Sunday 6 October 2013

A seemingly quiet day with low numbers of migrants saw some quality birds finding their way to the island today. The morning started off well when a Yellow-browed Warbler found its way into one of the mist nets in the Observatory garden- this is the fourth that we have ringed to far this Autumn.

A Richard's Pipit made a belated appearance onto the year list mid-morning, when an individual flew South over the Narrows, giving its sparrow-like 'tsreep' as it went over. The bird was seen briefly on the South End a few times, before disappearing to the West.

In the evening, another scarcity turned up at the Plantation: a Red-breasted Flycatcher, which was seen feeding along the fence lines around the New Plantation until dusk. This the third, or possibly fourth to be recorded this autumn.

A Mediterranean Shearwater flew south out to sea,whilst a Red-throated Diver, a Wigeon, a Teal, three Arctic Skuas and a Great Skua also flew by.

Richard's Pipit. (c) Peter Howlett

The Red-breasted Flycatcher was trapped just before darkness fell. This is the first one to be caught since 2011- and the 47th to be ringed on Bardsey (c) Steve Stansfield
 Choughs are beginning to gather on Solfach as the piles of rotten kelp build up
Magpie taking advantage of a sheep



Smaller numbers of Chiffchaffs were present on the island though some were still in the gardens  (c) Steve Stansfield

 Good numbers of Pied, and White Wags are still moving. The top bird a typical adult white with a Dunlin and the lower bird was unassigned to either race and logged as  'alba'



Some of the morning and afternoon was spent catching Rock Pipits in the portable heligoland trap on Solfach. A total of 11 birds were trapped an colour-ringed (c) Steve Stansfield


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