Monday 20 January 2014

January 17th
A calmer day saw much the same scattering of avian wildlife about the island; the usual flock of Kittiwakes was particularly large, with 200 feeding, and just two Common Gulls amongst them; a Whimbrel and two Shelducks hung around Henllwyn; and a Song Thrush joined the host of garden birds which were making use of the feeding station at Ty Pellaf.

The waning gibbous Moon has been particularly nice to see on clear mornings

January 18th
With heavy rain persisting throughout most of the day, it made for very soggy conditions. A large number of waders took to The Narrows at high tide, including 107 Oystercatchers, 21 Purple Sandpipers, 20 Redshanks, a Whimbrel and 55 Curlews. Out to sea, the usual mass of feeding Kittiwakes remained near Carreg Yr Honwy for most of the day, reaching about 235 at low tide.

January 19th
Clear skies and calm winds made for a very pleasant day, with a scattering of birdlife around the island. The Hooded Crow was amongst a flock of 23 Carrion Crows on the summit mid-morning; a Merlin was seen briefly on the South End in the afternoon; the first Linnet of the year flew over Ty Pellaf, and two Song Thrushes remained in the island's gardens. Passage out to sea comprised large flocks of Guillemots, some numbering over 70; a total of 600 passed the West Coast in just under an hour. The feeding party of 250 Kittiwakes was still near Carreg Yr Honwy.

A flock of over 450 Starlings were seen around The Narrows in the later afternoon
A substantial passage of Guillemots saw flocks of up to 80 birds flying South in long lines

January 20th
It was a beautiful still day, allowing plenty of the island's smaller avian residents to make themselves known. Blue Tits, Robins and Dunnocks were all producing small snippets of song during the day. A Great Northern Diver flew South past The Narrows, whilst the Hooded Crow was still around the Solfach area.


Magpie
The last few large storms have left Solfach bare of any seaweed, and so many of the Choughs have been feeding along the trackside, particularly near Ty Pellaf

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