The wind was blowing strongly for the first time in over a week. It was also coming from the north which brought the temperature back down to what you'd expect from an April day. Even though the wind was cold, the sun was still out and the sky was blue, so there was still something of a summery feel to the island.

Some greenery is coming through in the obs garden

Wheatears reached their highest day total today at 21 individuals, mainly along the West Coast where males have been splaying their tails and acting rather territorially. This number is due to increase very soon, perhaps in the next day or two!

A male wheatear showing off its characteristic tail to another male

Two male Wheatears on the West Coast

One species that is getting recorded less in the last week is Chough, this is likely just because the majority of the nest sites are on the less watched East Side, and because the birds aren't travelling in flocks any more, it's mainly just the South End and West Coast pairs that are being recorded on the usual census's.

When you've been on Bardsey for some time it is very easy to take birds like Choughs for granted because their calls are almost constant background noise, and it takes little to no effort to see them. But another bird that falls into this category is the Ravens of Bardsey. Each year, one or two pairs nest on the East Side and they are very often heard 'gronking' as they soar over the mountain, creating a large silhouette against the sky as they do so.

Raven against the blue sky, note the diamond-shaped tail

Raven perched on the East Side. Their thick-set necks and huge, deeply curved upper mandibles are good features to look for to separate them from Carrion Crows.

In the early evening the weather had calmed down and a walk along the West Coast produced the usual noisy Oystercatchers and high pitched Rock Pipits. The bird of the hour had to be a Gannet that began feeding close to the shore in the sparkling, calm water with a gorgeous sunset as the backdrop. It's a very special sight and a perfect end to a day to watch such a large seabird like this, that's seemingly unbothered by your presence, carry on with its extraordinary natural behaviour. In moments like these, it's very easy to forget that the rest of the world exists, and this is perhaps one of the most appealing things about Bardsey and the reason many people keep returning.

Sometimes common birds like this Gannet provide the best and most memorable moments

In the evening, to celebrate Connor's birthday (it's on Wednesday), the island's residents had a barbeque at Ty Bach. Gareth and Meriel provided the lamb and everyone else brought some sides, along with some booze, of course. It was a fun night that went on well after the Little Owls and Manxies had started calling and the stars came out. An added bonus was that early on in the evening a Marsh Harrier slowly cruised over the Mountain!

Not a bad view

Connor blowing out the candle

The unimitable Gareth and Emyr manning the barbeque

Steve Obs (left) and Sam (right)

After dinner chatter

Bird sightings today include: eight Curlews, four Little Owls, one Sand Martin, 12 Swallows, 54 Blackcaps, five Chiffchaffs, 23 Willow Warblers, one Blue Tit, two Great Tits, nine Chaffinches and 11 Goldfinches.

No ringing took place today due to wind