Today’s weather set in with moderate rain persisting all day, accompanied by a strong South-West wind shifting to North and dropping from Force 7 to 3. Visibility was poor, with a sea state of 4 and temperatures reaching a mild 15°C. Marine mammal and reptile observations recorded one Slow Worm noted at Plas. Grey seal monitoring around the island haul-outs tallied 45 at Solfach. Invertebrate records included one Painted Lady, one Silver Y, two Rush Veneers, one Rusty Dot Pearl and one Humming-bird Hawk-moth.

Sunset from Cristin overlooking the West Coast (c) Ezra Sherwell

Seabird and wader counts featured 90 Gannets, 18 Shags, four Black-headed Gulls, 12 Kittiwakes, 17 Razorbills, five Whimbrels, 16 Turnstones (including two ringed down on the South End), four Curlews, one Purple Sandpiper, one Snipe, and one Redshank. Remarkably, two late Manx Shearwater chicks were found down on the south end during nocturnal surveys, one calling from its burrow and another stargazing outside its burrow, the latter was subsequently ringed.

Passerine numbers were represented by 16 Meadow Pipits, 13 Rock Pipits, 32 Robins, 12 Blackbirds, four Redwings heard passing over the South End at night, two Blackcaps, one Yellow-browed Warbler, 11 Chiffchaffs, and 12 Goldcrests, one Chaffinch, five Goldfinches, 32 Siskins, and 14 Linnets.