Bardsey's Wildlife 2021

Bardsey Bird Observatory Bardsey’s Wildlife
2021
& Lodge
Front cover
Bardsey Bird Observatory is a small independent charity established in 1953 to Melodious Warbler
record migrating birds on Bardsey. The Lodge is based at Cristin, a farmhouse by Steven Stansfield
in the centre of Bardsey Island, and can accommodate 14 guests from April to
October and everyone is welcome - [email protected] Rear cover
Sunrise over Pen Cristin
Bardsey Island is home to rare and scarce species of birds, animals, insects and by Bruce Kendrick
plants and is a National Nature Reserve (NNR), Site of Special Scientific Interest
(SSSI), Special Protection Area (SPA), and an Area of Outstanding Natural Inside front cover
Beauty (ANOB). Cristin from above – Bardsey
Lodge, the home of BBFO
Our work By Andy Purcell

Our core objective is to record the migrating and breeding birds that use the Photographs
island and surrounding area, alongside the other wildlife such as flora, Ed Betteridge, Stuart Cossey, Kevin
invertebrates, and marine mammals. We provide accommodation for all at the Clements, Myles Jenks, Richard
Bardsey Lodge, as well as opportunities, education and inspiration for all ages. Layton, Bob Normand, Sam
The Observatory works closely with the island’s owners, the Bardsey Island Prettyman, Andy Purcell, Steven
Trust, and the Welsh countryside agency, Natural Resources Wales, to ensure and Emma Stansfield, Mark
the management and upkeep of the island and its natural features. Simmonds, Jeff Wragg

Bird Observatory staff complete a census of all the migrating birds on the Editors
island every day; this is entered into a database and the information is used by William Earp, Emma
governments, conservation bodies and economic developers. It is also sent to Stansfield, Steve Stansfield
the British Trust for Ornithology and Bardsey Bird Observatory’s data currently
forms 3% of their ‘BirdTrack’ database of all the birds seen in the UK. Design & production
Compiled, typeset, designed
Birds and produced by Steven and
Emma Stansfield
Due to its position in the Irish Sea, Bardsey is an important stop-over for
migrating birds and as such attracts a number of rare species. There have been Published by
334 species of bird recorded on the island including Summer Tanager, Bardsey Bird Observatory
Cretzschmar’s Bunting, American Robin, Red-flanked Bluetail, Western Summer 2022
Orphean Warbler, Eastern Yellow Wagtail and Buff-bellied Pipit. There are
several nationally and globally important species that use the island, in Printed by
particular the Chough and Manx Shearwater, and many others are in decline
and are Red or Amber listed as Birds of Conservation Concern. In summer the [email protected]
island’s breeding bird populations are surveyed, and their productivity is
closely monitored; these include, Razorbill, Storm Petrel, Wheatear and over 01603 868 862
25,000 pairs of Manx Shearwaters. Our data show that Puffins have increased
from 0 to 150 pairs in two decades. Both breeding and migrating birds are ISSN 0408-5655
carefully trapped, ringed and released under license as part of the national
Ringing Scheme run by the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO), to help us
understand more about them.

Wildlife

The Observatory studies and publishes findings on the island’s wildlife. Bardsey
and its surrounding waters host a variety of marine mammals; Grey Seals
breed on the island and Risso’s Dolphins, and Harbour Porpoises are often
seen. Bats, flora, lepidoptera, odonata and many other groups are also studied.
From Arachnologists to Zoologists, all are encouraged to stay, and contribute
to the scientific research and recording carried out through the Observatory.

Bardsey Bird and Field Observatory
Registered Charity No. 249790

Monitoring Bardsey’s wildlife since 1953

Bardsey

Bird and Field Observatory





contents

section 1 Dianne Charles 2
INTRODUCTIONS Andrew Lawrence 4
Steven Stansfield 6
Welcome from the Chair
Secretary’s report Ed Betteridge and Ollie King 38
Director of Operations’ review Steven Stansfield 54
Steven Stansfield 134
section 2 Stuart Cossey and Steven Stansfield 138
AVIAN REPORTS Stuart Cossey and Steven Stansfield 168
Steven Stansfield 182
Migration diary Line Cordes and Steven Stansfield 198
Systematic list Steven Stansfield 204
Arrivals and departures Stuart Cossey, Ed Betteridge 220
Breeding birds and Ollie King
Manx Shearwater studies
Manx Shearwater census
Manx Shearwater tracking
Chough studies
Bird ringing

section 3
NON-AVIAN REPORTS

Non-avian fauna Steven Stansfield and Kevin Clements 244
Grey Seals 254
Rebecca Robotham, Steven Stansfield
Butterflies and Mark Simmonds 264
Moths Steven Stansfield 276

Robert and Fiona Bithell

section 4 Contributors 312
APPENDICES Accounts for 2020 314
Legacy information 318
Appendix 1 Membership 320
Appendix 2 Advertisements 322
Appendix 3
Appendix 4
Appendix 5

PRESIDENT Rt. Revd. David Hawkins
VICE PRESIDENTS
Mike West, Dr R Geoff Gibbs, Mike Archer
Alicia Normand, Steve Hinde

Trustees Dianne Charles, 2 Regent Close, Edgbaston, Birmingham
Andrew Lawrence, 14 Jack Haye Lane, Light Oaks, Stoke on Trent
Chair Dianne Charles, 2 Regent Close, Edgbaston, Birmingham
Hon. Secretary
Director of Finance Alicia Normand, 46 Maudlin Drive, Teignmouth, Devon
Bookings Administrator Prof. Joe Brownlie CBE, Colston Cottage, Buckfastleigh, Devon
Mark Simmonds OBE, University of Bristol, Langford House,
Bristol

Section 1

Introductions

Lighthouse and Mynydd Enlli © Steven Stansfield

WELCOME FROM THE CHAIR

Dianne Charles

Welcome to the 65th edition of Bardsey’s Wildlife.

The 2021 season started slowly, as we were still in lockdown. We began by letting the South side of the
Observatory as a single unit. The staff, Sam, Stuart and Megan, moved into the North side and remained
there until the summer, when it became apparent that we would soon be able to open fully again. A
major operation ensued to get the North side ready for guests and by early August we were almost back
to normal.

The whole Observatory community was saddened to hear of the death of Bevan Craddock, former Chair
of Council and then Vice President. Bevan was a great supporter of BBFO and steered us through the
difficult period when we took the decision to operate our own boat.

Another of our Vice Presidents, Mike West, announced his retirement from his post as Health and Safety
Officer and the trustees expressed their gratitude for his long years of service in that role.

Our Director of Operations and Observatory Warden, Steve Stansfield, completed his 24th season on the
island. Sam Prettyman returned for part of the year as Assistant Warden, before taking up a place at
university, and Stuart Cossey and Megan Hollywood-Harry were with us for the season.

Migration in spring was rather poor. There were very few days with good numbers of migrants and not
many unusual sightings. However, breeding birds had a better time and it was good to see that
eventually, after many years, the artificial House Martin nests at Cristin were a success. It was wonderful
to watch the young fledging in August. Seabirds also did well, with one of the pairs of Storm Petrels nesting
in the artificial nest box, there were 21 pairs of Fulmar, and 59 pairs of Shag, the highest count since 1953.
The Puffin population on Bardsey continued to increase and Kittiwakes had their best year for some time.
The Peregrines fledged two young and for the first time in many years we had a pair of Ringed Plovers
nest on the Narrows. One species that appears not to have had a good time is the Little Owl. There were
very few sightings all year and very few were heard calling.

Moth trapping continued to be successful and popular with visitors. Highlights of the season included
Lunar Hornet Moth, and several additions to the island list: Brussels Lace, Black Arches, Clouded Magpie,
Shaded-broad Bar and Dark Spinach. Other rarities included Small Rivulet, Elderberry Pearl, Blood-vein
and Small Blood-vein.

The big non-bird news of the year was the completion of phase one of the Observatory’s solar project
which was organised and managed by Steve. The groundwork had been laid in 2020, and the equipment
had arrived. Connecting the electrics required outside expertise and we were lucky to enlist the help of
Chris Williams (a professional and fully qualified electrician) and Phil Woollen, Chair and Secretary of Hilbre
Bird Observatory. The system was switched on in August and has already saved the Observatory a
considerable amount of money as well as cutting our carbon emissions and dependence on fossil fuel.
Thanks are due to all who made donations, large or small and to all who helped in practical ways
including Chris and Phil, Mark Crane, Colin Evans, Mark Carter and Connor Stansfield.

Autumn migration started with good numbers of Spotted and Pied Flycatchers. Willow Warblers were
passing through a little later than normal and in late August two Melodious Warblers were found. Five
Ospreys flew south during the autumn, adding to the one seen in spring. Two Yellow-legged Gulls on 5
August were the first of several seen in the autumn. Other highlights worth mentioning include a juvenile
Little Stint, a juvenile Curlew Sandpiper, two Black Guillemots, three Red Kites, a Nuthatch (6th for the
island) and a Red-eyed Vireo, only the third record of this Nearctic passerine for Bardsey!

Early September is the time when the next generation of Grey Seals begin to appear, and by mid-month
many of the 66 pups that were born on the island in 2021 were already looking fat and healthy.

Thanks are due to the volunteers we were able to have on the island in 2021: Fiona Bithell, Andy Lawrence
and Ed Betteridge and not forgetting Emma and Connor Stansfield. We were also glad to welcome Louis
Driver as an Intern for a month in autumn.

We continue to be grateful to everyone at Cwrt Farm, especially Angharad and Carwyn, for their
assistance with various aspects of the work of the Observatory during the year, and for accepting
deliveries on our behalf. The residents on the island, Ernest and Christine Evans and Gareth and Meriel
Roberts, offer invaluable support and Colin Evans continued to provide a safe and reliable boat service
in challenging times. Thanks are also due to Emyr Owen and Mari Huws, BITL’s Wardens, for their help
during the year and for keeping an eye Cristin during the winter months.

SECRETARY’S REPORT

Andrew Lawrence

Whilst 2020 was a most unusual year, 2021 took unusualness to new heights as the pandemic continued
into its second year with all the associated scheduling turmoil. For the first time ever no face-to-face
meetings were held, with all the Trustees’ meetings taking place via the Zoom meeting platform. The 2021
Annual General Meeting also had to be a virtual one again and was successfully navigated by our Chair
via Zoom.

With the success of previous years’ Friends of Bardsey get-togethers, we had hoped to repeat this but
sadly and inevitably this idea had to be abandoned and the only meeting therefore was the gathering
on the Zoom platform after the AGM in July, this essentially being a Friend’s meeting consisting of about
27 folk who had attended the AGM a few minutes previously. Although this was in no way as satisfactory
as previous meetings it did at least allow a bit of a socialising and some old friends of the Observatory
added some texture to the meeting with some reminiscences and some conversations (and at least
allows us to say that we held a Friend’s meeting in 2021!). Steve Stansfield also kindly delivered a review
of the previous year’s wildlife highlights – very much appreciated, and let’s hope for a return to the more
traditional meeting format in 2022.

The Trustees met on several occasions during the year with the usual three core meetings and a few other
meetings when needed to discuss various running matters. The February meeting, usually our main face-
to-face meeting, had to be conducted virtually so the Trustees did not benefit from the personal contact
that can be so valuable, but made the best of the situation with a marathon meeting on 14th. This was
very much a meeting following the usual pattern with a couple of topics being of particular focus, these
being staffing matters and, of huge significance, just how was the visiting to Cristin to be managed in this
most strange of years. Our Director of Operations/Warden, Steve, presented the Trustees with several
possible options and recommended the one which was then followed operationally (to continue running
the north side for staff and south side for guests as we had done in the latter part of 2020 when some
restrictions had begun to be lifted). In this way we were able to run the guest accommodation at half
capacity. There is one agenda item that it would be helpful to note as it highlights the help received from
others - the track down from the National Trust carpark to Porth Meudwy had again collapsed over the
winter, meaning no access to visitors or residents, this problem was addressed by Gareth Roberts who in
no small way managed to secure some substantial funding to mitigate this and fund repairs. This is just
one example of the many ways in which Gareth and family, BITL, and the other residents of the island
should be acknowledged as being such valuable and much appreciated friends of the Observatory.

Red-breasted Flycatcher © Steven Stansfield

Red-breasted Flycatcher © Steven Stansfield

Some additional meetings of Trustees took place over the early part of the summer looking at issues that
arose related to the running of the Observatory, including staffing and the progress of the visitor year.
However, the June Trustees’ meeting is always a look forward and plan for the Annual General Meeting,
but we also took the chance to look at how the visitor situation at Cristin was working – in particular how
staff could re-commission the whole of the building for visitors as it then looked likely that this would be
possible. Finances were also reviewed at this meeting, and draft accounts for 2021 were made available
by the Treasurer and although here is not the place to go into detail, we can note that agenda items
included reference to several kind donations which had allowed improvements to be made to the
infrastructure of the Observatory including solar power installation and improvements to the Heligoland
trap. All associated with the Observatory are very appreciative of these contributions, thank you on
behalf of BBFO.

Early July saw the AGM being held, once again as a Zoom-only meeting, 37 people attended this and
once again it worked well (albeit with the occasional drop-out). The meeting followed the format of
previous AGMs with the usual agenda framework sandwiching the Chair’s Report which highlighted
various aspects of the charity’s year, both in administrative and in wildlife terms. As in the previous year,
a section of the BBFO website had been made available to hold documents associated with this meeting
and so all attendees were able to download copies of the meeting Agenda, Accounts, and Minutes from
the previous meeting. The meeting was followed by an informal Friend’s meeting as outlined above.

November 7th saw the final Trustees’ meeting of the year which included a review of some aspects of
the visitor season and the usual projection for the year to come from Alicia, our Bookings Secretary. Here
would be a good point to thank Alicia for her handling of the cancellation process of many visitor
bookings - this cannot have been an easy process and we all hugely appreciate her work on this. We
should also say thanks for the understanding shown by the guests who had to be told that their holiday
had to be cancelled or postponed.

The 2020 issue of Bardsey’s Wildlife was another top-grade issue, appearing in August 2021 and very well
received and congratulations should again be given to Steve and his team for the production of this
which is the distillation of the work of the Observatory over the year.

Our thanks go to Sam Prettyman and to Stuart Cossey for their help as Assistant Wardens in 2021, and to
Megan Hollywood-Harry and other volunteers for their contributions. Finally, our thanks again go to our
Director of Operations and Observatory Warden Steve Stansfield, and to Emma and Connor, who
experienced and navigated a very stressful year on the island.

STANSFIELD

DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS’REVIEW

Steven Stansfield

2021 began in the same bizarre way that 2020 ended, with much of
Wales being restricted in movements and social interactions due to
the ongoing Sars-CoV2 Pandemic (Covid-19). Much of the world was
still in lockdown, social distancing and face coverings became a legal
requirement, and the Observatory was still unable to fully operate as
a hostel for a large part of the year.
We again held our AGM remotely via an online video conferencing
platform (Zoom) in July, which saw a good attendance of Bardsey’s
friends, including many who cannot normally get to North Wales for
the meetings.
By August restrictions had been lifted enough for mixed groups of
guests to be allowed to stay in the Lodge, the first time since the end
of 2019.
Both spring and autumn produced very little in terms of bulk
migration. A Woodchat Shrike was the highlight of spring and a Red-
eyed Vireo was the highlight of autumn. Siskins had their best ever
year of passage through the island.

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65: 6-33 Sanderlings © Steve Stansfield
7

STANSFIELD

WINTER REVIEW

Having left the island in November 2020, Emma, Connor and I headed off to spend the winter in our house
in Norfolk and began 2021 there.

Over much of the winter my usual tasks were completed, and
I spent time finalising Observatory paperwork for the BTO
ringing scheme, getting licence renewals for Schedule 1
species and ringing permits, putting together the 150-page
report to Natural Resources Wales (NRW) for our Section 16
Agreement funding, and working on the 2020 edition of
Bardsey’s Wildlife getting it ready to go to the printers in
summer 2021. It was another bumper one at 320 pages, and
once more a huge effort went into the content, design and
publication as we continually strive to remain amongst the top
wildlife reports in the country. Thanks again, and for the last
time, to Tony John for his role as text editor; Tony wished to
stand down after the 2020 report was published. We wish to
sincerely thank him for all his work and expertise during that
past decade as our editor. Also, thanks to Emma for her help
with making the manuscript amendments and overall help
with production and design. I added more recent copies of
Bardsey’s Wildlife to our ‘anyflip’ catalogue and they are now
available online in flip book format. These are available to
view here: http://anyflip.com/bookcase/lvza.

We then had a run of meetings to attend, many of them about Covid and subsequent restrictions and
planning how the Observatory might run in 2021. The Bird Observatories Council AGM was held remotely
via Zoom for the first time ever. Our usual face-to-face Trustees meeting was also held remotely as were
interviews for staff, all-in-all, a bizarre situation we found ourselves still in.

I put together the proposals for the section 16 Management agreement with Natural Resources Wales for
2021. These were:

1) Monitoring the nesting success and productivity of the Chough.
2) Monitoring and mapping of all the breeding seabird species on Bardsey and Ynysoedd Gwylan.
3) Manx Shearwater population census (year three).
4) Manx Shearwater productivity at a sample of nest sites.
5) Monitoring and mapping of all the land birds breeding on Bardsey.
6) Monitoring disturbance of Grey Seals by visitors and visiting boats.
7) Risso’s Dolphin photo identification.
8) Educational talks and walks for visitors on the island.

STAFF AND RECRUITMENT FOR 2021

In autumn 2020 Sam Prettyman had said he was applying for other jobs, however, would stay on Bardsey
if he was unsuccessful. Sam did return for the start of 2021 but left to go to university in July. Also, in the
winter George Dunbar decided that he would be taking employment in Scotland. We rapidly had to find
a replacement, and Stuart Cossey, who had originally come to Bardsey on one of our young birders’
weeks, was appointed. He would come to the island with his fiancée Megan Hollywood-Harry who would
be a long-term volunteer.

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START OF SEASON

Early March saw Emma and I departing our winter hideaway at Owlwood Cottage in North Norfolk and
making our way back to North Wales via our parents in Rotherham and Southport. Connor had already
made his way to Yorkshire ahead of us and we caught up with him there.

Each spring we make the latitudinal migration from as far east as we can get in England to as far west as
we can go in Wales, buying up six months’ supply of food on the way. We had been in very little contact
with people for most of the winter; Emma had more contact with the world than I did as she was working
as a carer for people in their own homes. Emma did most of our shopping late at night so as to have
minimal interaction with people and keep ourselves from potentially catching the virus. I stayed home,
occasionally going out for walks in the local area. We now had to brace ourselves and get all our
shopping done in Norfolk, before making the journey to stay overnight in Rhiw near Aberdaron, and then
across to the island. We met up with Sam, Stuart and Megan and loaded the boat ready to cross to the
island on a beautiful and calm spring morning.

Leaving the mainland © Steven Stansfield

PREPARING THE LODGE

When we arrived back on the island the walls in both quad rooms (north and south) were extremely wet.
The roof had been leaking over the winter. The flashing around the chimneys had given up and there
was a lot of water ingress at that point. During the winter, a storm had ripped off part of the porch roof
into the kitchen, so that had to be completely stripped and repaired too. Fortunately, Bardsey Island Trust
(BITL) had managed to secure a grant to have some remedial repairs done. The Original Roofing
Company, from North Wales, did a brilliant job in fixing the roof.

The season was to begin by operating the south side of the Lodge as a single letting unit again, almost
holiday cottage-style rather than our traditional hostel-style accommodation, due to continuing
restrictions because of the pandemic. The staff continued to use the north side of the Lodge to live in and
we had to work swiftly to get the southern side prepared for incoming guests in just a couple of weeks.

65: 6-33 9

STANSFIELD

Wet wall in the north quad - the darker areas are very damp © Steven Stansfield

Repairing the porch roof © Steven Stansfield REP. BARDSEY BIRD FLD OBS.
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DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS’ ANNUAL REVIEW

South double ready for the first guests © Steven Stansfield

By early June it became evident that we were going to be able to run as a hostel once more for the latter
part of the year. We had to create a plan for getting the Lodge back together, and also for migrating
the staff from the north side into their accommodation at the LSA hut and behind the ringing hut. As the
north side of the Lodge had been used as staff accommodation for almost two years there was a lot of
work involved in moving the Assistants into their own accommodation and cleaning and getting the
rooms ready for guests.

I did lots of cleaning and scraping of old and flaking paint from the walls and ceilings, and then spent
many hours carefully painting them. Once the rooms were all painted it was time to clean and dress
them. Curtain poles had to be fixed, window hinges replaced, lots of cleaning, but eventually Emma and
I had the rooms looking as they should for guests.

Getting the rooms ready © Steven Stansfield 11
65: 6-33

STANSFIELD

Getting the rooms ready © Steven Stansfield

Room ready for guests © Steven Stansfield
So by early August we were up and running as a hostel again, and it was really good to see so many of
our friends and to be able to mix inside with them once more after what had been a truly bizarre 18
months or so…
During all this extra work mid-season, we still had our day jobs to do, monitoring the wildlife and
undertaking all the research work for NRW… and all of this with a staff member down!

SPRING MIGRATION

Migration in spring was rather poor. There were very few days with good numbers of migrants and not
many unusual bits and pieces. Up to five Black Redstarts were seen adding a splash of colour to spring.
The best birds of spring were a rather fine Woodchat Shrike that spent a few days eating bees along the
fence line below the schoolhouse, while a Marsh Warbler and an Icterine Warbler were found in Cristin
Garden at the same time on 1 June.
There was a Rose-coloured Starling in June which was found as it sat briefly on the chimneys at Carreg
and was later relocated in the lowlands near the Lime Kiln. There were then another two Rose-coloured
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DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS’ ANNUAL REVIEW

Starlings a couple of weeks later, these were found at Nant and were eventually seen in the Observatory
Garden. This is the first time more than one bird has been seen on the island at once.

Rose-coloured Starling © Ed Betteridge

BREEDING BIRDS

Many years ago now, we raised some money to install some artificial House Martin nests. We placed two
on the LSA hut (as there are usually House Martins nesting on the lighthouse), and we put another in the
porch at Cristin. This year the ones at Cristin had some interest from a pair of House Martins in May, and a
few weeks later there were four eggs laid! We watched all summer as, at first, the adults incubated the
eggs, and eventually when they hatched, they fed their tiny chicks. On 22 August they fledged. All four
survived and were flying round the Observatory at dusk. A great success story.

House Martin chicks in the Observatory next box © Steven Stansfield 13
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STANSFIELD

Seabirds generally did well too. The number of Razorbill pairs had fallen to only 817 pairs, 35% lower than
the ten-year mean, however Guillemots did better, with the breeding population experiencing an
increase to 1432 AOLs. The Puffin colony continues to grow on Bardsey to 202 pairs. It was a record year
for Kittiwakes with 181 nesting attempts producing 268 chicks, and there were 59 Shag nests on Bardsey
producing 133 chicks. There were, however, falls in the number of pairs of both Herring Gulls and Lesser
Black-backed Gulls.
There were 21 pairs of Fulmars that produced 12 young. Manx Shearwater productivity was 0.65 chicks
per breeding pair, which was slightly lower than average.
After being unable to monitor the Gwylan Islands in 2020 due to the pandemic, a boat trip to Ynys Gwylan
Fawr was undertaken on 13 June 2021. A single Razorbill chick was found with only 12 adults. 103
Guillemots were recorded, the highest total in the last ten years. The number of Puffin burrows (349) was
almost half that of the ten-year average. The Great Black-backed Gull population appears to have
stabilized after dropping by almost half in the past decade, with 51 pairs counted. Herring Gull numbers
appear to be decreasing on the Gwylans with a total of 57 pairs found on Ynys Gwylan Fawr. Seven
Cormorant nests were recorded on Ynys Gwylan Fawr, the first time they have bred on the larger of the
two islands since 2013.
Away from seabirds, a pair of Cuckoos was recorded regularly at Nant and Cristin during May and June,
however no juveniles were seen. Eight Mallard broods were found. Of these, a brood of five and another
single chick fledged. The number of Moorhen pairs had increased by two on last year. Oystercatchers
decreased to 54 pairs. This year was the first since 2014 that Ringed Plovers have bred on Bardsey with
two young successfully fledging from the four eggs that were laid.

Ringed Plover chick © Steven Stansfield
Little Owls held three territories, although no breeding was confirmed. The pair of Peregrines again
successfully fledged two chicks with the youngsters first being seen around the East Side on 29 June. Two
pairs of Ravens were seen but only one pair successfully fledged four chicks.
In the main, there were general increases in the number of breeding pairs of passerines on the island.
Great Tits bred again with four pairs, the most since 1953. Only one pair of Chiffchaffs and Willow Warblers
bred this year, however, the Chiffchaffs managed to raise five chicks. Sedge Warblers had an excellent
year with nine pairs. The number of Whitethroat pairs decreased slightly but Blackcap numbers remained
stable with three pairs breeding. Wrens decreased slightly. Five pairs of Song Thrushes were recorded,

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Robins held four territories this year, and fifteen pairs of Stonechat bred. Wheatear pairs were five fewer
than last year. After a slight dip in the previous three years, Pied Wagtails were back to their normal levels
this decade. Rock Pipits decreased slightly with the total being ten fewer than last year. Meadow Pipits
have been fluctuating dramatically over the past few years, with 51 pairs breeding, half of the figure in
2020. Although one pair of Chaffinches attempted to breed, they did not rear young this year, the first
time since 2000. Lesser Redpolls attempted to breed for the first time since 2012, though unsuccessfully.
Three pairs of Goldfinches nested, one fewer than last year.

AUTUMN MIGRATION

Autumn migration got off to a bit of a good start with good numbers of Spotted and Pied Flycatchers
seen. Willow Warblers were passing through a little later than normal and in late August two Melodious
Warblers were found, one at Tŷ Pellaf and another at the Lighthouse. An Osprey also flew south that day
and a Yellow-legged Gull was one of several seen in the autumn. The 25th August saw the first three
Wrynecks of the year recorded.

Melodious Warbler © Steven Stansfield

September began with the only Icterine Warbler of the autumn being seen at Nant on 1st, along with
another Wryneck. At Cristin a large flock of House Martins was drawn to the nets using a tape-lure and by
the end of the day 66 new birds had been trapped and ringed. To put this into context, previously the
most caught in a single year was six and the total ringed between 1953 and 2020 was 37, so this was some
achievement.

The second day of September saw one of the most productive days of the autumn with a wide variety
of species and in good numbers. Six Fulmars, five Common Gulls, one Mediterranean Gull, 4000 Kittiwakes,
two Arctic Terns, and two Sandwich Terns passed at sea, while a Sparrowhawk, two Kestrels, another
Osprey, a Buzzard, and three Peregrines were recorded. 12 Collared Doves remained at Tŷ Pellaf (as they
did for most of the month), whilst another Wryneck, 106 Swallows, 193 House Martins, nine Tree Pipits, two
flava Wagtails, ten Grey Wagtails, 16 Wheatears (mostly of the Greenland race O.o.leucorrhoa) were on
the South End. A Whinchat and 15 Stonechats were scattered in the gorsey areas of the island. On the
Warbler front it was the best day of the autumn with one Grasshopper Warbler, two Sedge Warblers, one
Lesser Whitethroat, 16 Whitethroats, one Garden Warbler, eight Blackcaps, two Chiffchaffs, 191 Willow
Warblers, and two Goldcrests seen. A good count of 49 Spotted Flycatchers and seven Pied Flycatchers

65: 6-33 15

STANSFIELD

were seen. At the sunflower fields at Tŷ Pellaf 29 Goldfinches were with 433 Linnets and a lone Lesser
Redpoll. Also nine Risso’s Dolphins were off the west side of the island – what a day!

The following day saw fewer birds numerically, but two major rarities in the shape of two Avocets flew
south along the west side of the South End. This is just the third record for the island. A Black Guillemot was
seen off the South End in the afternoon. The 5th September saw the first Firecrest of the autumn, whilst 6th
saw the largest count of Willow Warblers of the year with 699 recorded, along with 100 Chiffchaffs. The
8th saw a nice male Marsh Harrier over Pen Cristin, whilst a Grey Plover flew over the island and a Green
Sandpiper did a tour of the inland ponds. Staying with sandpipers, a Wood Sandpiper flew south past the
Lighthouse on 10th, and a Spanish-ringed Willow Warbler was trapped at Cristin. The 11th saw two more
Wrynecks near the schoolhouse and a third down near Traeth Ffynnon in the late afternoon following a
changeover of guests in the morning.

September is also a good time for passage waders, and the high tide roost on the black rocks to the south
and west of Solfach, especially so in the morning of 15th. As the tide rose and the birds gathered the roost
totalled: 21 Oystercatchers, one Grey Plover, three Sanderlings, 66 Purple Sandpipers, four Dunlins - and
then a Juvenile Little Stint and a Juvenile Curlew Sandpiper arrived. A male Ruff was also in the roost
along with 32 Curlews seven Redshanks and 89 Turnstones.

It was a warm day on 16th with the wind building in the afternoon. The highlights of the day were out to
sea with around 4000 Kittiwakes loafing off the West Coast and South End. This also attracted a range of
other gulls including 170 Black-headed Gulls, two Mediterranean Gulls and a Common Gull. There was
also a Balearic Shearwater that flew south in the morning alongside a Manx Shearwater, 1956 Razorbills,
two winter-plumaged Black Guillemots, eight Sandwich and four Common Terns as well as three Great
Skuas, two Arctic Skuas and a juvenile Pomarine Skua.

So after what seemed like months of calm weather, the wind was due to increase from the south-west
overnight and the promise of some sea passage had telescopes pointing seaward at dawn. I was joined
by guests at the Observatory to look out first thing, then later went to the South End and watched for
anther few hours and was well rewarded with two Fulmars, one Sooty Shearwater, 155 Gannets, 21
Common Scoters, four Bar-tailed Godwits, three Pomarine Skuas, 19 Arctic Skuas, nine Great Skuas, two
Mediterranean Gulls, 141 Black-headed Gulls, 863 Kittiwake, a single Black Tern and 846 Razorbills.

Late September saw moderate south and south-west winds and very little of note, other than a nice Snow
Bunting on the South End.

Snow Bunting © Ed Betteridge REP. BARDSEY BIRD FLD OBS.
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When the winds increased on 29th, so did the number of Gannets, with a count of 1453 being made. This
is the second-largest number ever recorded on a single day from the island, with 1718 the highest in
September 2004.

October began with a bang. The wind on 2nd dropped mid-morning, enough for the changeover of
guests to happen in the early afternoon. Just before the new guests arrived at the Observatory, Ed, our
young volunteer found a large, chunky ‘warbler’ in the garden which he immediately identified as a Red-
eyed Vireo! This fantastic, almost luminescent green and white warbler with its striking blue, black and
white head and face pattern is a resident of North America and winters in south and central America.
The bird was trapped and ringed just as the incoming guests arrived along with Ben Porter! How lucky was
that? It stayed around for about three days and was re-trapped on its third day. This is only the third record
for the island, the last being found dead at the bottom of the Lighthouse in 1999.

Red-eyed Vireo © Ed Betteridge

The following week was windy and generally quiet. However, on 9 October, as the winds finally dropped
again, there was a chance to open up the nets at the Observatory. It was a slow start, but two Yellow-
browed Warblers were extracted from the nets. Later in the day a fine adult male Red-breasted
Flycatcher was found at Tŷ Pellaf. The 11th October produced two fine Red Kites over the Observatory,
and then another major rarity in Island terns in the form of the sixth Nuthatch for the island! The rest of
October was a bit of a damp squib really with lots of wet and windy days. However, the season finished
with a bang in November – a great fall on 3rd, with over 1000 Chaffinches, 1850 Starlings, 37 Bramblings,
two Siberian Chiffchaffs, and singles of Water Pipit, Richard’s Pipit, Woodlark and Hawfinch.

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ON THE ISLAND HIGHLIGHTS

GOODBYE GENERATOR – HELLO 24/7 POWER!

The big news of the year was the installation of our new Solar energy system. It has been a long time in
the making, and most of our members are unaware of the whole story.

About four years ago, our Vice President Geoff Gibbs and his wife Kate asked if BBFO were going to go
the way of BITL, remove the gas-powered fridges and install electric ones that could be run from batteries.
Cost of the installation was the major issue, however, Geoff said that he would donate a sizeable sum to
get new fridges and batteries. Shortly after, Ann Cleeves (author of the TV shows Vera and Shetland)
visited with her husband, the late Tim Cleeves. After a great week on the island Ann and Tim also donated
another large sum towards a project that I thought would be useful for the Observatory. I decided to add
this together with the other donation and use it as the basis for raising more funds so we could install a
solar energy system. Initially we were looking for about £15,000 which we did eventually manage to raise.
There were many donors, all of whom deserve special thanks.

We knew that the project was not going to be sorted and finalised overnight, so we decided to buy the
fridges and install them on our existing battery set-up that used the generator to charge them in the
evenings. This meant we were already cutting our gas consumption substantially, even though the
generator usage was slightly higher at times. The next phase was the design of the system. I began to
read up about off-grid systems and how they worked, and then began to design what we wanted and
how it would look. Then it was time to source and begin ordering all the solar parts. Colin, Connor and I
put a plan together as to what we would need, though this had to change as the type of inverter we
were getting was top-of-the-range and very high specification. We began ordering drums of cable,
inverters and some very swish-looking Lithium-ion batteries. They look more like a computer terminal than
batteries! These were all ordered in February 2020 and were delivered in April 2020, however, because of
the Covid pandemic we were unable to get the installation completed in 2020, although Mark Carter
and Connor managed to get the frames installed in the garden in late 2020.

So, in spring this year when restrictions began to be lifted, I approached Chris Williams, the Chairman of
Hilbre Bird Observatory and a qualified electrician, to see if he would come and help with the installation
of the electrical side of the project. Chris jumped at the chance and also brought along Phill Woollen,
Hilbre’s Secretary. It was one heck of a week, starting at 7am and working through to 7pm most days and
even 9pm on the Thursday evening to complete the job.

Phil Woollen, Emma and Connor with part of the PV Array © Steve Stansfield
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The solar control centre – inverters on the wall and battery bank lower right © Steven Stansfield
As was to be expected, we hit snag after snag, and we could not just pop down to Screwfix or B&Q to
get the parts we needed. It was a bit of a marathon.
So by Saturday afternoon when Chris and Phill left (they were still waiting for parts to arrive on Saturday
morning), almost everything was installed. We now just needed to switch on. We did however, wait until
Tuesday, when Chris returned along with Mark Crane (a solar specialist) to go through everything and
then eventually switch on the controllers one at a time. We had power coming from the panels to the
combiner boxes, then down the cables to the solar room, and when we turned on the big switches things
began to beep, buzz and whirred into action… We had power! Then the big test - was it running round
the buildings? Yes, the lights were on!

Mark, Chris and Connor – let there be light! © Steven Stansfield 21
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It was such a relief as it had been a enormous task: project-managing the whole thing, from coming up
with the concept, designing it, planning everything, getting consent from the Bardsey Island Trust, raising
the funds, ordering the parts and putting it all together. I was very relieved my whole plan had worked!

HELIGOLAND TRAP

In the past eight years since the Heligoland was re-built for the Observatory’s 60th Anniversary, it had
begun to weather and rust. I contacted Andy Purcell, who helped us with the procurement of the wire
for the trap in 2013. Andy sourced the wire, but this time made from stainless steel! Not only did Andy
source the wire, but he also very generously offered to pay for it too! Some of the work was carried out in
2020, but the majority still needed doing.
In September a group, led by Andy, came out to the island to help do some of the work to the trap and
to get another section of the stainless-steel weld mesh attached onto the oak frame. The terrific trio of
Ross, Mick and John (along with their 'supervisor' Andy) had been working like crazy all week. Their plan
was to try and get as much of the wide end meshed as possible (the narrow end had been meshed
previously), and by Friday, they had done a great job, completing the amount they they set out to
achieve. We were then left with a remaining 4-metre strip along the side to be completed. The team
worked tirelessly all week in hard conditions as the wire is difficult to work with. They were a great team
and for three of them they were on their first visit to the island. Thanks Guys!

Heligoland work party: Andy, Mike, John and Ross © Steven Stansfield

MANX SHEARWATER TRACKING WITH BANGOR UNIVERSITY
AND NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC

As well as the normal Manx Shearwater studies (population census, productivity monitoring and ringing)
undertaken each year as part of our Section 16 Agreement with the Welsh Countryside Agency, Natural
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Resources Wales, this year we worked with Dr Line Cordes from Bangor University on a very exciting project
funded by the National Geographic Society, to look at various aspects of the shearwaters’ movements
and energy usage in the North Irish Sea.

During May we located several nest burrows, and under a special licence from the BTO, we attached
sophisticated GPS tracking tags to a number of birds. These devices recorded the birds’ locations every
five minutes, the flapping rate, using the inbuilt accelerometer, and the depth of dive via a pressure
sensor. We deployed 18 tags and managed to retrieve all bar one of them, which was a relief in view of
the unit cost of £600!

During the latter part of 2021 I had a number of meetings with Dr Line Cordes, and exchanged many
emails and drafts of proposals for a grant bid for the National Environmental Research Council (NERC) to
expand the project and continue into 2022 and 2023. The bid was successful and we then began
planning for 2022’s research project and the logistics on the island. The project will look at the energy
usage of the Manx Shearwater in relation to prey to help us understand the impact of the physical
environment on the foraging energetics of shearwaters and the consequences for breeding success.

We downloaded the data, most of which will be very carefully examined by scientists at Bangor University,
but from a BBFO perspective we have found that, as with the studies Ben Porter and I did for Ben's degree
project, almost all of the Bardsey birds head north to the waters around the Isle of Man and into the
Liverpool Bay area. The data collected from 2021 is still to be fully analysed, but a short paper with the
background to the project, methods and some interim results can be found later in this edition of
Bardsey’s Wildlife on page 198.

Manx Shearwater with TechnoSmart Axy-Depth accelerometer tag © Steven Stansfield

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EDUCATION PROGRAMME 2021

64: 6-33 Louis Driver ringing a Manx Shearwater Chick
© Steven Stansfield

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RARE BIRD ALERT YOUNG ORNITHOLOGISTS FELLOWSHIP

In late 2019 Rare Bird Alert announced that applications were open for their inaugural RBA Young
Ornithologists Fellowships.
Through the Fellowships, RBA wanted to promote a love of birds, wildlife and conservation to young
people, by providing them with skills, equipment, friendships, trips, support and opportunities, and to
encourage them to share that love with their peers.

Working with

By developing leadership, promoting compassion, teaching practical skills, sharing knowledge and
providing support through equipment, opportunities and trips, RBA are working to develop the young bird
conservationists of tomorrow, by joining with selected Observatories and support the young birders on
their journeys.
Each of the four Fellowship awardees received a package of experiences and equipment worth over
£1,600, these included

• A week in a renowned UK bird observatory
• Swarovski 8x30 binoculars
• Rare Bird Alert subscription
• Birding and natural history books from WildSounds.

Hannah Coburn was one of the winners and chose to visit Bardsey. After several false starts due to the
pandemic she finally made it in 2021. Hannah writes her story:
Having been awarded the Fellowship I chose to visit Bardsey Bird Observatory in North Wales. I arrived at
Bardsey on a calm Saturday in late August. It was my first time on the island. Before I’d even unpacked
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my bags, I was welcomed into the ringing hut and ringed my first bird of the week, a Blackcap. I spent
the rest of the day familiarising myself with the island and its wildlife. As darkness fell, I loved the chuckling
call of Manx Shearwaters passing by my bedroom window as they returned to their burrows. The following
day I ventured up Mynydd Enlli, enjoying excellent views of Chough, a species I had only seen once
before. I also saw a nice mix of butterflies on the mountain and a Redstart in the Observatory garden. In
the afternoon I joined Steve and Louis on Solfach to ring Rock Pipits, capturing them with a portable
Heligoland trap.

Monday morning was windy and the
sea was full of life, so I spent some time
seawatching with Steve. I saw hundreds
of Manx Shearwaters soar up the west
coast, as well as other seabirds including
an Arctic Skua and some Common
Scoters. In the afternoon the wind
dropped, and I saw my first Risso’s
dolphins! Once it was dark, we set off for
the north end to catch storm petrels with
Steve and Louis. We caught one, which
I had the honour of ringing.

I also had my first chance to ring Manx
shearwaters - at night, adults sit on the
ground near their burrows so they are
easy to catch. Due to their unusually flat
legs, they require a special type of ring.
This evening was one of the highlights of
my trip - handling birds that I would
otherwise only see from afar was an
exciting experience.

The following morning, I joined Steve

and Louis again, this time ringing in the

Observatory garden. We had lots of

Willow Warblers passing through and I

ringed my first Linnet. I then joined an

outing to ring and monitor Manx

Shearwater chicks with Steve, Emma,

Stuart and some of the guests. The Hannah ringing a Storm Petrel © Steven Stansfield
Shearwaters were almost fully grown

with adult feathers emerging, but still had lots of fluffy down feathers. Carefully extracting them from their

deep burrows was a challenge!

On Wednesday, I did some more ringing at the Observatory with Steve and we caught a Grasshopper
Warbler, giving me the chance to see one in the hand, a species I’d only ever heard before. In the
evening, Steve organised a BBQ for everyone staying at the Lodge. One of the aspects of the week I
particularly enjoyed was all the people I had the pleasure of meeting. The ones I shared the Lodge with
really made my week!

In my last few days I spent more time ringing with Steve and Louis, and caught a few different species
including my first Meadow Pipit. I also spent time enjoying being on such a stunning, peaceful island. I
had an incredible week and I can’t wait to return to Bardsey. Thank you so much to the Observatory staff
for welcoming and hosting me, and to RBA for being so generous and funding my trip!

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VOLUNTEER AND INTERN PROGRAMME

Each year we have a number of volunteers, both long and short-term, as well as interns who stay for up
to a month at a time, learning about the work undertaken at an Observatory. Some volunteers are
returnees, coming to help out year after year, whilst some come just the once.

After the pandemic, where we struggled to accommodate volunteers and interns, we were able to start
getting back to normal in mid- to late 2021. Ed Betteridge did two stints as a volunteer, Fiona Bithell did
almost 8 weeks on and off during the year, and Louis Driver came as an intern for a month in autumn.

ED BETTERIDGE – Volunteer in Spring and autumn

This year I visited the island twice as a volunteer. I came for three weeks in June to aid with the Manx
Shearwater survey amongst other things; helping with seabirds, the usual cleaning of the Lodge,
undertaking the census and doing some ringing. The highlight was seeing a singing Icterine Warbler on
the same day as a singing Marsh Warbler in the Observatory garden, and also seeing three Rose-coloured
Starlings in June

After finishing University, I spent most of the summer on Skomer Island, but then jumped on the chance to
return for a fortnight in October during peak autumn migration. This was a great opportunity to visit the
island during one of the most exciting times of the year and it certainly didn’t disappoint! I soon got into
a routine of starting the day at sunrise, either with seawatching, ringing or migrant-counting, depending
on weather conditions. With so many birds passing through the island at this time of year it makes every
day exciting with the anticipation of what new migrants may have arrived overnight.

What turned out to be the highlight of the trip
occurred in the afternoon of 2 October. The
weather had been bad, with strong winds and
annoyingly heavy rain hampering visibility. In the
late afternoon the weather cleared and we were
awaiting the arrival of the following week’s guests
after spending the morning cleaning. I had a
quick scan of the sea and to my delight
immediately found a juvenile Long-tailed Skua
heading south. I told Steve and we agreed to
don more layers and try an evening seawatch.
Fortunately, I was ready before Steve, so I
decided to walk around the garden as the wind
had dropped.

There was the odd Goldcrest and Chiffchaff

about, however, as I came towards the end of

my loop I saw a pale warbler at the top of the

bushes. I only got brief views before it dropped

into cover, but something was telling me this was

something a bit special. After five minutes of

nothing I decided to walk around and through

the bushes to try to find it. To my relief I

immediately relocated it only metres away and Ed happy with his vireo © Steven Stansfield
could now easily tell it was a Red-Eyed Vireo!! I

quickly radioed the news out and ran for my

camera. Unfortunately, the bird then became very elusive for the next 30 minutes and though everyone

was happy with the identification, no photos could be obtained. Fortunately, the bird gave itself up in

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the large sycamore (which was well timed as the guests had just arrived!) meaning photos could be
taken.

The rain and wind had now completely stopped so we opened the nets and by the time half were open
the vireo had already flown into the net nearest the trap! The bird was processed, ringed and revealed it
was a juvenile. The bird stayed for the next three days but remained elusive. This was only the 3rd record
for the island!

About a week later I was fortunate to find a male Red-breasted Flycatcher (another ‘lifer’ for me) during
the Global Big Day, where 67 species were recorded across the island including two Yellow-browed
Warblers that were trapped at Cristin. This ended a great trip; I can’t wait to return next year, hopefully!

LOUIS DRIVER – Autumn intern

Arriving on Bardsey at the end of July, I was excited to begin my long-awaited internship at the Bird
Observatory, which would last five weeks until the start of September. My main aim was to improve my
bird-ringing skills and progress towards my ‘C’ permit. While this was achieved during my stay, some of
the most valuable lessons and experiences were totally unexpected! The thought of spending a month
living on an isolated rock in the Irish Sea had been slightly daunting. Island life appeared a challenge,
tinned food, composting toilets, and no showers; far removed from the comforts of home. However, on
Bardsey I found an incredible community of residents who made me feel more comfortable than I could
have ever imagined. Some of the most memorable moments of my time on Bardsey are of afternoons
swimming with the children, evenings at the farm sipping hot chocolate, and late nights chatting over
delicious shared meals!

Another slightly unexpected highlight

of my internship was learning about

other, non-birding aspects of wildlife

recording. It is impossible not to

mention cetaceans – regularly seeing

both Common and Risso’s Dolphins

was really special, Risso’s being a

species I have only ever seen on

Bardsey. The Grey Seals also made

great company while swimming in

Cafn and off the West Coast, and it

was wonderful to see the first pup of

the season towards the end of my stay.

The daily ‘Moth Mornings’ were also a

great opportunity to see new species,

and many scarcities for the island were

recorded while I was there, such as Louis releasing his Sparrowhawk © Steven Stansfield
Brussels Lace, Chinese Character and

Treble Bar. However, the rarest species

I had the pleasure of recording on Bardsey was Rock Sea-lavender, around Pen Cristin.

Of course, birds were a major focus during my internship, and, for the most part, if I wasn’t ringing, I would
be out birding and taking part in the daily census of the island. Though migration was slow for the first
couple of weeks of my stay, warblers, flycatchers and other early migrants began to move in larger
numbers during the second half. With them, scarcer migrants were found; these included a handful of
Wrynecks and Melodious Warblers, both of which were species I had not seen before. However, the
spectacle of migration was more impressive to me – seeing Nant alive with Willow Warblers and Spotted
Flycatchers, thinking of the incredible journeys they are on, never gets old!

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As well as passerine migrants, waders, raptors and seabirds were also on the move. Over the sea, Great,
Arctic and Pomarine Skuas were seen, as well as thousands of Kittiwakes which built up in a large flock
during the final week of my stay. Buzzards, Kestrels, Sparrowhawks, a Red Kite and two Ospreys made up
the migrant raptors I saw throughout my month on Bardsey. The wader roost near Solfach changed daily,
with many species moving through from the high Arctic, including Knot, Bar-tailed Godwit, Whimbrel and
others. My birding highlight came in the form of a Wood Sandpiper heading south over the Lighthouse
on a stunning early August evening, a scarce bird on Bardsey with fewer than 30 records since 1953.

I will finish by sharing my incredible experiences from five weeks of ringing on Bardsey. Although the
majority of birds ringed were caught in the nets set in the Observatory garden under the watchful eye of
Steve, the Observatory’s Director of Operations and Warden, I experienced a huge range of ringing
during my internship; night-time ringing of Storm Petrels and Manx Shearwaters, dazzling waders (even
using thermal imaging cameras), spring-trapping Wheatears and Rock Pipits, and more! Despite the first
two weeks of my stay lacking slightly in migrants, this was when we had the most success catching Storm
Petrels, with up to 16 being caught in a single session. Manx Shearwaters were also ashore in large
numbers around this time as it was around the new moon period. Hundreds were scattered on the walls
at the North End at night, which was quite a sight! Some Willow Warblers were also moving through, and
with them a Wood Warbler was caught, the first ringed on the island since 2018.

In the second half of August, migration stepped up and both the number of birds caught, as well as their
diversity increased. Whitethroats and Sedge Warblers became more regular, and the first Grasshopper
Warbler of the autumn was ringed. Garden Warblers began moving through, and in early September
some very fat individuals were caught – weighing up to 1.5x their normal mass! Flycatchers began moving
through, adding further variety to our catches; the first Spotted being caught on 19th, with Pied arriving
slightly later on 23rd. A White Wagtail in the nets at the Observatory on 24th was a pleasant surprise – as
was a Sparrowhawk on 31st.

As wader numbers built up, we were able to attempt to catch them on Solfach at night using a technique
known as ‘dazzling’; a light is used to disguise the approach of the catcher, who then carefully places a
hand-net over the bird. Although this was not hugely successful, with three Dunlin and one Ringed Plover
being caught over three attempts, this was my first time dazzling – and the birds caught were amazing to
see in the hand.

Infuriatingly, the busiest days of ringing occurred at the start of September, as I was preparing to leave
the island. In fact, during my final three full days on Bardsey, I processed 195 birds, almost a third of the
total in my five week stay! This was achieved due to significant Willow Warbler passage, as well as an
incredible catch of House Martins on 1st September. I was opening nets at the Observatory on this day
when I noticed a small group of around 20 House Martins. We had had some success catching House
Martins using tape lures during August, and so I put on a tape and headed back inside to the to wait.
Within a few minutes, there were hundreds of Martins around the catching area – the nets were checked
shortly after, and 41 were caught! In the next hour, a total of 66 House Martins were ringed. This was hugely
impressive, as, from 1953 up until 2020, only 38 House Martins had been ringed on Bardsey. One bird had
already been ringed elsewhere in the UK.

Other birds caught in my last few days on the island included two Tree Pipits, a Goldcrest, dozens of Willow
Warblers and several Pied and Spotted Flycatchers. It was a shame to leave as passage was beginning
to pick up; however, I am sure I will be back to experience even more migration magic!

FIONA BITHELL – Volunteer spring and autumn

“Be at Cwrt for 3pm” grew to be a bit of a mantra this year, and the walk down the track swiftly became
the most enjoyable commute a girl could enjoy (bar dipping on the Vireo, but that is a story for another
day...)

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My 2021 ‘volunteerathon’ started in early April with the Damsons heavy with blossom. A calm crossing
found me at the Observatory, trying to reclaim control of Cristin’s front garden, which has been an
ongoing project for a number of years. A solid week of digging, rotavating, levelling, chipping and
planting resulted in the garden beginning to look more like its nurtured self. However, the ‘to do’ list kept
growing, and was not confined to the sheltered walls of the garden.

As regulations changed, the Observatory was gearing up for its first visitors, so tile grouting, pot scrubbing
and deep cleaning were added to the list. Changeover days were a Herculean task as Covid guidelines
were adhered to with meticulous precision. The 2020 Lockdown had impacted on volunteer activity as
the Observatory had to manage social distance regulations, with the result that fewer volunteers were
able to visit. Consequently, many routine maintenance jobs had been put on hold. However, the cool
temperate maritime climate of a rocky island in the middle of the Irish Sea combined with fertile loamy
soil joined their forces to maximum effect. The days lengthened, the temperature started to rise, the
Damsons dropped their petals, and the brambles started to writhe through the untamed overgrowth.
Nature was compiling a new ‘to do’ list.

Autumn arrived in glorious sunshine, and the leaves on the Damsons began to brown. Returning migrants
began to drop onto the island. It soon became clear that the net rides needed attention, and so began
the task of clearing these back. Branches heavy with a bountiful harvest of waxy blue-black Damsons
were chopped back, their fruits, bottled, jammed, crumbled and frozen and shared amongst islanders
and visitors.

The island at this point was scorched and arid and water levels were low. One of my favourite jobs of the
year was to climb the mountain to clear the area around the wells and water tanks of an entanglement
of gorse and bramble. The sticky, scratchy, dustiness of the job in hand was compensated by the
panoramic view of the island, vibrant in autumnal colour, surrounded by calm, sparkling water against a
huge, blue cloudless sky.

Late autumn tipped into winter, and with it came the first storms and heavy rain. The dry, cracked paths
had become streams, the track a small river. Water pooled on the clay fields on The Narrows. Many of
the outdoor jobs had to be put on hold, so the ‘to do’ list morphed into the process of closing down the
Observatory for the winter.

I found myself ‘Tiggywinkling’ bedding, soft furnishings, tea towels, uniforms and ringing bags, and starting
on the end-of-season deep clean. Interspersed with practical tasks, there were moth data to be entered,
and a whole island activity of helping to bring down the sheep from the mountain.

It really has been a remarkable year, a privilege to see Bardsey in every season, to understand how the
island changes, and how the Observatory responds to those changes. As the memories fade during these
long winter nights, the island resets, compiling a fresh ‘to do’ list ready for spring.

Fiona entering moth data © Fiona Bithell 31
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EDUCATIONAL EVENTS

Due to the pandemic we were unable to undertake any educational events in 2020. However, from mid-
2021 when many social distancing restrictions were lifted, BBFO was able to resurrect events like the
guided walks, ‘Meet the Manxies’ walks, ringing demonstrations and the ever-popular moth mornings.

GUIDED WALKS

From early in the season we were allowed to take small parties on guided walks as long as social
distancing was observed and the groups remained below 12. These restrictions were fully lifted later in the
year.

In total there were 23 guided wildlife walks undertaken during 2021, with a total of 153 participants, 11 of
whom were children.

The walks generally last 2-3 hours and take in many of the island’s habitats and features. Starting at Cristin,
we head towards the farm and then onto Pen Cristin to see the seabirds; most walks up to July were able
to see both Guillemots and Razorbills as well as the crowd-pleasing Puffins which are now expanding
their range on the island.

Later in the year, the groups are taken to observe the seals and their pups on the beaches around The
Narrows.

‘MEET THE MANXIES’ NIGHT-TIME WALKS

During the year we were able to take out a total of 81 guests (14 children) on the night-time adventure
to ‘Meet the Manxies’. The evening begins with a 30-minute presentation in the Observatory’s classroom
about the life of the shearwaters and their breeding biology and the population on Bardsey. This is
followed by a walk under the cover of darkness into the colony to hear the shearwaters come ashore
and to get to see some of them being trapped and ringed by the Observatory staff. The evening is often
rounded off by sitting in silence and total darkness looking at the Milky Way overhead, surrounded by the
eerie calls of many thousands of shearwaters.

‘MEET THE MANXIE CHICKS’ WALKS

We took a total of 65 people (19 children) on the walks to see Manx Shearwater chicks being removed
from their burrows to be ringed, weighed and measured during the year. Trained staff members carefully
remove the fluffy chicks from deep underground, usually to a chorus of “ooooo” and “awwwwww” as
guests get to see, up close and personal, these tiny balls of fuzz! They are told the story of the shearwater’s
life and how in a few months the bird in front of them will be flying around the South Atlantic and will
remain there for four years before returning to Bardsey to breed!

MOTH MORNINGS

Although we do not count the number of guests that join staff to empty the trap and go through all the
moths that have been caught overnight, we usually have between four and 30 visitors attend to see
these fantastic nocturnal insects being monitored. With names like Ingrailed Clay, Lesser Broad-bordered
Yellow Underwing, Feathered Ranunculus and Rhomboid Tortrix, it isn’t difficult to grab the interest of the
guests. Some moths, such as Buff Tip, Garden Tiger and Small Elephant Hawk-moth are always favourites
with the crowd, whilst the likes of The Uncertain and The Rustic leave them scratching their heads as to
the difference between the two!

32 REP. BARDSEY BIRD FLD OBS.

DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS’ ANNUAL REVIEW

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I would like to finish this, my 25th annual summary, as I always have, by thanking the many people who
helped in various ways. Firstly, to the few volunteers we were able to have on the island in 2021: Fiona
Bithell, who came and helped on numerous occasions during the year, doing everything from cleaning
to data entry to gardening, to tree chopping! Ed Betteridge helped with the shearwater census in spring,
and as a general volunteer in autumn, which he enjoyed and for which he deserves thanks. Thanks to
Megan Hollywood-harry, a long-term volunteer who helped with the day to day running of the Lodge.
Louis Driver came as an intern in autumn to learn more about ringing, but also helped with the cleaning
and running of the Observatory.

Thanks to all at Cwrt Farm (especially Angharad and Carwyn) for their assistance with various aspects of
the work of the Observatory during the year, and for accepting deliveries from Amazon, Tesco etc. Living
on the island would have been very difficult in 2021 without their support. I would like to thank the residents
on the island for their help, in particular, Ernest and Christine Evans, and Gareth and Meriel Roberts and
their granddaughter Ela for helping through the year, and Colin Evans for transporting Emma, Connor
and myself to and from the mainland. Thanks to Emyr Owen and Mari Huws, BITL’s Wardens, for their
assistance on the island during the year and for looking after Cristin during the winter months when there
were no Observatory staff on the island. William Earp proofread this report and for this deserves our
appreciation. Emma also spent a lot of time reading and re-working some of the draft sections and
entered all the editor’s changes. Emma then worked through much of the text with me and made a
valuable contribution to some of the texts before printing took place. Patrick Davies, Ollie King, Ed
Betteridge, Kate Fox and Kevin Clements helped proofread sections of the report and for this they deserve
my thanks.

I would also like to thank all the Trustees who helped in various ways to make our lives on the island easier,
especially Alicia Normand and Dianne Charles for their continued work. I must thank Stuart Cossey, who
from March to November acted as Assistant Warden, and also Sam Prettyman who left in July to go to
university.

At this point I need once more to thank Connor. Connor was 20 in April and has become a strong young
man; he has become increasingly helpful to the Observatory, taking on responsibilities given to him. Once
again, over the year and amongst other duties, Connor continued turning the generator on and off for
us which saved me much time, so that I was able to continue working undisturbed up to the Solar energy
switch on. Connor has also taken on the role of Solar Manager, making sure that the solar power grid is
operational day and night! He also moved gas bottles and pumped all the fuel for the Observatory’s
central heating system into the tanks once it had been delivered to us. Connor has been given the role
of ‘Head of I.T.’, so whenever we have an I.T. problem, Connor ably steps in, also looking after the internet
for us and sorting out the phones, tablets and laptops of our staff, interns and volunteers, so they don’t
use up all the bandwidth. And so, thanks again Connor, your help really is appreciated.

Finally, as ever I have to say a very big thank-you to my helpful, patient, caring and ever-loving wife
Emma, for her part in helping the whole set-up to run as efficiently as it does. Emma continued her unpaid
role as ‘Domestic Manager’ during 2021 and has been over some years now taking on the job as my PA,
as well as her usual responsibilities in helping to clean the Observatory every Saturday morning, keeping
the gift shop stocked, tidied and looked after, looking after the finer details in the Lodge and generally
making sure that things are kept up to our exacting standards as well as undertaking some paid work for
the Observatory checking data and records during the year. On top of that, Emma is much, much more
than my strength and encouragement when things get too much for me, which they regularly do, always
there for me to bounce ideas off when I need her, listening to me moan about everything when things
go wrong, as well as helping and supporting me in many, many other ways too numerous to mention –
my best friend, my caring, long-suffering and very supportive wife.

64: 6-33 33

Stansfield

Carreg yr Honwy at sunset © Steven Stansfield REP. BARDSEY BIRD FLD OBS.
34

Systematic list

64: 188-203 35

PRETTYMAN, DUNBAR, HOOPER & STANSFIELD
2 REP. BARDSEY BIRD FLD OBS.

MIGRATION DIARY

Section 2

Avian Reports

Green Sandpiper
© Steven Stansfield

64: 38-53 3

PRETTYMAN, DUNBAR, HOOPER & STANSFIELD

MIGRATION DIARY
A daily digest through the seasons
Ed Betteridge & Ollie King

Meadow Pipits Willow Warblers are a common and
© EpWhraililmowPeWrfeactrbler widespread species which breeds throughout
northern and temperate Europe and the
© Steven Stansfield Palearctic; from Western Ireland east to the
Anadyr River basin in eastern Siberia. It is
4 strongly migratory, with almost all of the
population wintering in sub-Saharan Africa.

Willow Warbler numbers on Bardsey have
plummeted over the past two decades; with
regular counts over 1000 in the past, numbers
now struggle to reach 750.

REP. BARDSEY BIRD FLD OBS.

MIGRATION DIARY

64: 38-53 5

BETTERIDGE & KING

MARCH – 81 pecies recorded and a Merlin remained. The next day was calm,
and resulted in the arrival of a Firecrest, a male
Observatory staff returned on 16 March to the Black Redstart and 45 Goldcrests. A Red-throated
island. We were greeted by the first two Diver was seen on the West Coast. An overcast
Chiffchaffs and Goldcrests of the year. A Canada day on 21st with north-westerly winds resulted in a
Goose flew over the Lowlands, and a Merlin flew Hen Harrier through the centre of the Island, a
over the Mountain. A Skylark flew over Cristin at Snow Bunting at Solfach, a Treecreeper at Cristin,
dusk, and after dark, the first Manx Shearwaters as well as a Grey Wagtail and Kestrel – all new for
were heard at Nant. The following day saw a the year. Four Sand Martins were also seen flying
small arrival of 97 Meadow Pipits, four Chiffchaffs north, and a Wheatear was on the South End.
and ten Goldcrests. A total of 31 Snipes and a
Jack Snipe were flushed in the Wetlands, along A quieter 22nd saw the first Blackcap of the year
with a Reed Bunting in the Withies, and a flock of arrive, with 14 Chiffchaffs, 14 Siskins, and a Grey
83 Starlings roaming the Lowlands. An overcast Heron. Strong southerly winds and periods of rain
start to 18th produced the first Wheatear, Sand on 23rd resulted in very little, bar the Viking Gull.
Martin and Whimbrel of the year. A Viking Gull Southerly winds the next day brought in two
(Glaucous x Herring Gull hybrid) flew round the Firecrests, 14 Goldcrests, eight Chiffchaffs, and
East Side near Pen Cristin. This bird was first seen in 172 Starlings. A sea-watch off the West Coast
January. resulted in two Red-throated Divers and nine
Gannets. A windy day on 25th produced two
‘Viking’ Gull © Samuel Prettyman Red-throated Divers, two Common Scoters, five
Fulmars, ten Manx Shearwaters and 33 Kittiwakes
A walk through the Wetlands increased the Jack off the West Coast. An additional Black Redstart
Snipe tally to two, while later there was a was seen at Tŷ Pellaf, along with the remaining
Yellowhammer at Tŷ Pellaf. Other migrants individual at the South End. Another windy day on
included four Common Scoters, ten Chiffchaffs, 26 March only produced a single Red-throated
12 Goldcrests and a Redwing. The 19th saw two Diver from a sea-watch off the West Coast. A
Fieldfares, a Reed Bunting, 12 Redshanks, a Rook, small arrival of waders resulted in eight Purple
120 Starlings, and the Meadow Pipit count Sandpipers and 33 Turnstones at Solfach.
increased to 225. The Viking Gull, a Jack Snipe Westerlies greeted 27th, resulting in a Red-
40 breasted Merganser along the West Coast, two
Ringed Plovers at Henllwyn, and eight Lesser
Redpolls. Substantial south-westerly gales on 28th
brought in two Fulmars, ten Manx Shearwaters
and 16 Gannets. A good count of 137
Oystercatchers was noted.

A small increase in waders on 29th resulted in 20
Redshanks and seven Curlews being logged. The
strong winds died down on 30th and the warm
weather resulted in a large influx of ten Swallows,
11 Sand Martins, 186 Chiffchaffs, 130 Willow
Warblers, 69 Blackcaps, two Firecrests, three
White Wagtails, 20 Wheatears and the first Sedge
Warbler and Hooded Crow of the year. The
following day brought a small arrival of finches,
with a Greenfinch, seven Siskins, 17 Goldfinches
and a Lesser Redpoll. Chiffchaffs, Willow Warblers,
and Blackcap numbers had reduced to nine, 29,
and 13 respectively.

REP. BARDSEY BIRD FLD OBS.

MIGRATION DIARY

APRIL – 92 species recorded Much was the same the following day: 18 Fulmars,
23 Manx Shearwaters and four Common Scoters
A clear start to the first day of the month saw an were seen off the West Coast. The cold spell
arrival of raptors with a Red Kite, Merlin and continued on 7th when two Bullfinches and 37
Buzzard being logged. Hirundines were also on Goldfinches were seen. An increase the following
the move, with five Sand Martins, three Swallows, day resulted in 88 being logged, alongside ten
and the first two House Martins of the year. Blue Siskins.

Pied Wagtail © Steven Stansfield Weather finally improved on 9th, resulting in a
widespread arrival of species, including 62
skies on 2 April saw the first Collared Dove and Swallows, two House Martins, a Sand Martin, eight
Common Sandpiper being logged for the year. White Wagtails, 24 Wheatears, a Ring Ouzel, two
Common Sandpipers, two Whimbrels and 19
The next day saw yet another small arrival of Willow Warblers. The following day was much the
waders, with a Sanderling, a Ringed Plover and a same, although a Red-throated Diver, a Rook,
Greenshank. Other species seen on the island two Lesser Redpolls and a Redwing were new in.
were a Hooded Crow, a Bullfinch at Nant, 45 The weather was changeable on 11th, with ten
Wheatears, a Redwing, a Fieldfare and two Swallows, seven Blackcaps, six Chiffchaffs and 18
Collared Doves and 15 Pied Wagtails, the highest Willow Warblers still being logged.
count of the month
A Bar-tailed Godwit was new in at Henllwyn on
The 4th was quiet, although two Sparrowhawks, 12th, with other migrant totals remaining
21 Goldcrests, three Sand Martins, six Swallows constant. The next day however saw a good
and a House Martin were seen. Clear skies yet arrival of 139 Willow Warblers, 32 Chiffchaffs and
strong winds brought a cold start on 5th. Sea- 58 Blackcaps. The first Grey Plover and Sandwich
watching improved, with a Red-throated Diver, a Tern of the year was also logged, alongside a
Black-headed Gull, 39 Gannets, nine Fulmars and high count of 17 Shelducks on the Narrows. The
15 Manx Shearwaters seen off the West Coast. 14th saw a slight decrease in Willow Warblers,
Four Swallows struggled north, and a Jack Snipe Chiffchaffs and Blackcaps with 88, 26 and 18
was in the Wetlands. respectively. However, the first Grasshopper

64: 38-53 41

BETTERIDGE & KING

Warbler of the year was seen at Cristin, and the 46 Wheatears, a Cuckoo, a Bullfinch, 28 Swallows,
Grey Plover was joined by five Whimbrels at the 25 Sand Martins and two House Martins. An
South End. The next day, the first Dunlin, Stock increase in waders the next day resulted in two
Dove and Whitethroat of the year were seen. Bar-tailed Godwits, 57 Whimbrels, 43 Purple
Other birds of note were a Redwing, five Sandpipers, four Dunlins and a Common
Jackdaws, 21 Siskins, ten Lesser Redpolls and Sandpiper. A good count of 57 Wheatears and 47
possibly a new Grasshopper Warbler on the West Swallows was logged that day. The week ended
Coast. The 16th saw 24 Purple Sandpipers, a with the first Yellow Wagtail on the Narrows, and
Hooded Crow and a Buzzard being logged. 13 a total of six Sedge Warblers, 54 Swallows, 32 Sand
Whimbrels, eight Sand Martins, 11 Swallows, two Martins and 18 House Martins. Further totals
Rooks, four Jackdaws, a Greenfinch and 12 Lesser included two Common Sandpipers, four Black-
Redpolls were noted on 17th. headed Gulls, three Whitethroats, two Greenfinch

Chiffchaff © Steven Stansfield and three Collared Doves.

The following day saw a Kestrel and a Sandwich The week started with an increase of 26 Dunlins
Tern new in, alongside an additional Ringed that joined four Ringed Plovers and the two Bar-
Plover on the Narrows, bringing the total to three. tailed Godwits. A small arrival of warblers saw the
first Reed Warbler, seven Sedge Warblers and a
An arrival on 19th saw 22 Whimbrels, 123 Sand Siberian Chiffchaff. Bar-tailed Godwit totals
Martins, 13 Swallows, nine House Martins, 29 increased to five on 27th, the Siberian Chiffchaff
Wheatears, a Grasshopper Warbler, a remained, a late Fieldfare was at Nant, and a
Whitethroat, 28 Blackcaps, 226 Linnets, 17 Siskins Canada Goose was off the West Coast. Little new
and 48 Lesser Redpolls. Cloudy skies greeted 20th, was in on 28th, apart from two Hooded Crows on
which saw a single Sandwich Tern, ten Swallows, the Narrows. A northerly wind reduced
a Sedge Warbler and 80 Willow Warblers being movement on 29th, however a Greylag Goose on
logged. A small arrival on 21st saw three Merlins, Pwll Cain was a surprise. The winds calmed
25 Whimbrels, three Whitethroats and 32 somewhat on the last day of the month as two
Wheatears seen. The following day saw yet Spotted Flycatchers were seen, alongside 72
another small arrival as Whimbrel numbers Willow Warblers, 44 Blackcaps, 16 Sedge Warblers
increased to 34, alongside three Sedge Warblers, and 51 Swallows.
three Whitethroats and the first Tree Pipit of the
year. Birds of note on 23rd included a summer REP. BARDSEY BIRD FLD OBS.
plumage male Bar-tailed Godwit, a Jack Snipe,

42