Bardsey week 7 (08-14/10/16)

Another good week on Bardsey, this time with a stand out highlight! Calm winds continued to flow from the east for the entire week, provoking an imminent rare. The week got off to a good start, when a Red-breasted Flycatcher was found in one of the nets at Cristin, I was busy watching a Yellow-browed Warbler when the news came through, but I still made the short run to the observatory to find the bird wasn’t even being processed yet. Once the bird was ringed, it was shown to those who were interested. The day also produced a couple of Ring Ouzels, which were another pleasant surprise and a female Redstart along the West Side.

Red-breasted Flycatcher

Common Redstart

On the 9th, I was fortunate enough to get two ringing ticks in one day. It began with a Yellow-browed Warbler which was caught at Ty Nesaf in the morning. Followed by a Water Rail caught in the Heligoland Trap in the afternoon! Yellow-browed Warblers continued to increase in number and a total of 14 were recorded on the 9th, making a new record for the island!

Yellow-browed Warbler

Water Rail

Yellow-browed Warbler

By the 10th the relentless easterlies had brought with them a large number of crests, 114 Goldcrests were logged, the largest number this autumn so far. Their numbers should be increasing over the next few weeks, since they didn’t reach their maximum until close to the end of October last year. Thrushes were also moving through this week. The nights are getting longer, the temperatures are dropping and winter is coming, this all lead to the beginning of thrush movement through the island, largely featuring Blackbirds, Song Thrushes, Fieldfares and Redwings. Plenty were caught in the nets this week, allowing us to enjoy close views of this charismatic bird in the hand.

Redwing

Little Owl

The 11th and 12th were much the same as before, it wasn’t until the 13th when it kicked off. In the morning a Radde’s Warbler was found at Plas Withy, I was only a few hundred metres away so I made a run over to the site. We put up the nets in the Withy, I retreated from the withy and searched for the bird. A large Phyllosc. flew into the north side of the withy, and after some scowering I picked up the bird, sitting in some brambles. The bird then flew towards me and landed in a patch only 10m away at most! I was able to enjoy great views for about 20 seconds before the bird flew off and disappeared. Despite extensive searching the bird wasn’t relocated until the afternoon, when the bird was seen at Nant and was trapped shortly thereafter. An absolutely amazing experience to see a Radde’s Warbler in the hand!

Radde's Warbler!

Bardsey week 6 (1-7/10/16)

My sixth week on Bardsey shall forever be known as the week Yellow-browed Warblers eventually hit the island. The week began with a few common migrants, small numbers of Wheatear were still making their way through. Most impressive though were two Lapland Buntings, having picked them up calling, flying over the South End, I eventually pinned them down, where they showed reasonably well before relocating with the Meadow Pipits again.

Lapland Bunting

The 2nd brought the autumns first Firecrest, but it wasn’t until the 3rd that the first Yellow-browed Warblers graced the shores of Bardsey: one in Ty Pellaf Withy and another at Nant.

Yellow-browed Warbler

Both Yellow-browed Warblers stayed into the next day, now joined by a scattering of Merlins across the island. A Flava Wagtail, flew over the Narrows, but more impressive was a Pintail found on Henllwyn, quite an island rarity! The 6th was dominated by birds of prey for me anyway, a Short-eared Owl flushed from the Wetlands was quite a nice surprise and a good start to the day. Unfortunately, later I found a female-type flycatcher in the Withies which I never managed to see again, but as a consolidation an Osprey was picked up flying south. The 7th held another island rarity, in the form of a Shoveller! A good bird to get on my Bardsey list since it was an island tick for the Warden as well! The best of the rest were more Yellow-browed Warblers, a Little Egret and a calling Ring Ouzel.

The nights on Bardsey are epic. With almost no light pollution, the milky way is easily visible as well as millions of stars and even some planets. Perfect for star trails!

The night sky over Llŷn Peninsula from Bardsey

Bardsey week 5 (24-30/09/16)

The had a slow start, strong southerlies continued to batter the coast, and made viewing conditions less then suitable. Personally I recorded very little until the 26th. However, the first two days were not utterly wasted. Some paperwork was actually done, and two Sooty Shearwater made a brief appearance as they glided by the west coast, backlit by the evening sun. Not to mention a Wryneck which I kicked up near Ty Capel, presumably the long staying individual, taking a break from hiding and actually having a feed.

Turnstones battling the winds

As I said the 26th was where the week improved, by late morning the clouds had parted and the sun was beginning to heat up the island. I undertook my usual census route around the Wetlands, Withies and Lowlands. I noted an increase in both Chiffchaff and Goldcrest numbers, which was visible in the observatory garden and the withies. As I made my way through the withies, I sneaked a glimpse of a Hippolais warbler, following some waiting, I eventually identified it as a Melodious Warbler. The bird remained in Cristin Withy until the 30th, occasionally giving close views.

Melodious Warbler

The 28th brought with it the last large movement of hirundines. A good number of Swallow and House Martin were seen throughout the day, moving through on their migration back to south Africa. The totals at the end of the day showed that more than 400 Swallows and just under 100 House Martins had moved through, in the course of the day. The next day, we encountered the last large Manx Shearwater movement. An astonishing 2180 went past, the largest number to pass the island in the last week of September by a country mile! The winds must have been favourable because in six hours of seawatching, I also had six Pomarine Skuas, one Arctic Skua and three Bonxies.

The Melodious Warbler eventually went into the Withy nets on the 30th. Another bird was found at Nant, an extremely elusive brown job, which I won’t go into, but combining what the staff saw on the bird, it could only have been a Blyth’s Reed Warbler! (click the name for some blurry shots of a brown thing)

Melodious Warbler