Southerly winds of F4 blew through the day with a sea state of three. Visibility was moderate due to on and off drizzle and mist but temperatures held at a warm 25°C.

Garden Tiger © Joel Tragen

In the morning, basking in the early sun, two Slow Worms were found in the garden at Cristin. Red Admiral butterflies were our most common species today with 15 across Cristin and Nant. A Brimstone moth was found in Cristin, later followed by two Mottled Beauty moths and four Lackeys. On the East Side, three Hummingbird Hawk-Moths were seen.

Two Storm Petrels were seen while sea watching the West Coast, and then a further three were detected in caves on the East Side cliffs.

Male Sparrowhawk © Joel Tragen

A Swift was seen following the West Coast, heading South. We had two House Martins at Pwll Gareth and three pairs of Swallows that are known to be nesting here.

Above the cliffs, a pair of Wheatear were seen hopping around the grassy slopes. Three Chiffchaffs were heard around Cristin and Nant today.

Some finches moving through today with ten Linnets, a lone Goldfinch that flew over Cristin and a Chaffinch sighted in Nant.

Today brought easterly winds of F3 and sea state three which allowed for moderate visibility. Peak heatwave provided temperatures averaging 31°C and no rain for respite. These summer conditions made it safe to head round the East Side for some seabird action in the sun. 

Marine mammal surveys resulted in sightings of ten Common Dolphins, feeding out far from the North End of the island.

Butterfly and day-flying moth activity was high today with 34 Painted Lady butterflies, three Hummingbird Hawk-moths and two Thrift Clearwings. As well as this, we had a Green Tiger Beetle on Traeth Ffynnon and a Green Click Beetle on the East Side. 

In the afternoon, Steve, Joel, Saffron and Cameron headed around to the East Side for some seabird monitoring. Counts of up to 460 Kittiwakes were done as well as 850 Guillemots. However, this was swamped by the 1700 adult Razorbills in the colony! A pair of Chough were sighted near the cliffs with three juveniles and in one of the caves, a Storm Petrel was found to be nesting.

Storm Petrel sat under boulder in Seal Cave © Joel Tragen

Over the Narrows, two Curlews and a Whimbrel were spotted. Our total count for Black-headed Gulls reached eight today as they headed south past the coasts here.

The morning brought us 21 Swifts flying over and 15 Swallows, some nesting but many passing right over the island.

Seven Wheatears were seen today as well as two Sedge Warblers and a Whitethroat in the Wetlands. Two Chiffchaffs were at Cristin. A total of 27 Linnets were recorded across the island.

A northerly wind of F4 and sea state 3 meant choppy waters and poor visibility in the morning. The fog soon blew over in the afternoon and visibility improved with clear skies and at a warm 23°C.

This morning we said goodbye to Ezra as he left the island for his summer holiday. In his place we welcomed back two volunteers, Saffron and Cameron for the next two weeks helping Joel with the Manx Shearwater census and monitoring the seabird colony on the East Side.

A large number of Red Admiral butterflies were counted today, a total of 22, 18 of which seen at Cristin. A small number of Small White butterflies dropped in today, a species not often recorded here. The sunny weather also brought out day-flying moths including a Small Magpie moth, a Hummingbird Hawk-moth and three White Ermine moths. This was followed by another Broad-bodied Chaser for the year.

Buff Arches, arguably one of the best-looking moths we have in the UK and it resembles bird droppings © Joel Tragen

Two Curlews were spotted in Solfach today. Passing over the island today, we had 11 Swifts and 11 Swallows as well as three House Martins that flew over Cristin. Additionally, several Pied Wagtails were seen today around Ty Pellaf and Cristin.

A Willow Warbler at Nant, as well as four Chiffchaffs and five Linnets across the island.

Today brought F2 Westerlies and a sea state of zero. Visibility started poor but improved as the day went on and the temperature averaged around 24°C.

The nice weather brought out the butterflies and day-flying moths including a Clouded Yellow Butterfly on Pen Cristin, a Hummingbird Hawk-Moth, three Thrift Clearwings, along with plenty of other moths caught in the moth trap overnight.

Thrift Clearwing © Joel Tragen

The Sparrowhawk pair were spotted again today at Cristin, as well as an adult Peregrine Falcon with two juveniles, hunting on the East Side. Also on the East Side, 200 Puffins were recorded and nine Choughs flying around the mountain.

Three Curlews were seen on Henllwyn and a Black-headed Gull was seen in Solfach. A Racing Pigeon was seen on the Mountain. 

While Swift numbers slowed down today compared to previously with only 18 recorded moving through the island today, House Martin numbers were up with a flock of 16 circling the lighthouse.

Juv. Wheatear entering post-juvenile moult © Joel Tragen

A Willow Warbler was present at Cristin, four each of Sedge Warblers and Blackcaps were recorded. A total of six Chiffchaffs were sighted across the island.

A Starling was on the Narrows. A Lesser Redpoll was heard over the Wetlands and 14 Linnets were recorded across the island.

Northeasterlies of F2 and sea state 1 continued today as temperatures increased to 26°C.

Whilst going through the moth trap with guests, Joel heard a Quail singing in the Lowlands.

Over 150 Painted Lady butterflies were recorded today, as well as a small drop of Silver-Y moths. The sun brought out all kinds of butterflies and moths today including many Small Tortoiseshells and Hummingbird Hawk Moths.

Kestrel © Joel Tragen 

A Little Egret was seen early morning feeding in Henllwyn, quickly departing. A total of two Grey Herons were seen around the coast. On the South End, a female Kestrel briefly flew past while getting mobbed by Oystercatchers. The Sparrowhawk pair were seen around Cristin again.

Some wader movement also in the form of a Lapwing on the South End and three Curlews seen flying around the coasts.

Lapwing © Joel Tragen

Six Risso's Dolphins and a juvenile were spotted swimming through the Sound while a second calendar year Black-headed Gull was seen near Seal Cave on the East Side.

Another huge day for Swift migration as 185 individuals recorded today! Eight Swallows and seven House Martins were also seen. Early morning Ezra had a Grey Wagtail feeding on the Narrows and a Starling around the North West Fields.

Swift flock whirling around the light house © Joel Tragen

A noticeable increase in Blackcaps with five recorded across the island. The regular Sedge Warbler and seven Chiffchaffs were seen. A Goldfinch was present at Ty Bach, the pair of Chaffinch were at Nant and a total of 14 Linnets were seen across the island.

A north-easterly of F3 held throughout the day, alongside a sea state of one meant for excellent visibility, made only better with clear skies and a temperatures of around 21°C.

A Quail was flushed by Gareth from near the Lime Kiln and 8 Red-veined Darters were found on the South End by Oliver.

In the early hours, Steve led a guided Manx Shearwater walk in which 12 Storm Petrels were caught. Ten new birds were ringed and two recaptures were processed, giving the guests a unique experience.

View towards Mynydd Mawr whilst setting the Storm Petrel net © Steven Stansfield

Joel ringing a Storm Petrel © Steven Stansfield

Counts for the island's breeding birds were carried out during excursions on the East Side including 750 Razorbills, 350 Puffins and 150 Guillemots. These birds would have had to been careful of the Peregrine Falcon pair hunting as their two youngsters sat and watched from the cliffs.

A Collared Dove was seen at Ty Nessaf before it moved over to Nant.

Good Swift passage continued with a minimum count of 74 bird moving over the island throughout the day, with many birds only heard screaming as they moved through. Only resident hirundines were sighted with six each of Swallows and House Martins recorded.

Male Wheatear carrying a leatherjacket back to the nest © Joel Tragen

Two pairs of Stonechats were recorded today along with a single Wheatear. Early morning Ezra had a Starling loitering around the Lighthouse compound on the South End.

Singles of Sedge Warbler and Whitethroat were recorded in the Wetlands. Other warblers seen today included two singing Blackcaps and a total of eight Chiffchaffs.

The only finches recorded today were four Linnets.

Blog by Saffron Forester

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A gentle northerly wind of F2, a flat calm sea of sea state one and excellent visibility, ended up producing a very memorable two minutes for the team.

With nets just closed and the start of change over only five minutes away, Joel stood talking to Steve in the Courtyard when a Swift screamed and Joel looked over to see the belly of a Swift dip behind the ringing hut. Exclaiming “oh a Swift”. Steve took a step into the courtyard but stepped back into the doorway as his eyes adjusted to the bright light. They continued their chatter until Joel locked eyes with the white rump of a bird flying away from the courtyard, less than 50m away. Within a nanosecond it clicked that this was a Swift species. Natural reaction time caught up and all composure was lost. Joel started pointing into to air, finger trembling, shouting “Oh F### its got a white f###### rump, its a white rump swift”. Steve, whose eyes had now adjusted, took three steps outside the door, got eyes on the bird. As it came closer the long rakish wings with a long pointed tail became apparent, Steve could make out the mottling/scale patterning on the underside and exclaimed “it’s a f##### Pacific Swift”.

Mad panic ensued as we both bolted for our cameras, with Emma staying on the bird. Whilst trying to help Steve find his camera, Joel had the foresight to get Ezra on the bird and radioed. Ezra hearing the sheer panic made it out of the office before even hearing what was seen. Steve made it outside to find his battery was dead but luckily Joel, having grabbed his camera, stopped outside the office upon seeing Ezra stop on the track and look up as the bird passed again overhead. Joel managed to rattle off a few record shots as the bird bombed it north and out of sight. The team, on cloud nine, then got stuck into the change over. The bird was briefly seen again, distantly by Joel a few hours later whilst the guests were getting settled in and Ezra likely had it whizz over Cristin once more.

Pacific Swift, showing mottled underside and gleaming white rump © Joel Tragen

Once getting the guests settled in, the team rushed down to Cafn for a boat survey of the seabird ledges. Gareth took the team along the East Side, slowing down by each of the major colonies, allowing the team to get the essential data necessary. A massive thank you to Gareth for again so expertly taking us around the East Side.

Ezra and Joel counting seabirds © Steven Stansfield

Quick rest bite between activities © Steve Stansfield

A busy day for the team as they plan to go catch Storm Petrels in the early hours.

A total of 46 Common Dolphins were seen from the island, with a group of 40 seen off the West Coast.

Two Grey Herons were seen flying south along the West Coast together. A total of four Curlews were seen around the coast. A Racing Pigeon was seen sat on one of the offshore rocks in Henllwyn.

As well as the Pacific, nine Common Swifts were sighted throughout the day. A Sand Martin was seen flying in-off from the South End hide. A White Wagtail was present in Henllwyn.

A Goldfinch flew over the West Coast and a Lesser Redpoll was heard over Cristin mid-morning.

Today we reached a southerly of F6 with a sea state of four, alongside on and off rain all day. This provided poor visibility and humid temperatures of 16°C.

A good count of Atlantic Grey Seals was achieved today with 100 individuals on Henllwyn alone! Another Broad-bodied Chaser was seen today at Nant. We might be having another good year for this species, having not seen any since 2016.

During the rain four Curlews dropped-in on different areas of the coast. Almost 60 Oystercatchers were recorded today, half of which were on the South End.

Along the South End small rafts of Guillemots and Razorbills were spotted.

Guillemots © Joel Tragen

Eight Swallows were seen across the island, with several birds using the shelter provided by the track to feed.

A Willow Warbler and a pair of Blackcaps were at seen at Nant. A Sedge Warbler was again singing in the Wetlands. Small arrival of Chiffchaffs overnight as 13 seen.

A pair of Chaffinches were also seen at Nant and five Linnets were seen across the island.

Blog by Saffron Forrester.

As southerlies of F4 continued, a sea state of three was recorded with moderate visibility. A steady temperature of 15°C held with rain in the afternoon.

Ingrailed Clay © Joel Tragen

Unfortunately, due to the rain, very few butterflies were seen this day, nor other wildlife that would come out in the sun. There was however small groups of six and seven Atlantic Grey Seals seen off Henllwyn and Solfach.

The female Sparrowhawk was spotted around Cristin as well as a pair of Chough flying over. Another pair of Chough were spotted on the South End, where a pair of Mallard were also seen.

A total of 45 Oystercatcher were counted around the island and a large number of 20 Wrens heard throughout.

Six Swallows and one House Martins were the only hirundines seen today. A Sedge Warbler remained on territory in the Wetlands and two Chiffchaffs were around Cristin Garden. A family group of five Linnets were seen on the Narrows.

Blog by Saffron Forrester

A southerly of F4 and a sea state of three were recorded with moderate visibility. Heavy rain fell overnight and temperatures reached a comfortable 16°C.

A Grey Heron was seen around the Narrows along with a Canada Goose. Shelducks numbered six and four Mallards.

Two each of Sparrowhawks and Peregrines were recorded, one of the Peregrines was seen flying over the Wetlands carrying a ringed Oystercatcher chick.

Puffin © Joel Tragen

The Collared Dove “boy band” split up with singles being seen at Ty Pellaf, Nant and in the Withies.

16 Swallows were recorded across the island and a total of 15 House Martins were also present. Only one Rock Pipit was sighted today along with 17 Meadow Pipits.

Singles of Whitethroat and Blackcap were detected, both skulking singing males. Two Sedge warblers were recorded, along with a single Willow Warbler and 13 Chiffchaffs.

A Siskin was recorded over Cristin and a pair of Chaffinches were knocking around Nant. A total of 16 Linnets were recorded across the island.

A southerly of F5 held for much of the day and there was a sea state of two. Visibility was very poor on account of mist cloaking the island for much of the day. Some light, intermittent showers were recorded and temperatures struggled to reach 14°C.

During a guided Manx Shearwater/Storm Petrel walk in the early hours, 60 Manx Shearwaters were sighted and three Storm Petrels were caught, including a retrapped bird.

The female Sparrowhawk was seen at Cristin and a Peregrine was seen around the East Side.

A Whimbrel and two Curlews were on the Narrows in the morning, whilst two Black-headed Gulls were present on Solfach.

Three Collared Doves were seen at Ty Pellaf and a Racing Pigeon was at Cristin.

Only nine Swallows and five House Martins were recorded. Pipit numbers were made up of 12 Meadow Pipits and 19 Rock Pipits. Five Pied Wagtails were also recorded.

Fledgling Carrion Crow in the Withies © Joel Tragen

A Willow Warbler was again present in Cristin Withy. The only other warblers recorded were four Chiffchaffs and a Sedge Warbler was singing in the Wetlands.

The only finches recorded today were 12 Linnets.

A south-easterly of F3 held throughout the day, with a sea state of one. Visibility remained good until 20:00 when fog enveloped the island. No precipitation was recorded and temperatures hit 19°C.

An arrival of Painted Lady butterflies were recorded with 153 counted across the island, along with 25 Red Admirals and 12 Small Tortoiseshells.

A Storm Petrel was seen in the nest box around the East Side. A Grey Heron was seen on Pwll Cain. Ten each of Shelducks and Mallards were recorded across the island.

Two Sparrowhawks were seen, with the female being seen at Cristin and a male at Nant. A pair of Peregrines were seen around the East Side, including the female grabbing hold of a Chough briefly before letting it go.

Three each of Whimbrels and Curlews were recorded across the island and a total of 132 of Oystercatchers were counted.

A Black-headed Gull was seen off the South End and a total of 14 Sandwich Terns were seen off the coast with a flock of nine off Solfach.

Five Collared Doves were recorded across the island along with a total of four Racing Pigeons. Also of note, 64 Woodpigeons were recorded, including 40 birds in-off the Narrows.

Racing Pigeon © Joel Tragen

A total of 34 Swifts flew south through the South End early morning, including a flock of 28. 19 Swallows and 12 House Martins were recorded across the island today. A Grey Wagtail was seen on the Narrows in the morning, presumably the same individual was seen on the North End.

A Willow Warbler was heard in the Withies and a male Blackcap was singing at Nant. Two Sedge Warblers and 12 Chiffchaffs were present. A Spotted Flycatcher was flittering around Nant.

Three Chaffinches were seen, with a pair at Nant and another female at Ty Pellaf. Also 20 Linnets were recorded across the island.

A cold northerly wind of F4 blew through the island and a sea state of one was recorded. Visibility was very good throughout the day and no precipitation fell. A temperature of 16°C was noted.

Common Swift © Joel Tragen

A Little Egret was seen briefly on the North End, feeding in a shallow rockpool. A total of 17 Shelducks were seen across the island, whilst only two Mallards were noted, both of Pwll Cain.

Two Sparrowhawks were recorded with the male being seen at Ty Pellaf and a female at Cristin. A Peregrine was seen over the Mountain.

Tom flushed a Quail from within the Plantation at Nant, it shot off high through the canopy. A summer-plumage Golden Plover was seen by Ezra on the South End early in the morning. Three Whimbrels were present at the North End and a Redshank was on Solfach.

Three Racing Pigeons were present on the island today.

Seven Swifts were recorded flying through the island with a flock of four passing over Pen Cristin and flying along the East Side. A total of 27 Swallows and 12 House Martins were recorded on the island. A White Wagtail was seen on Solfach and five Pied Wagtails were recorded across the island.

The Firecrest was heard in Cristin garden in the morning. A Reed Warbler was present in the Withies and a male Blackcap was singing at Nant. Three Sedge Warblers and 11 Chiffchaffs were recorded on the island. A Spotted Flycatcher was at Nant.

A Siskin flew over the West Coast, presumably the same individual was later at Cristin. Otherwise a total of 13 Linnets were recorded.

A south-westerly winds of F4 blew through the island and the sea state was two. Good visibility recorded and no precipitation fell. Temperatures reached 15°C.

Brown Silver-line © Joel Tragen

Six Shelducks and two male Mallards were recorded across the island. The female Sparrowhawk was again seen at Cristin.

Whilst rounding up the sheep in the afternoon, Gareth flushed a Quail from a cluster of Thistles on the Narrows which flew down towards Solfach. Ezra found the first Common Sandpiper of the Autumn in Solfach in the morning which stayed throughout the day.

Also in Solfach, a summer-plumaged Black-headed Gull was seen. Another sign of early Autumn migration. Four Racing Pigeons were seen across the island today with two together seen at Cristin, making their way into the gift shop.

Six Swallows and five House Martins were the only hirundines recorded today. A handful of pipits were seen with five Meadow Pipits and six Rock Pipits. Again a Pied Wagtails was seen at Ty Pellaf.

The male Firecrest remained in Cristin garden. A Sedge Warbler was heard in the Wetlands and only three Chiffchaffs were detected today.

Chiffchaff © Joel Tragen

A Jackdaw flew south over Cristin as the guests arrived and were ferrying their bags up from the track.

The only finches recorded were two Goldfinches and five Linnets.