Bardsey's Wildlife 2022

WILDLIFE 2022 Bardsey’s Bardsey Bird Observatory Report Adroddiad Gwylfa Adar Enlli A review of the wildlife of Bardsey Island in 2022 Published autumn 2023

The Lodge Bardsey Bird Observatory and Lodge is based at Cristin, a farmhouse in the centre of Bardsey Island. It can accommodate 14 guests from April to October and everyone is welcome. bbfo.org.uk/stay History Bardsey Bird and Field Observatory is a small independent charity established in 1953 to record bird migration on Bardsey. Over 20 years later when Bardsey came up for sale, the Observatory was instrumental in the purchase of the island in 1977, and in the formation of the Bardsey Island Trust as a separate charity to manage the island; the aims were to establish a Nature Reserve, ensure access for all, and preserve the island’s beauty, cultural and spiritual tradition, wildlife and buildings. Today the island is a National Nature Reserve (NNR), Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), Special Protection Area (SPA), Special Area of Conservation (SAC), an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (ANOB) and an International Dark Sky Sanctuary. Our work Our core objective is to record bird migration: all migrating birds on the island are recorded every day. As well as this we monitor all the breeding birds and other wildlife on the island. We also provide opportunities for young people and educate visitors about wildlife through Wildlife Walks, bird ringing and much more. The data we collect informs government bodies, conservation organisations and economic developers. It feeds into university studies, regional and national projects, and is submitted to the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) and incorporated into their national database. The Observatory works alongside the Bardsey Island Trust and Natural Resources Wales to ensure the appropriate management of the island. Birds Due to its prominent position in the Irish Sea, Bardsey provides an important stopover for migrating birds and attracts a variety of rare species that have included: Summer Tanager, Cretzschmar’s Bunting, American Robin, Red-flanked Bluetail, Western Orphean Warbler, Eastern Yellow Wagtail and Buff-bellied Pipit. 334 species have been recorded, including nationally and globally important species such as the resident Manx Shearwater and the iconic Chough, and many others that are declining and are Red or Amber listed as Birds of Conservation Concern. Breeding populations and productivity are monitored, including Razorbills, Storm Petrels, Wheatears and over 25,000 pairs of Manx Shearwaters. Our data show that Puffins have increased from 0 to 150 pairs in two decades. Birds are carefully trapped, ringed and released under license as part of the national Ringing Scheme run by the British Trust for Ornithology, to help us understand more about them. Wildlife Bardsey and its surrounding waters is home to rare and scarce species of birds, animals, insects and plants including 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. Front Bluethroat by Steven Stansfield Back Sunrise over Pen Cristin by Bruce Kendrick Inside-front Cristin – Bardsey Lodge, By Emma Stansfield Photographs Ed Betteridge, Fiona Bithell, Ollie King, Richard Layton, Bob Normand, Andy Purcell, Steven and Emma Stansfield, Jeff Wragg Editorial team Emma Stansfield, Steven Stansfield, William Earp, Elisabeth Edwards Design & production Compiled, typeset, designed and produced by Steven and Emma Stansfield Published by Bardsey Bird Observatory Autumn 2023 Bardsey Bird Observatory &Lodge Bardsey’s Wildlife 2022 [email protected] 01603 868 862 Bardsey Bird and Field Observatory Registered Charity No. 249790 ISSN 0408-5655 Recording migration bbfo.org.uk

Bardsey Bird and Field Observatory Monitoring Bardsey’s Wildlife since 1953

Osprey over Bardsey © Steven Stansfield

section 1 INTRODUCTIONS Welcome from the Chair Dianne Charles 8 Secretary’s report Andrew Lawrence 10 Director of Operations’ review Steven Stansfield 12 section 2 AVIAN REPORTS Migration diary Ed Betteridge, Ollie King and Steven Stansfield 48 Systematic list Steven Stansfield 70 Arrivals and departures Ed Betteridge and Steven Stansfield 142 Breeding birds Ollie King 146 Manx Shearwater productivity Ollie King and Steven Stansfield 176 Manx Shearwater census Ed Betteridge 188 Chough studies Ed Betteridge 202 Bird ringing Ed Betteridge 218 Contents

section 3 NON-AVIAN REPORTS Non-avian fauna Ollie King and Steven Stansfield 240 Tremella aspiciliae Dr Antony Fletcher 254 Butterflies Ollie King and Steven Stansfield 258 Moths Ed Betteridge 270 section 4 APPENDICES Appendix 1 Contributors 306 Appendix 2 Accounts for 2022 308 Appendix 3 Legacy information 312 Appendix 4 Membership 314 Appendix 5 Advertisements 316

President Rt. Revd. David Hawkins Vice presidents Mike West, Dr R Geoff Gibbs, Mike Archer Mrs Alicia Normand, Steve Hinde Director of Operations Steven Stansfield, Cristin, Bardsey, Aberdaron Assistants Ed Betteridge and Ollie King Trustees: Chair Dianne Charles, 2 Regent Close, Edgbaston, Birmingham Hon. Secretary Andrew Lawrence, 14 Jack Haye Lane, Light Oaks, Stoke on Trent Director of Finance Dianne Charles, 2 Regent Close, Edgbaston, Birmingham Bookings Administrator Alicia Normand, 46 Maudlin Drive, Teignmouth, Devon 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 to the 66th edition of BBFO’s report - Bardsey’s Wildlife. We had another highly successful and busy visitor season, with almost 200 visitor weeks. Our Director of Operations, Steve Stansfield and his wife Emma our Data Co-ordinator and Domestics Manager, arrived back on Bardsey in March and were joined two days later by our new Assistants, Ed Betteridge and Ollie King. Several volunteers assisted them in getting the Observatory ready for the season. Our long awaited, and twice cancelled, University Week finally went ahead in April, and required advertising, planning, organisation, recruitment, sponsorship, T-shirt design and printing, production of welcome packs etc. Judging by the reactions of the students both in person and on social media, it was once again a real success. One objective of our five-year strategic plan was to ‘Engage with higher and further educational institutes’. Following Steve’s trip to the international Bird Observatories Conference, he was keen to get a tracking project underway for our Manx Shearwaters. Joe Brownlie, one of our trustees, suggested approaching a university for partnership because of the huge costs involved. Over the past few years, Steve has been engaging with Bangor University, resulting in a preliminary study in 2021, and, in late May we began work on ‘SHEAR’, an £800,000 National Environmental Research Council (NERC) funded project with Bangor University. The project created extra work for the staff; for Steve in particular, it meant emails, meetings, advising Bangor University on the project plans, applying for licences to undertake the work and completing additional reports for the BTO’s Special Methods Licences Committee in the run up to the project’s start. The results were extremely rewarding, and the same is planned for 2023. Improvements at the Observatory included the installation of storage tanks holding 30,000 litres of water to alleviate shortages, boarding in the solar room to stop lime mortar from the roof falling onto the solar equipment, pointing the wall in the common room and the purchase of new bedding as well as two chairs for the library. Mike Archer, one of our Vice Presidents, was presented with an Award for Outstanding Contribution to the Work of the Observatory by Steve in July (see page 18). This was in recognition of his incredible work in the digitising of all the BBFO’s ringing data. Avian Influenza became an issue during the summer. NRW suspended all ringing at seabird colonies across Wales. Steve prepared a proposal for a derogation for BBFO to be allowed to continue ringing. Fortunately, this was accepted, and we were allowed to continue ringing almost as normal, with the exception of seabirds. We consulted with RSPB/Birdlife about mammalian biosecurity and were supplied with bait boxes to look out for the presence of rats on the island. It was a very dry summer and we really struggled for water. We did manage to get through, but were down to our last five hundred litres before the autumn rains set in. We hope this will be relieved by the new tanks. Moth trapping was remarkably successful in 2022. Ed Betteridge did an excellent job, holding many moth mornings to engage with guests. We bought a Thrift Clearwing lure this year which was immensely successful, and the largest counts of this rare moth were made for the island. Welcome from the chair Dianne Charles

Record numbers of House Martins were ringed and there were many dolphin sightings during the year – the best in at least 25 years. Members of the North East Norfolk bird club came for a week and despite the lack of birds gave very positive feedback. Connor Stansfield left the island to go to university. We are grateful to Connor for all his input into the Observatory for the past ten years, especially in the areas of IT and solar power. Solar power continued to be a success, with a further £4,000 in funding secured by Steve for new batteries, which will give us more storage in the latter part of the year. We rarely needed to run the generator and only when there were several days of cloudy weather. We used about 75% less gas than usual in the Observatory. An induction hob made an enormous difference to our gas consumption. As usual, thanks go to all our staff, interns and volunteers for all the hard work and commitment shown over the year, as well as to our friends on and off the island. A successful and fulfilling season such as we had in 2022 simply would not be possible without them. During the year we were sad to hear of the death of Dafydd Thomas. His life-long association with both the island and the Observatory began in 1951. When he visited, often in the company of Peter Hope Jones and Richard Arnold, he would stay at Cristin. He was always interested in wildlife and took many journeys abroad with Tony Bianchi and John Love seeking out new species of birds and their habitats. In the 1970s he founded a youth nature club from his farm and took them on field trips and made many visits to the island staying in Cristin. He was among the first people who came together to form the Bardsey Island Trust and visited Lord Michael Pearson in London when discussions were under way to buy the island. He then worked voluntarily for the Trust until he was employed as Trust Officer and later as the boatman taking visitors to and from the island. He was also a member of the Observatory Council and took on the role of supply officer. Some years later he helped George Povey, bringing Observatory visitors over on Tony Bianchi’s boat. He was a huge supporter of Observatory in so many ways and will be greatly missed. Red Kite © Steve Stansfield

After what can only be described a somewhat turbulent 2021, things returned to some normality in 2022 with the highlight being our live and in-person AGM, back at Prenteg after two difficult pandemic years. The Trustees met formally on the usual three occasions, and most of the agenda items followed a standard format, my report is based as usual on the proceedings of these meetings with some additions and highlights where appropriate. Although the first of the Trustees’ meetings took place in January, 2021 had closed with some staff changes and two promising new Assistant Wardens, Edward (Ed) Betteridge and Oliver (Ollie) King being appointed to these vital roles for the 2022 season. With this change, and with Steve adding some new protocols, some actions were flagged to be implemented for the 2022 season. With the pandemic beginning to loosen its grip a little the Trustees also had to review what our approach to the staying guests should be in relation to this; at this point we considered that we should continue for the start of this guestyear requiring that every visitor provide a negative lateral-flow test, as in 2021. Other items were of a more standard fare with the usual review of finance, health and safety, and the wider observatory work. The Trustees’ next meeting, on 24 May, was the pre-AGM discussion but it also was a chance for Steve to review the success of the University Week initiative. This is becoming an important strand in the Observatory’s work and thanks to Steve’s efforts, BBFO has been able to really deliver well on our educational goals, offering a taster of Observatory life as well as delivering valuable experience for many younger birders. The focus on youth has been of particular interest to some national organisations, and support to visit Bardsey has kindly been provided by the West Midland Bird Club, the British Trust for Ornithology, British Birds Charitable Trust, the Welsh Ornithological Society and by our good friend Gareth Roberts. The April week went particularly well, and it was very good to hear commendation from Steve of the Assistant Wardens’ work during a week which must have presented several new challenges for them, particularly as they both had been on the island for only a few weeks. Secretary’s report Andrew Lawrence

SECRETARY’S REPORT The AGM is always a main point of discussion at this meeting, and we were extremely pleased to be running this as a traditional in-person meeting – we were to be back at Prenteg! - as well as on the meeting software platform that we adopted in 2020 and 2021. This Trustees’ meeting also covered staffing and the usual financial update was delivered to the Trustees prior to presentation at Prenteg, for which the accounts were to be uploaded to the BBFO website for review by all prior to the AGM. Other aspects covered included good news about savings made from the solar power setup, maintenance and upgrade of some of the facilities and first notification by Steve of a research project, led by Bangor University, focussing on the Manx Shearwaters and allowing access to some expensive tracking devices. On 5 June it was a pleasure in itself to have the AGM running once again at Prenteg, with real folk present, although the meeting itself was a hybrid one with the proceedings also being conducted on the “Zoom” meeting software to allow anybody who could not attend in person to participate. This worked reasonably well and allowed representation from all over the UK (including Ynys Enlli itself!). Standard agenda items were included, and an award was made to Mike Archer for his Outstanding Contribution to the work of the Obs, this being presented online by our President (and by Steve later in the month in person). The meeting concluded with a superb presentation, “An Eye for Birds”, by Bruce Kenrick. The Trustees’ third meeting of the year, in October, was largely focussed on operations: topics for discussion included staffing for 2023, bookings administration, bids for funding for project work, and work for Natural Resources Wales. Also, we were very pleased to hear that although relinquishing the Bookings Administrator position Alicia Normand agreed to stay on the board of Trustees, so we have her experience and wisdom still, a real relief! Emma Stansfield was appointed as Alicia’s successor as Bookings Administrator, following the advertisement of the post. Finally, we should of course record our thanks to the Observatory team of Steve, Emma and Connor Stansfield and to the two Assistant Wardens, Ed and Ollie, who have all done such a truly exceptional job for BBFO in 2022, and also to our interns and volunteers who have provided really able support at many points during the year – Diolch yn fawr Red-breasted Flycatcher© Steve Stansfield

1 4 REP. BARDSEY BIRD FLD OBS. 2022 was a fantastic year in many ways. We were able to get up and running and fully operational after the Sars-CoV2 pandemic began to release its grip on the world. We were very fortunate to be able to secure two excellent Assistants for the season in Ed Betteridge and Ollie King, and we had a good number of short-term volunteers and interns. We had a very successful University Week, which was once again funded by the West Midland Bird Club, British Birds and the Welsh Ornithological Society. We had a great season for birds, with highlights including the second Thrush Nightingale for the island and for Wales, a smart Red-flanked Bluetail, good sea passage, and record numbers of House Martins trapped and ringed. There were also record numbers of Mediterranean Gulls and Fieldfares in October. Director of O perations’review Steven Stansfield

1 5 DIRECTOR O F OPERATIONS’ ANNUAL REVIEW 6 6 : 1 2 - 4 5 Bar-tailed Godwit © Ed Betteridge

1 4 STANSFIELD REP. BARDSEY BIRD FLD OBS. WINTER REVIEW Having left the island in November 2021, Emma, Connor and I headed off to spend the winter in our house in Norfolk and began 2022 there. Over much of the winter my usual tasks were completed, and I spent time finalising Observatory paperwork for the BTO ringing scheme, licence renewals for Schedule 1 species and ringing permits, putting together the 160-page report to Natural Resources Wales (NRW) for our Section 16 Agreement funding, and working on the 2021 edition of Bardsey’s Wildlife getting it ready to go to the printers in autumn of 2022. It was another bumper one and our biggest yet at 336 pages, and once more huge effort went into the content, design and publication as we continually strive to remain amongst the top wildlife reports in the country. After Tony John stood down from his role as text editor last year, we had to look for a new member of the editorial team. William Earp took on the role as proof-reader and Emma and I edited all the text and continued with the design and production of the report, which was published later than had been hoped for due to the extra work required, and as we were short on staff to complete the written work over the winter. 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 had a run of meetings to attend, some about staffing for 2022 including an induction weekend in Birmingham. Pre-season team-building: curry night in Birmingham © Steve Stansfield

1 5 DIRECTOR O F OPERATIONS’ ANNUAL REVIEW 6 6 : 1 2 - 4 5 Our regular face-to-face Trustees meeting was also held in Birmingham, but the Bird Observatories Council AGM was held remotely again via Zoom. I put together the proposals for the section 16 Management agreement with Natural Resources Wales for 2022. 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 four) 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) Educational talks and walks for visitors on the island STAFF AND RECRUITMENT FOR 2022 Ed Betteridge had returned once again as an intern for the most part of October 2021. Ed’s untiring energy and enthusiasm and his excellent knowledge left us with a very easy decision when he applied for one of the posts and he was appointed instantly after his interview. We had a good number of applicants for the remaining post, and after two rounds of zoom interviews we had whittled it down to one applicant who we were keen to interview in person. So, on a freezing day in December 2021, Emma, Connor and I had an ‘in-field’ interview with Ollie King, and he was duly appointed. Ed and Ollie worked well together, both are good fieldworkers, and we had a very smooth-running season. I spent a lot of time training Ed in the first few weeks with ringing and getting him up to speed; I took him on as one of my Trainees, and after a month I was happy to put him forward for his C permit. I then began to train Ollie to ring from scratch. These tasks include lots of early morning starts and late-night finishes as both are keen on dazzling waders and ringing Manxies! Emma did a lot of training on the domestic front and also kept a close eye on the data going into the census log. She also spent a lot of time working though project instructions, working on the Observatory’s Operations Manual, and along with me, going through each project with the Assistants. I spent time in the field at the start of the season with Ollie especially, with breeding bird training, how the census is done etc. All staff completed the online ACAS Inclusivity & Diversity training. START OF SEASON Early March saw Emma, Connor and I pack up and leave our winter hideaway at Owlwood Cottage in North Norfolk and make our way back to North Wales via our parents in Rotherham and Southport. 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. Emma, Connor and I headed back to the island ahead of the two new members of staff to start to get things ready for their arrival. We were welcomed back by Gareth and Meriel and given a fantastic meal at Tŷ Pellaf! PREPARING THE LODGE When we arrived back on the island it was straight back into work… fitting a new gas changeover valve, as the old one had died at the back end of 2021, then I serviced the Rayburn to ensure it consumed much less fuel than before and burned much more cleanly. I had to strip down the carburettor and service the lawn mower to get it running – it would have cost £250+ to send it off, but a £15 carb replacement from eBay did the job!

1 6 STANSFIELD REP. BARDSEY BIRD FLD OBS. Lynda Roberts and Mike Smart once again came to help clean down the Lodge, dress the beds and help get it ready for guests at the start of the season. Andrew Lawrence came for a week to help out and Fiona Bithell was a regular volunteer on and off throughout the season. Some painting and touch-up work was needed, but the Lodge had stood up to the winter reasonably well. Ed, Ollie and I completely gutted the ringing hut and cleaned it all out ready for the season ahead. We spent time thoroughly clearing out and cleaning down the common room and library after much use by the staff over the previous lockdown years; Fiona completely refreshed the library with fresh paint on the walls and floor, new curtains, new chairs and lamps, and the room has been transformed. Fiona, Emma, Andy and I used lime mortar to point the stone wall which had been drying out over the previous 12 months, and I plastered the wall above the library door where the rotting plaster had fallen off! Fiona painted the floor, walls and woodwork, and we rebuilt the base of the window, Ed and Ollie painted the ceiling, and the room is now light and airy, pleasant and comfortable with a fresh new look. We cleared the solar room ready for the staff to store food in, and in June, Patrick Davies and I installed boarding in there to stop the old lime mortar falling onto the batteries and inverters. Emma finalised the dressing of the rooms, and thanks to all our staff and volunteers, by April the Lodge was up and running and looking very smart! Dis-assembled Rayburn inners and servicing the mower © Steve Stansfield Mike Smart and Lynda Roberts tackling the kitchen, and Fiona Bithell clearing building waste © Steve Stansfield

1 7 DIRECTOR O F OPERATIONS’ ANNUAL REVIEW 6 6 : 1 2 - 4 5 Before… The redecorated library © Fiona Bithell Emma and Andy lime-pointing the wall © Steve Stansfield The finished article © Steve Stansfield During… …and after © Steve Stansfield

1 8 STANSFIELD REP. BARDSEY BIRD FLD OBS. AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION TO THE WORK OF THE OBSERVATORY At the AGM, held on 5 June, our Vice President Mike Archer was presented with an award for Outstanding Contribution to the Work of the Observatory. This Award has only ever been given once before, to Steve Hinde in 2018. Here is the transcript of the speech delivered by our President, David Hawkins. Mike accepted the award remotely, but a few weeks later was presented with it in person in Sheffield. Award for Outstanding Contribution to the Work of the Observatory A quarter of a century ago, way back in 1998, our warden Steve, who was in his first year on Bardsey, organised a ringing course on the island. The ringing course was very successful, and a number of the course participants spoke of returning. Later in the year one particular member did return to start what was the beginning of a very long-term friendship with the island and the Observatory. Having retired from work just months earlier, he had time on his hands, and saw Bardsey as something he could get his teeth stuck into. Having asked Steve, ‘is there anything that I could usefully do to help the Observatory?’, Steve set about thinking… One task that Steve had already begun, with his then Assistant, Dave Anning, was to digitise Bardsey’s Ringing and Census data. Up to this point, all these data were held in motheaten, dust-covered lever arch files in the Observatory Office. This was the first of many tasks that could be usefully done. By now I am sure you will have guessed we are talking about our Vice President Mike Archer. Mike, a retired solicitor, had the right type of enquiring mind, patience and ringing background to help with this monumental task. Steve managed to get some funding, initially to get the Manx Shearwater data digitised, which was done by Dave Barnden, and Mike helped to find further funding to get more of the general ringing data digitised. And then Mike along with a long line of (usually female!) volunteers, if you will Mike’s ‘Checking Chicks’ or ‘Data Divas’ as they became known, set about checking the data. Mike, with Steve’s assistance, managed the project from beginning to end. But before really setting about the checking in earnest, Mike suggested that we should have two paper back-up copies of all the data; so, at his own expense, Mike took the original record sheets, all carefully packaged, to a photocopier shop in Porthmadog, where he set up camp for several days at a time and photocopied many, many thousands of A4 sheets, getting to know the shop staff, sorting the data into alphanumeric order and returning them in new A4 ring-binders, and all the new copies to the island…not to mention burning out the industrial photocopier in the process! In 2003 and 2004, Julia Davies, another of Steve’s Assistants, who was not really a birder or ringer, was tasked by Steve with digitising all the Observatory’s daily census data. Now Julia did a fantastic job in entering these data, but, no matter how skilled and careful you are or try to be, errors will creep into the transcription of such a huge amount of data entry. Mike,

1 9 DIRECTOR O F OPERATIONS’ ANNUAL REVIEW 6 6 : 1 2 - 4 5 along with his ‘data divas’ – who too deserve some sort of recognition, so let us just name a few of them like Ruth Edwards and her niece Jude, Joan James, Daphne Tyne, Dale Brown, and several others too – all set about checking the census data as well as continuing, with Mike at the helm, entering and checking ringing data, all the butterfly data and all the Observatory’s moth data; Mike steering his data ship and crew through hundreds of thousands of records, unfaltering until the last record was checked. Mike began attending the Bird Observatories Council meetings and represented Bardsey there. He became involved with the writing and editing of the Bird Observatories of Britain and Ireland book, published by Poyser, and along with Steve, he played a huge role in the editing and publishing of the book. As the Bardsey data were becoming almost completely checked and uploaded to the BTO’s BirdTrack and Oracle databases, Mike then moved on to entering and checking other Observatories’ data, including Hilbre, Portland, Skokholm, Sandwich and Spurn, to name a few. Mike also pioneered, and continues to support and be actively involved in, the Young Bird Observatory Volunteers programme – a grant scheme run through BTO to support young people making residential stays to volunteer at Bird Observatories, many of them at Bardsey. Mike was recently awarded the BTO’s Jubilee medal for his contributions, which are many and varied, to British ornithology. Nick Moran, nominating Mike for the BTO Medal, said, “Mike has long been a strong advocate for the collection of robust scientific data on birds, and ensuring that these data are available to BTO and beyond, both now and in the future. None of this has been easy, yet Mike has approached it all with unwavering diplomacy, tact and endless patience! I cannot think of a more worthy recipient of the BTO Jubilee Medal.” So, to add to Mike’s Jubilee medal we would like to present him with an award only once presented previously by BBFO, to Steve Hinde, the award for Outstanding Contribution to work of the Observatory. Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you Mike Archer. Mike Archer being presented with his award by Steve Stansfield © Emma Stansfield

2 0 STANSFIELD REP. BARDSEY BIRD FLD OBS. SPRING MIGRATION We arrived back to the island to find that the Cattle Egret found by Mari and Emyr in January (only the third record for Bardsey) was, much to our relief, still present. The onset of spring passage was relatively slow, and was generally characterized by quality rather than quantity, but gradually migration increased and produced some days of good passage. In March, Black Redstarts were seen in large numbers with 12 recorded on a single day, the secondhighest count for the island. Other species, such as Firecrests, Bramblings, Crossbills, and Bullfinches, were all recorded in small numbers. The ninth record of Pink-footed Goose was noted in April, along with a fall of Willow Warblers and Blackcaps on 12th, with 126 of each species recorded. Finch passage saw the third-highest spring count of Goldfinches ever, with 394 seen on 14th. A Nightingale was found singing in the Withies and the first spring record of Black Tern was seen on 27th, with Blue-headed Wagtails, Twites, and Siberian Chiffchaffs appearing later in the month. May started quietly, though on 15th a Hobby was seen off the East Side. A fall of 91 Spotted Flycatchers, along with the first Striped Hawk-moth for the island, occurred on 16th. A Golden Oriole was seen on the following day, and the second confirmed spring UK record of Blythii Lesser Whitethroat appeared on 27th, singing in Cristin Withy. June began spectacularly, with sightings of a Black Guillemot, a Red-Spotted Bluethroat, a Golden Oriole, a Turtle Dove, a Wood Warbler, and a Thrush Nightingale (the first live record for Wales) all recorded on 2nd – one of the best days of birding Bardsey has ever seen. A Marsh Warbler singing at Nant on 6th marked the conclusion of spring's highlights. Bluethroat © Steven Stansfield

2 1 DIRECTOR O F OPERATIONS’ ANNUAL REVIEW 6 6 : 1 2 - 4 5 BREEDING BIRDS The breeding populations of seabirds on Bardsey and the Gwylan Islands remained unaffected by the HPAI virus, as evidenced by this year's data. There was a noticeable rebound in the number of Razorbills, with 1298 pairs recorded, marking the first increase since 2018. Guillemots had their most successful year to date, with 2193 AOLs recorded. This positive trend in population growth has been observed since the late 1990s and has continued to accelerate since 2011. However, the Puffin colony experienced a decline for the first time since 2012, with only 160 AOBs recorded. Conversely, Kittiwakes saw an increase in numbers this year, with 230 pairs recorded, the highest count since 2007. However, productivity slightly decreased from the previous year, with only 158 juveniles. Shags had a fruitful breeding year with 65 nests recorded on Bardsey, six more than the previous year, and a total of 146 juveniles fledged. Additionally, all gull species showed an increase compared to last year, with a total of 378 Herring Gulls and 159 Lesser Black-backed Gulls. Four pairs of Great Black-backed Gulls nested, resulting in seven juveniles. Fulmars had their highest count since 2006, with 35 AOS recorded, while Manx Shearwater productivity was 0.77 chicks per breeding pair. In-depth coverage of the breeding populations on the Gwylan Islands was obtained through several boat trips, revealing that many species bred relatively early in the season. Four Razorbill chicks and one egg were recorded with 31 AOLs, and 90 Guillemot AOLs alongside 55 chicks. On Ynys Gwylan Fawr, five Cormorant nests were recorded, with one nest found on Ynys Gwylan Bach. The first evidence of Storm Petrels breeding on Ynys Gwylan Fawr was observed as calls were heard on 21 June. A total of nine Mallard broods were observed, although only four chicks successfully matured and left the nest. The number of Oystercatcher pairs saw an increase, reaching a count of 74. Additionally, Ringed Plovers were able to successfully breed for the second consecutive year, resulting in the hatching of three offspring. Another brood of one chick was also produced, resulting in a total of four chicks reaching maturity. The pair of Peregrines successfully raised and fledged a single chick. Furthermore, both pairs of Ravens bred once again, with one pair successfully rearing a brood of four chicks, while the other pair was able to raise one chick Kittiwake and chicks © Ollie King

2 2 STANSFIELD REP. BARDSEY BIRD FLD OBS. This year, Willow Warblers fledged five young from two pairs. Nine pairs of Sedge Warblers were documented, which is another strong year for this species. The numbers of Whitethroats and Blackcaps were unchanged from the previous year, at four and three pairs, respectively. A total of 161 singing male Wrens were recorded. There was however, only one Song Thrush pair, down from five last year. This year, Robins held four territories again. The island saw the highest number of pairs of Stonechats ever, with 20 recorded. Wheatear pairs reached 28 and produced 44 young. There were 21 Dunnock territories, six more than last year, though there was a reduction in Pied Wagtails, with only seven pairs noted. The number of Rock Pipits has declined slightly again to 32 pairs, with two fewer pairs recorded than the previous year. Meadow Pipit populations appear to be fluctuating somewhat, with 87 pairs this year representing a 36% increase over the 2021 total. Linnet families grew with 22 logged, and a minimum of 52 juveniles were counted. Three pairs of Goldfinches nested once more, yielding eight young. AUTUMN MIGRATION Autumn began with a good run of Terns (including Roseate, Black, Common, Arctic, Little and Sandwich) and Mediterranean Gulls in August. Several Ospreys passed over the island on their way to Africa, and record numbers of House Martins were ringed. Good numbers of Common Dolphins and Risso’s Dolphins were seen, along with two sightings of the rare Atlantic White-sided Dolphin. Late August saw arrivals of Convolvulus Hawkmoths and Emperor and Migrant Hawker Dragonflies, and large numbers of butterflies passed through the island including hundreds of Red Admirals. The final day of August saw a Marsh Warbler trapped at Cristin. September began with more Terns passing and the year’s fourth Osprey over the South End of the island. The first of 56 seal pups appeared in early September too. September 8th saw some good sea-passage, including a Long-tailed Skua, two Pomarine Skuas and eight Arctic Skuas, along with two more Ospreys that motored south during the day. Early September also saw a good run of Pied Flycatchers including 11 on 12th, the same day a Barred Warbler was trapped at Risso’s Dolphin© Steven Stansfield

2 3 DIRECTOR O F OPERATIONS’ ANNUAL REVIEW 6 6 : 1 2 - 4 5 Cristin. On 16th, 11 Pink-footed Geese flew over (only the 11th record for the island) and five Tree Sparrows were seen. Later in September on 25th a Long-eared Owl was seen, along with the first Yellow-browed Warbler of the year and a fine Clouded Yellow butterfly. The following day, a smart adult Sabine’s Gull was seen along with a Long-tailed Skua and two Great Skuas (the latter being very scarce this year due to a huge number being killed by Avian Influenza in their breeding grounds in Shetland). Another Barred Warbler was seen on 29th along with a Long-eared Owl. October began with the year’s first Common Rosefinch at Tŷ Pellaf, with another seen the following day. A Sabine’s Gull was seen also on 2nd. The 3rd saw a Yellow-browed Warbler trapped and ringed at the Obs. The 10th produced another island rarity in the form of a Cetti’s Warbler on the South End. The 12th saw five Yellow-browed Warblers on the island and two Whooper Swans off the West Side. Two more Yellow-browed Warblers and a Firecrest arrived on 13th along with two Long-eared Owls. The 14th produced two more new birds for the year: two Curlew Sandpipers and a Richard’s Pipit. Two Long-eared Owls were trapped on 16th, which also saw a good passage of finches including 231 Siskins, 199 Chaffinches, as well as 230 Skylarks and a Yellowhammer. A Woodlark flew over on 18th, and six Little Egrets and a Great Northern Diver flew past. The 19th saw a massive passage of thrushes, including 2310 Redwings, 1560 Starlings and a record count of 6970 Fieldfares. A Little Bunting was heard calling as it flew over the South End of the island in the morning. The 20th saw a fine Red-breasted Flycatcher and another Barred Warbler with two more Yellow-browed Warblers at Nant. A tiny Pallas’s Warbler from Siberia was found in the back garden at Cristin on 24th, and a further Long-eared Owl was trapped after dark! Another Red-breasted Flycatcher was trapped at Nant on 25th, and yet another (the third in a week) was at Cristin on 27th. As the final nets were being taken down from the Withies on 29th, a rather smart Red-flanked Bluetail (only the third for the island) was seen and trapped. This was a fantastic finish to a brilliant year on the island. Yellow-browed Warbler © Steven Stansfield

2 4 STANSFIELD REP. BARDSEY BIRD FLD OBS. ON THE ISLAND HIGHLIGHTS SOLAR UPDATE Back in 2005, at the home of Bevan and Denise Healey in Penkridge, we resolved to improve our green credentials during a brainstorming session with Patrick Davies (then Chair of BBFO), Dianne Charles (current Chair of BBFO), and Keith Leivesley (a friend of BBFO). This included attempting to reduce reliance on fossil fuels and transition to more sustainable energy. Since 1994 the Observatory had been using a noisy and polluting diesel generator to produce power, and plans were made to reduce its carbon footprint by replacing it with a solar panel system. We began by raising funds to construct a modest solar array to power fridges and freezers in order to reduce our need for diesel; however, we decided to expand the project further to minimise our reliance on fossil fuels. It was intended that, once constructed, the projected solar array would provide enough electricity to eliminate the need for the generator and power the whole Observatory complex 24 hours a day, making the island cleaner, greener, and more peaceful. A fund-raising campaign was launched and many of our friends and members donated to the system, along with sizable contributions from both the West Midland Bird Club and the Liebreich Foundation. Finally, last year we achieved our vision, and after a lot of hard work the project has been a huge success! We constructed a system that included a 24-panel solar array, a 10kW inverter and charging system, and 14kWh of state-of-the-art lithium-ion computer-controlled batteries. At its peak, it provides seven-and-ahalf kW of electricity. In late autumn last year, almost on the day of the autumn equinox when the days began to shorten, we had several days of cloudy weather and ran out of power, and we had to run the generator on a few occasions from then until the end of the season. As a result, we began searching for money to boost our battery storage capacity, and once again the Liebreich Foundation stepped up and offered a substantial sum of money to purchase the batteries, which were eventually delivered in late autumn. As a result we were able to further reduce our reliance on gas during the summer, since with increased battery capacity, we were able to install an electric induction hob, electric toasters, electric kettles etc. that all save on the use of the bottled Calor gas. With this system, and the addition to our battery bank, we have dramatically lowered our CO2 emissions. For a single freezer, the annual gas consumption was around 12 19kg bottles of Butane. We also used to have two gas-powered fridge freezers, each of which used approximately one 19kg bottle each month, and a small fridge that consumed six bottles per year. These are now totally powered by the solar array. This has cut gas consumption by 978 kg. This translates to around 2.553 tonnes of CO2 emissions eliminated, and that’s only from the fridges and freezers which are now run from sunlight! BBFO’s generator used to consume 1,300 litres on average of diesel annually. By not using it we reduced our usage by around sx litres per day from August 2021 through to October of this year. Therefore, engine exhaust emissions have decreased by 3.435 tonnes annually. We have reduced our annual CO2 emissions from gas and diesel combined, by a total of six tonnes thanks to the installation of the solar array. Thanks are due to all who contributed to the fundraising, groundwork and installation of the system. Calculations for nerds!: 1litre of LPG weighs 550g. LPG consists of 82.5% carbon: 454g of carbon per litre. In order to combust this carbon to CO2, 1211g of oxygen is needed. The sum is then 454 + 1211 = 1665g of CO2/litre of LPG; 1kg of LPG produces about 3.2kg of CO2 emissions. One litre of diesel weighs 835g. Diesel consists of 86.2% carbon, or 720g of carbon per litre. In order to combust this carbon to CO2, 1920g of oxygen is needed. The sum is then 720 + 1920 = 2.64kg of CO2/litre.

2 5 DIRECTOR O F OPERATIONS’ ANNUAL REVIEW 6 6 : 1 2 - 4 5 HELIGOLAND TRAP In 2021, a party led by Andy Purcell arrived on the island to assist with some of the trap work and to install another portion of the stainless-steel weld mesh to the wood frame. Ross, Mick, and John along with their ‘supervisor' Andy and Fiona Bithell worked non-stop all week. They aimed to mesh the remaining portion of the wide end and build new stairs flowing through the trap's lower section. The trap is now complete once again. They worked well together and had a wonderful time on the island. Thank you very much. THE EVOLUTION OF BARDSEY’S INTERNET SYSTEMS The Observatory began considering installing internet 15 years ago due to increasing electronic correspondence and the need for time efficiency. Various options were considered, including remote links, cables, and satellite links. In 2009, satellite internet was installed, providing instant communication, access to vast amounts of information and the ability to run our daily blog page. However, the internet was initially very limited, with 12 gigabytes of data per month and a two megabit per second connection speed. Between 2009 and 2022, the internet package was upgraded twice, with a 25 gigabyte per month package and a 100 gigabyte per month package. However, these packages were still limited and expensive, costing almost £80 per month. In 2020, Gareth Roberts contacted the Welsh Government and Menter Môn, and secured government funding for a new internet system on the island. The system would be connected to a conventional fibreoptic internet connection on the mainland and transmitted to the residents' houses using a focused beam similar to WiFi. The project, estimated to cost £15k, was completed in autumn 2021 when the initial hardware was installed, including a solar array at the lighthouse, receivers outside the houses, routers, etc. BT connected the fibre-optic line on the mainland and after extensive testing and troubleshooting, the connection was fully established on 6 April this year. The speed test result was over 100 megabits per second, five times the previous peak speed, and over 50 times the speed of the first satellite package. The project has improved communication and internet speeds, lag and download capacity and is a fraction of the cost of what we were previously paying. Step building, and the team: John, Fiona, Ross. Andy and Mick © Fiona Bithell

2 6 STANSFIELD REP. BARDSEY BIRD FLD OBS. MANX SHEARWATER TRACKING WITH BANGOR UNIVERSITY As well as our usual Manx Shearwater studies (population census, productivity monitoring and ringing) undertaken each year as part of our Section 16 Agreement with Natural Resources Wales, this year we worked once more with Dr Line Cordes from Bangor University. As the National Geographic funded tagging project in 2021 was very successful, we decided to continue the work and look for further funding. We were very pleased to be funded by the National Environmental Research Council to look at various aspects of the shearwaters’ movements and energy usage in the North Irish Sea. The research project, called SHEAR, would run through the 2022 and 2023 field seasons. I met with Dr Cordes and her team on a number of occasions in the latter half of 2021, over the winter, and in early 2022, and exchanged innumerable emails and draft grant and project proposals. When the bid was accepted, we started preparing for the project whose aims were to better understand how the physical environment affects the foraging energetics of shearwaters and the implications for breeding success. The project will examine how much energy the Manx Shearwater expends in relation to its prey. Manx Shearwater with TechnoSmart Axy-Depth accelerometer GPS tag © Steven Stansfield

2 7 DIRECTOR O F OPERATIONS’ ANNUAL REVIEW 6 6 : 1 2 - 4 5 We located over 60 nest burrows in May and June, and, under a special licence applied for from the BTO, we fitted the birds with sophisticated GPS monitoring tags. These 11g gadgets kept track of the birds' whereabouts every five minutes, their rate of flapping (using an accelerometer incorporated into the device), and their depth of dive (using a pressure sensor). Despite the unit cost of £700, we distributed 48 tags. We had to retrieve the tags from the birds to be able to download the data and managed to recover all but three of them! Once the data were recovered from the tags it was carefully examined by scientists and students at Bangor University. The information gathered from 2021 and 2022 has yet to be fully analysed. From a movement perspective we have found that, as with the previous year’s study, and the tagging that we did with Ben Porter for his degree project, almost all of the Bardsey birds head north to the waters around the Isle of Man (the Irish Sea Front) and into the Liverpool Bay area and some even further afield towards the Faeroe Islands (see image – right). Drs Line Cordes and Steph Harris tagging a shearwater © Steven Stansfield

2 8 STANSFIELD REP. BARDSEY BIRD FLD OBS.

2 9 DIRECTOR O F OPERATIONS’ ANNUAL REVIEW 6 6 : 1 2 - 4 5 EDUCATION PROGRAMME 2022 Kate Fox, supervised by Emma, ringing a Manx Shearwater Chick © William Earp

3 0 STANSFIELD REP. BARDSEY BIRD FLD OBS. JOINT UNIVERSITY WEEK – April 2022 Following our very successful Joint University Week in 2019 which was kindly sponsored by the BTO, I applied for funding from the West Midland Bird Club to run another week in 2020. Unfortunately, the Covid pandemic got in the way, and we had to postpone it. However, in 2022 all restrictions had been lifted and we were able to run the week. We received funding for the student’s transport costs from the British Birds Charitable Trust, and the Welsh Ornithological Society also funded one student from Wales. Adverts were placed in late 2021 on social media and soon we had filled the week. Emma and I began planning the week, designing T-shirts and putting together the welcome packs. We hosted ten students from six universities, including two overseas students (from the USA and Poland – both studying in the UK at Sterling and Bangor). The week itself was an absolute blast! From great company, superb migration, shearwater spectacle, and the all-important quiz/party night. We would like to thank our generous sponsors – the West Midland Bird Club, British Birds Charitable Trust, the Welsh Ornithological Society and Gareth Roberts, without whom the week would not go ahead. Two of the students have written about their experiences on the island. Welcome pack © Steven Stansfield

3 1 DIRECTOR O F OPERATIONS’ ANNUAL REVIEW 6 6 : 1 2 - 4 5 JOSH BELL – Studying at UEA, Norwich The time I spent at Bardsey Observatory during the university week was one of the most valuable and enjoyable experiences I have ever had. It was great to have the opportunity to meet other students with the same interests as myself, and during the week we all spent together we became good friends. It was also great to learn from the other students about their interests, from the intricacies of bird feathers to crustaceans and butterflies and moths, and I feel I came away with more interest and knowledge in these other areas too. The week was full of great birding, from the early morning daily census to the late-night shearwater ringing as well as lots in between, and I was able to get several lifers during the trip. One of my personal highlights was being able to see the birds up close during the mist-netting and ringing sessions, where I had the opportunity to ring several birds including one of my now favourites, the Eurasian Blackcap. Another one of my highlights was getting to see Puffins for the first time. Throughout the week I saw small flocks in the sea off the East Side of the island, and then during the boat trip back to the mainland, Colin took us for a closer look on the East Side where we got a spectacular view of one flying over the boat. Seeing such a wide variety of birds up close, from Willow Warblers to a Goldcrest, as well Goldfinches, Rock Pipits and the Manx Shearwaters was really enjoyable, and it was great to get the first-hand knowledge from the Observatory staff - Warden, Steve, as well as the assistant wardens, Ed and Ollie. It was so great to have the experience and I am very grateful for it, and I would recommend that anyone should jump at the opportunity to go to Bardsey if they can. EWAN TURNER – Studying at Aberystwyth Spending a week on Bardsey Island, with a group of fellow young birders, was a fantastic experience and I feel very lucky to have been a part of it. It was the first time I had visited somewhere that felt properly wild and exposed to the elements. The absence of human noise struck me, all that could be heard was the sound of the waves and the distant calls of Oystercatchers and Whimbrels. The week was filled with excitement, whether it was heading out early in the morning to check the island for newly arrived migrants, taking part in ringing and breeding bird surveys, rock pooling, listening to really interesting talks from the wardens or heading out at night to help catch and ring Manx Shearwaters. It was a privilege to have these amazing seabirds in the hand whilst thousands more swirled above us, filling the night sky with their incredible calls. My favourite part of the Bardsey experience was being able to see bird migration happening first-hand! Witnessing a slight change in the weather causing a fall of migrants, was quite a spectacle: as we watched Blackcaps and Willow Warblers arriving on the island, fresh in off the sea, and landing in the gorse and geos of the south end of the island. A Ring Ouzel

3 2 STANSFIELD REP. BARDSEY BIRD FLD OBS. dropped out of the sky to join them, and a Grasshopper Warbler turned up in a geo! Birds seemed to be appearing everywhere! As we walked through the gorse it reminded me of walking through fields in early autumn; dispersing crane flies as you step, except this time the crane flies were warblers! It really showed me what a magical place Bardsey is and being able to share it with people who were equally as excited as me to see it all happening, was so much fun. I think that the young birders involved would all agree that we left the island more enriched in many ways, than when we arrived. I feel like I made some really great friends during this excellent week-long adventure, and I would thoroughly recommend it to any young birder or nature enthusiast! I would like to say a big thank you to Steve, Ollie, Ed, Emma, Connor, Colin, Fiona (and Moss!) for having us on the island, looking after us so well and teaching us all about Bardsey’s wildlife. I would like to say another big thank you to the Welsh Ornithological Society, the West Midlands Bird Club and British Birds for providing funding to make this fantastic week and experience possible. I can’t wait to return to Bardsey! Birding the South End © Steven Stansfield Watching the Cuckoo at the Observatory © Steven Stansfield

3 3 DIRECTOR O F OPERATIONS’ ANNUAL REVIEW 6 6 : 1 2 - 4 5 Some of the posts from Twitter about the week And finally a big thank you to our sponsors for the week – the West Midlands Bird Club, the Welsh Ornithological Society and the British Birds Charitable Trust. Staff and participants on the 2022 University week © Steven Stansfield

3 4 STANSFIELD REP. BARDSEY BIRD FLD OBS. VOLUNTEER AND INTERN PROGRAMME Each year a number of volunteers, both long and short-term, as well as interns 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. BETHANY WILSON – Year Ten work experience Bethany’s mum (Dawn Balmer) contacted us in 2021 to ask about her daughter coming from Norfolk to do work experience at the Observatory. We put the wheels in motion and began planning the week and finally this August Bethany visited the island to do her work experience. Bethany tells of her week on the island: In year ten at school, we get the opportunity for a week of work experience, so for me, this was an opportunity to delve into the conservation and wildlife sector. Last summer I approached Steve at the Observatory to see if we could work something out, and when he said yes, I couldn’t wait! Being a keen birder, having some ringing experience and with the amazing opportunities Bardsey had to offer, working as a trainee warden at the Observatory was an exciting prospect. As we approached the island in the boat, I could see the cliffs, with various seabirds, and close views of Puffin. Then the lighthouse and the south end came into view, with Grey Seals hauled out. Whilst Connor was bringing the boat out of the water ready to unload, I could see the Observatory nestled at the bottom of the hill, with the Heligoland trap behind. I could immediately tell that this was going to be an unforgettable week. After settling into the Observatory, meeting everyone and absorbing the stunning view, we set up the mist nets for Storm Petrel up at the north end. That evening I got my first real taste of the island and its birds. With the sound system on, we waited, hearing the first Manx Shearwaters coming in. The sound was incredible, and to hear it every night from the bedroom window was something special. We caught Storm Petrels very quickly and Steve showed me how to extract one from the net. I could transfer my skills from extracting small passerines, but Stormies were quite difficult. They were a lot smaller than I thought they were but more amazing than I could ever imagine. Their cool tube nose, white rump, cute little faces, and lovely smell all added to their outstanding character. The only bird I have ever seen that just sits on the weighing scales! Ringing these became one of my favourite parts of the experience. We also ringed Manx Shearwaters, which were a little less cooperative but all the same a magnificent bird. Walking around and seeing them just sat there, allowing you to pick them up to ring was crazy! The Stormies were incredible, but little warm fluff balls are hard to beat. Ringing and monitoring the Manx Shearwater chicks was a phenomenal experience. Learning how to get them out of the burrows safely and ringing them with Steve and Emma was something I had never done before. They have very flat legs, so the rings had to be shaped in a certain way, it was totally different to anything I had ringed before. I also helped Ollie with growth rate monitoring and productivity. Weighing them and measuring their wings. I learnt that their weight rapidly increases until they become bigger than an adult, then their parents starve them, so they decrease in size to enable them to get out of the burrow, which is very cool! I helped Ollie with the census, counting all the birds and other wildlife on the island, as Ed, the other Observatory assistant was away on holiday. I soon got to know a few place names but pronouncing them was another level of difficulty!

3 5 DIRECTOR O F OPERATIONS’ ANNUAL REVIEW 6 6 : 1 2 - 4 5 Chough, Rock Pipit, Wheatear, Raven and Stonechat were some of the highlights for me. I also helped with entering the daily log and Manxie data on the computer. We spent time looking over the sea from the Obs, watching the Manx Shearwaters effortlessly flying past, and I was thrilled to see Atlantic Whitesided Dolphin, Risso’s Dolphin and Harbour Porpoise! Doing the moth trap every morning was exciting, I quickly picked up on species I have never seen before, and the Garden Tigers never failed to amaze. My favourite moth we caught had to be the female Drinker though. It wasn’t all wildlife, there were lots of jobs to be getting on with around the Obs, emptying the compost toilets, cutting grass for the toilets, checking the water level in the well, and turning the video on in the shop. The water system was something that hadn’t really crossed my mind. We had to pump water out of one tank to another and pump water to use as hot water. I found it very interesting as it’s something, living on the mainland, we don’t have to think about. It also showed me that you must know a lot about everything to work and live on the island as getting a plumber or electrician in isn’t very easy! I really enjoyed helping with the guided walks, especially the night-time one with the Stormies and Manxies, seeing the amazement on people’s faces when you show them a bird is always special. I loved showing people the Manxie chicks and showing them the monitoring process. Another highlight was a boat trip to the East Side to check up and count the seabirds. Kittiwake, Razorbill, Guillemot and Shag were great to see on the cliffs and in the water. Being on an island was a surreal experience, you felt very safe being able to walk around day and night. Leaving doors open and belongings out was strange, having that security made the whole experience more enjoyable. In the evenings I enjoyed spending time on Solfach beach, watching the sun set over the sea was beautiful. On my last day I went snorkelling with Ollie, the water was very clear and I saw Sea Gooseberry for the first time. The sounds on the island were also amazing, going to bed hearing seals howling and Manxies calling was just incredible. My work experience was just fantastic; I learnt so much and had a great insight into what goes on in the conservation world. It has confirmed that this sector is definitely for me. I am hoping to go back when I am older to volunteer for a little while, I just can’t wait to visit again! Very many thanks to Steve and Emma for allowing me to visit Bardsey Lodge and Bird Observatory for my work experience and making it such an enjoyable experience and thanks to Ollie for sharing his time and knowledge and letting me help him out on his daily duties. Thanks also, to my school for permitting me to go to Bardsey. Bethany counting Kittiwake chicks © Steven Stansfield

3 6 STANSFIELD REP. BARDSEY BIRD FLD OBS. KATE FOX – Autumn Intern In August I was very lucky to spend a month as the autumn intern at Bardsey Bird Observatory. Having fallen in love with the island on the Young Birders weeks in 2017 and 2019, I was desperate to return. So, after finishing my Zoology degree at the University of Exeter this summer I thought it would be a great time to return and get a taste of island life and Observatory work and see if I could hack living on an island for longer than a week (…spoiler alert, I absolutely loved it!!). During my time on the island, I helped Steve, Ollie and Ed carry out the important fieldwork that the Observatory undertakes. This included the daily morning census, bird ringing, helping Ollie with his Manx Shearwater productivity monitoring, and entering and organising ringing and recovery data. Unfortunately, due to Avian Influenza (bird flu) being detected in Gannets on Grassholm, ringing activities were suspended after my first week. Although this was rather disappointing from a ringing perspective, it was necessary to protect our precious seabirds, and eventually, thanks to Steve spending two days in his office applying for permission to continue ringing, we were granted an exemption to ring non-seabird species, but with increased biosecurity measures in place. Back at it, the nets were generally quiet. However, Ed and I managed to break the record for the number of House Martins ringed, ringing 201 birds in just four days (beating the previous record of 127 ringed in the whole history of BBFO)… that’s a lot of fluffy-footed hirundines! Kate, with Tom Williams and Ed Betteridge ringing House Martins © Steven Stansfield

3 7 DIRECTOR O F OPERATIONS’ ANNUAL REVIEW 6 6 : 1 2 - 4 5 I also enjoyed learning how to dazzle birds at night and had beginner’s luck catching a Wheatear on my first session. Then on my last night I was overjoyed, and partly in shock, to catch my first ever Curlew on the Narrows (see picture above). A bird I had always wanted to see in the hand, so to catch one myself was a bonus! I also helped with domestic duties to keep the Observatory running smoothly, such as cleaning on changeover days, monitoring the water levels in the well and hot water tank and of course emptying the compost toilets (with bonus shrew sightings in the poo pit!). I really enjoyed engaging with the lovely visitors and guests, particularly helping lead guided walks and hearing everyone’s stories. There were so many highlights it’s hard to narrow them down. I really enjoyed the famous curry nights, honing my curry making skills and taste-testing the onion bhajis. During the hot weather I also had great fun sea swimming with Ed at Cafn and the West Coast, jumping in the sea and snorkelling in the company of curious seals. I was super excited to see my first Comb Jellyfish, and the biggest Snakelocks Anemone I’ve ever seen! I’m certainly missing hearing Choughs from my room first thing in the morning as they swoop down the mountain, and the almost-daily cetacean sightings from the Observatory. And of course, the Manxies at night are always something to behold. On one moonlit night up on Pen Cristin as we awaited the return of a GPS tagged bird, I was in awe of the speed at which they were zooming close overhead with a loud ‘swoooosh’. I feared that if I stood up one might take my head off as it rushed back to its burrow before the gulls had a chance to catch it! I also loved the boat trip around the island to check on the Kittiwakes’ breeding success. It was awesome to see the island from a different angle, and just off the South End we were joined by three very close Risso’s Dolphins which were amazing! Having got the bug for Bird Observatory life, I then went to volunteer at Spurn Bird Observatory for the autumn before job hunting. I owe a lot to Bardsey, inspiring a shy, young ‘bird nerd’ five years ago and leading her on a path of awesome nature experiences and opportunities! I would like to say a huge thank you to all the amazing people on the island who made my visit possible and so very enjoyable. I felt so welcome, and it was great to be part of such a great team. I hope it won’t be long until I next return to that magical rock. Editorial update Since Kate left Bardsey, she applied for and was appointed as one of the BTO Training Officers Kate with a shearwater chick © Emma Stansfield

3 8 STANSFIELD REP. BARDSEY BIRD FLD OBS. JOEL TRAGEN – University week and returning volunteer Prior to 2022 my knowledge of Bardsey was limited, despite hearing so many tales of what the island had to offer. I’d heard stories of days that each bush on the island would writhe with the volume of warblers held within. I’d seen reports of ‘mega rarities’ from far faraway lands including Eastern Europe, the Mediterranean or even from America, and seawatches with all four skua species, Sabine’s Gulls and divers. It was these that I hoped to experience from Bardsey. These and the Manx Shearwaters, I’d been promised views that’d permanently change my opinions on Manxies. University week My first trip to the island was as part of the organised university student’s week, where nine students, most of whom I had never met before plus myself boarded the boat at Porth Meudwy in mid-April. The boat lurched to a stop in Cafn and I could clearly make out two familiar faces. Ed Betteridge, a close friend from University and Steve Stansfield, the warden of Bardsey, who months earlier had pointed Albert the Albatross out to me miles offshore from Bempton in East Yorkshire. The third was Ollie King, the other assistant warden and Greylag goose enthusiast. A quick stroll up to Cristin (the Observatory) was followed by a warm welcome and introduction to the lodge by Emma Stansfield. With the help of Connor we quickly grabbed our bags and settled in before our tour of the island began. Time flies on Bardsey, what felt like five minutes prior we’d docked and now we were all sat around digging into a hearty chilli provided by Steve and Emma in the evening. The next few mornings saw early starts either: morning Census with Ed, Breeding Bird Survey with Ollie or ringing back at the Observatory. These mornings out gave insight to the important work the assistant wardens carried out plus the addition of overhead migrants, Tree Pipit, Stock Dove and Great Skua close offshore. The numbers of Blackcap and Willow warbler were starting to grow through the week yet nothing truly notable. As the week progressed, we were treated to a bit of corvid movement, something I’d truly appreciate during later visits. Jackdaws and Rooks visited the island, but a Hooded Crow created some true excitement. Mornings at the Observatory when the nets could be opened led to a handful of warblers and Goldfinches being caught. In addition to being shown ageing, sexing and the ringing of birds, we were shown definitive identification features of common confusion species like Chiffchaff and Willow warbler! In the field I’d typically use a combination of colouration, vocals, wing formula and jizz but Steve explained how these birds can be separated by primary emarginations. On the Thursday we split into teams and got stuck in to an all-day BioBlitz, flipping rocks and sifting through seaweed shrubs, in search of marine creatures. A range of crustacean, fish and anemones were located, a sample of Bardsey’s rich marine life. That evening Steve delivered a great talk on the latest International Bird Observatory Conference and the birds of Israel, followed by karaoke (!) late into the night. This lead to the dangerous decision to have a lie-in, alarms set for 9am. I was awoken by shrieks of a Pied Flycatcher in the garden. Wrongly I assumed this was a prank from Ed as he’d been acting as my alarm clock all week, calling out Twite, Whitethroats and other tempting (yet false) birds. Silence fell through the Obs and I realised my mistake, rolling out of bed and into the garden I made it in time to get unmistakeable views of a black and white male flying away from me, out the garden going north. Chugging hot coffee between mouthfuls of cereal, the plan was set. Head out and

3 9 DIRECTOR O F OPERATIONS’ ANNUAL REVIEW 6 6 : 1 2 - 4 5 see what else had arrived. A few of the group went with Steve to the South End and the rest of us departed to Nant which was disappointingly quiet. Nonetheless we wandered the Lowlands, checking every bush and fence row. Nothing. The radio crackled and we listened eagerly… Steve’s group had arrived at the South end in time to see warblers dropping out of the sky, landing in the safety of the gorse. The group divided, half to the South End whilst me, Ed and a couple others remained to ensure the rest of the island had been thoroughly scoured. A short while passed and the radio came to life again. The others had joined Steve’s group just in the nick of time as a Ring Ouzel landed metres away before heading North. Being disappointed with our census counts, and then reaching an empty Tŷ Pellaf, it did not improve. We headed South, bumping into the Ring Ouzel, again hurtling off north within minutes of eye contact. On reaching the southern gorse a Blackcap shot out from cover, then another and another with Phylloscopus warblers mixed in. After counting over one hundred warblers, we headed to the geos on the south most tip. Rounding the corner, we could see Blackcaps sat atop Sea Thrift and looking down we saw something brown scuttle beneath a boulder. A Grasshopper Warbler! I could hardly believe it. When we thought the day couldn’t get better, we finished our outside log with a Cuckoo flying over our heads and landing in the garden. You really couldn’t ask for a better last day. Summer Shearwater monitoring volunteer After getting a taste for the Bardsey birding at the aforementioned University Week, I volunteered to help with the Manx Shearwater survey in the June. This was the fourth and final year of the whole island census of Manx Shearwater burrows, and we were counting burrows on the East Side! Restricted from members of public due to the sensitive seabird colonies, this steep side of Bardsey isn’t for the faint hearted. Kitted up with safety equipment, Ed and I would venture around the mountain to the most remote area of Bardsey. Upon locating our 100m2 quadrat, we’d begin counting on multicoloured clickers, noting a) a true burrow, not a half-dug scrape, b) signs of occupancy, such as droppings or freshly dug dirt, and c) response to a playback of soft, soothing shearwater calls. Not only was I treated to this incredible experience, I gained invaluable insight into how a scientific survey is conducted as this was my first ‘official’ environmental survey I’d taken part in. Visitors of Bardsey will be familiar with the plateauing lowlands on the west side but on the east there is no flat plain as the mountain melts into the sea. Before land meets sea, there’s a thick white band lining the coast of the east side. Ollie King, Joel Tragen and Ed Betteridge on the East Side looking for Puffins © Steven Stansfield

4 0 STANSFIELD REP. BARDSEY BIRD FLD OBS. These guano caked rocks are home to many of Bardsey inhabitants. Early into my stay Steve let me accompany the staff on a ringing trip into the seabird colony. With great caution we entered the colony, ensuring the birds all remained calm. The main target was Razorbills, and I quickly learnt how they’d earned their name. Under Steve’s supervision I put a ring on an immaculate adult Razorbill, moments later it was released and sat calmly on the sea. During my stay we made a few more trips into the seabird colonies, focusing on Shags as their broods were close to fledging and also checking holes for Puffins and their chicks too. One of these trips was focused on Chough chicks, two broods were successfully fitted with metal and colour-rings. A suspense had built through the week, these were some of the best weeks for rarities. Ollie had scoured the weather forecast and with confidence pointed to June 2nd, stating ‘that’s the day we’ll find a rarity Joel’. I’d seen what birds Bardsey had in previous years and Steve had told me stories of days with multiple rarities but I wasn’t prepared for what the day would hold. June 2nd came and I was woken by Ed shouting at me to ‘get out of bed, I’ve just seen five Swifts’. For the most part he was joking. Where was this big fall we’d been promised? Ed hadn’t caught anything in the empty garden. However, these were the first Swifts in a while, were they a sign of what was to come? Half-awake I gulped down coffee and turned to see Ed tumbling down a net ride shout-whispering my name ‘Is your radio not turned on?’ he barked, ‘Ollie’s found a Bluethroat in the withies, help me get these nets down’. Hastily, yet with extreme care, we put the nets down and met on the track to the Withies. A guest turned to me, expecting a Bluethroat comment I was confused by them saying ‘Did you hear? Ollie found a Golden Oriole’. I tried to correct them; Ollie had found an Oriole earlier in the year however this was a Bluethroat. Puzzled, they were adamant they’d heard ‘Golden Oriole’ over the radio. Ed rounded the corner and cleared the confusion. Ollie had found both, mere seconds apart! As the morning progressed, we were treated to amazing views of both birds and were eager to see what else was around. There were Spotted Flycatchers dotted around the island, Swallows moving through, Sedge Warblers and Blackcaps, the long staying Siberian Chiffchaff still singing and much more… Ed went to Nant had found a Turtle Dove and then Steve had found a Wood Warbler there too, clearly, I’d made the wrong decision heading to the South End! I headed back to Nant and as we stood, discussing what a great morning it’d been, Steve shouted over that there was a Nightingale singing below him in full view! We joined him and as the minute passed something wasn’t right. Steve kept commenting how unusual the song was and how it had a yellow gape and a mottled band. At the time I wasn’t aware of where this was heading but it became apparent that this was a Thrush Nightingale. Joel watching Risso’s Dolphins © Steven Stansfield

4 1 DIRECTOR O F OPERATIONS’ ANNUAL REVIEW 6 6 : 1 2 - 4 5 Not only the second record for the island but for Wales too. What a day! This was birding like I’d never experienced before and who knows what remained unfound in the dense gorse. The following day most of the aforementioned birds had gone and the island was quieter with little in the way of new arrivals other than a Black Redstart. Throughout the two weeks we were treated to lots of common and uncommon migrants, from Garden Warblers to Cuckoos to Siberian Chiffchaffs, Siberian Lesser Whitethroat, along with a couple more Golden Orioles and a Marsh Warbler. Bardsey really did exceed my expectations for birds, I’d hoped for a few uncommon migrants and a rarity so the constant stream of uncommon migrants with a handful of scarcities and rarities was delightful! Autumn volunteer The start of September marked my return to Bardsey. Despite the mainland still echoing the summer, Bardsey was firmly into the autumn and as most birders know, with autumn comes seawatching. Before my visit I was already accustomed to seawatching and was excited to take it up a notch. Most mornings were started with a seawatch, after a couple hours a decision would be made whether we’d continue scanning the sea for a while longer or get about the day. The good days varied, some would be wader days, some would be seabird days, whilst others provided a wide range with low numbers of lots of stuff. Over the two weeks we rallied up an impressive list, plenty of Arctic Skuas with a sprinkle of Pomarine and a Long-tailed too! Several tiny Black Terns, Little terns and Little Gulls were picked out across the vast expanse. Despite the breeding season being long over for birds, it was just beginning for the island’s Grey Seal colony. Pups are born onto any beach which isn’t fully submerged at hightide, meaning carelessly wandering onto most of the beaches can cause more harmful disturbance than usual to the seals, distressing both the mothers and pups. To raise awareness to visitors we set up a couple of signs containing education information about the seals and how we can keep them safe. Another important duty that comes with the seals’ breeding season is monitoring and mapping their productivity. Walking the perimeter of the island, we carefully checked each beach from a reasonable distance, making notes of any pups or pregnant females we found. Grey Seals aren’t the only marine mammal highlight of early autumn, the main attraction was a real spectacle… Risso’s Dolphins! Several pods were extremely active off the island during these two weeks, a real Bardsey speciality. On one of these September days me and Steve were trekking around the north side when Steve picked out a large pod close to shore. Individuals were leaping fully clear of the water, fully visible with the naked eye, no optics needed! But getting optics on the pod we realised there were several calves hugging their mother’s flanks, their tiny fins visible cutting the water. The Risso’s Dolphins weren’t the only intelligent (debatable) mammals jumping into the sea. Ed and I made the most of the stormy conditions, taking almost daily swimming sessions into the rugged water. With only a slight chill, it was surprisingly tolerable thanks to the warm summer we’d had. The storm brought rain, the rain brought moisture and with the moisture brought fungi! Thousands of them bloomed across the island, squat Field Mushrooms, sociable Fairy-ring Champignons and elegant Shaggy Parasols to name a few. They’d mostly popped up overnight and claimed the island as their own. After helping out with one of Ollie’s guided walks, I was able to lead my own (with his assistance boosting my confidence). It was a great experience and helpful for me to have been able to have done it, I shared a bit about the history and management of the island, along with pointing out bird species but actually being able to hand around fungi specimens and moulted Curlew feathers really captivated the guests. I had three great trips to this island in 2022 and I am really looking forward to returning in 2023. Thanks to all the Observatory staff for being so accommodating, welcoming and helpful during my time on the island.

4 2 STANSFIELD REP. BARDSEY BIRD FLD OBS. EDUCATIONAL EVENTS The 2022 season saw the return of a near-full program of walks and events with guests allowed to participate once again. In total there were 35 ‘events’ led by Observatory staff, with a total of 344 visitors being taken out on wildlife walks or on shearwater sessions. The shearwater walks, however, had to be discontinued after 4 August when NRW put a restriction on seabird activity due to Avian Influenza H5N1(HPAI). Number of guests taken on educational walks in 2022 Number of Events Number of Adults Number of Children Total participants Wildlife walk 20 178 8 196 Manx Shearwater walk 11 87 7 104 Manx Shearwater chick walk 4 41 3 44 Total 35 306 18 344 GUIDED WALKS From early in the season, we took parties on guided wildlife walks. In total there were 20 guided wildlife walks undertaken during 2022, with a total of 196 participants, eight 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. Guided walk participants being taken out in May © Ollie King

4 3 DIRECTOR O F OPERATIONS’ ANNUAL REVIEW 6 6 : 1 2 - 4 5 ‘MEET THE MANXIES’ NIGHT-TIME WALKS During the year we undertook 11 shearwater walks and were able to take out a total of 104 guests (seven children) on the night-time adventure to ‘Meet the Manxies’. The evening begins with a 30-minute presentation in the Observatory’s visitor centre about the life of the shearwaters, 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. In the latter part of the year the walks are coupled with the option to ring Storm Petrels, which is always a favourite with the guests, especially youngsters. ‘MEET THE MANXIE CHICKS’ WALKS We took a total of 44 people (three 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! A young guest holding her first Storm Petrel © Steven Stansfield

4 4 STANSFIELD REP. BARDSEY BIRD FLD OBS. 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 many volunteers who helped us on the island in 2022: Fiona Bithell, who came and helped on numerous occasions during the year, doing everything from cleaning, to data entry, to gardening, to tree chopping! Patrick Davies came as a volunteer to assist with the seabird monitoring and Andy Lawrence came to help with ringing and observatory maintenance in the early part of the season while Reg Thorpe came to help with census at the end of the season. Kate Fox spent a month on the island as an intern, Joel Tragen, and Tom Williams, both of whom were participants on previous University weeks, returned as volunteers. Robin Daintree came as a volunteer in the spring, and Lynda Roberts and Mike Smart came to help get the Lodge ready at the start of the season and all deserve thanks. 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., taking the car for its MOT, getting my tablets from the doctor etc… Living on the island would have been very difficult in 2022 without their support. Also thanks to Bob Roberts and Raymond Grindle, for their help getting ‘stuff’ to and from the island for us. 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 grandchildren, Ela and Anest, 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 editing and re-working the draft sections. 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.

4 5 DIRECTOR O F OPERATIONS’ ANNUAL REVIEW 6 6 : 1 2 - 4 5 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 Ed Betteridge and Ollie King, who from March to November worked excellently as Assistant Wardens. At this point I need once more to thank Connor. Connor was 21 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 took on the role of Solar Manager, making sure that the solar power grid is operational day and night! 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. We have, however, had to say a temporary farewell in September when Connor began university in Norwich, reading Computer Science. And so, thanks again Connor, your help really is appreciated, Enjoy University life, we will miss you. Finally, as ever I have to say a very big thank-you to my helpful, patient, and ever-loving wife Emma, for her part in helping the whole set-up to run as efficiently as it does. I do not think there are enough words to say thank you for everything you do. Emma continued her unpaid role as ‘Domestic Manager’ during 2022 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, supervising 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. Cattle Egret © Steven Stansfield

2 REP. BARDSEY BIRD FLD OBS. Section 2 Avian Reports Gannet © Steven Stansfield

3 MIGRATION DIARY 6 6 : 4 8 - 6 9

4 REP. BARDSEY BIRD FLD OBS. Meadow Pipits © Ephraim Perfect MIGRATION DIARY A daily digest through the seasons Ed Betteridge, Ollie King & Steven Stansfield Black Redstart © Steven Stansfield Black Redstart The Black Redstart is similar in size to a Robin. The name stems from the appearance of the male, which has a charcoal-black plumage with a distinctive rusty red tail. It has adapted to live in urban areas and industrial wastelands. The Black Redstart population in the United Kingdom has fewer than 100 breeding pairs remaining, leading to its status as red-listed in the List of Birds of Conservation Concern. It is also a Schedule 1 species under the Wildlife and Countryside Act. 2022 saw near record numbers of Black Redstarts on Bardsey, with 12 being the second-highest day count ever, in March.