulls (five at Carreg yr Honwy and one at Solfach), 159 Herring Gulls (100 at Pen Cristin, 57 at Carreg yr Honwy, and two off the North End), 13 Great Black-backed Gulls, seven Lesser Black-backed Gulls, 15 Kittiwakes, four Sandwich Terns, four Shags, and three Cormorants at Carreg yr Honwy.

Passerine counts island-wide were generally quiet but featured ten Willow Warblers (six at Nant, four in Withies), alongside single sightings of Chiffchaff and Sedge Warbler both in Withies, 35 Linnets (30 at the Narrows and five at the South End), 18 Swallows, eight Stonechats around Tŷ Pellaf, five Meadow Pipits, three Pied Wagtails at Solfach, two Rock Pipits and six Choughs.

Choughs are finding braking through the parched dehydrated ground hard work, but last night's rain has helped. (c) Steven Stansfield

 

A warmer day saw temperatures reach 23°C as southeasterly winds shifted southwesterly in the afternoon, bringing calm conditions with a sea state of one and very good visibility despite a few afternoon showers. 

A small push of hirundines provided increased counts across the island, headlined by 96 Swallows. Movement was recorded in several areas, including 21 passing over the South End with south-heading flocks of seven and ten, alongside 24 pushing through and gathering in the Wetlands. Further counts included 22+ on the Mountain, nine over the Withies, three in the Lowlands, four along the West Coast, and two at the Narrows. House Martins totalled 18, with 12 at the South End including a family with four fledging young, and six at the Narrows. 

Fledging House Martins (c) Ezra Sherwell

Warblers featured 20 Willow Warblers (seven in Withies, seven at Nant, four on the Mountain, one in the Lowlands, and one in the Wetlands), two Chiffchaffs in Withies, and a single Sedge Warbler in the Wetlands. Small landbird tallies included 18 Meadow Pipits (15 at the South End, two in the Lowlands, one at the Narrows), 15 Linnets, eight Wheatears split evenly between the South End and Narrows, six Rock Pipits, four Stonechats comprising a female with a juvenile at the South End and a male with a juvenile along Green Lane,  a Pied Wagtail at Solfach, and an Alba Wagtail at the South End.  

Small numbers of wader were still present along the shoreline with eight Whimbrels, five Redshanks, three Curlews, and a Common Sandpiper on the West Coast. Additional coastal and wetland sightings included four Grey Herons—one of which departed south off the island—two Moorhens, a Shelduck at Solfach, a Mallard at Cristin, and a single Kestrel hunting over the Wetlands. 

Marine mammal observations noted a pod of ten Common Dolphins off the West Coast. Lepidoptera records featured 12 Meadow Browns, three Silver Y moths at the Observatory, three Common Blues, two Large Whites, two Red Admirals, and two Painted Ladies. 

A Large Tabby moth in the gift shop was only the third record for the island, the first as long ago as 1966, and the second as recently as 2024 (also in the gift shop!!).

Large Tabby Aglossa pinguinalis (c) Steven Stansfield

A notable gathering of 15 Mediteranean Gulls gulls and good numbers of cetacean sightings provided the day's main highlights. This included a very young juvenile Mediterranean Gull and 18 Black-headed Gulls briefly roosting on Carreg yr Honwy. 

Ringing efforts at the Observatory capitalized on a calm, clear day, peaking at 18°C with light northerly winds creating ideal conditions for opening nets. Eight Willow Warblers and two Wrens were trapped and ringed as part of the day's ringing effort. Overall island counts for Willow Warbler reached 35, distributed across several locations including 14 at Nant, seven in Withies, eight around the Observatory, two in the Wetlands, two at Tŷ Pellaf, one in the Lowlands, and one at the Narrows. Wren numbers totaled 37 across various sectors, led by 14 at Nant and nine at Tŷ Pellaf. Other warblers logged included eight Chiffchaffs, split between four in Withies, three at Nant, and one in the Lowlands, alongside a single Sedge Warbler along Green Lane. 

Small landbirds on census included 14 Meadow Pipits, with ten in the Lowlands and four at the Narrows, 14 Linnets at the Narrows including adults actively feeding young, six Pied Wagtails at Solfach including a fresh juvenile, two Stonechats in the Lowlands, and single records of Robin and Blackbird at the Observatory. Hirundines comprised 21 Swallows, with 16 in Withies, three in the Wetlands, and two in the Lowlands, alongside two House Martins in the Wetlands. 

Freshly fledged Pied Wagtail on Solfach (c) Steven Stansfield

Juvenile Pied Wagtail being fed on Solfach (c) Steven Stansfield

Juvenile Linnet begging for food on the Narrows (c) Steven Stansfield

Despite a slight sea state of two and a few passing light showers, marine and coastal watching produced 85 Razorbills off the West Coast, which contained a high proportion of first calendar-year birds. Counts also yielded 35 Gannets off the West Coast, 22 Shags at Carreg yr Honwy, nine Cormorants, and two Grey Herons on the Narrows. Shoreline waders included seven Curlews, split as six at Henllwyn and one at Carreg yr Honwy, five Turnstones at Carreg yr Honwy, three Redshanks at Solfach, a Common Sandpiper at Solfach, and a Whimbrel at Henllwyn. 

Marine life off the West Coast provided fantastic views of cetaceans, led by 70 Common Dolphins, which included 35 adults and five calves close inshore alongside a second pod of around 30 individuals further out. Ten adult Risso's Dolphins was also observed off the West Coast, while five Harbour Porpoises were noted, comprising four off the North End and one off the West Coast. Grey Seal counts reached 74 adults, with 54 at Henllwyn, 16 at Carreg yr Honwy, and four at Solfach. 

Lepidoptera activity was modest, highlighted by 24 Meadow Browns, with 22 around Tŷ Pellaf and two at the Observatory, three Red Admirals, two Common Blues in the Wetlands, two Peacocks at the Observatory, and a single Grayling at the Observatory. 

A westerly F3 breeze brought very good visibility across the island, with a sea state of three and mild temperatures reaching 18°C.

With the return of the calm weather nocturnal ringing efforts targeting Storm Petrels recommenced from the North End which resulted in a total catch of 12 individuals including one retrapped bird.

Storm Petrel ringed at the North End (c) Steven Stansfield

With an almost full moon rising early in the night the session was cut short early, but still provided some valuable results and a chance for many of the Marine Mammal students to see Storm Petrel up close for the first time.

Marine Mammal week students watching the Storm Petrel ringing.

Migrant warbler presence dropped off today with the warbler population appearing to be largely remnant breeders. This included two Willow Warblers and a single Chiffchaff in Withies, along with single records of Sedge Warbler and Whitethroat in the Wetlands.

Small passerine activity across key areas featured five Pied Wagtails and two Rock Pipits at Solfach, a Meadow Pipit on the Narrows, and a single juvenile Stonechat on the Mountain. Two Wheatears were logged at the Narrows, while single records were noted for Robin and Woodpigeon in the Wetlands. Hirundines moving through included six Swallows, split as three in the Wetlands, two at Tŷ Pellaf, and one at the Narrows, alongside three House Martins in the Wetlands.

Wader and gull movements along the shore were represented by five Curlews, split as three at Solfach, one at Henllwyn, and one at the Narrows, alongside three Redshanks (two at Solfach and one at Henllwyn) and a single Whimbrel at Solfach. Two Black-headed Gulls were also noted at Solfach.