Bardsey's Wildlife 2022

9 9 SYSTEM ATIC LIST 6 6 : 7 0 - 141 SANDWICH TERN Thalasseus sandvicensis Morwennol Bigddu ¨ Amber-listed Fairly common to common summer migrant The first of the year was a single on 3 April, with another six records during the month of up to four. The only records in May were three on 8th and two on 14th, with June producing a single on 3rd. July saw the first returning birds with seven records from 18th of up to 12 birds on 26th. There were almost daily records in August, mostly in single figures, though there were eight double-figure counts of up to 32 on 14th. September saw the strongest passage of the year, with birds seen on 18 dates, most of which were 11 or fewer, with eight double-figure counts plus the year’s maximum of 104 on 6th. There were three records in October: singles on 2nd and 3rd and the last on 19th. J F M A M J J A S O N D Max. count 0 0 0 4 3 1 12 32 104 1 0 0 Bird-days 0 0 0 16 5 1 50 209 360 3 0 0 Days seen 0 0 0 7 2 1 7 29 18 3 0 0 ROSEATE TERN Sterna dougallii Morwennol Wridog ¨ Red-listed Rare, 24 previous records, last in 2021 An adult and a juvenile flew south along the west side of the island on 20 August (SDS). COMMON TERN Sterna hirundo Morwennol Gyffredin ¨ Amber-listed Scarce to uncommon migrant The first record of the year was not until three passed the South End on 16 August. Two were then seen on both 28th and 29th. 0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 0 100 200 300 400 500 J F M A M J J A S O N D Max. daily count per month Bird-day totals Five day periods Five-day totals Max count 0 20 40 60 80 100 120 0 50 100 150 200 250 300 J F M A M J J A S O N D Max. daily count per month Bird-day totals Five day periods Five-day totals Max count

100 STANSFIELD REP. BARDSEY BIRD FLD OBS. September produced eight records: five were in single figures, with 107 on 6th, 52 the following day and then ten heading north on 15th. A single on the West Coast on 19 October was the last of the year. ARCTIC TERN Sterna paradisaea Morwennol y Gogledd ¨ Amber-listed Scarce to uncommon migrant A better year than 2021. The first of the year was two on 10 August. There were a further nine records in the month, eight in single figures, with 23 on 24th. September saw records on nine dates: four were singlefigure counts and four into double figures up to 17 on 2nd. The year’s largest movement, however, occurred on 6th when 193 were recorded. A single on 5 October was the last of the year. ‘ COMMIC’ TERN Sterna hirundo/paradisaea Morwennol Gyffredin/y Gogledd Terns seen too distantly to be identified to species were recorded on 25 July (three), five dates in August with 11 on 25th, and on seven dates in September with 18 on 6th. LITTLE TERN Sterna albifrons Morwennol Fechan ¨ Amber-listed Scarce migrant The first of the year was a single past the west side of the island on 26 August (SDS). In September there were four that flew south on 5th and three the following day (SDS, EJB et al.). BLACK TERN Chlidonias niger Corswennol Ddu Scarce migrant, usually in autumn An adult that flew north off the western side of the island on 27 April was the first spring record of this delicate tern for the island (SDS). In autumn a flock of three birds flew south along the west side of the island on 7 September (SM, SDS, PJ). GREAT SKUA Stercorarius skua Sgiwen Fawr ¨ Amber-listed Uncommon but regular on passage in autumn, rare in spring The first record of the year was one off the West Coast on 7 April, with another there on 17th. Common Tern © Ed Betteridge

101 SYSTEM ATIC LIST 6 6 : 7 0 - 141 As one of the species most affected by the Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza virus H5N1 (HPAI), there were many fewer records than normal this year in autumn. Two on 26 September was sadly the peak count of the year. A single was seen on 27th, and then singles in October on 1st, 5th and 11th. POMARINE SKUA Stercorarius pomarinus Sgiwen Frech Scarce in autumn, but rare in spring (only 29 records), with 304 records of 592 birds in total This year there were nine records, with 11 individuals recorded. There were no records in spring. There was one record in August on 28th. There were eight records in September: singles on six dates and then two on both 8th and 9th; the last was a single on 28th. ARCTIC SKUA Stercorarius parasiticus Sgiwen y Gogledd ¨ Red-listed Uncommon to fairly common on passage in autumn, scarce in spring (107 records) There were none in spring. The first record of the year was in July, with a single on 17th. August saw six records; four were singles, with four on 26th and three on 28th. September saw 19 records, all of which were in single figures up to eight, except for the peak count of 12 on 1st. There were eight records in October, all were of one to seven birds, with the last being a single on 19th. LONG - TAILED SKUA Stercorarius longicaudus Sgiwen Lostfain Scarce, 72 previous records of 117 individuals, 108 individuals since 1996 In July a pale immature was seen off the West Coast on 25th (SDS). A juvenile was seen on 8 September, with another on 26th. SKUA SP. Stercorarius sp. Sgiwen sp. A skua seen too distantly to be positively identified was seen on 26 September. COMMON GUILLEMOT Uria aalge Gwylog ¨ Amber-listed Abundant breeding summer visitor, common on passage in autumn From late March to early July birds were recorded frequently as numbers rose to a summertime peak of 1000. This is an artificially low figure as this is only a proportion of the birds ashore logged on any given date, as 2193 breeding adults were noted across the whole East Side breeding colony over several dates. 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 J F M A M J J A S O N D Max. daily count per month Bird-day totals Five day periods Five-day totals Max count J F M A M J J A S O N D Max. count 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 4 12 7 0 0 Bird-days 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 11 61 19 0 0 Days seen 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 6 19 8 0 0

102 STANSFIELD REP. BARDSEY BIRD FLD OBS. There were no movements of note in the latter half of the year; 132 on 16 October was the peak count of passage birds. J F M A M J J A S O N D Max. count 0 0 30 406 500 1000 150 12 81 132 2 0 Bird-days 0 0 55 1370 6230 3927 755 37 184 334 2 0 Days seen 0 0 6 22 22 16 14 11 15 14 1 0 RAZORBILL Alca torda Llurs ¨ Amber-listed Common to abundant breeding summer visitor, very abundant on passage in autumn The first birds were noted back in the colonies when staff returned to the island. There were no movements of note in spring. As numbers rose during the summer, counts in the East Side colonies reached approximately 2000 in May. Numbers fell as breeding birds left the colonies and July’s peak from the end of the first week was only 40. August saw a peak of 35. There were five records in early September, then 87 on 15th was the first movement of autumn. There were near-daily records in September, four of which were four-figure counts: 1011 on 16th, 1000 on 23rd, 2119 on 25th and 1232 on 27th. Of the 27 records in October, 18 counts were between 100 and 843, with an additional three counts in four figures: 1260 on 1st, 1586 on 6th and 1004 on 14th. J F M A M J J A S O N D Max. count 0 0 94 700 2000 1500 500 35 2119 1586 5 0 Bird-days 0 0 171 3362 14116 7975 1065 133 8798 11116 5 0 Days seen 0 0 6 29 23 16 14 13 25 27 1 0 AUK SP . Uria aalge/Alca torda Gwylog/Llurs Auks seen either too briefly or too distantly to be specifically identified were logged on many dates, usually during large movements of Razorbills; most were therefore probably Razorbills. J F M A M J J A S O N D Max. count 0 0 500 300 500 400 100 0 0 0 0 0 Bird-days 0 0 808 614 965 450 100 0 0 0 0 0 Days seen 0 0 6 6 7 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 BLACK GUILLEMOT Cepphus grylle Gwylog Ddu ¨ Amber-listed Scarce, 93 previous records One was seen off the South End on 2 June (WGR) with another there on 22nd. 0 500 1000 1500 2000 2500 0 1000 2000 3000 4000 5000 J F M A M J J A S O N D Max. daily count per month Bird-day totals Five day periods Five-day totals Max count

103 SYSTEM ATIC LIST 6 6 : 7 0 - 141 PUFFIN Fratercula arctica Pâl ¨ Red-listed Uncommon breeder, uncommon on passage in spring and autumn The first returning birds were noted offshore in mid-to late March. April produced 13 records, usually up to 64 birds; however 168 were counted on 15th. In May numbers around the north-eastern corner of the island were regular, with a peak of 150 on 19th. June saw more along the East Side as the colony continued to swell, with 17 records and a peak of 192 on 17th. Birds were seen on 13 dates in July; most were in small numbers, though there were 173 seen on 1st. Numbers fell rapidly once the young had fledged and there were then no records in August, but a single was seen on 3 September. J F M A M J J A S O N D Max. count 0 0 2 168 150 192 173 0 1 0 0 0 Bird-days 0 0 5 313 612 891 432 0 1 0 0 0 Days seen 0 0 3 13 20 17 13 0 1 0 0 0 RED - THROATED DIVER Gavia stellata Trochydd Gyddfgoch Uncommon but regular offshore in spring and late autumn/winter Two off the West Coast on 7 April were the first of the year. These were followed by a single off the West Coast on 22nd. In September there were three on 15th, two on 16th and 27th and a single on 11 October. GREAT NORTHERN DIVER Gavia immer Trochydd Mawr ¨ Amber-listed Scarce, but becoming more common, annual since 2006 A single was seen off the South End on 28 September (OHK, SDS). In October there were singles on 11th, 12th, 14th and 18th. STORM PETREL Hydrobates pelagicus Pedryn Drycin ¨ Amber-listed Uncommon breeder, fairly commonly attracted to lures, but scarcely seen otherwise The first of the year was the returning bird to the artificial nest box at Bae Felen on 6 June, with another seen off the East Side at dusk. There were then 152 new birds trapped and a further 29 retraps on 11 nights between 19 June and 1 August, before ringing seabirds was temporarily banned by the countryside agency NRW due to the Avian Influenza pandemic. FULMAR Fulmarus glacialis Aderyn-drycin y Graig ¨ Amber-listed Uncommon breeder, common to abundant on passage in autumn March saw the first records of the year, with singles on five dates and two on 26th. April saw 24 records with three double-figure counts, including the month’s peak of 27 on 7th. May also produced 24 records, 0 50 100 150 200 250 0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400 J F M A M J J A S O N D Max. daily count per month Bird-day totals Five day periods Five-day totals Max count

104 STANSFIELD REP. BARDSEY BIRD FLD OBS. with nine in double figures; 25 on 29th was the peak count. June saw birds recorded on nine dates, with three double-figure counts up to 30 on 1st. July saw two records, with two on 4th and 15th the peak count. Autumn passage began in early August, with 19 records in the month and a peak of eight on 20th. There were 15 records in September; four counts were in double figures, with peaks of 27, 28 and 25 on 5th, 8th and 9th respectively. There were just four records in October; three singles between 12th and 17th and then two on 22nd. J F M A M J J A S O N D Max. count 0 0 2 27 25 30 6 8 28 2 0 0 Bird-days 0 0 7 136 193 81 8 53 123 5 0 0 Days seen 0 0 6 24 24 9 2 19 15 4 0 0 SOOTY SHEARWATER Puffinus griseus Aderyn-drycin Du Scarce to uncommon migrant in autumn The only record of the year was four birds which flew south along the west side of the island on 1 October (SDS et al.). The worst showing for many years. MANX SHEARWATER Puffinus puffinus Aderyn-drycin Manaw ¨ Amber-listed Very abundant breeding summer visitor and on passage in summer and autumn The first birds ashore were on 20 March. Thereafter there were regular counts offshore of up to 135 to the month’s end. Birds were recorded through the spring and summer with peak counts offshore of 10,000 in May. June and July saw no notable counts. August saw larger numbers recorded, with four counts over 1000 including the peak of 12,252 on 14th. September saw 19 records with a peak of only 266 on 7th. October saw records on 14 dates, with 58 on 5th the peak and the last record of the year on 28th. Birds were heard after dark throughout the spring and summer, but there is no easy way of counting or recording them on a day-to-day basis – see the Manx Shearwater census reports for further information. J F M A M J J A S O N D Max. count 0 0 152 230 10,000 2500 1000 12,252 266 58 0 0 Bird-days 0 0 205 1219 15,846 4483 3021 23,068 1324 135 0 0 Days seen 0 0 12 26 17 9 15 29 19 14 0 0 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 J F M A M J J A S O N D Max. daily count per month Bird-day totals Five day periods Five-day totals Max count

105 SYSTEM ATIC LIST 6 6 : 7 0 - 141 BALEARIC SHEARWATER Puffinus mauretanicus Aderyn-drycin Môr y Canoldir ¨ Red-listed Scarce to uncommon passage migrant in autumn - however, globally endangered A single flew along the west side of the island on 4 September (SDS), with another three on both 5th and 6th. Ten were counted on 8th with six the following day and a single on 12th. Five were seen on 1 October. A return to better numbers than in the previous few years. GANNET Morus bassanus Hugan ¨ Amber-listed Common on passage in spring and autumn March saw 10 records of up to eight. There were 29 records in April of 71 or fewer. There were 28 records in May, with counts of up to 33. June saw counts on 17 dates, all of 48 or fewer. There were 17 records in July with 60 on 25th the peak count. August saw daily records, with 159 on 20th the only three-figure count. There were 28 records in September: most were double-figure counts, with 11 three-figure counts up to 742 on 26th. October saw 26 records: four were three-figure counts up to 257 on 6th. A number of birds both dead and alive were washed ashore showing signs of HPAI during the autumn. J F M A M J J A S O N D Max. count 0 0 8 71 33 48 60 159 742 257 0 0 Bird-days 0 0 37 486 284 169 223 860 3398 1540 0 0 Days seen 0 0 10 29 28 17 17 31 28 26 0 0 CORMORANT Phalacrocorax carbo Mulfran Fairly common on passage, one pair nested in 2004 No significant movements were noted in spring, with up to ten seen daily on Carreg yr Honwy. There was some passage in autumn with 25 on 10 August the peak count. 0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800 0 200 400 600 800 1000 J F M A M J J A S O N D Max. daily count per month Bird-day totals Five day periods Five-day totals Max count 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 J F M A M J J A S O N D Daily count of birds

106 STANSFIELD REP. BARDSEY BIRD FLD OBS. J F M A M J J A S O N D Max. count 0 0 5 9 7 6 10 25 11 11 1 0 Bird-days 0 0 22 92 81 36 76 216 81 64 1 0 Days seen 0 0 11 28 28 17 25 31 25 24 1 0 SHAG Gulosus aristotelis Mulfran Werdd ¨ Red-listed Uncommon breeding resident As with Cormorants there were no notable movements recorded during the year, though numbers did increase as breeding birds returned to the island for the summer. Numbers peaked in August when the breeding birds and their young were present on the East Side, with up to 85 seen. There were no notable movements in autumn and numbers fell towards the year’s end. J F M A M J J A S O N D Max. count 0 0 21 47 50 162 70 85 41 36 3 0 Bird-days 0 0 127 358 542 561 379 783 406 324 3 0 Days seen 0 0 12 30 31 25 27 30 30 27 1 0 CATTLE EGRET Bubulcus ibis Crëyr y Gwartheg Vagrant – two previous records, both in October 2018 One was discovered in the North-west Fields on 17 January and was present throughout until it departed on 28 March. GREY HERON Ardea cinerea Crëyr Glas Fairly common, regular passage migrant in small numbers There five singles in mid-March. April saw 16 singles and two on 20th, with May producing singletons on 12 dates. In June there were 14 records, all were singles. July saw 17 records; once more, all were singles. One to five birds were seen on most dates in August and September, with nine seen on 1 and 8 September. There were 21 counts in October, most being of one or two birds, with seven on 11th. Cattle Egret © Steve Stansfield

107 SYSTEM ATIC LIST 6 6 : 7 0 - 141 J F M A M J J A S O N D Max. count 0 0 1 2 1 1 1 4 9 7 0 0 Bird-days 0 0 5 17 12 14 17 57 74 33 0 0 Days seen 0 0 5 16 12 14 17 30 27 21 0 0 LITTLE EGRET Egretta garzetta Crëyr Bach Scarce, 99 previous records, 91 of which have been since 2004 when they became annual One was seen on 11 July. There were four records in August; two were singles, two were seen on 8th and four on 27th. September saw one on 9th and 10th. A single was present from 8 to 13 October, with six flying along the west side of the island on 18th. One was seen on 19th in Solfach and another on 20th in the Lowlands ponds. ¨ Amber-listed Scarce passage migrant, c69 records A single was seen on 11 August over the sea off Pen Cristin (TW, SDS, KF). September saw a single fly along the west side of the island on 2nd. Two birds flew south along the Mountain during the day on 8th, with another one on 9th. 0 2 4 6 8 10 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 J F M A M J J A S O N D Max. daily count per month Bird-day totals Five day periods Five-day totals Max count OSPREY Pandion haliaetus Gwalch y Pysgod Osprey © Steven Stansfield

108 STANSFIELD REP. BARDSEY BIRD FLD OBS. SPARROWHAWK Accipiter nisus Gwalch Glas Occasional breeder, fairly common on passage There were only a few records in spring: ten records of singles from 21 March to the month’s end. In April there were 15 records of singles, with two on 20th. May saw one on 4th. One was seen on 17 July. August produced 18 records: ten were singles with two to four on eight dates in the latter half of the month. September saw records on 18 dates: most were of one or two individuals except for five on 1st. Of the 20 records in October, 11 were singles and eight were of two birds, with three the peak on 13th. One on 1 November was the final record of the year. J F M A M J J A S O N D Max. count 0 0 1 2 1 0 1 4 5 3 1 0 Bird-days 0 0 10 15 1 0 1 32 30 30 1 0 Days seen 0 0 10 14 1 0 1 18 18 20 1 0 MARSH HARRIER Circus aeruginosus Bod y Gwerni ¨ Amber-listed Scarce, 52 previous records (38 since 1998, averaging 1.6 per annum) A juvenile roamed the island from 11 to 25 July. August saw two juveniles on 9th, with singles on 11th and 12th. 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 0 5 10 15 20 J F M A M J J A S O N D Max. daily count per month Bird-day totals Five day periods Five-day totals Max count Marsh Harrier © Steven Stansfield

109 SYSTEM ATIC LIST 6 6 : 7 0 - 141 HEN HARRIER Circus cyaneus Bod Tinwen ¨ Red-listed Rare migrant, occasional winter visitor A male was seen over the Mountain on 20 March (SDS). A ‘ringtail’ was seen on the East Side on 14 May (EJB). In August, a ‘ringtail’ harrier thought to be a Hen Harrier was seen on 24th off the South End (visiting guests), with another drifting south-east on 29th (EJB et al.). RED KITE Milvus milvus Barcud Coch ¨ Amber-listed (Wales) Rare, 35 previous records - one in 1969, rest since 1987 A bumper year with eight records. The first was a single on 25 April, with one on 3 May and singles on 22 June and 18 July. Two were over the Mountain on both 12 August and 8 October. BUZZARD Buteo buteo Bwncath Fairly common visitor, numbers increasing recently March saw singles on 21st, 25th and 26th. There were six singles in April, with two on 18th and three on 24th. May saw four singles, whilst June produced two singles and two on 4th, with July seeing three singles. August saw singles on eight dates with three on 29th. In September there were records on just three dates, all were singles. There were then two on 8 October and a single on 18th. J F M A M J J A S O N D Max. count 0 0 1 3 1 2 1 3 1 2 0 0 Bird-days 0 0 3 11 4 4 3 11 3 3 0 0 Days seen 0 0 3 8 4 3 3 9 3 2 0 0 Red Kites © Steven Stansfield

110 STANSFIELD REP. BARDSEY BIRD FLD OBS. BARN OWL Tyto alba Tylluan Wen Scarce, c89 previous records The first record was a single at the Abbey on 30 September. One was seen at Nant on 13 and 15 October. LITTLE OWL Athene noctua Tylluan Fach Scarce breeder The only record of the year was a single seen after dark on the Mountain on 12 July (EJB, OHK). This species may be close to extinction on the island. LONG - EARED OWL Asio otus Tylluan Gorniog Scarce After the blank year in 2021, this year saw a bumper crop. The first was a single on 25 September, with further singles on 29th and 30th. Two were seen at Cristin on 13 October, with two trapped on 16th. Another was seen after dark on 23rd, with two trapped on 26th, including one of the birds from 16th. GREAT SPOTTED WOODPECKER Dendrocopos major Cnocell Fraith Fwyaf Scarce, becoming commoner – annual since 2003, but a vagrant with ten records before that The first of the year was a single in March, from 27th to 29th - a most unusual record as most are in autumn. Even more unusual was a second bird seen on 20 April. Autumn passage was very poor, with just a single present in October from 18th to 22nd. KESTREL Falco tinnunculus Cudyll Coch Fairly common passage migrant; last bred in 1970 March saw just one on 24th. There were also singles on 13 April and 21 May. Autumn passage began in July, with singles on four dates from 8th. August saw 15 records: most were singles or twos, with three on both 9th and 25th. In September there were ten records, mostly singles, with two birds on 9th. In October there were singles on six dates, the last on 24th. J F M A M J J A S O N D Max. count 0 0 1 1 1 0 1 3 2 1 0 0 Bird-days 0 0 1 1 1 0 4 24 11 6 0 0 Days seen 0 0 1 1 1 0 4 15 10 6 0 0 0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.5 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 J F M A M J J A S O N D Max. daily count per month Bird-day totals Five day periods Five-day totals Max count

111 SYSTEM ATIC LIST 6 6 : 7 0 - 141 MERLIN Falco columbarius Cudyll Bach Fairly common on passage, occasionally over-winters March saw singles on three dates from 25th. There were singles on ten dates in April, with two on 1st. Two stragglers held on into May, with records of singles on both 5th and 8th. The first of the autumn was an early arrival on 27 August (PRM). In September there were nine records of singles. October produced 18 records: eight were singles, two were seen on six dates, three on three consecutive dates, and four on 11th. The last of the year was on 28th. J F M A M J J A S O N D Max. count 0 0 1 2 1 0 0 1 1 4 0 0 Bird-days 0 0 3 12 2 0 0 1 9 33 0 0 Days seen 0 0 3 11 2 0 0 1 9 18 0 0 HOBBY Falco subbuteo Hebog yr Ehedydd Scarce passage migrant, with one or two records most years in recent times In May a single was seen on 15th and 16th (EJB, OHK). PEREGRINE Falco peregrinus Hebog Tramor Rare but regular breeder, rare passage migrant The regular pair and their offspring from the previous season were present at the start of the year. This made any signs of immigration difficult to observe. Autumn saw the single juvenile that fledged in late July and the regular adults on the island, but there were no obvious signs of immigration. 0 1 2 3 4 0 2 4 6 8 10 J F M A M J J A S O N D Max. daily count per month Bird-day totals Five day periods Five-day totals Max count 0 1 2 3 4 5 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 J F M A M J J A S O N D Max. daily count per month Bird-day totals Five day periods Five-day totals Max count

112 STANSFIELD REP. BARDSEY BIRD FLD OBS. GOLDEN ORIOLE Oriolus oriolus Euryn Scarce, 60 previous records, last in 2019 A minimum of four birds was recorded. One was seen at Nant on 17 May (OHK et al.). One was seen in the Withies and later trapped at Cristin on 2 June. An un-ringed bird was seen at Cristin and in the Withies on 4 June, with two males singing on 6 June. JAY Garrulus glandarius Sgrech y Coed Recorded in ten previous years, all in October/November, with a peak of 19 on 29 October ‘83, last in October ‘93 One of the most bizarre records of the year was of a single bird which flew high over the Narrows and landed on the Lighthouse on 27 May (JJT et al.). The bird was also seen at both Nant and Cristin on 29th. This is the first-ever spring record for the island and the first record since 1993. MAGPIE Pica pica Pioden Scarce breeding resident After the influx of last autumn, numbers remained high all year with monthly peaks generally in the 40s50s most months and then the usual arrival in October with numbers reaching 74 on 22nd including a single flock of 62 on Solfach in the morning. 0 10 20 30 40 50 J F M A M J J A S O N D Daily count of birds Golden Oriole © Ed Betteridge

113 SYSTEM ATIC LIST 6 6 : 7 0 - 141 J F M A M J J A S O N D Max. count 0 0 45 56 45 42 35 40 42 74 0 0 Bird-days 0 0 327 873 661 455 505 585 658 926 0 0 Days seen 0 0 11 30 30 29 31 31 30 31 0 0 CHOUGH Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax Brân Goesgoch Scarce breeder, fairly common immigrant from local populations As well as the island’s breeding birds, immigrants from the mainland were recorded on and off throughout the year. Many were colour-ringed from various sites around north and mid-Wales. The only real arrival was when numbers swelled to 40 on 16 October. J F M A M J J A S O N D Max. count 0 0 26 20 13 16 30 24 17 40 10 0 Bird-days 0 0 184 411 295 195 238 280 313 369 10 0 Days seen 0 0 12 30 31 27 31 31 30 31 1 0 JACKDAW Corvus monedula Jac-y-do Common passage migrant, but extinct as a breeding species since 2005 Small numbers were recorded during spring with one record in March and three in April. March’s highest count was just two, with a peak of seven in April. May produced three on 15th. Autumn passage was limited to two seen on 3 October and another two on 13th. ROOK Corvus frugilegus Ydfran Uncommon to fairly common passage migrant Small numbers were recorded during spring with five records in March including 13 on 28th. There were 12 records in April; most were in single figures up to seven, with 14 on 3rd. May saw five records of up to three birds. Two were seen on 28 August, September saw three records, with eight on 18th the peak. October produced seven records; most were into double figures including 26 on 11th. The final record of the year was a single on 24th. CARRION CROW Corvus corone Brân Dyddyn Scarce breeder, common passage migrant There were no noticeable movements until autumn. Numbers were steady in early autumn, and began to rise in August with an arrival increasing numbers to 30 on 13 October. 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 J F M A M J J A S O N D Daily count of birds

114 STANSFIELD REP. BARDSEY BIRD FLD OBS. J F M A M J J A S O N D Max. count 0 0 37 37 21 13 16 20 16 30 0 0 Bird-days 0 0 238 511 331 212 153 234 233 260 0 0 Days seen 0 0 11 30 31 28 30 30 30 29 0 0 HOODED CROW Corvus cornix Brân Lwyd Uncommon, formerly scarce The first record of the year was two seen on the West Coast on 3 April. There was then a single present from 17th to 22nd. There were six records in May, five singles and two on 11th. In June a single was seen on 7th. August produced a single on 28th and then there were none until another single was seen on 20 October. RAVEN Corvus corax Cigfran Fairly common passage migrant, with one to two pairs breeding most years, but four in 2007 There were almost daily counts through the season, with up to nine in June, six of which were island juveniles. J F M A M J J A S O N D Max. count 0 0 2 5 5 9 3 8 5 7 0 0 Bird-days 0 0 18 76 77 93 33 78 66 72 0 0 Days seen 0 0 11 30 30 21 20 27 30 29 0 0 BLUE TIT Cyanistes caeruleus Titw Tomos Las Uncommon passage migrant, occasionally over-winters, occasionally breeds After the blank in 2021, there were two singles trapped at the Observatory on 26 and another on 28 March. A third bird was trapped and ringed there on 20 April. There were no autumn records. GREAT TIT Parus major Titw Mawr Uncommon migrant, occasionally over-winters, bred from 1984 to 1986 and from 2012-2014 None nested in 2022. Two birds were present on the island when staff returned in March and were present to 9 April. Others were seen on 21st and 22nd, and then two on 30th and finally a single on 3 April. There were no autumn records. WOODLARK Lullula arborea Ehedydd y Coed Rare, 35 previous records One was seen flying over the South End on 18 October (OHK). This species has now been recorded annually since 2016. 0 2 4 6 8 10 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 J F M A M J J A S O N D Max. daily count per month Bird-day totals Five day periods Five-day totals Max count

115 SYSTEM ATIC LIST 6 6 : 7 0 - 141 SKYLARK Alauda arvensis Ehedydd ¨ Red-listed Common passage migrant, mainly in autumn; bred historically then annually 2003 to 2015 Spring passage was moderate, with 11 records in March, mostly of one to four birds, though eight were seen on 22nd and 23rd. There were 19 records in April, mostly of one to three birds with five on 22nd. May produced a single on 5th. The first of autumn was a single on 31 August. September saw records on ten dates; all except 19 on 29th were in single figures. October saw counts on 23 dates: ten were single-figure counts, eight were in double figures up to 84, though 359 were seen on 11th, and then 754, the year’s peak, were counted on 13th. On 16th 230 were counted and 376 on 18th. J F M A M J J A S O N D Max. count 0 0 8 5 1 0 0 1 19 754 0 0 Bird-days 0 0 33 34 1 0 0 1 36 2133 0 0 Days seen 0 0 11 19 1 0 0 1 10 23 0 0 SAND MARTIN Riparia riparia Gwennol y Glennydd Common to abundant summer migrant The first of the year was on 21 March. There were then two more records in the month, with two on 30th the peak. April saw 20 records: most were single figures, with seven double-figure counts up to 23. May produced 19 records, all but three were in single figures, with 39 on 2nd the peak. There were four records in June of up to five with one on 13th the last of spring. Autumn passage began in mid-July and saw singles on 13th and 14th. August saw eight records in single figures up to nine. There were nine records in September to 13th, with 15 on 11th the only count greater than three. 0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800 0 200 400 600 800 1000 1200 J F M A M J J A S O N D Max. daily count per month Bird-day totals Five day periods Five-day totals Max count 0 10 20 30 40 50 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 J F M A M J J A S O N D Max. daily count per month Bird-day totals Five day periods Five-day totals Max count

116 STANSFIELD REP. BARDSEY BIRD FLD OBS. J F M A M J J A S O N D Max. count 0 0 2 23 39 5 1 9 15 0 0 0 Bird-days 0 0 4 168 116 10 2 26 27 0 0 0 Days seen 0 0 3 20 19 5 2 8 9 0 0 0 SWALLOW Hirundo rustica Gwennol Very abundant summer migrant that breeds in small numbers The first of the year was two on 2 April, three days later than 2021. From 7 April there were then daily records, as spring passage began to get under way properly from mid-month, with regular counts of up to 50 and a peak of 72 on 27th. Passage was heaviest in the first three weeks of May, with near-daily counts into double figures and peaks of 191 on 2nd, 169 on 11th and 118 on 18th. Up to 33 were seen daily in June. Autumn passage began in late July, when numbers swelled from the regular counts in the teens to upper 20s to upper 30s from 27th. August saw daily counts of up to 31 in the first week, with numbers increasing in the second week with up to 110 seen on 10th and 468 on 14th. In the third week, numbers fell slightly with 55 on 21st the peak. Towards the month’s end passage increased, with numbers reaching 362 on 28th, 1215 following day and then 255 and 100 on the last two days respectively. September produced records on 27 days, 344 on 1st and 450 on 2nd the peak counts, with 122 and 255 recorded on 8th and 11th respectively, all other records being either single- or double-figure counts up to 89. October saw records on 13 days: most were in single figures, with 67 on 1st the peak, 32 seen on 2nd and 18 counted on both 8th and 9th. The final record of the year was six on 22nd. J F M A M J J A S O N D Max. count 0 0 0 72 191 33 39 1215 450 67 0 0 Bird-days 0 0 0 568 1303 360 436 3290 2035 175 0 0 Days seen 0 0 0 25 31 30 30 31 27 13 0 0 HOUSE MARTIN Delichon urbicum Gwennol y Bondo ¨ Amber-listed Common to abundant summer migrant, occasionally breeds in small numbers The first record of the year was a single on 28 March. April saw 18 records from 10th and with the exception of 29 on 12th all records were of 12 birds or fewer. May saw near-daily counts, seven of which were in double figures up to 45. June saw just the birds from the four breeding pairs present on the island and the month’s peak was 30 on 6th. Up to ten were seen in the first half of July. The first signs of autumn passage came on 17 July when numbers shot up from low single figures to 17 on 17th, followed by four further small movements of up to 19. There were daily records in August including 12 double-figure counts and eight three-figure counts, three of which were over 300 including 468 on 0 200 400 600 800 1000 1200 1400 0 500 1000 1500 2000 2500 J F M A M J J A S O N D Max. daily count per month Bird-day totals Five day periods Five-day totals Max count

117 SYSTEM ATIC LIST 6 6 : 7 0 - 141 10th and 490 the peak on 29th. September saw 24 counts including 272 on 1st and 128 the following day. October saw four records with 14 on 9th the peak; two on 10th were the final records of the year. J F M A M J J A S O N D Max. count 0 0 1 29 45 30 19 490 272 14 0 0 Bird-days 0 0 1 98 265 143 189 2702 697 26 0 0 Days seen 0 0 1 18 25 24 26 31 24 4 0 0 CETTI’S WARBLER Cettia cetti Telor Cetti Vagrant, two previous records in October 1973 and October 2018 One was found in the gorse on the eastern side of the South End on 10 October (EJB et al.). WOOD WARBLER Phylloscopus sibilatrix Telor y Coed ¨ Red-listed Scarce to uncommon passage migrant One was found at Nant on 2 June (SDS). 0 100 200 300 400 500 600 0 200 400 600 800 1000 1200 J F M A M J J A S O N D Max. daily count per month Bird-day totals Five day periods Five-day totals Max count House Martin © Steve Stansfield

118 STANSFIELD REP. BARDSEY BIRD FLD OBS. YELLOW - BROWED WARBLER Phylloscopus inornatus Telor Aelfelyn Scarce, but becoming commoner with a minimum of 60 individuals in 2016 The first of the autumn was one on 25 September at Tŷ Pellaf (OHK). One was trapped at Cristin on 3 October, with five seen on 12th and two the following day. There was then none until a single was seen on 21st, with two present on the next two days. PALLAS’S WARBLER Phylloscopus proregulus Telor Pallas Vagrant, 20 previous records, last in 2017 One was trapped and ringed at Cristin on 24 October, the first record since May 2017 (EJB et al.). This record was accepted by WBRC. WILLOW WARBLER Phylloscopus trochilus Telor yr Helyg ¨ Amber-listed Very abundant passage migrant that occasionally breeds The first record of the year was on 24 March with up to 26 present by 28th. April saw records on 28 days, normally into double figures up to 60, though 126 were seen on 12th and 106 on 22nd. May saw 30 records with 27 on 2nd the peak and one of five double-figure counts. Up to six were seen in early June, and two pairs nested. Autumn passage began on 20 July; there was then daily passage to the month’s end, peaking at 11 on 25th and 27th. The first week in August saw up to 90 birds on 1st, but then numbers fell to between 54 and three in the first week. During the second week numbers peaked at 312 on 9th and then the third week saw a peak of 27 on 23rd. The final week of the month saw one count in the upper 30s, with 44 on 24th and 46 on 30th the peaks. September began with 66 on 1st and then numbers began to fall, with a further seven double-figure counts including 43 on 9th. October saw records on eight dates: seven singles with two on 8th. The last was one on 18th. J F M A M J J A S O N D Max. count 0 0 26 126 27 6 11 90 66 2 0 0 Bird-days 0 0 33 651 142 72 64 615 298 9 0 0 Days seen 0 0 6 28 30 29 20 31 22 8 0 0 Yellow-browed Warbler © Steve Stansfield

119 SYSTEM ATIC LIST 6 6 : 7 0 - 141 CHIFFCHAFF Phylloscopus collybita Siff-saff Abundant passage migrant, scarce breeder The first of the year were two at Cristin on 19 March; by 23rd numbers had reached 23, and then 24 by 28th. There were daily records in April: most were in small numbers, but about a third were into double figures with 44 on 12th the peak count. May saw near-daily records with all counts being seven or fewer. There were six records in June with two on 2nd the peak. There were no breeding records this year. Numbers in autumn were never high. Two singles were seen in July; August’s peak was only five from 14 records. September saw an increase in passage, with almost daily records, with two double-figure counts up to 32 on 9th. There were 27 records in October: most were fewer than ten, but there were two counts greater, up to 12 on 12th. J F M A M J J A S O N D Max. count 0 0 24 44 7 2 1 5 32 12 0 0 Bird-days 0 0 145 257 82 7 2 26 108 121 0 0 Days seen 0 0 12 30 30 6 2 14 25 27 0 0 SIBERIAN CHIFFCHAFF Phylloscopus collybita tristis Siff-saff Scarce In April, one was at Tŷ Pellaf on 26th (OHK). In May, two singing males arrived on 29th: one at Nant (OHK) and another at Cristin (SDS). The former bird held territory at Nant until 18 June. In October one was at Tŷ Pellaf on 31st (OHK). 0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 0 50 100 150 200 250 300 J F M A M J J A S O N D Max. daily count per month Bird-day totals Five day periods Five-day totals Max count 0 10 20 30 40 50 0 20 40 60 80 100 J F M A M J J A S O N D Max. daily count per month Bird-day totals Five day periods Five-day totals Max count

120 STANSFIELD REP. BARDSEY BIRD FLD OBS. SEDGE WARBLER Acrocephalus schoenobaenus Telor yr Hesg Scarce but regular breeder since 2008, common to abundant passage migrant The first of the year was one on 16 April: there were a further 12 records to the month’s end, nine in single figures plus 14 on 15th and 24 on 27th. There were near-daily counts in May, five of which were in double figures up to 22 on 16th. The 19 records in June referred to some of the island’s nine nesting pairs. July, like June, saw most records made up from the breeding birds. August saw 19 records and any small amount of immigration was masked by the breeding birds which were still feeding young until late in the month. The only records in September were singles on 1st and 9th. J F M A M J J A S O N D Max. count 0 0 0 24 22 7 4 3 1 0 0 0 Bird-days 0 0 0 76 229 70 25 28 2 0 0 0 Days seen 0 0 0 13 31 19 17 16 2 0 0 0 REED WARBLER Acrocephalus scirpaceus Telor y Cyrs Scarce to uncommon passage migrant One was at Cristin Withy on 27 April, with singles trapped at Cristin on both 29th and 30th. May saw singles on 4th, 19th and 28th with June’s only record coming from Nant on 2nd. An unseasonal record was one in the Wetlands on 12 July. August produced one on 31st, with three records in September on 13th (two), 16th and 29th (two). October produced singles on 11th and 20th, with two on both 22nd and 23rd. MARSH WARBLER Acrocephalus palustris Telor y Gwerni ¨ Red-listed Vagrant, 13 previous records, ten of which have been since 2004, last in 2020 In June, one was singing at Nant on 6th (OHK et al.). One was trapped and ringed at Cristin on 31 August (EJB, SDS et al.) Both records were accepted by WBRC. GRASSHOPPER WARBLER Locustella naevia Troellwr Bach ¨ Red-listed Uncommon, passage migrant, bred once in 1989 The first record of the year was two on 13 April. Three were seen the following day. There were then singles on a further five dates in the month, and records of two on both 22nd and 27th. May saw a single on 4th. 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 J F M A M J J A S O N D Max. daily count per month Bird-day totals Five day periods Five-day totals Max count

121 SYSTEM ATIC LIST 6 6 : 7 0 - 141 The first of autumn was seen on 8 July, with another on 18th. August produced three singles from 26th. There were four singles in September to 12th. BLACKCAP Sylvia atricapilla Telor Penddu Common passage migrant, has bred on three occasions, in 2003, 2005 and 2012 The first record of the year was four on 21 March, which was followed by daily records up to seven to the month’s end. There were 26 records in April, 14 of which were double-figure counts up to 83 on 22nd, however the peak was 126 on 12th. May saw 19 records, with just one double-figure count of 12 on 5th. There were 15 records in June of up to five birds. July saw just four records and were all probably the island’s three breeding pairs and their respective offspring. This was the same for the records in early August. The beginning of autumn passage was masked in August by the breeding birds, but from 19th there were daily records to the month’s end of up to four birds. September produced 23 records; all but one count was of six or fewer, with 14 on 9th. There were 21 records in October and, with the exception of ten on 21st, all the counts were of six or fewer. 0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 0 50 100 150 200 250 J F M A M J J A S O N D Max. daily count per month Bird-day totals Five day periods Five-day totals Max count Grasshopper Warbler © Ed Betteridge

122 STANSFIELD REP. BARDSEY BIRD FLD OBS. J F M A M J J A S O N D Max. count 0 0 7 126 12 5 2 8 14 10 0 0 Bird-days 0 0 33 614 58 32 5 54 78 73 0 0 Days seen 0 0 10 26 19 15 4 24 23 21 0 0 GARDEN WARBLER Sylvia borin Telor yr Ardd Uncommon passage migrant, formerly fairly common passage migrant The first of spring was at Nant Withy on 24 April, with another on 29th at Cristin. May saw four singles from 12th to 18th. The last of spring was a single on 3 June. August saw a single on 31st and September produced two on 1st and one on 9th. One trapped on 11 October was the last of the year. Another poor showing. BARRED WARBLER Curruca nisoria Telor Rhesog Rare 39 previous records, last in 2018 After a five-year gap in records, one was trapped and ringed at Cristin on 12 September (EJB et al.), with another, or the same, there on 17th. One was in the Withies on 29th (SDS) and finally another at Nant on 22 October (RIT et al.). All records were accepted by WBRC. LESSER WHITETHROAT Curruca curruca Llwydfron Fach Scarce to uncommon migrant The first record of the year was on 4 May. On 27th a bird that looked and sounded unusual was trapped and ringed at Cristin Withy and a sample of feathers was taken. The analysis of the feathers showed it belonged to the form Siberian Lesser Whitethroat Curruca curruca blythii. This was only the second-ever confirmed record of this form in the UK in spring (the first also being on Bardsey). The bird remained on the island to 29th. This record was accepted by WBRC. Barred Warbler © Ed Betteridge

123 SYSTEM ATIC LIST 6 6 : 7 0 - 141 In autumn there were singles on 9 September in the Withies and one at Tŷ Pellaf on 28th and 29th. A single was at Cristin Withy on 2 October with another there on 13th. A bird seen and heard calling on 18th and 19th in the Withies was considered to be of the Siberian form C. c. blythii, but no DNA evidence was collected to prove its identity, currently a requirement of WBRC. WHITETHROAT Curruca communis Llwydfron Formerly abundant to very abundant, now a common migrant; becoming a fairly regular scarce breeder The first of the year were two on 22 April, followed by eight records of one to five birds to the month’s end. There were daily records in May, mostly of one to nine birds, though an arrival on 16th saw 19 birds on the island. There were four pairs holding territory again in the summer and up to six were counted in June, and five in July, four of which were youngsters. Any early arrivals in July and early August were masked by the island’s breeding pairs and their offspring. The first signs of migrants were in late August, but numbers were never high. There were 14 records in September of one to five birds, the last being on 18th. A single was then seen at Carreg Bach on 1 October and a late bird at Nant on 13th. J F M A M J J A S O N D Max. count 0 0 0 5 19 6 5 5 5 1 0 0 Bird-days 0 0 0 24 139 70 23 43 35 2 0 0 Days seen 0 0 0 9 31 24 12 19 14 2 0 0 FIRECREST Regulus ignicapilla Dryw Penfflamgoch Uncommon to fairly common passage migrant The first record of the year was one at the Observatory on 19 March; this was followed by one on 26th and 27th and another at Nant on 30th. One on 16 and 17 May at Nant was the final record of spring. The first record in autumn was one at Nant on 13 October, with another there on 18th and 19th. Finally one was at Cristin from 21st to 23rd. GOLDCREST Regulus regulus Dryw Eurben Very abundant passage migrant; bred in 1998, 2007, 2019 and 2021 and attempted in 2014 From mid-March when Observatory staff returned there were frequent records throughout spring, March’s peak being 24 on 24th. April saw records on 22 dates with up to nine on 3rd, with five records in May of one to three birds. The first returning birds of autumn were seen from 14 August, with regular records thereafter, and up to ten present by 29th. September saw daily records, with half of the counts being in single figures with the 15 double-figure counts up to 30 on 25th. There were again daily records throughout October, 20 were double-figure counts, with a peak of 33 on 19th. The only record in November was three on 1st. 0 5 10 15 20 0 10 20 30 40 50 J F M A M J J A S O N D Max. daily count per month Bird-day totals Five day periods Five-day totals Max count

124 STANSFIELD REP. BARDSEY BIRD FLD OBS. J F M A M J J A S O N D Max. count 0 0 24 9 3 0 0 10 30 33 3 0 Bird-days 0 0 115 50 7 0 0 52 395 429 3 0 Days seen 0 0 11 22 5 0 0 15 30 31 1 0 WREN Troglodytes troglodytes Dryw Common breeding resident, uncommon migrant Present throughout the year, with the peak counts coming as usual in spring, when 55 were recorded on 17 April and 51 on 20 May, and then 25 on 24 June; these were all resident birds counted as part of the breeding birds census. There were few signs of movements this year. This diminutive songster is very hard to census due to its secretive and skulking behaviour; however, as daily counts are undertaken along the census routes, it is often clear when immigrants arrive from the mainland. J F M A M J J A S O N D Max. count 0 0 48 55 51 25 13 34 36 39 0 0 Bird-days 0 0 355 784 603 268 147 525 496 539 0 0 Days seen 0 0 10 30 31 28 31 31 30 31 0 0 STARLING Sturnus vulgaris Drudwen ¨ Red-listed Very abundant passage migrant, formerly bred, but not since 1997 There were six records of up to nine birds in March and then three on 19 April. June saw five records of up to ten birds. July produced eight records: 22 were seen on 1st and then single-figure counts of up to five thereafter. Autumn passage was poor. October saw 20 records of which five were three-figure counts, up to 605 on 28th and then the year’s biggest movement of 1560 on 19th. November saw 150 on 1st and 600 on 4th. 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 0 20 40 60 80 100 120 J F M A M J J A S O N D Max. daily count per month Bird-day totals Five day periods Five-day totals Max count 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 J F M A M J J A S O N D Daily count of birds

125 SYSTEM ATIC LIST 6 6 : 7 0 - 141 SONG THRUSH Turdus philomelos Bronfraith ¨ Red-listed Common to abundant passage migrant, occasionally winters, last bred in 1961 Birds were present from the start to the end of the season, with one male holding territory in spring, though there were no signs of youngsters fledging. Numbers increased in mid-October with up to 12 seen on 20th and ten on 31st. J F M A M J J A S O N D Max. count 0 0 4 2 2 3 1 2 2 12 2 0 Bird-days 0 0 17 18 14 11 8 9 6 68 2 0 Days seen 0 0 8 15 13 7 8 8 5 17 1 0 MISTLE THRUSH Turdus viscivorus Brych y Coed ¨ Red-listed Uncommon passage migrant The only record in the year was a single on Pen Cristin on 13 October. REDWING Turdus iliacus Coch Dan-aden ¨ Red-listed Formerly a very abundant passage migrant, now becoming less numerous; a few birds have wintered March produced three records from 26th: 30 were seen on 26th, with one on 27th and 173 on 30th. There were then four on 4 April. The first of autumn was a single on 28 September, with 42 the following day. There were then two on 13 October, but the main passage took place from 18th, when 27 were counted. The following day 2310 birds were counted passing over the island, arriving from the south-west having presumably overshot in strong easterly winds. This movement was part of a larger movement in the west of the UK where millions of birds were recorded that day. Thereafter there were daily counts, usually in double figures up to 77 to 29th. Five were seen on 4 November. J F M A M J J A S O N D Max. count 0 0 173 4 0 0 0 0 42 2310 5 0 Bird-days 0 0 204 4 0 0 0 0 43 2599 5 0 Days seen 0 0 3 1 0 0 0 0 2 13 1 0 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 J F M A M J J A S O N D Max. daily count per month Bird-day totals Five day periods Five-day totals Max count

126 STANSFIELD REP. BARDSEY BIRD FLD OBS. BLACKBIRD Turdus merula Mwyalchen Fairly common to common passage migrant, uncommon breeder Many, if not all of the records in the first part of the year were considered to be of the island’s breeding population of 11 pairs and any minor immigration was masked by the presence of these birds. No really notable movements were observed in autumn, however, numbers did increase from low single figures for most of October to 22 on 20th and then 38 the following day. J F M A M J J A S O N D Max. count 0 0 20 21 12 19 6 8 14 38 16 0 Bird-days 0 0 108 251 214 125 81 108 137 267 16 0 Days seen 0 0 11 30 31 28 31 31 29 31 1 0 FIELDFARE Turdus pilaris Socan Eira ¨ Red-listed Formerly a common migrant, mainly in autumn, but has been scarce and less frequent since 2006 Two were in the Lowlands on 19 March, with three on 28th and 13 on 30th. One was present on 4 April, with two on 9th the last of spring. There were no records in autumn until 6970 were counted arriving over the Narrows throughout the day on 19 October, the largest ever count for the island beating the previous record of 2000 set on 29 October 1975. Thereafter there were 76 on 20th, 12 on 21st, ten on both 22nd and 23rd and a single on 27th. RING OUZEL Turdus torquatus Mwyalchen y Mynydd ¨ Red-listed Uncommon passage migrant A male was on the Mountain above Cristin on 11 April, with another on Pen Cristin the following day. One was on the South End on 22nd, with another at Tŷ Pellaf on 23rd. A single was also seen on the South End on 27th, with two seen on 29th, one at the Lighthouse and another at Cristin. The only record in autumn was a single on 11 October. SPOTTED FLYCATCHER Muscicapa striata Gwybedog Mannog ¨ Red-listed Common to abundant passage migrant The first record of the year was three on 29 April. This was followed by 21 records in May, most of which were in single figures, though 13 were counted on 14th, 91 was the peak on 16th and 25 on 17th. There were four records in single-figures in June to 5th. 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 0 20 40 60 80 100 J F M A M J J A S O N D Max. daily count per month Bird-day totals Five day periods Five-day totals Max count

127 SYSTEM ATIC LIST 6 6 : 7 0 - 141 Autumn passage began in early August when two were seen on 9th. There were then a further 12 records to the month’s end, mostly of up to five birds, with 15 the peak on 30th. September saw 14 counts to 19th, all were in single figures up to nine. A late individual was seen on 20 and 21 October. J F M A M J J A S O N D Max. count 0 0 0 3 91 4 0 15 9 1 0 0 Bird-days 0 0 0 3 193 12 0 45 44 2 0 0 Days seen 0 0 0 1 21 4 0 13 14 2 0 0 ROBIN Erithacus rubecula Robin Goch Scarce breeding resident, common passage migrant in autumn Up to 13 birds were seen most days in March when staff returned to the island. In April there were daily records of up to eight birds on 2nd. Up to seven were seen daily during May. There were 25 records in June, and despite 19 young fledging from four pairs, the peak count was only nine on 13th. There were 27 records in July and then daily counts in August: migrants began to appear from 21st with numbers increasing to 21 by 31st. September saw daily records with numbers reachng a peak mid-month with 49 counted on 10th. October saw daily counts, with a peak of 44 on 13th. 0 20 40 60 80 100 0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 J F M A M J J A S O N D Max. daily count per month Bird-day totals Five day periods Five-day totals Max count Spotted Flycatcher © Ed Betteridge

128 STANSFIELD REP. BARDSEY BIRD FLD OBS. J F M A M J J A S O N D Max. count 0 0 13 8 7 9 6 21 49 44 2 0 Bird-days 0 0 77 92 97 88 66 211 521 405 2 0 Days seen 0 0 11 30 30 25 27 31 30 31 1 0 BLUETHROAT Luscinia svecica Bronlas Vagrant, five previous records A fine male was found singing at Plas Withy on 2 June (OHK et al.). This was the sixth record for the island and was accepted by WBRC. THRUSH NIGHTINGALE Luscinia luscinia Eos Fronfraith Vagrant, one previous record in 1976 A male was found singing at Nant on 2 June (SDS et al.). This was the second record for both the island and Wales, although it is still under consideration by the BBRC. 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 J F M A M J J A S O N D Max. daily count per month Bird-day totals Five day periods Five-day totals Max count Thrush Nightingale © Steve Stansfield

129 SYSTEM ATIC LIST 6 6 : 7 0 - 141 NIGHTINGALE Luscinia megarhynchos Eos ¨ Red-listed Vagrant, 45 previous records, last in 2017 A male was found singing in Tŷ Pellaf Withy on 27 April (OHK) and was accepted by WBRC. RED - FLANKED BLUETAIL Tarsiger cyanurus Cynffonlas Ystlysgoch Vagrant, two previous record in 2007 and 2015 One was found at Plas Withy on 29 October (OHK). It was trapped and ringed and released at Cristin. This is the third record for the island and was accepted by WBRC. RED - BREASTED FLYCATCHER Ficedula parva Gwybedog Brongoch Brith ¨ Red-listed Now uncommon, but was a fairly common passage migrant a few years ago There were three records in October, all accepted by WBRC. A juvenile was found at Nant on 22nd, with another trapped and ringed there on 25th; a third bird found at Cristin on 27th was also trapped and ringed. 2021 This species was omitted in error from the Systematic list. A fine male seen at Tŷ Pellaf on 9 October (EJB et al.) was accepted by WBRC. PIED FLYCATCHER Ficedula hypoleuca Gwybedog Brith ¨ Red-listed Now uncommon, but was a fairly common passage migrant a few years ago The only record in spring was a male at Cristin on 22 April. A single at Nant on 11 and 12 August was the first of autumn. There were then two on 15th and singles on 21st, 23rd and 30th. September saw a good run, with five singles, four records of two to four birds, 11 on 12th and nine the next day. BLACK REDSTART Phoenicurus ochruros Tingoch Du ¨ Red-listed Uncommon passage migrant A male at Cristin on 21 March was the first of spring (EJS et al.). There were then a further six records in the month, with four on 22nd, 12 on 23rd and nine on 24th the higher counts. A single bird was seen at Tŷ Pellaf on 5 and 7 April. A male was trapped at Cristin on 4 June with one at Tŷ Pellaf the following day, and one at Nant on 5th. In October there were singles on five dates from 10th to 31st. REDSTART Phoenicurus phoenicurus Tingoch ¨ Amber-listed Formerly uncommon passage migrant, now becoming scarce A male at Nant on 12 to 13 April was the first of the year, with a female at Tŷ Pellaf on 16th. A female was at Nant on 28th and a male there on 29th. May produced singles on 16th and 23rd. The first of autumn was a male at Cristin on 8 August with another there on 30th. There were no records in September, but a single at Tŷ Pellaf on 8 and 10 October. WHINCHAT Saxicola rubetra Crec yr Eithin ¨ Red-listed Uncommon passage migrant The only records in spring were singles on 19 and 24 May. August saw the first record of autumn on 11th, with another on 16th. There were then almost daily records of one to three birds from 26th to the month’s end. September produced six on 9th and then singles on 12th and 13th.

130 STANSFIELD REP. BARDSEY BIRD FLD OBS. STONECHAT Saxicola torquatus Clochdar y Cerrig Uncommon breeder and migrant The island’s 20 nesting pairs and their 56 offspring masked any signs of any passage in spring. There was a notable arrival in late July, when numbers of birds seen increased from the usual single-figure counts to 25 on 24th. Numbers fell in early August, but increased again to 44 by the month’s end. Numbers remained at this level in early September, with a peak of 46 on 2nd, falling thereafter to as few as one by 26th. October’s peak was lower at 28 on 10th, falling away to low single figures at the month’s end. J F M A M J J A S O N D Max. count 0 0 21 25 31 14 25 44 46 28 0 0 Bird-days 0 0 173 396 365 209 229 621 471 341 0 0 Days seen 0 0 11 30 31 27 31 31 30 29 0 0 WHEATEAR Oenanthe oenanthe Tinwen y Garn Common passage migrant, uncommon breeder, population recovering after severe decline The first of the year was one on 19 March. There were then a further ten counts of up to 13 in the month. April saw counts become near-daily and numbers steadily rose, most birds in this second ‘wave’ being of the Greenland race O.o.leucorhoa, with up to 42 seen by 12th. Numbers then fell to as few as 17 on 14th, though increased again to 189 on 23rd, then 210 on 24th, before reducing to 20 by the month’s end. There were no movements of note in May and all counts in June, July and early August were thought to be the island’s 28 breeding pairs and their 44 offspring. 0 10 20 30 40 50 0 50 100 150 200 J F M A M J J A S O N D Max. daily count per month Bird-day totals Five day periods Five-day totals Max count Wheatear © Ed Betteridge

131 SYSTEM ATIC LIST 6 6 : 7 0 - 141 Mid- to late August saw some arrivals of returning migrants, with counts of up to 27 on 9th. September saw daily records in the first two weeks with counts of up to 19. Numbers reduced from mid-month and there were only seven records in the last two weeks. October produced three singles, with one on 21st being the last of the year. J F M A M J J A S O N D Max. count 0 0 13 210 27 13 20 27 19 1 0 0 Bird-days 0 0 88 1053 367 127 216 307 144 3 0 0 Days seen 0 0 11 28 31 27 29 31 22 3 0 0 TREE SPARROW Passer montanus Golfan y Mynydd Rare Five arrived on the island on 15 September (EJB et al.), all of which were still present on 18th, then four remained on 19th, three on 20th and a single on 23rd. One flew south over the Wetlands on 18 October (SDS). HOUSE SPARROW Passer domesticus Aderyn y Tô Rare, formerly bred, but not since 1970, last record in 2015 Ten birds passed through the island in small flocks on 19 October (SDS et al.), the largest count for many years. House Sparrow bred up to 1970, with up to 25 pairs nesting on the island. Now it is a rare passage migrant, usually with one or two records each year. 0 50 100 150 200 250 0 100 200 300 400 500 600 J F M A M J J A S O N D Max. daily count per month Bird-day totals Five day periods Five-day totals Max count House Sparrows © Steve Stansfield

132 STANSFIELD REP. BARDSEY BIRD FLD OBS. DUNNOCK Prunella modularis Llwyd y Gwrych ¨ Amber-listed Uncommon breeding resident, uncommon-fairly common passage migrant From 19 March, when staff returned to the island, there were daily counts of up to 14 to the month’s end when many males were in song. April’s peak count was 27 on 27th. The number of breeding males this year was 21, six more than last year. The only sign of any arrivals in autumn were from mid-September when numbers reached 28 on 9th. October saw more birds arrive, with several counts of over 20 and 33 on 2nd. J F M A M J J A S O N D Max. count 0 0 14 27 17 13 8 15 28 33 0 0 Bird-days 0 0 101 354 248 121 70 190 273 412 0 0 Days seen 0 0 10 30 31 28 30 31 30 30 0 0 YELLOW WAGTAIL Motacilla flava flavissima Siglen Felen y Prydain Felen ¨ Red-listed Scarce to uncommon passage migrant One was recorded on 6 June. BLUE - HEADED WAGTAIL Motacilla flava flava Siglen Felen Benlas ¨ Amber-listed Scarce to uncommon passage migrant A male was on the Narrows on 23 April (SDS). May saw singles in the Wetlands on 9th and at the North End on 11th. In June there was a single on 21st at Nant. ‘ FLAVA’ WAGTAIL Motacilla flava spp. Siglen Felen ‘flava’ wagtails, usually flying over or only heard calling, or immature birds in autumn that were not assigned to any specific race, were recorded as ‘flava’ wagtail spp. M. flava spp. One was seen on 27 April. There were singles over Cristin in September on 8th and 9th. GREY WAGTAIL Motacilla cinerea Siglen Lwyd ¨ Red-listed Fairly common to common passage migrant There were four records in spring: one on 22 March and another on 27th, with further singles on 17 April and 2 May. The first of autumn was in July, when a single bird was seen on 25th. There were no further records until late August, when a single was seen on 24th, then from 27th one to six birds were seen daily to the month’s end. September produced 24 records, with three counts of ten and a peak of 13 on 20th. There were 14 records in October, with 11 on 2nd and 11th and 14 on 3rd the peak, and the last three on 20th. 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 J F M A M J J A S O N D Daily count of birds

133 SYSTEM ATIC LIST 6 6 : 7 0 - 141 J F M A M J J A S O N D Max. count 0 0 1 1 1 0 1 6 13 14 0 0 Bird-days 0 0 2 1 1 0 1 21 92 84 0 0 Days seen 0 0 2 1 1 0 1 6 24 14 0 0 PIED WAGTAIL Motacilla alba yarrellii Siglen Fraith Common to abundant passage migrant that breeds in small numbers, rare in winter Up to 26 were recorded from 18 March to the month’s end. There were daily records in April with doublefigure counts on most dates, 20 on 9th being the maximum. Most counts in May and through to late July came from the island’s seven breeding pairs and their 18 young. There were no obvious arrivals in autumn, although the appearance of many immature birds including White Wagtails made identification tricky and many were recorded as ‘alba’ Wagtails (see below). J F M A M J J A S O N D Days seen 0 0 11 30 31 28 29 31 27 15 0 0 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 J F M A M J J A S O N D Max. daily count per month Bird-day totals Five day periods Five-day totals Max count Pied Wagtail © Ed Betteridge

134 STANSFIELD REP. BARDSEY BIRD FLD OBS. WHITE WAGTAIL Motacilla alba alba Siglen Wen Common passage migrant The first record of the spring was one on 24 March, followed by singles on a further three dates. April saw 24 records, though passage was never heavy, with just eight double-figure counts of up to 34 on 17th. May saw just nine records of up to four birds. The first signs of autumn passage were in mid-August. There were 13 records in the month with numbers increasing to the month’s end with up to 25 on 31st. There were 21 records in September, with three double-figure counts, up to 16 on 2nd. October saw just five records, usually of one to six birds in the first 13 days, though 12 were seen on 11th. J F M A M J J A S O N D Days seen 0 0 4 24 9 0 0 13 21 5 0 0 ‘ALBA’ WAGTAIL Motacilla alba spp. Siglen Wen / Fraith ‘alba’ wagtails, usually flying over or only heard calling and therefore not assigned to any specific race, were recorded in both spring and autumn when both Pied and White Wagtails were passing through. In addition, many immature birds in autumn cannot be sub-specifically identified and are also assigned to this category. The graph and table below show data for all ‘alba’ wagtails. J F M A M J J A S O N D Max. count 0 0 26 45 14 11 16 44 36 120 0 0 Bird-days 0 0 186 545 204 141 220 370 363 457 0 0 Days seen 0 0 11 30 31 28 31 31 28 20 0 0 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 0 20 40 60 80 100 120 J F M A M J J A S O N D Max. daily count per month Bird-day totals Five day periods Five-day totals Max count 0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Max. daily count per month Bird-day totals Pied White

135 SYSTEM ATIC LIST 6 6 : 7 0 - 141 Maximum daily counts of each form of ‘alba’ wagtail J F M A M J J A S O N D Pied 0 0 26 20 11 11 16 15 13 14 0 0 White 0 0 1 34 4 0 0 25 16 12 0 0 'alba' 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 11 20 102 0 0 Bird-day totals for each form of ‘alba’ wagtail J F M A M J J A S O N D Pied 0 0 181 327 190 141 220 260 144 80 0 0 White 0 0 4 218 14 0 0 88 95 24 0 0 'alba' 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 22 124 353 0 0 RICHARD’S PIPIT Anthus richardi Corhedydd Richard Scarce, 85 previous records of 116 individuals One was seen flying over the Narrows and South End on 14 October (EJB et al.). MEADOW PIPIT Anthus pratensis Corhedydd y Waun ¨ Amber-listed Abundant to very abundant passage migrant and fairly common breeder There were daily counts from 20 March when staff returned to the island; there were eight three-figure counts from 21st, with peak counts of 313 on 24th. There were daily counts in April, usually between 30 and 86, though 111 were seen on 12th and 96 the following day. Numbers during the summer were generally composed of the 87 pairs that nested on the island. Meadow Pipit © Steven Stansfield

136 STANSFIELD REP. BARDSEY BIRD FLD OBS. There were almost daily records from July to the end of October, the main arrivals being in early September and October. The first real signs of passage in autumn were in early September when counts increased from double figures to 101 on 1st, and to 226 on 5th. There were then a further two three-figure counts in the month up to 128. October saw several large movements with seven three-figure counts: 539 were counted on 11th, with 530 on 13th and 348 on 16th. J F M A M J J A S O N D Max. count 0 0 313 111 48 28 27 131 226 539 4 0 Bird-days 0 0 1661 1626 712 396 443 1198 1929 3120 7 0 Days seen 0 0 11 30 31 30 31 31 30 30 2 0 TREE PIPIT Anthus trivialis Corhedydd y Coed ¨ Red-listed Fairly common passage migrant April produced nine records: four on 16th were the first, and were followed by six singles and two records of two. Singles were seen on 3 and 16 May. A single on 8 August was the first of autumn. There were then a further 11 records, with singles on five dates, two on three dates, four on 14th and 21st and a peak of ten on 28th. Of the seven records in September, three were singles, with six on 1st, three on 2nd, 13 on 9th, and five on 12th were the last record of the year. ROCK PIPIT Anthus petrosus Corhedydd y Graig Uncommon breeding resident and probably uncommon immigrant/migrant Present throughout the season with up to 52 seen in March. April produced a peak of 45 with May’s peak being 27. As youngsters began to appear from the island’s 32 breeding pairs, June saw a peak count of 28, with 26 being July’s maximum. August and September’s maxima were 41 and 53 respectively. October saw some suspected immigration from 16th to 26th with the month’s peak count of 42 on 21st. J F M A M J J A S O N D Max. count 0 0 52 45 27 28 26 41 53 42 7 0 Bird-days 0 0 299 695 406 181 237 471 671 717 10 0 Days seen 0 0 11 30 31 27 26 31 29 26 2 0 0 100 200 300 400 500 600 0 200 400 600 800 1000 1200 1400 1600 J F M A M J J A S O N D Max. daily count per month Bird-day totals Five day periods Five-day totals Max count

137 SYSTEM ATIC LIST 6 6 : 7 0 - 141 CHAFFINCH Fringilla coelebs Ji-binc Scarce breeder, but none this year. Very abundant migrant and some over-winter There was a very slight movement in spring with up to six counted on ten dates in March. There were 22 records in April of up to four birds. A single on 1 May was the last of the month. A single was seen on 3 June with two the following day and another single on 5th. September saw three singles from 19th to 22nd and then four on 23rd. October saw records on 26 dates in the month with movements of note being 147 on 11th, 266 on 13th, 199 on 16th, 179 on 18th and 167 on 25th. In November the only records were six on 1st and 35 on 4th. J F M A M J J A S O N D Max. count 0 0 6 4 1 2 0 0 4 266 35 0 Bird-days 0 0 25 44 1 4 0 0 7 1459 41 0 Days seen 0 0 10 22 1 3 0 0 4 26 2 0 BRAMBLING Fringilla montifringilla Pinc y Mynydd Uncommon to common passage migrant Two were seen on 23 March, with another the following day and then three on 25th and 26th and one on 28th. The last record of spring was a single on 13 April. October produced records on six dates from 13th when five were counted. One was seen on 15th, then three on 18th, eight on 19th, three on 20th and finally two on 23rd. BULLFINCH Pyrrhula pyrrhula Coch y Berllan ¨ Amber-listed Scarce In March a female was seen at Cristin on 22nd before relocating to Nant where it was seen on 23rd and 26th. One was trapped and ringed at Cristin on 29 April and was present until 5 May. 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 J F M A M J J A S O N D Daily count of birds 0 50 100 150 200 250 300 0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 J F M A M J J A S O N D Max. daily count per month Bird-day totals Five day periods Five-day totals Max count

138 STANSFIELD REP. BARDSEY BIRD FLD OBS. COMMON ROSEFINCH Carpodacus erythrinus Llinos Gogh Scarce, there have been about 82 previous records An immature male was found singing at Tŷ Pellaf on 1 October (SDS et al.). The following day, possibly the same, or more likely another bird, flew south with Chaffinches, settling at Cristin briefly before heading off high to the south (SDS). This record was accepted by WBRC. GREENFINCH Chloris chloris Llinos Werdd Formerly common, but now scarce to uncommon passage migrant, most numerous in autumn Three were seen at Tŷ Pellaf on 23 March, with singles on 24th and 25th, and another on 27th and 28th. One was seen on 16 April. October saw seven records: four were seen on 8th, 15 on 11th, nine on 13th, 11 on 16th, 44 on 18th, four on 19th, and last being a single on 23rd. TWITE Linaria flavirostris Llinos y Mynydd ¨ Red-listed Scarce In April a single was seen flying over Cristin on 18th (SDS), with another or the same at Nant on 22nd (ET). October produced a single on the South End on 2nd (PJ), with another at Cristin on 28th (EJB). LINNET Linaria cannabina Llinos ¨ Red-listed Uncommon breeder, abundant to very abundant migrant March saw near-daily records of up to 70 from 20th to the month’s end. April saw daily counts, with five three-figure counts from 12th to 16th, with peaks of 303 on 14th, 399 on 15th and 380 on 16th. The island’s breeding population accounted for all the records from May to late July. Numbers increased from the 40s in most of July to 139 on 26th. From the second week in August there were daily three-figure counts, many over 300 with peaks of 364 on 14th and 365 on 26th. There were 11 three-figure counts in September, the peak being 315 on 1st. There were 26 records in October, with a peak of 259 on 8th. Numbers fell thereafter and were into low figures by the end of the month. A single at Cristin on 4 November was the last of the year. J F M A M J J A S O N D Max. count 0 0 70 399 44 68 139 365 316 259 1 0 Bird-days 0 0 344 2795 771 559 1078 5916 2857 1245 1 0 Days seen 0 0 11 30 31 28 31 31 30 26 1 0 0 100 200 300 400 500 0 200 400 600 800 1000 1200 1400 1600 J F M A M J J A S O N D Max. daily count per month Bird-day totals Five day periods Five-day totals Max count

139 SYSTEM ATIC LIST 6 6 : 7 0 - 141 LESSER REDPOLL Carduelis cabaret Llinos Bengoch Leiaf ¨ Red-listed Fairly common to common passage migrant, bred in 2002-03, 2005-07, 2010 & 2012 March saw five records from 23rd, with ten on 25th the peak. April produced 14 records, all from 16th onwards, of one to four birds. May saw nine records, with up to three seen daily for the first four days of the month, then two on 8th, five on 15th and a further three singles to 28th. There were three singles in June: on 2nd, 18th and 20th. July saw one on 16th. In August there were two on 11th, with a single on 29 September. October produced 12 records mostly of one to five birds, with 13 on 13th the peak. One on 1 November was the last of the year. A poor showing. CROSSBILL Loxia curvirostra Gylfin Groes Rare to uncommon, occasionally occurs in good numbers during irruption years Five were at Nant on 21 March (EJB). A single flew over Cristin on 16th (OHK, SDS), with another on 23rd (EJB). GOLDFINCH Carduelis carduelis Nico Common migrant, though scarce in spring; bred in 1901, 1905, 2002, 2004-05, 2007-08, 2011-18 and 2020 There were ten records in mid- to late March, with up to 34 on 23rd. There were near-daily records in April, most in double figures, though there were four three-figure counts: 107 were seen on 12th, with 394 on 14th, while the following day 143 were counted, with 105 on 17th. There were almost daily counts through May to late August of the island’s three nesting pairs and their eight offspring, and any immigration during this time was masked by those birds. There were near-daily records in September, 16 of which were double-figure counts up to 54. October saw 29 records of which most were in high double figures and also four three-figure counts in the month: 201 were seen on 2nd, with 317 the following day and 316 counted on 13th and 129 on 18th. Two were seen on 1 November and then 24 on 4th. J F M A M J J A S O N D Max. count 0 0 34 394 28 11 10 20 54 317 24 0 Bird-days 0 0 102 1169 303 110 104 260 436 1594 26 0 Days seen 0 0 10 28 31 29 31 31 29 29 2 0 Crossbill © Ed Betteridge

140 STANSFIELD REP. BARDSEY BIRD FLD OBS. SISKIN Carduelis spinus Pila Gwyrdd Uncommon to common passage migrant Following last year’s record-breaking showing, 2022 broke the bird-day record further and equalled the daily count total of 2015. There were 11 records in March, nine being of one to eight birds with 20 on 21st and 47 on 23rd. April saw 18 records, three of which were double-figure counts up to 23. May produced eight records and, with the exception of five on 21st, all were of one or two birds. In June there were three singles and two on 6th. There were four records in July: two were seen on 1st and then there were three singles. The first in autumn was a single on 30 August. September saw three singles. October produced 20 records, nine of which were fewer than ten, six were in double figures and then 128 were seen on 10th, 259 on 13th (equal to the previous highest count on the island in 2015), with 231 on 16th, 178 on 18th and 129 on 20th. November’s only record was 35 on 1st. 0 100 200 300 400 500 0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800 J F M A M J J A S O N D Max. daily count per month Bird-day totals Five day periods Five-day totals Max count 0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400 450 500 0 500 1000 1500 2000 2500 3000 3500 4000 4500 5000 1953 1958 1963 1968 1973 1978 1983 1988 1993 1998 2003 2008 2013 2018 Annual bird Year's daily maxima -day totals Bird-day totals Yearly maxima 0 50 100 150 200 250 300 0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 J F M A M J J A S O N D Max. daily count per month Bird-day totals Five day periods Five-day totals Max count

141 SYSTEM ATIC LIST 6 6 : 7 0 - 141 J F M A M J J A S O N D Max. count 0 0 47 23 5 2 2 1 1 259 35 0 Bird-days 0 0 106 85 16 5 5 1 3 1215 35 0 Days seen 0 0 11 18 8 4 4 1 3 20 1 0 LAPLAND BUNTING Calcarius lapponicus Bras y Gogledd ¨ Amber-listed Scarce to uncommon passage migrant, mainly in autumn In October two were seen on 19th (SDS, RIT), with another on 20th (OHK, RIT), a poor showing. SNOW BUNTING Plectrophenax nivalis Bras yr Eira ¨ Amber-listed Scarce to uncommon passage migrant, mainly in autumn A single flew over Cristin on 4 November (SDS). YELLOWHAMMER Emberiza citrinella Melyn yr Eithin ¨ Red-listed Scarce, regularly bred to 1970 and then a single pair in 1988 In October one flew along the west side of the island on 16th (SDS). LITTLE BUNTING Emberiza pusilla Bras Lleiaf Vagrant, 15 previous records, last in 2016 One was heard calling and was sound-recorded as it flew south with Skylarks over the South End on 19 October (OHK). This record was accepted by WBRC. REED BUNTING Emberiza schoeniclus Bras y Cyrs ¨ Amber-listed Uncommon, regular passage migrant in small numbers, last bred in 1977 In March a single was seen on 26th at the reed-bed at Tŷ Pellaf. September produced singles on 25th and 30th. In October there were nine records, five were singles, three were recorded on 8th, ten on 11th, 13 on 13th and eight on 18th. The last was on 25th. 0 50 100 150 200 250 300 0 200 400 600 800 1000 1200 1400 1600 1953 1955 1957 1959 1961 1963 1965 1967 1969 1971 1973 1975 1977 1979 1981 1983 1985 1987 1989 1991 1993 1995 1997 1999 2001 2003 2005 2007 2009 2011 2013 2015 2017 2019 2021 Annual bird Year's daily maxima -day totals Bird-day totals Yearly maxima Reed Bunting © Steven Stansfield

142 BETTERIDGE REP. BARDSEY BIRD FLD OBS. ARRIVALS AND DEPARTURES The first and last dates of migrants during 2022 Ed Betteridge 1 INTRODUCTION The following two tables set out the arrival and departure dates of most of Bardsey’s summer and winter migrants, including this year’s earliest and latest records, as well as extralimital dates. Black Redstart © Ed Betteridge

143 ARRIVALS AND DEPARTURES 6 6 : 1 4 2 - 1 4 5

144 BETTERIDGE REP. BARDSEY BIRD FLD OBS. 2 RESULTS Table 1 The arrival and departure dates of migrant birds on Bardsey Summer migrants Species First record in 2022 Last record in 2022 Earliest record Pre-2022 Latest record Pre-2022 Swift 27 April 08 September 13 April 1995 28 October 1976 Cuckoo 21 April 06 August 17 April 2009 05 October 1981 Turtle Dove 02 June 17 April 2014 25 October 1988 & 1991 Curlew Sandpiper 14 October only 24 April 1963 21 October 1980 Little Stint No records 11 May 1984 29 October 1980 Common Sandpiper 16 April 18 September 21 March 1994 27 October 2003 Green Sandpiper No records 27 March 2017 24 October 2000 Greenshank 29 July 08 September 20 March 1960 20 October 1990 Sandwich Tern 03 April 19 October 13 March 2017 08 November 2013 Common Tern 16 August 19 October 14 April 1981 20 November 2012 Little Tern 28 August 06 September 01 April 2016 16 October 1970 & 1977 Arctic Tern 10 August 05 October 17 April 2013 05 December 2009 Black Tern 27 April 07 September 01 August 2014 29 October 1984 & 2004 Great Skua 7 April 11 October 27 March 1966 19 December 2014 Pomarine Skua 28 August 28 September 22 April 1967 01 December 2011 Arctic Skua 17 July 19 October 03 March 2011 15 November 2015 Puffin 22 March 3 September 14 February 2014 02 November 1989 & 1991 Storm Petrel 06 June 01 August 01 April 2015 26 November 1959 Sooty Shearwater 01 October only 15 March 1980 10 December 2014 Manx Shearwater 20 March 28 October 01 March 2005 20 December 2014 Balearic Shearwater 4 September 01 October 14 April 2017 05 January 1996 Osprey 11 August 09 September 22 March 2001 24 October 1990 Wryneck No records 07 April 2015 13 November 2007 Hobby 15 May 16 May 21 April 2002 29 October 2014 Golden Oriole 17 May 6 June 11 April 1981 19 September 1961 Sand Martin 21 March 13 September 07 March 2002 24 October 1968 & 1990 Swallow 02 April 22 October 12 March 1954 & 1993 13 December 2013 House Martin 28 March 10 October 07 March 1992 09 November 1983 & 1994 Wood Warbler 02 June only 15 April 2013 28 September 1999 Willow Warbler 24 March 18 October 18 March 2009 19 November 2016 Chiffchaff 19 March 31 October 15 February 2002 20 December 2004 Sedge Warbler 16 April 09 September 01 April 2014 11 October 1959 Reed Warbler 27 April 23 October 13 April 2015 31 October 1976 Melodious Warbler No records 24 May 1998 07 October 1970 Icterine Warbler No records 20 May 2009 07 October 1980 Grasshopper Warbler 13 April 12 September 01 April 1999 24 October 2001 Blackcap 21 March 31 October 21 January 1997 25 December 2014 Garden Warbler 24 April 11 October 25 March 1960 21 November 1979 Lesser Whitethroat 04 May 19 October 16 April 2004 18 November 2019 Whitethroat 22 April 13 October 26 March 1954 05 November 2014 Subalpine Warbler No records 18 April 2009 31 October 2002 Ring Ouzel 11 April 10 April 15 March 1993 21 November 2010 Spotted Flycatcher 29 April 12 October 19 April 2015 26 October 1984 Red-breasted Flycatcher 22 October 27 October 18 May 1994 05 November 2011 Pied Flycatcher 22 April 13 September 07 April 1985 18 October 2006 Black Redstart 21 March 31 October 16 Feb 2001 & 2003 31 December 2009 Redstart 12 April 10 October 26 March 2005 02 November 1953 Whinchat 19 May 21 October 26 March 1954 14 November 1989 Wheatear 19 March 16 October 06 March 1977 11 November 1989 ‘flava’ Wagtail 27 April 09 September 05 April 1980 24 October 1962 Tree Pipit 16 April 12 September 29 March 1968 06 November 2011 Common Rosefinch 01 October 02 October 21 May 1979 11 December 2010

145 ARRIVALS AND DEPARTURES 6 6 : 1 4 2 - 1 4 5 Autumn/winter migrants Species Last spring departure in 2022 First autumn arrival In 2022 Latest departure Pre 2022 Earliest arrival Pre 2022 Whooper Swan No spring records 12 October only 06 March 1987 02 October 2019 Wigeon No spring records 11 September 19 May 1999 01 July 2011 Eider No spring records 03 October 09 June 1989 12 August 1998 Water Rail 03 April only 6 September 04 June 1996 09 July 2014 Purple Sandpiper 31 May 02 August 18 June 1955 03 July 1975 Jack Snipe 05 April No autumn records 22 May 1989 22 August 1993 Woodcock No spring records 20 October only 14 June 2013 23 September 1963 Sabine's Gull No spring records 16 September 11 May 2004 3 August 2020 Red-throated Diver 22 April 15 September 20 June 1994 01 August 1998 Black-throated Diver No records 22 May 2011 13 September 2014 Great Northern Diver No spring records 28 September 16 June 1958 17 July 2012 Hen Harrier 14 May 24 August 05 June 1986 25 July 2008 Merlin 08 May 27 August 27 May 1979 06 July 1991 Yellow-browed Warbler No spring records 25 September 19 November 2008 17 September 1988 Barred Warbler No spring records 12 September 31 October 2014 19 August 1999 Fieldfare 09 April 19 October 23 May 2015 10 August 1983 Redwing 04 April 28 September 25 May 1991 05 September 1995 Richard's Pipit No spring records 14 October 14 November 2013 22 August 1955 Brambling 13 April 13 October 15 May 1985 27 September 2012 Lapland Bunting No spring records 19 October 01 June 1957 28 August 2010 Snow Bunting No spring records 04 November 22 June 1970 04 September 2002 Red-breasted Flycatcher © Steven Stansfield

146 KING REP. BARDSEY BIRD FLD OBS. BREEDING BIRDS A summary of the breeding season on Bardsey in 2022 Ollie King Mallard and ducklings © Ed Betteridge

147 BREEDING BIRDS 6 5 : 146 - 1 7 5

148 KING REP. BARDSEY BIRD FLD OBS. 1 INTRODUCTION Since the Observatory was established in 1953, Roberts (1985), Jones (1988), Leitch (1992), Loxton and Jones (1995), and more recently Eagle (2012) have produced summaries of the ‘Breeding birds on Bardsey since 1953’. In addition, there are brief summaries for each of the nesting species in the Systematic List of each of the Observatory’s annual reports. Since 1998, however, increased effort has meant that more data have been collected systematically and a more comprehensive ‘Breeding bird report’ has been produced each year, which shows the number of pairs nesting, productivity figures, notes on successes or failures and comparisons with previous years. In addition, since 2009, the Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) method has been used for Bardsey’s landbirds. The data from this survey help with the assessment of land management impacts on non-seabird species and inform conservation management reviews. Our seabird data are used by Natural Resources Wales (NRW) to assess Bardsey’s seabird populations and their health. They also contribute to the national Seabird Monitoring Programme (SMP) which was established in 1986 to monitor annually the 26 species of seabird that regularly breed in Britain and Ireland. It aims to ensure that sample data on breeding numbers and breeding success of seabirds are collected both regionally and nationally, to enable their conservation status to be assessed. The SMP is Guillemot © Ed Betteridge