*** Bangor University Bird Society Training Week 2023***

This year Bardsey Lodge and Bird Observatory will be running a Training Week on Bardsey island for students from the  Bangor University Bird Society. 

The week will run from 15th-22nd April 2023 and this year we have received sponsorship from the BTO's YBOV program and the Cameron Bespolka Trust.

Bardsey Lodge  - click here for details about staying at the Lodge

Birding- There is a huge amount to write about in terms of the diversity of the island, which is summarised below, to give you an idea of what Bardsey has to offer. However, a few specific things related to the time of year that the trip will be taking place are mentioned...

Mid-April  is a great time of year for birding: on the one hand you have the movements of northward-bound migrants already in full swing, with species such as Willow Warblers, Swallows, White Wagtails and Spotted Flycatchers featuring potentially in their hundreds at times; on the other hand, the movement of seabirds out to sea can also be rewarding, with some of the year's largest Manx Shearwaters counts at this time of year

The main feature, however, is likely to be that of passerines. Good numbers of migrants often move through the island on their way south, and include species such as Common Redstarts, Whinchats, Yellow Wagtails, Pied Flycatchers, Tree Pipits, Cuckoos, Grasshopper Warblers and much more! You will be able to join the staff in small groups who will help you understand the importance of recording birds and help with your ID skills, showing you how they fins, identify and count all the birds on the island each day!

Ringing- ringing is a strong feature at any bird observatory, and Bardsey is no exception. During the week we will attempt to undertake a wide variety of ringing methods, and target a range of species. Ringing on Bardsey is hugely weather dependent, and so any of the following activities may be restricted if the weather is windy or wet: one to one tuition is given to anyone interested in taking part in ringing.

Mist-netting- provided conditions are calm, we would usually open up the nine mist nets around the Bird Observatory garden on a morning, and usually keep them open until midday. If there are movements of migrants through the island, then we can sometimes catch over 100 birds here on a good morning.

Heligoland trapping- besides the island's fixed Heligoland trap at Cristin, which will be run throughout the day, we also have a small portable trap, which we set up on the beach to catch and colour ring Rock Pipits, as well as the odd wagtail. Mid-August is a very good time of year for this activity, and so it is very likely that we will be using this during the week.

Manx Shearwaters- by the middle of April, many of the island's 26,000 pairs of Manx Shearwaters will have returned, and we will spend some nights out catching and ringing them.

Wader lamping/dazzling - the moon phase will be appropriate and if there are waders around to catch, Ed will probably try lamping around the beaches and wetlands at night to trap any species which are present. Typically we catch Dunlins, Ringed Plovers and Whimbrels and Redshank.

Moth trapping- moth trapping is carried out at various locations around the island throughout the year, mostly using small actinic Heath Traps, but also a Robinson trap situated at Cristin. We check the traps every morning between 9 and 10 am, and so all students on the week are free to participate. 

Spectacle moth

Events

In addition to the above activities that will be carried out during the week, we will also be holding a few events. 

At some point during the week we shall attempt a Bird Race. The race will simply be which team can see the most species in 24 hours. 

One night there will be a Quiz held at the Obs, which will comprise questions on identification, bird facts, sound recordings and more! 

There will be a number of short Talks given at the Observatory on some nights, one of which will be Steve Stansfield's talk on the wildlife and birds of Bardsey.

More detail about the island....

Bardsey Island is situated about 2km off the tip of the Lleyn Peninsula, in North Wales. The island is roughly 1.5kmx3km, with a perimeter of about 7km. Bardsey is at a strategic interception point for migrants crossing the Irish Sea and Cardigan Bay, as well as birds flying southward ready to cross these bodies of water in the Autumn. The result is that ‘falls’ of common migrants, and visible migration over the island, can be fantastic. It is not uncommon to have  numbers of over 600 Willow Warblers on the island during the migration period; last May, for example, a total of 310 Sedge Warblers, 200 Whitethroats and 100 Blackcaps were grounded on the island on the 17th of May.

An aerial view of Cafn, where the boats come in and out, 

with Bardsey Lighthouse in the background

The view of the tip of the Lleyn Peninsula, from the top of Bardsey Mountain

Ok, so enough of the common stuff…what of the rarities and scarcities? In a familiar fashion to the rest of the UK’s Bird Observatories, Bardsey has amassed a respectable list of rarities since BBFO’s founding in 1953. Some of the slightly rarer encounters on the island have included the first Summer Tanager (1957) and Yellow Warbler (1964) to be recorded in Britain. The list of American vagrants stands tall: American Bittern, Sora, Kildeer, Spotted Sandpiper, Grey-cheeked Thrush, American Robin, Song Sparrow, Dark-eyed Junco, Red-eyed Vireo, Common Yellowthroat, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, White-throated Sparrows and Blackpoll Warbler have all been recorded.

This Cretzschmar's Bunting was found in spring 2015

Hoopoes are fairly scarce on Bardsey, occurring once every few years - this one was photographed in mid-April!

From the opposite direction, Bardsey has played host to Black-winged Stilt, Lanceolated Warbler, River Warbler, Booted Warbler, Blyth’s Reed Warbler, Eyebrowed Thrush, Thrush Nightingale, Red-flanked Bluetail, Isabelline Wheatear, Black-eared Wheatear, Collared Flycatcher, Blyth’s Pipit, Pine Bunting, Rock Bunting and Yellow-breasted Bunting.

A few Bardsey specialities have emerged in recent years (well, certainly in the context of Wales, at any rate…): Subalpine Warblers have been recorded more than annually since 2007, amounting to a total of 12 birds seen in the last seven years; a pair even tried breeding in the obs garden in 2010, when a singing male of the eastern race was accompanied by a female, and both were seen carrying nesting material! Similarly, Melodious Warblers have been recorded annually since 2006, with over 17 records including a total of six birds in Autumn 2010 alone. Paddyfield Warbler has now been seen three times on the island since 2008, accounting for 75% of Welsh records!

Western Subalpine Warblers have been seen as many times as Eastern on here!

So, you probably want to know a bit more about actually birding the island; what habitats are there? What are the best places for birding? What has turned up where? Where is visible migration at its most overpowering? 

It has been suggested,  that the island’s hot spots for migrants and rarities are contained within a ‘golden triangle’. The points of this triangle are made up largely by the only significant areas of dense vegetation on Bardsey.

The golden triangle concept…comprising Nant, The Withies and 

The Observatory garden at each corner

The Observatory

Cristin, which comprises the buildings and garden of Bardsey Bird and Field Observatory, is the first ‘point’ of this triangle: the garden consists of a single large Sycamore, surrounded by a scattering of mature damson bushes. The garden is the main hub of the island’s ringing activities, and is the only site on the island with Heligoland traps. The BBFO garden alone has a rather impressive list of over 250 species, including Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Eyebrowed Thrush, Bonelli’s Warbler and Sardinian Warbler.

An aerial view of The Observatory (foreground), with the Heligoland trap, 

and surrounding garden

The Withies

The second point of the golden triangle is The Withies: this is made up of three willow beds, which are situated in the lowland area of the island. These three withy beds (Tŷ Pellaf Withy, Cristin Withy and Plas Withy) are excellent for luring species that prefer damper habitats, such as Sedge Warblers and Grasshopper Warblers, and are also a good place for large numbers of warblers moving through the island in spring and autumn. Apart from being the best place on the island to find Golden Orioles during spring migration, the withies have hosted Paddyfield Warbler, regular Icterine Warblers, Subalpine Warblers and Rustic Bunting in the last few years.

 

A shot of two of the withy beds, with Bardsey Lighthouse in the background

Nant

The final point of this triangle is ‘Nant’: this is a much larger area than the previous two locations, and is largely made up of an old, mature pine Plantation, flanked on the northern side by a newer plantation of native broad-leaved species. Aside these areas of cover, there are a handful of small withy beds, and an agglomeration of small walled gardens. Due to the shelter that these vegetated areas provide, it is often the favoured haunt for a large number of migrants, and usually turns up the largest percentage of scarce visitors during the year. Recent finds in this area have included Western Bonelli’s Warbler (2012), Paddyfield Warbler (2013), two Pallas’s Warblers (2010), six Red-breasted Flycatchers and a White-throated Sparrow (2010).

Arial view of the north End of the island (Myles Jenks)

Aerial views of Nant, showing the old and new Plantations, 

as well as some of the smaller gardens

Firecrest

Aside these key areas, there is a multitude of habitats and under-watched sites that can be equally good…

The gardens

There are 11 small walled gardens around the island, all of which bear plenty of cover to conceal passing migrants. Ty Pellaf garden is the most southerly on the island, and is perhaps the best site on the island to find Yellow-browed Warblers in the Autumn. Pallas’s Warbler, Greenish Warbler, Subalpine Warbler, Common Rosefinch and Hawfinch have all paid a visit to the wind-battered Apple Trees that line the edges of the garden in the last few years.

The Mountain

Bardsey Mountain rises a little over 160 metres above sea level; the western side of this small lump is covered in heath and gorse, and is largely underwatched. The mountainside has been the predominate site for almost all Wrynecks in recent Autumns, and has been an excellent place to find Subalpine Warblers in recent years. The East Side of the mountain is made up of precipitous grassy slopes, combined with rocky outcrops and scree slopes. The lower reaches of this steep side is home to the island’s breeding populations of Razorbills, Guillemots, Puffins, Peregrine Falcons and several Choughs.

Wrynecks occur annually on Bardsey, between August and mid-October, 

and favour the mountainside between Cristin and Nant

An aerial view of Bardsey Mountain, with the steep east side in the foreground, and the South End visible beyond the ridge

The Narrows

This is a relatively small area of land, the narrowest point on the island, connecting the South End with the rest of Bardsey. The low height and scattered rocky beaches mean that this is virtually the only place that waders and wildfowl will turn up. Solfach, on the western side of The Narrows, is often awash with large piles of rotting sea kelp, which in turn attract reasonable numbers of migrant waders. During the winter, the kelp also provides nourishment for the 45-odd wintering Choughs.

A panaromic taken from Solfach (on The Narrows), looking back to Bardsey Mountain

The South End

The South End is a low and exposed belt of land, home to the Bardsey Lighthouse. On calm drizzly nights during spring and autumn, the rotating beams can attract hundreds of unwary migrants, many of which are then brimming out of every bush the following day. However, the recent switch from the rotating prisms to a flashing LED light means that the chances of any attractions are virtually non-existent: gone are the days when you could trudge around the lighthouse compound, kicking up 30 or so Grasshopper Warblers, and then counting some of the 200 Willow Warbler that made landfall in the surrounding gorse. However, all is not lost for this area of land: it is one of the best places to witness autumn ‘vis-mig’. It is best here as birds funnel down to the tip to cross the Irish Sea. Hundreds of Meadow Pipits, hirundines and finches can be seen flying southward on calm days in the autumn, and the occasional Richard’s Pipit may also tag along. The seas of thrift, rough grassland and squill have attracted Dotterels, Short-toed Lark and Quail in recent years, as well as hosting the island’s only Kildeer.

The view of the south end from the southerly tip, looking back along the island (Myles Jenks)

Seawatching

In recent years, seawatching has become a popular activity for birders, especially in the Autumn when the winds pick up. Seawatching involves observing birds as they fly over the water, and can be done from the shore or from a boat. The large increase in seawatching efforts is at least partly to do with the discovery that this activity can take place from the benches immediately in front of Cristin.

From this seawatching deck, there is an excellent view of about 180 degrees of the Irish Sea, as well as part of the Bardsey Sound. The sea is about 0.8 km away from the front of the obs, but the more elevated position means that observations include a much further fetch of the sea. Anything from Long-tailed Skuas and Sabine’s Gulls, to the rarer Great Shearwater (2012, 2016), Fea’s Petrel (2013) and Black-browed Albatross (2016) have been picked up from this amazing site, and the kettle is never too far away.

For the more intrepid, and for those who appreciate being at slightly closer quarters to the passing seabirds, there are two hides situated on the wind-swept corners of the island: one is above the sea cliffs at the southern tip of the South End, whilst another is at a lower elevation, at the most north-westerly point of the island. From the latter of these hides, you can get good views of Sooty Shearwaters, Balearic Shearwaters, Leach’s Storm Petrels, four types of Skuas and much more.

This sort of passage is often most prominent after a very strong westerly or north-westerly gale, which encourages southward-bound pelagic species to conglomerate on the eastern side of the Irish Sea. So if you’re looking for an exciting way to spend a windy day, why not give seawatching a try? You never know what you might see.

Considering the large breeding population of Manx Shearwaters on the island, daytime passage is often quite meagre: it is rare to have many more than 10, 000 passing by, and that is on a very good day

Breeding birds

As many will no doubt be aware, the island is home to some 16, 000 pairs of Manx Shearwaters, which frequent the extinct Rabbit burrows as their nesting sites. There are nine pairs of Choughs breeding most years, and two pairs of Peregrines coexist within close proximity on the eastern slopes of the mountain. The diversity of habitats encourages a good number of common species to breed, such as Meadow Pipits, Stonechats, Linnets, Sedge Warblers, Wrens and Oystercatchers. Breeding species such as Lapwing, Corncrake, Corn Bunting and Jackdaw are all extinct on the island now, although newcomers have included Ringed Plovers, Willow Warblers, Little Owls and a pair of Long-eared Owls in the late 1990s.

There are about nine pairs of Choughs nesting on the island, 

with an over-wintering flock reaching 50 at times

Two pairs of Peregrines nest on the eastern slopes

Up to 15 pairs of Swallows nest

up to 200 pairs of Puffins nest

and up to 35 pairs of Wheatears nest

Some practical info for those that are tempted enough to stay for a week or so this coming autumn (**warning**may contain hyperboles…):

-There are no bridges to the island, so you come by boat

-The weather is rough for much of the year, so there is no guarantee that you can get over

-There are no food shops, so bring food

-There is no phone reception, except for on the mountain

-The loos are outside, so bring warm PJs

-The Manxies are loud, so bring ear muffs

-The island is a working farm, so leave gates as you find them, or you’ll be shot!