Bardsey Bird and Field Observatory report 2012

Bardsey Bird and Field
Observatory Report

2012

Adroddiad Gwylfa
Maes ac Adar Ynys Enlli

0

Bardsey Bird and Field Observatory Report 2012

56th Edition

Published by Bardsey Bird and Field Observatory
Produced by Steven Stansfield/www.wildlifeimages.eu

Edited by Anthony John
Spring 2013

Registered Charity No. 249790

Adroddiad Gwylfa Maes ac Adar Ynys Enlli 2012 -- Bardsey Bird and Field Observatory Report 2012

ISSN 0408-5655
Front cover: Greenland Wheatear Oenanthe oenanthe leucorrhoa by Steve Stansfield; record passage
of Greenland Wheatears was noted in early May 2012
Rear cover: Citrine Wagtail Motacilla citreola by Steven Stansfield; a long-awaited addition to the
Bardsey avifauna
Inside front cover: Bardsey
Inside rear cover: Late Autumn and Winter
Text illustrations and photographs by Steven Stansfield/wildlifeimages.eu (SDS), Richard
Brown (RDB) and Ben Porter (BJP): the names of all the species have been added to the
photograph alongside the photographer’s names within the text or with the photographer’s
initials within the colour plates.
Drawings by Emma Stansfield/wildlifeimages.eu: pii Chaffinch, p iv Swallow
All images are copyright to the contributing artist/photographer.
This report was compiled, typeset, designed and produced by Steven Stansfield with
assistance from Emma Stansfield (www.wildlifeimages.eu), and Stephen Hinde. The text was
edited and the report proof read by Anthony John.
Printed by Dearne Valley Printers, Wath-upon-Dearne, Rotherham, South Yorkshire.
Telephone 01709 872188.

ii Adroddiad Gwylfa Maes ac Adar Ynys Enlli 2012

Contents

ii List of illustrations Steven Stansfield

iv Bardsey Bird and Field Observatory Council 2012 Steven Stansfield

1 Chairman’s report Patrick Davies

3 Secretary’s report Liz James and Ian Wright

8 Warden’s report Steven Stansfield

18 Migration diary Ben Porter and Steven Stansfield

50 Systematic list Steven Stansfield

122 Breeding birds Richard Brown

136 Citrine Wagtail – a new species for Bardsey David Waudby

137 A possible ‘Romanian’ Wagtail Motacilla flava Richard Brown and

dombrowskii Steven Stansfield

138 Arrival and departure dates of migrants Richard Brown

139 Lighthouse attractions Richard Brown

144 Bird ringing Richard Brown

150 Ringing recoveries Giselle Eagle

154 Non-avian animals Stephen Hinde

157 Cetacean Survey Sonja Eisfeld and Mark Simmonds

163 Butterflies Richard Brown

169 Moths Ben Porter

189 List of contributors Steven Stansfield

190 Membership application form

191 Map of Bardsey

192 Advertisements

Published June 2013

Chough © 2012 Steve Stansfield

Bardsey Bird and Field Observatory Report 2012 iii

Bardsey Bird and Field Observatory Council

2012

President
Rt. Revd. David Hawkins, Bishop of Barking
Vice Presidents
Anthony Bianchi, Peter Hope Jones, Bevan Craddock, Mike West
Trustees of BBFO
Chair – Patrick Davies, 70 Glen Eldon Road, Lytham St. Annes, Lancashire
Hon. Secretary – Liz James, 68 Thorne Road, Swinton, Manchester
Hon. Treasurer – Dianne Charles, 2 Regent Close, Edgbaston, Birmingham
Hon. Bookings Secretary – Alicia Normand, 46 Maudlin Drive, Teignmouth, South Devon,
Peter Howlett, NMGW, Cathays Park, Cardiff
BBFO Advisory Committee (Non-Trustee Council members)
Representing the ‘Friends of Bardsey Observatory’
Anne Owen-Vaughan, Dafydd Phillips, Bevan Healey, Simon Hugheston-Roberts,
Anne West
Representing the West Midland Bird Club
Nick Barlow, Robert Normand, Andrew Lawrence
Representing the North Wales Wildlife Trust
Ian Wright
Representing the Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales
Dai Stacey
Co-opted members
Newsletter editor – Jo Jones
Membership services – Jill Lawrence
Fundraising co-ordinator – Mel Stacey
Internet services and young persons co-ordinator – Gwyn Stacey
BBFO Annual Report Editor
Anthony John, Brook Cottage, Sampford Spiney, Yelverton, Devon, PL20 7QX

iv Adroddiad Gwylfa Maes ac Adar Ynys Enlli 2012

Chairman’s report

Patrick Davies

Welcome to the 56th Bardsey Bird and Field Observatory report. It includes a number
of feature articles regarding recent research initiatives on the island. Please continue to
provide ideas for how we can further improve the report and submit wildlife photographs
taken on the island, for possible inclusion in the report. Thanks again to those who placed
adverts and made the inclusion of colour photographs possible and to Tony John for editing
and proof-reading the report.

We welcomed back Steven Stansfield as our Warden for 2012, for his 15th season.
Again he was joined by Richard Brown as our Assistant Warden and by Steve Hinde as our
Second Assistant Warden. The team continued to work well throughout the season and their
enthusiasm allowed further progress to be made in and around the Observatory. They were
supported by a number of long and short-term volunteers, who added greatly to the work of
the Observatory throughout the season. Richard Brown left the Observatory at the end of the
2012 season, along with his girlfriend Giselle Eagle, and they have been appointed joint
Wardens of Skokholm Bird Observatory in Pembrokeshire. I wish them both well with this new
and exciting opportunity. Richard was our Assistant Warden for five years, having previously
been Assistant Warden on Skomer, and we are lucky that we will benefit from his handiwork
at the Observatory for many years to come. Cristin continues to be kept to a very high
standard through regular investment and the tremendous efforts of staff and volunteers alike.
Visitor numbers remained high in 2012 and the weather was reasonably kind to us during the
season, ensuring that Colin Evans could maintain a reliable boat service throughout.

This Annual Report gives details of a good year for birds, with autumn’s Citrine Wagtail
being a new species for Bardsey. A good number of scarce species were also recorded during
the year. The bird ringing total was respectable, with 3782 birds of 77 species ringed, despite
low ringing totals for some seabird species and the fact that it was not possible to visit
Ynysoedd Gwylan. Extra effort was again put into catching moths during 2012 and additional
equipment is now available to further increase monitoring going forward. Thanks to all our
visitors for helping to build such an accurate record of all the flora and fauna on the island
throughout the season.

The Observatory continues to benefit from the provision of internet access, with the
Bardsey Wildlife blog, www.bbfo.blogspot.com, continuing to attract very favourable
comments. It is a fantastic way for people to keep up to date with wildlife sightings on the
island and other activities around the Observatory. With a fine selection of photographs to
complement the text, it is well worth a look. Thanks to Ben Porter for maintaining the Bardsey
Wildlife blog so well throughout the year and particularly during the winter months when he
was also the main observer. The benefits of having the LSA Hut available as a base on the
South End were again evident in 2012, particularly in terms of the Observatory’s ability to
monitor the wildlife on the island and increasing our ability to manage bird welfare issues
caused by Lighthouse attractions. I am very grateful to BITL for agreeing to the Observatory
having a long-term lease for the LSA Hut, which is now in place.

Our charges for the 2013 season have only risen by a moderate amount again and we
continue to try to offer good value for money and an enjoyable and memorable experience.
We continue to work on increasing our membership further and to attract additional funding
by developing a coordinated approach for the future.

Bardsey Bird and Field Observatory Report 2012 1

We were happy to welcome a group of students and tutors from the University of
Wales, Bangor. Their visit in June, as part of a combined Biology and Ecology degree field
course, was the first of a series of planned visits. We will continue to collaborate, so that more
joint projects between the Observatory and the University and further field courses at the
Observatory can be run in the future.

Bangor University students and tutors © 2012 Steve Stansfield

Thanks must go to the many people who have given their time and effort to the
maintenance and improvement of the Observatory during 2012. Thanks to Steve and Jo Porter
for their support throughout the year, it is much appreciated. Thanks to Mike Archer for his
continued effort to ensure that all our data is both digitised and checked; he is now focusing
on our Lepidoptera data. Special thanks to Ben Porter for all the hard work he puts in
throughout the year monitoring the birds and other wildlife and helping in other ways at the
Observatory. Thanks also to the Countryside Council for Wales (CCW) for their continued
financial support for the research work carried out by the Observatory. Thanks again to all
those on Council and others who gave so much of their time to the Observatory in so many
ways. They have all helped to make 2012 another very successful year. Best wishes for 2013
and hopefully many of you will enjoy visits to the Observatory in the future.

2 Adroddiad Gwylfa Maes ac Adar Ynys Enlli 2012

Secretary’s report

Liz James and Ian Wright

Council met for the first time in 2012 at Haling Dene Centre on 25 February. Trustees
now ‘meet’ by teleconference between Council meetings and there was a first, successful,
teleconference in January. At that meeting it was agreed that the Warden, Steven Stansfield
be invited to join Trustees’ teleconferences. Council heard that BBFO had been well
represented at the Bird Observatories Council (BOC) meeting at Gibraltar Point at the
beginning of the year. Our digitised data was setting the standard for UK Observatories and
was to be used by the BTO as a trial for observatories’ data to be input to BirdTrack. Digitised
data was bringing with it concerns about its safe storage and this will receive attention.

The ‘Rules’ that would create the Advisory Committee – that body of Council members
who were included in the old Constitution, but unspecified in the new one following the
reduction in number of Trustees – were formulated. These vital Council members would be
formally established following the adoption of these rules which would happen at the AGM.
The Bookings Secretary reported strong demand for the coming year and Council supported
ideas to develop an education focus for visitors and potential visitors. Progress towards
successful fundraising schemes was also reported and consideration given to ideas for
marking our 60th anniversary year in 2013. Council ended with an enthusiastic ‘buzz’
apparent, looking forward to progress towards our 60th. Our AGM would be held this year at
Prenteg Village Hall, as equally convenient for travel as Criccieth; this would be a modern,
well-appointed venue situated in the Snowdonia countryside.

Before the AGM date, the vexed question of Specially Protected Marine Conservation
Zones arose and provided Trustees with a challenge to respond appropriately to the
consultation. Although supportive of the principles of MCZs, Trustees recognised that the
approach taken by Welsh Assembly Government with this proposal would have a particularly
detrimental effect on the life of the island. An appropriate response would be prepared and
put to the AGM for support and approval. Further steps into the ‘digital age’ had been taken
with the raising of various documents as ‘Google docs’ to be available ‘on-line’ to Council
members for use and reference.

In July circumstances arose that led to my handing over the role of Secretary to Liz
James.

Ian Wright

It was with a mixture of pleasure and trepidation that I took over the role of Secretary, 3
knowing that I had to follow in the footsteps of two excellent role models, Ian Wright and
Mike West before him, who have contributed so much to the sound running of the
Observatory. I would like to thank Ian for the above report. Ian must be thanked particularly
for his diligent work in amending the Constitution, adopted in 2011, resulting in the
reformation of the Council, the ‘Rules’ for which were approved and adopted at the AGM.
Thanks are also due to him for his well-informed input on legislative issues.

As Secretary I have been more deeply involved in the general running of the
Observatory and have become increasingly aware of the essential contribution made by
fellow Trustees, Council members, volunteers and staff for which they must be thanked. The
Trustees continue to hold regular teleconference meetings, the main items on the agenda for
13 October, 21 November and 16 February being in the nature of current finance, banking

Bardsey Bird and Field Observatory Report 2012

arrangements, legislative issues, insurance and staffing; some of these are still ‘works in
progress’, due to the amount of thorough investigation and discussion being carried out.
Following the advice of the Treasurer, Dianne Charles, a new bank account with CAF is due to
be signed. The Trustee Liability insurance is considered adequate and will be left as it is for
now. It was thought that the contents insurance is sufficient, but a new inventory will be
made. Thanks must go to Peter Howlett for having introduced ‘Pow-Wow-Now’ and setting up
each meeting at the appropriate time. This has had the benefit of being recordable and
accessible through ‘Drop Box’, a great help when writing and checking minutes for accuracy.
Peter and Steven Stansfield had also been investigating the use of ‘Google Hangout’ which has
the additional benefits of being free and providing visual communication. Trials had been
successful and after a few ‘teething problems’ the first Trustees teleconference using this was
held on 16 February. The only problem, which will hopefully be ironed out, was slight
background noise. Thanks must also go to both Steven and Peter for their patient instruction
in the use of ‘Hangout’.

The Trustee and Advisory Committee continue to meet as ‘the Council’ three times a
year. The meeting on 24 November, held in Penkridge, Staffordshire, was particularly well
attended by members travelling from as far afield as Lancashire and Yorkshire in the north,
Devon in the south, Cambridgeshire to the east and Conwy, Anglesey and Carmarthenshire to
the west. It was also good to see the interest shown by new ‘Friends of BBFO’ members. The
chairman, Patrick Davies, gave an update on the Specially Protected Marine Conservation
Zone proposal, stating that the Welsh Assembly Government had extended the process
indefinitely and was likely to abandon it. BBFO’s submission had been sent in on time. The
subject of the minimum wage and working hours was discussed at length and it was agreed
that, after further investigation, staff contracts would be updated and that a Disciplinary and
Grievance Schedule was also needed.

Patrick Davies was congratulated on the success of his talks with Richard Farmer, the
new Chairman of BITL, in securing the lease on the LSA hut for another 12 years. The
documents for the new lease were made available to be signed by the Trustees, both retiring
and new. It was noted that the lease needs to be signed each time there is a change in
Trustees. The certification for gas and electricity and the servicing of the central heating was
checked and appropriate action agreed as necessary. It was agreed that the offer of a
feasibility study for the use and installation of solar panels should be accepted.

The Health and Safety Officer, Mike West, reported that he had carried out a full
review of the Health and Safety policy. Protection equipment for staff was provided, but they
pay for their own work boots. As these wear out rapidly, it was suggested that the
Observatory may be able to supply them and it was agreed that the matter of raising funds for
this would be discussed with BBFO’s Fundraising Coordinator, Mel Stacey. Following an
incident involving one of their staff, the RSPB Health and Safety Officer at Bangor had stated
that BBFO’s emergency evacuation plan was excellent. An evacuation procedure notice is to
be displayed in the Observatory. Patrick Davies thanked Mike West for all the work he has
undertaken and is still doing.

Mike Archer and his data checking team, Dale Brown, Ruth Edwards, Joan James and
Daphne Tyne have been thanked for the mammoth task they undertook in digitising the bird
ringing and daily census data. Having completed that last year, they are now working through
the records on butterflies and moths. Fellow guests overhearing the constant drone of voices
reading endless lists of names and dates have to admire their tenacity and patience as they all
work to Mike’s strict time schedule. These ladies also double as chefs, under the continued

4 Adroddiad Gwylfa Maes ac Adar Ynys Enlli 2012

guidance of their leader of course! There have been some amusing moments in Cristin’s
kitchen.

Dai Stacey and his team of
intrepid Countryside Management
students from Coleg Sir Gar have been
thanked for rebuilding the boardwalks in
Cristin Withy. There are not many
people who would be so enthusiastic
about wading about in so much mud!
Washing a pair of totally mud-caked
work trousers, left behind by one of the
students, brought to mind the old
Hippopotamus song:

‘Mud, mud, glorious mud
Nothing quite like it for cooling the blood
So follow me follow, down to the hollow
And there let me wallow in glorious mud’

The Council’s admiration and gratitude

was well earned and it is hoped that we © 2012 Steve Stansfield
will see them again soon in their

‘hollow’. Fundraising in these uncertain

times is increasingly important if we are to

maintain the high standards now expected and many thanks must go to Mel Stacey as

Fundraising Coordinator for the excellent headway she has made in acquiring a generous

grant from Lush Cosmetics towards the boardwalk project.

A big thank you goes to Jo Jones who continues to edit some superb editions of the
Bardsey Beacon and is encouraging members to take their copy via email. This saves the cost
of postage and facilitates the use of colour. It really is worth taking your copy this way as
some of the photographs shown are stunning. Jo is full of ideas and is currently leading the
Helgoland Trap Appeal for BBFO’s 60th Anniversary. This has already got off to a good start,
attracting a substantial amount of support from members. She also dreamt up and organised
the ‘Adopt a Manxie’ Scheme; the gift packs were very well received, as expressed in a
number of letters shown by the following two extracts:

‘The kids absolutely love the chicks and all the other stuff and are desperate
to find “their” burrows next time we’re on the island.’

‘I wanted to thank you for all the paperwork you've sent me, lovely photo,
ring number, fridge magnet, fluffy chick, information sheet, etc. All
delightful.’

Jill Lawrence must be thanked for her work as Membership Secretary; several new
members have been recruited, some of whom have already been very welcome guests at
Cristin. She is currently working with Jo Jones, emailing the ‘Bardsey Beacon’ and dealing with
mail concerning the Helgoland Trap Appeal. It is good to see young people getting involved
and many thanks have been sent to Laura Davies whose brave sky dive brought in £850! Well
done Laura.

Bardsey Bird and Field Observatory Report 2012 5

Steven Stansfield and a young team of IT experts, Mark Carter, Gwyn Stacey, Patrick
Charles, and Ben Porter must be thanked for updating the Observatory’s means of
communication, a new improved website, ‘Facebook’ and ‘Twitter’, whilst keeping up with
both the ‘Wildlife’ and the ‘All in a Day’s Work’ blogs. The Observatory has excellent members
of staff who must be thanked both for the work they are paid for and for the enormous
amount of time and effort given voluntarily. It has been agreed that, as long as finance
permits, the employment of two Assistant Wardens to support the full-time Warden should
be continued.

On leaving his employment as Assistant Warden, to take up a new post as Warden on
the island of Skokholm, Richard Brown was thanked for all he had done during his five years at
the Observatory. His accomplishments are too many to list, but some of the most outstanding
tasks, for which he will long be remembered, have to be moving huge water tanks enabling
Cristin’s very damp wall to dry out, fitting new guttering, repairing and rebuilding the
Helgoland trap, and fitting a new kitchen in Steve and Emma’s Barn. His contribution to the
life and work of the Observatory was recognised by the President, Rt. Rev. David Hawkins,
Bishop of Barking, at a small celebration dinner at Cristin. The Council wished him and his
partner Giselle a very happy and successful future in their new posts.

It was a great pleasure to confirm the employment of Assistant Warden, Stephen
Hinde for 2013 and thank him for all his hard work, using his valuable skills to ensure the
efficient, smooth running of the Observatory, especially when it comes to generators and
helping to move water tanks uphill! Volunteer Mark Carter has also been thanked for all his
hard work, all tasks being completed efficiently to a very high standard, with great
enthusiasm. It was a pleasure to confirm his employment as Assistant Warden for 2013 and
wish him well for his first year as a member of staff.

BBFO has been lucky to have had the services of the current Warden, Steven
Stansfield, for fifteen years. His willingness to devote so much of his working (and private) life
to the running of the Observatory has provided the continuity needed to envisage and
implement longer term projects. As a result, very high standards in many areas, from the
production of these highly praised Annual Reports and annual reports to CCW, to visitor
accommodation, have been achieved and are now expected. Steve’s weekly talks add to the
experience of Bardsey’s wildlife for both Observatory and Bardsey Island Trust visitors alike
and presentations given to groups on the mainland have brought in new visitors from further
afield, helping to raise BBFO’s profile. Steve should also be congratulated on his election as
Chairman of the BOC. It has been a great pleasure to thank him and to confirm his
employment for a further term of five years.

Steve’s wife Emma must also be thanked for both the support she gives him and her
own voluntary contribution to the work of the Observatory. Her influence can be seen
everywhere, from the artistic touches in Cristin’s décor, resulting in tasteful and welcoming
accommodation for guests, and the very successfully organised Gift Shop, to sharing the
workload of ringing birds and leaping up the hillside to switch off the generator each night, no
matter what the weather. Emma also plays an important part in the ‘Adopt a Manxie’ scheme,
monitoring the four Shearwaters (named Carl, Mandy, Nancy and Maxine) and preparing their
information sheets and annual updates. Steve and Emma’s young son, Connor is rapidly
becoming a very useful member of the team, though his school work has to come first,
according to his teacher, Emma!

6 Adroddiad Gwylfa Maes ac Adar Ynys Enlli 2012

© 2011 Peter EvansUnfortunately it isn’t all good news. We have had to say goodbye to Daffydd Phillips
who has resigned as boatman, as he and his new wife are moving away. He has been thanked
for the valuable service he provided in delivering goods to the island. Council wishes them a
long and happy life together in their new home.

It was with
great sadness that
we learned of the
death of Dr Mandy
McMath, the Senior
Vertebrate Ecologist
for the Countryside
Council for Wales, in
September. Many of
us had the good
fortune to meet
Mandy while staying
at the Observatory
and enjoyed learning
from her as she
studied Bardsey’s
fascinating Grey
Seals. It was impossible
not to be caught up by her enthusiasm and willingness to share her knowledge. She was a
very special person and her contribution to the life and work of the Observatory will be sorely
missed. Sincere condolences have been sent to Mandy’s family from all of us at BBFO.

Grey Seals © 2012 Steve Stansfield

People are drawn to Bardsey Island, Ynys Enlli, for a variety of reasons, whether it is to 7
study birds, to be at one with nature, for spiritual reasons, for scientific research, to earn a
living or for a combination of these things. Whatever the reason, it is important that we all
work together, in harmony, to keep this wonderful little island the haven that it is. To be able
to play even a small part in it all is a great privilege.

Liz James (BBFO Secretary from July 2012)

Bardsey Bird and Field Observatory Report 2012

Warden’s report

Steve Stansfield

Winter review

As ever, the year began with a very productive meeting of the Bird Observatories
Council (BOC) in early January, this time at Gibraltar Point Bird Observatory. Once again
Bardsey Bird Observatory was very well represented, with Peter Howlett, Ian Wright, myself
and Emma present. BBFO’s revised constitution, ringing protocol, revamped census log,
recording protocol and food shop list are all being used as templates by some of the other
British bird observatories. Following the meeting Emma and I took a short break in North
Norfolk before returning to work in mid-January where I worked on the completion of the
2010 report. Once this report was sent to the printers in mid-February, I began writing the
2011 report. I also completed the end of year paperwork for 2011 and got the submission of
ringing data up to date for the British Trust for Ornithology. The end of year report for the
Countryside Council for Wales grant was submitted to Peter Howlett and onto CCW in late
February.

In early February, I made a trip to Bangor to attend a meeting of the Scientific
Committee of Bardsey Island Trust Ltd (BITL). Following the meeting Ian Wright and I had a
shorter meeting with the RSPB area manager Alistair Moralee. We discussed the future plans
of the RSPB within the management of the island and future collaborations with the
Observatory. On 28 February I did a talk on Bardsey to the Fylde Bird Club at a venue near
Blackpool. The talk was well received and I was instantly booked to do a talk on the Bird
Observatories of Britain and Ireland in February 2013.

Spring review

 Staffing and volunteers
We returned to the island in early March, following the meeting at Penkridge. This year Liz
James did not return with us. However, Ian Wright came to help getting the Observatory
ready for visitors, as did Dianne Charles. Mike Archer came along to help with ringing at start
of the season until Richard Brown returned from his winter break. Steve Hinde returned on 2
April, with Richard Brown returning on 9th. Mark Carter, who wrote to me in November 2011
about coming to volunteer for us, came on during the first week of the season. He took to any
task put to him with enthusiasm and precision. His level of work quality was fantastic, as was
the amount of effort he put in. He is good with visitors and tidy in his approach to work. He
originally came for just one month, but I asked him to stay on until the start of staff holidays
and he left the island in June to work on Anglesey with Ian Wright. Mark agreed to return to
the island in August as a volunteer for the rest of the season. We were also lucky enough to
have Chris Piner from Lancashire who came to help out for several weeks; he and Mark made
great inroads into a huge work list. Dan Dawson came again to do some more TLC on the
rotting windows at Cristin. He is also planning on replacing the door to our house next year as
the existing one is rotten.

 Buildings and practical work
Richard Williams of BITL came and measured up for some new windows in the
Observatory as several are very dangerous now. These were scheduled to be replaced in
September. Cristin stood up well to the winter months, though the walls on the northern side
of the building are now letting in water. The north double room needed much attention, as
did the Common Room. We did a reasonable amount of decorating again in the spring to get

8 Adroddiad Gwylfa Maes ac Adar Ynys Enlli 2012

the Observatory ready. The south double room was completely redecorated and with money 9
given to us by Emma's aunt we bought new curtains and bedding for that room. Courtyard has
a new look — in line with BITL's colour scheme for the courtyards on the island we have
painted the doors in Buckingham Green, and the frames white. Rich B has put thresholds
across the bottom of all the doors of the outbuildings in an attempt to keep them mouse-
proof. This has worked in the Observatory and is appearing to do so in the buildings. Last year
Gwyn Stacey did some work on a path heading up to the generator shed from the trap. The
rest of the path was completed this year by Mark, Patrick Charles and Ben. This makes coming
from the generator much safer after dark, especially when it is raining. Mark also created a set
of steps on the slope above the ladies loo, making it much easier to get to the water tanks.
The well this summer (2012) was higher than I have ever known it bar once. In complete
contrast to this time last year, when the water level was below zero on our measuring scale,
this year it was plus 9.5 when I left. The island was very wet and we continued to closely
monitor the situation, but we will probably allow guests to have a shower during their stay at
a cost of £3 as we have done in the past. This will help recoup some of the expense of fitting
the shower room.

 Green Energy
Following the meeting of BBFO Council in Penkridge in February, Council gave me the go
ahead to buy two battery/inverter systems for producing ‘mains’ power during the daytime.
These were eventually ordered and installed in March. The initial proposal was to buy three
systems and the National Museum of Wales to buy one for running the freezer for the dead
birds (see below). In the end, two systems were bought. Each system comprised an Elecsol
250ah AGM gel Battery, a Numax connect-and-forget 12v 30amp battery charger (and we
already had two 150watt inverters). The cost including vat and carriage for the two systems
was £1195. The systems have been working very well so far. The batteries are charged in the
evening when the generator is running to power the Observatory. We have been running the
generator for four to five hours in the evening only. In the daytime we have managed to write
and compile the 2011 annual report without putting on either the large or small generator.
Mike Archer has spent a month data checking and has not needed the generator to be on.
This has gone down well with guests. The need for power during the day has become more of
a necessity as the administration jobs and the 'paperwork' have become paperless and we are
reliant upon computers to fit in with the outside world. The digital age had truly hit the island.
A similar system for the fridges was planned, but not purchased as the cost was likely to be
greater than that I initially told Council in February. We would need the same battery and
charger we have in place for daytime power, but a larger, heavy duty inverter. This would
increase the cost somewhat, and possibly a solar panel to keep the battery topped up during
the day. I would still like to see such a system in place in the near future. Unfortunately we
were unable to buy a system on behalf of National Museum Wales (NMGW) as the part to
convert the gas freezer to electric was thrown out over the winter a couple of years ago when
the tool shed was 'sorted'.

 BBFO and IT
In early March the Avonline broadband engineer was intercepted on his way to the island
to upgrade the system at Tŷ Pellaf. He was asked to upgrade the system at Cristin. We were
up and running using a new dish and modem. The current system was ours to sell, so Dianne
Charles took it off the island with her in March to try and sell it. The upgrade cost £100, but
we are being charged less for our monthly service plan. We now have fast 10mb/s Internet,
but the download capacity, although more than double what it was, is still an issue in that it is
still on the rolling window scale and we don't expect to be allowing guests to use it as a
matter of course.

Bardsey Bird and Field Observatory Report 2012

As a result of many of our guests and members wanting 'people' posts on the blog, I decided
to set up a new blog about the daily life and goings on at the obs. I began earlier in the year to
post, but became short of time Mark has now been keeping it posted. Called 'All in a day's
work!', there are posts about the decorating of the Observatory, cleaning the gift shop,
painting loo buckets, net ride cutting, etc. The URL is www.bbfolife.blogspot.com; please scroll
straight to the bottom of the page and then hit older posts so that you can see it from the
beginning in chronological order. This will allow you to see what has been happening on the
island since the last meeting. Our use of IT continues to grow and improve, helping with the
safety of data that are collected, and helping ‘spread the word’ to the world about the work of
BBFO.

 Gift Shop
All the stock and older bird reports that are kept in the gift shop are now in red plastic
sealed square buckets that sheep food supplement came to the island in. This now keeps the
stock dry and mouse-free!

 Fund-raising initiatives
I was asked to design a flyer for Laura Davies' 'SKY DIVE for BBFO'. Laura was to jump from
a plane at 10,000 feet and raise money for the Observatory in doing so. We have had very
positive responses from this and have £800+ in donations for the Observatory. I also set up
Just Text Giving for the Observatory and for Laura's Sky Dive, which she completed in August.
This is cost-free to us. If you text BBFO21 £5 to 70070 you will have £5 taken from your mobile
credit or added to your bill if on contract, and the Observatory will get £5, plus gift aid if the
person follows the links on their phone to donate gift aid. We should try to get friends and
relatives to send the text - even if only for £1 it will all make a difference. Mel and Gwyn
Stacey organised a day with Lush Carmarthen and raised £180 or so for BBFO.

 Education and talks
As a result of the talks I gave on the mainland a couple of years ago, the Preston Naturalist
Society stayed with us at the Observatory for one week. From the group of ten we managed
to get five new members. I also talked to Bangor bird group a while back and Nigel Brown
from Bangor University was there. As a result of this talk Nigel booked the whole Observatory
for a week and we ended up with 14 people staying. The week was a great success and we are
in negotiations with Nigel and other interested parties who all want to come for the same
week next year. Nigel will be bringing 21 students and the overspill from the Observatory will
go into Plas. This is a fantastic result and Nigel is already looking at 2014! I continued to give
talks on the island for the season and again had very positive feedback from guests who came
along. We continue to get funding from CCW for the talks given.

 60th Celebrations
Bob, Alicia, Emma and I are looking to have, as part of the 60th celebrations, a week of
celebration to ‘Discover the magic of Bardsey' on the island in May 2013.

 BBFO Reports
After we had completed getting the Observatory ready for guests, I turned my attention to
the production of the 2011 bird report. I had managed to get most pieces to Tony John to be
edited by late February. Tony returned the amended texts to me in mid-April, the
amendments were made during May and June and the report artwork inserted and priced
together. The quote given was just under £2100. The report was 20 pages longer than the
2010 due to a comprehensive paper by WDCS on the work they have been doing on Risso’s
Dolphins in the Irish Sea and an update on the breeding birds on the island from 1992 to 2011

10 Adroddiad Gwylfa Maes ac Adar Ynys Enlli 2012

by Giselle Eagle. The usual set of reports from staff and officers take up much the same
amount of space as they have for the past few years. The 2010 report had some fantastic
comments on its content and production and one particularly excellent review on BirdGuides,
so I would like to thank all who were involved in helping me to get it published. We hope that
the 2011 report will get similar reviews. I had requests for copies of the report following the
review, and one person from Hong Kong requested a copy. In his email he wrote ‘The reason I
want a copy is that I'm one of the Editorial Team of the Hong Kong Bird Report and we are
looking at ways of improving our presentation, particularly in the area of graphs and
statistics.’

I would like to thank Patrick Davies here, who after about eight years handed over the
editorial role of the BBFO report to our existing proof-reader Tony John. Patrick has done a
fantastic job in editing the report, with his meticulous eye to detail, not only to the English
language, but more importantly to the correctness of the data that were being presented. He
checked every calculation in all the reports, making sure that totals, means, standard
deviations etc. were all correct (and did quite often find errors in there). Also making sure all
the columns in the ringing report added up correctly (which they quite often didn't!) and
checking and cross-checking dates from one report to the next, so as to be sure that if the
warden’s report said that a Black Kite was seen on 13 October, the systematic list didn't say it
was 31 October. He also managed to find on several occasions the 31st June or November,
and even once, I think, the 92th of April. So once again Patrick from me, and on behalf of the
rest of the members and readers who have enjoyed a factually correct report for almost a
decade, Thank You.

Autumn review

 Staffing and volunteers
Autumn 2012 was also a fantastic season on the island for BBFO. Once again we had a very
strong team of full-time staff and both long- and short-term volunteers.

© 2012 Steve Stansfield 11

BBFO’s 2012 staff and some long-term volunteers in spring. From Left: Dan Dawson, Mark Carter, Connor Stansfield, Chris
Piner, Joan James, Steve Hinde, Ruth Edwards, Rich Brown (in front), Giselle Eagle, Mike Archer, Emma Stansfield

Bardsey Bird and Field Observatory Report 2012

This year’s support from volunteers on the island has been immense. This has meant that
lots of work has been done. Chris Piner came to us in May for a two-week period and, again,
he was asked to stay on and then he returned, together with Mark Carter, as long-term
volunteers for the autumn. Chris did another six weeks on the island through to late October.
Both work very well together and it is expected that we will invite Chris back as a long-term
volunteer for a large part of 2013.

We had a total of 81 volunteer-weeks (including Mark and Chris, who spent most of the
time in the Courtyard Lloft). The other volunteer workers included Mike Archer, who spent
about ten weeks on the island continuing the work he had been doing in previous years. He
was again helped by Ruth Edwards, Daphne Tyne, Dale Brown and Joan James. They had
completed the digitisation of the ringing data and then moved on to the Lepidoptera data.
The butterflies were completed in spring and the moths are almost complete now. This task
should be complete next summer. Dave Emley, a friend of Bob and Alica Normand, has also
been digitising the non-Lepidoptera invertebrate data for BBFO. He has almost completed
that task. In August Dianne and Patrick Charles came out to the island and helped with lots of
brush clearance in the withies. I would like to thank Dianne for her help and ask if she will pass
on our thanks to Patrick. Liz James also came as a volunteer at the end of the season to help
with packing the Observatory away for the winter.

Richard Brown and Giselle Eagle told us in September that they would be leaving the
employ of BBFO to become the new wardens at Skokholm Bird Observatory in Pembrokeshire.
We had a leaving party for them on October 25 where Bishop David Hawkins presented them
with a few small gifts on behalf of the Observatory and myself and Emma. We wish them all
the best for the future. A letter of thanks for their hard work over the past five and two-and-a-
half years respectively has been sent by Liz James. As a result of Richard’s appointment we
were left with a vacancy for the Assistant Warden. At the Trustees’ meeting in October it was
decided that we should offer full-time employment for the 2013 season to Mark Carter. Mark
had been with us since the start of the 2012 season and is a great asset to the Observatory.
Mark accepted the position without hesitation. The Trustees also decided that Steve Hinde
should be re-appointed again for the 2013 season and remunerated to show his commitment.
Alicia, Liz James and I also did an appraisal of Steve Hinde and at the same time offered him
work for the 2013 season. Steve needed time to ‘take stock’ before committing to a post
offered to him, but has since been in touch and has accepted. To sum up, we have had a great
deal of help this year from volunteers, and this has made the year one of, if not the most
productive in the time I have been the Warden of BBFO and in the time of the Observatory’s
existence.

 Buildings
During the year a great deal of work was done on the building. Dan Dawson came out
again and did work for us on the door and windows that needed some TLC and fitted a new
opening light into Connor’s bedroom. In September, the windows in the south single bedroom
and north double were repaired/replaced. The south single window was fully replaced with a
new one. I contacted Todd Chater, our tame roofer, as we were having issues with water
penetrating the walls at Cristin. The outside walls all looked sound and it appeared that the
problem was with the roof. Todd confirmed my diagnosis and has done some repair work to
the lead flashing in the valleys of Cristin and some re-pointing of the chimneys. This should
sort out the damp issue we have in the north double room and along the northern wall of the
Common Room. We will probably have to look at re-rendering the Common Room during
2013. This will mean taking the Chough mural off the wall, removing all the rotten render and
then replacing the render.

12 Adroddiad Gwylfa Maes ac Adar Ynys Enlli 2012

 Boardwalks Steve Hinde emptying the moth trap © 2012 Steve Stansfield
Over the winter of 2011/2012 Mel Stacey and I put together a bid for a grant of £10,000 to
the cosmetic company Lush; Lush gave us 50% of our bid. BBFO Council added a further £700
to the project to complete it. Dai Stacey and six students from Coleg Sir Gar came to the island
in September and removed the most dangerous walkway in Cristin Withy and replaced it with
the plastic planking. The job is fantastic and I hope that Dai will be able to get back to the
island in spring 2013 to finish the walkways in Plas Withy.

 Moth traps
Mel Stacey and I had a meeting with her
daughter Sian Stacey in August. We discussed
future funding, and Sian thought that the
charity that she worked for, Fund for Wales,
may have some money for environmental
research-type projects. We took this
opportunity to apply for £1000 for moth
trapping equipment. Mel and I spent quite
some time putting together the bid, which was
successful. Upon receipt of the funding I
began to order the hardware. This included
another battery setup - battery, charger and
inverter, along with a Robinson MV moth trap.
The trap has worked very well and the whole
system appears to be doing fine. A second trap
was purchased with a donation from Bob and
Alicia Normand. We are still in the
experimental stage at the moment and next
spring will get round to hard wiring the traps
in using armoured cable.

 Manx Shearwater Adoption
Over the winter months I worked with Jo Jones to set up a Manx Shearwater adoption
programme. Flyers were printed and sent out and by the end of the year we had sold 11 Manx
Shearwater adoptions, raising £275 for the Observatory.

 Virtual Gift
Again working with Jo Jones over the winter, we set up a ‘Virtual Gift’ for BBFO. We only
put out ten flyers for the virtual gift in the gift shop, and one was still there late on in the
season. We had one virtual 40' mist net purchased. We shall continue to advertise this in the
shop and online in 2013.

 Trapping and ringing equipment
Over the past few years the Observatory’s ringing and trapping equipment has become old
and tired. In the autumn I finally decided that the mist nets at Cristin would not see us
through to the end of the season. I spoke to Dianne and then went ahead and ordered new
nets for almost all of the garden. I ordered these directly from a Polish company - Ecotone.
The nets are much better, in my opinion, than those supplied by the BTO and are slightly less
expensive. These were paid for directly from Observatory funds. Next year I will be needing
more new nets for Nant and the withies. I have already spoken to Mel about the possibility of
approaching Lush for nets and traps.

Bardsey Bird and Field Observatory Report 2012 13

 2012 on the island - summer onwards
Richard Brown and Giselle left the island earlier than normal for their summer break.
Upon our return from our summer break, Steve Hinde came back and Mark Carter had also
returned. Richard and Giselle left the island again to work on the BOC stand at the Rutland
Bird Fair, along with Peter Howlett. For a few years we have been considering both rebuilding
the existing Helgoland trap in the garden and trying to make it catch more. As a result Rich B
last year put an extra baffle on the eastern arm of the trap, extending it up the hill through
the gorse, but still within the Observatory garden. This spring we decided that by adding a
small catch box on the eastern end and running a short 1m high arm south, we could easily
create a second trap. With materials scrounged from all over the island and a roll of fine
chicken wire donated by me, we have been able to create effectively a second trap in the
garden. There has been some 'landscaping' work to create a path through the trap using fence
posts destined for the bonfire! The trap should be operational by autumn and there has been
no cost to the obs. Dai Stacey also donated a roll-and-a-half of coarser chicken wire that will
be used on the outer parts of the trap. Whilst we were off, Richard had completed the
extension to the garden Helgoland trap. This trap opens to the south (opposite way to the
existing trap). There are still some changes we need to make to the catch box end of the trap
before it is working as effectively as the current one. Work on building a stepped area through
the dense gorse continued, and was completed by Chris and Mark in the autumn.

 Census Log
Following the meeting of Council in November last year, where I suggested that the
traditional ‘call-over’ in the evening be changed, Council decided that it wanted it to remain,
the staff did log every night with the guests. The Log has been done ‘live’ online all year and is
stored on the Google Drive account. This is downloaded to several hard drives during each
month and again at the end of each month. The whole drive is also downloaded periodically
by Peter Howlett and stored on his computer in the National Museum of Wales.

 Google Drive (formerly Docs)
Following the meeting in November last year we discussed the merits of having a cloud
based system for many of the Observatory's digital systems. Following discussions with Peter
Howlett, I set up a Google account for the Observatory. This appears to be, in my opinion,
working well. The Bookings, Shearwater Adoption, Census Log, Virtual Gift, Minutes and
Agendas, Membership list, and officers Reports, Health and Safety documentation, Bardsey
Beacon, BBFO Reports, Fund Raising details, BBFO Ringing protocol are all stored on there. All
the trustees have access to the site and other Council members have access to the folders
that they require - e.g. Jo Jones has access to the Beacon Folder and Membership mailing list,
Liz James has access to the Shearwater Adoption folder, etc.

 Staff meetings
We continued to have weekly staff meetings through the year and the worksheets from
these meetings are entered directly into the Google Drive. All trustees can access them at any
time to see what the staff are doing on a week by week basis. The staff meetings have again
proved very useful in directing the members of staff and getting jobs done efficiently and to a
reasonable time scale.

 BBFO and the Web
This year Ben Porter continued to enter log data onto our database. Ben is also digitising
the current year's moth data and compiling the moth report for the 2012 annual report. Ben
continues to write the BBFO blog and illustrate it with his superb photographs. Once again
during the autumn we made it into the top 100 birding websites in the FatBirder top 1000. We

14 Adroddiad Gwylfa Maes ac Adar Ynys Enlli 2012

were some days getting up to 500 hits per day on the blog. These have come from 73 different
nations across the globe, with UK, United States and Ireland being the top three countries. In
the UK, London and Manchester top the sites where most of the traffic is coming from, then
Cheshire, Liverpool, Lancashire, Birmingham, Lincolnshire, Norfolk and Sheffield. As
mentioned in the spring round up we also set up a new part of the BBFO blog called 'All in a
Day's Work...'. This shows the human element of the work of the Observatory. Mark Carter
continued updating this periodically through the year with posts about different aspects of
the Observatory work. It is hoped to have at least a weekly update in the coming season.
There is a small advert in the latest newsletter. This site has had 3250 hits since its launch, and
1237 of those were in October. It will never be updated as frequently as the Bardsey Wildlife
site, so therefore will never get as many ‘hits’. In the early part of the year Gwyn Stacey and I
set up a Twitter account. This is providing people across the world instant access to the
happenings on the island almost the moment they happen. There is a link on the blog that has
all the feeds from Twitter on it. We have just under 400 followers. Many of the 'tweets' that
we put out are being forwarded to the followers of other members. I posted one image of a
sunset and a glass of wine on the front of Cristin with the text 'what better way to end your
week's stay on the island?'. This was ‘re-tweeted’ by a holiday company to over 25,000
followers. I feel that we are getting more interaction with interested parties through Twitter
than we have ever had before and that we can get news, adverts, requests etc. out to the
wider world quicker and more effectively than any other medium we have. It is live and it is
news, rather than ‘history’ produced in newsletters and reports which is often many months
out of date. We are getting many favourable comments on the posts we are placing. Galley
Head Bird Observatory in Ireland said 'I never knew Bardsey got so much stuff until I began
following you on Twitter'. Both BirdGuides and Birdline Wales (who advertise in our report)
are happy to be getting news from the island via Twitter. BirdGuides' Josh Jones told me that
over 60% of the news that now comes in to the news room arrives via Twitter posts and prefer
that to phone calls and text messages. He also said that our news was 'excellent, clear and
concise'. Alan Davies of Birdline Wales is also happy to be getting news this way. We have
developed a system whereby we now have Internet access throughout the day and that any
news worthy of being put out can be broadcast over the VHF radio by the staff and either
myself or Emma can put the news onto Twitter via our smart phones. It is as easy as sending a
text message, but rather than to one individual it goes out effectively to the world, via the live
feed to the Bardsey Wildlife and All in a Day's Work... blogs. If you have a smart phone it is
worth following us as the news comes into your phone as it is happening!

Over the year BBFO has 250 217
featured highly on the North
Wales Birding site 'We Bird 200 188 182 189 191 201
North Wales'. I have written 178 174 194
several articles to promote
the birds on the island and the 165 163 161 182
work of the Observatory, as 150
well as several ID articles. 163 167 164 170
144

113 114
100

 Visitors

We had excellent numbers 50

of visitors in 2012 (see chart),

with over 80% being returning 0
customers. We have had 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 Mean

several new visitors this autumn, some of whom have booked already for the 2013 season. As

we have developed the online booking spreadsheet that both Alicia and I have access to, it

Bardsey Bird and Field Observatory Report 2012 15

has made it much easier for both of us to work at increasing booking sales. I am able to advise
guests that are on the island when spaces are available for the coming weeks, in the autumn
or even the following year. This I believe has made a great deal of difference to the number of
provisional bookings for the 2013 season. I believe that whilst people are on holiday and are
having a good time they are more likely to book for the following season if the opportunity is
offered to them. I have been doing this and have been able to provisionally book people into
the Observatory. The visitors then contact Alicia to confirm their booking and send a deposit.
It will be interesting to see how many bookings are taken on the island in 2013.

 Ringing
This year we ringed 3782 birds of 77 species. Last year we ringed 3903 birds, but this year
we completely failed to get to Ynysoedd Gwylan, due to poor weather, boat failure and
Dafydd Phillips being on holiday for much of the summer. We did ring excellent numbers of
some species, e.g. we ringed more Blackcaps in April alone than BBFO has ever ringed in a
single year before. In total we handled 289 Blackcaps. We also ringed a Merlin, a Long-eared
Owl, two Greenish, four Yellow-browed and a single Radde’s Warbler, two Melodious
Warblers and a Woodchat Shrike. This year I have begun to train Ben Porter to ring as a thank
you for his efforts during the year. This will be good for the Observatory in the long term. Ben
is very keen and was out dazzling on a regular basis in the autumn, as well as regularly
operating the Helgoland trap when he was at the Observatory.

 Birds
Following on from the fantastic run of scarce and rare birds we had in spring, which led
Rare Bird Alert to label Bardsey as ‘site of the spring’, we had a reasonable autumn too,
making the year fairly productive. Numbers of common birds were again in shorter supply
than has been in the past, and no major Lighthouse attractions took place all year. We
recorded 187 species this year. Highlights of the autumn were undoubtedly the addition of
Citrine Wagtail to the island’s list (which now stands at 327). This was found by a visiting
birder who was staying in Carreg Bach. We continued our excellent run of Phylloscopus
warblers with a Radde’s Warbler being trapped in mid-October at Nant by Jo Jones. This is the
fifth record for the island. We also had reasonable numbers of Yellow-browed Warblers, a
couple of Barred Warblers, Woodlark, a scattering of Richard’s Pipits, an Eastern Lesser
Whitethroat, a Siberian Chiffchaff, two Little Buntings, and two Melodious Warblers.

 Green Energy
The two battery systems (see p9) continue to serve us well, and during the autumn the
large generator was only used in the evenings and very occasionally during the day for running
power tools/washing machine. For computers and Internet etc. the batteries have been
working excellently. We have not had to run the generator, but still have been able to
continue the data entry, daily reporting that has now become part and parcel of a modern day
observatory. After charging the batteries each evening, they run throughout the following
day. It is hoped that these batteries should give us at least another year’s life and possibly
more.

Acknowledgements and thanks

I would like to finish this, my 15th Warden’s Report, as I always have, by thanking the
many people who helped in various ways. Firstly, Mark Carter for his steady help through the
whole season on a voluntary basis. Chris Piner, Mike Archer, Ian Wright, Giselle Eagle, Dianne
and Patrick Charles and Gwyn and Dai Stacey and his group from Coleg Sir Gar for their help as

16 Adroddiad Gwylfa Maes ac Adar Ynys Enlli 2012

Voluntary Assistants and helpers throughout the course of the year on the island. The various
visitors (they are too numerous for me to name them all, but they know who they are) for
help with fieldwork, including seabird census, shearwater ringing, etc. I would like to thank
the residents on the island for their help during the year, in particular Colin, Ernest and
Christine Evans for helping so much on boat days and for helping with the transportation of
Emma, Connor and me to and from the mainland. Thanks to Emyr Roberts for his assistance
on the island during the year. When there were no Observatory staff on the island during the
winter months, Ben Porter ‘did the log’, while Steve, Jo and Rachel Porter looked after the
Observatory, our house and our chickens for us. For this they deserve thanks. I would like to
thank Dafydd Phillips for his help in transporting all the food for the food shop and the
cooking gas for the season and wish him all the very best with his new wife. Tony John edited
and proof read this report and turned it around in an ultra-fast time, and Joan James helped
with entering the editor’s corrections. For this they deserve my thanks. Also to Andy Bowler
(Emma’s Dad), who for several years now has helped in various ways in the production of the
report, from scanning images, to printing out the proofs for us.

Simon Hugheston-Roberts once again made regular visits to the cash-and-carry to keep
the food store stocked up and deserves thanks from all who used the store. Andrew Clarke
helped with the transportation of goods from Simon’s home to Aberdaron. I would also like to
thank all other members of Council who helped in various ways to make our lives on the
island easier, especially Patrick Davies, Alicia Normand, Peter Howlett, Ian Wright, Jo Jones, Liz
James and Dianne Charles for their continued work.

I must thank Richard Brown, who from April to November acted as my Assistant
Warden. Richard took the job on well and once again ran head on at any problem given to
him. His ability to work alone and as part of our small team and to turn his hand to almost any
practical problem was much appreciated. I would like to say thanks to Steve Hinde for his
work as my second Assistant, for entering data, fixing and servicing all the machines, fuelling
the generators so I can put them out of my mind, and helping to run the Observatory for the
whole season.

I also need to thank Connor here too. He has reached an age where he is becoming
increasingly helpful and taking on responsibilities given to him. He has over the year, delivered
notices to the BITL houses about the events happening at the Observatory (talks, walks,
shearwater ringing, etc.), and for example small tasks like turning the generator on and off for
us has saved me time so I have been able to continue working. It may only be a five-minute
job, but to do that each day for two-thirds of the year (242 days), it totals just over 20 hours a
year, equivalent to a half weeks work!

Finally, as ever (and I still don’t know how to change this section, so I won’t) I have to
say a very big thank-you to my ever helpful and loving wife Emma, for her part in helping the
whole set-up run as efficiently as it does. She continued her efforts, as ever, during the
season, helping to clean the Observatory every Saturday morning, being my strength and
encouragement when things get too much for me and always being there for me to bounce
ideas off when I need her, as well as helping and supporting in many other ways too
numerous to mention!

Bardsey Bird and Field Observatory Report 2012 17

Migration diary

Ben Porter and Steven Stansfield

Abstract Record numbers of Guillemots passing the island was the only real surprise of the first winter period,

with Glaucous Gull and Iceland Gull seen in January and February respectively.

Spring was rather slow to start, with numbers of most migrants, except Blackcaps and Wheatears, being thin on
the ground. However, spring was punctuated with many scarce and rare birds with a very Mediterranean feel. A
Woodlark was seen in April, with the obligatory Subalpine Warbler in mid-May. The island’s second Black Kite
was seen in May, with the island’s second Bee-eater seen days later. The third Red-rumped Swallow dashed
through the island in May, and in early June a fine male Woodchat Shrike was discovered in the Observatory
garden on the same day as a male Melodious Warbler. Three Common Rosefinches,, a Golden Oriole and a Red-
breasted Flycatcher were seen in late May and early June, and not one but two Greenish Warblers were trapped
in mid- and late June.

Autumn began with an early Melodious Warbler in August, good numbers of Pied Flycatchers and Willow
Warblers and two Dotterels. Another Melodious Warbler, a Barred Warbler, the island’s fifth Raddes Warbler
and a return in number of Yellow-browed Warblers were seen in September and October. The island’s first and
long-awaited record of Citrine Wagtail came in October. Good numbers of skuas were noted again, with 11 Long-
tailed and 36 Pomarine Skuas seen. Two Little Buntings were found and six Richard’s Pipits were recorded.
Good numbers of both Long-eared and Short-eared Owls were seen, with a flock of 16 Waxwings and an over-
wintering Firecrest in December ending the year on a good note.

Winter movements

January

2012 started with

hardly any noteworthy birds

on the island: two Snipes

were seen on the South End

in the afternoon, 80 Starlings

flew overhead and a

Sparrowhawk was seen

around the Nant area. Despite

the brisk westerly wind, the

2nd was a much brighter day.

However, the only species

worth mentioning on this day

were three Fulmars on the Starlings © 2012 Ben Porter

East Side and two Song

Thrushes in the wetlands. The

3rd was another quiet winter’s day

with gale-force westerly winds blowing throughout the day. A female Sparrowhawk in the

withies and two Song Thrushes along the track were the only notable birds seen. A Kestrel

joined the usual Sparrowhawk on 4th, whilst only a single Song Thrush was in the wetlands.

Despite the continuing onslaught of extremely strong winds from the north-west, the 5th was

a little better bird-wise. Two Great Northern Divers and a Red-throated Diver were seen off

the North End of the island during a brief sea-watching session midday; two Golden Plovers

flew over the North End, a single Snipe was among the rushes near the Lighthouse and three

Whimbrels were seen in Henllwyn. The 6th was a changeable day weather-wise, with calm

winds early on developing into stronger winds and drizzly weather in the afternoon. A

Glaucous Gull was seen briefly at midday as it flew west over the Narrows and continued

18 Adroddiad Gwylfa Maes ac Adar Ynys Enlli 2012

southward; this is only the 21st record for the island, although there have been ten records 19
since 2000. Other noteworthy birds on the island included a flock of 36 Ravens over Tŷ Pellaf,
three Shelducks in Henllwyn and a single Linnet and Siskin at Tŷ Pellaf. After a brisk north-
westerly wind picked up once again during the night of 7th, most birds of interest were
located out to sea: six Great Northern Divers, three Red-throated Divers, an adult
Mediterranean Gull, 57 Black-headed Gulls, 18 Common Gulls and a Bar-tailed Godwit were
the highlights.

The 8th was a much calmer day, giving a brief respite after the weeks of strong winds.
Two Great Northern Divers and three Common Scoters flew through the Sound in the
morning, whilst 43 Starlings flew around inland. Raptors present during this period included a
Merlin, a Kestrel and a Sparrowhawk, and the three Shelducks that arrived on 6th were also
seen on the latter two days. The 9th was a very calm and pleasant day, although there were
few birds on the island. A good number (at least in island terms) of Red-throated Divers did,
however, pass through the sound in ones and twos in the morning; a total of 12 was counted.
A Song Thrush was seen in the wetlands, three Whimbrels were amongst the Curlew flock in
Henllwyn and a Buzzard flew over the West Side. A Mistle Thrush at Tŷ Pellaf and a Snow
Bunting over the Plantation were the highlights of 10th. During an hour’s seawatch off the
North End on 11th, a total of 2540 auks were logged as they flew southward in long strings of
birds; the majority of these birds were Guillemots. Four Common Gulls and 32 Black-headed
Gulls also flew past. Three Shelducks were again present during this period, whilst the usual
Sparrowhawk hunted birds around the gardens. The 12th was another day with brisk winds
and saw the majority of attention turned to sea, where a good movement of Guillemots was
once again present. Amongst the 2600 Guillemots that passed by, three Common Scoters, an
adult Mediterranean Gull and 18 Common Gulls were also noted. The 13th was a beautifully
calm and mild day and was much better bird-wise. A good selection of passerines had arrived
during the calm conditions: a Fieldfare, a Mistle Thrush and two Song Thrushes were around
the lowlands and the Nant area, 45 Meadow Pipits was a large increase in comparison to
recent numbers, 26 Linnets flew over Tŷ Pellaf and 876 Starlings fed around the coast. A
Buzzard flew over the West Side, a Jack Snipe was flushed from the Tŷ Pellaf wetlands and a
female Common Scoter flew past the North End. A fresh south-easterly wind picked up on
14th, although there was still the odd noteworthy bird present: six Common Scoters and a
Gannet were seen off the North End in the morning, a female Teal stopped off briefly in
Solfach at midday, a Woodcock was flushed from the Mountain and two Linnets were seen at
Nant. A Snipe was seen in the wetlands on the former two days, whilst the usual three
Shelducks remained around the Narrows and a Sparrowhawk was seen around the Nant area.

The highlights of the 15th came in the form of a Short-eared Owl above Tŷ Pellaf and a
Stock Dove in the Plantation. A couple of Gannets glided past at sea and a Snipe was seen on
the Mountain. The 16th saw two Woodcocks and the same Short-eared Owl on the
Mountain, a Snipe in the wetlands and a Buzzard over Tŷ Pellaf. A Woodcock on the Mountain
and a Lapwing in Henllwyn were the only notable species seen on 17th. The three Shelducks
around the Narrows were present once again during this period, as were two Song Thrushes
in the lowlands and a Sparrowhawk around the gardens. New arrivals on 18th included a
Golden Plover that joined the Lapwing on the North End, six Teals around the Narrows and a
dead Woodcock above Nant. The 19th was a breezy day with temperatures a touch on the
chilly side. Six Song Thrushes in the lowlands was a reasonable increase, a Kestrel hunted
along the Mountainside and two Whimbrels were amongst the flock of Curlews in Henllwyn.

From 20th the strong north-westerly wind continued to keep avian action to a
minimum until 30th which was a much better day. A Woodcock was flushed from the

Bardsey Bird and Field Observatory Report 2012

Knot © 2012 Ben PorterMountainside above Cristin at midday, where the two Woodpigeons were also seen; two
Common Scoters flew past the Narrows in the morning and a Whimbrel was present on the
south-west side of the Narrows. The calm weather continued into the last day of January, and
saw a few more noteworthy birds arriving. Five Common Scoters and a Red-throated Diver
were seen off the Narrows in the morning; seven Teals and three Ringed Plovers were seen in
Solfach, whilst inland, a Song Thrush and a Linnet were the only notable species.

February

February 1st
saw temperatures fall
below freezing for
the majority of the
night, and with the
ground frozen hard,
many birds struggled
to find softer ground
to feed. A flock of
calidrid waders flew
around the Narrows
in the morning, and
after several new
birds arrived to join
the flock during the
day, the final number
amounted to 13 Dunlins, six Knots and three Sanderlings, and the three Ringed Plovers were
again in Henllwyn. Six Shelducks were seen in Henllwyn whilst, as seems to be the case on
calm February days, a pair of Red-throated Divers were feeding off the west coast; two
Common Scoters flew past the Narrows. Three Song Thrushes were the only noteworthy
passerines around, whilst a Grey Heron flew over Pen Cristin in the late afternoon. The 2nd
was another lovely calm and crisp day with temperatures just hovering above zero. The same
scattering of waders on the Narrows included the three Ringed Plovers, three Sanderlings and
11 Dunlins, whilst a couple of Bar-tailed Godwits joined the Curlew flock and a Snipe was in
the wetlands. Two Common Scoters, a Red-throated Diver, five Common Gulls and a Black-
headed Gull were seen off the west coast, and presumably the same flock of seven Teals were
back in Henllwyn with five Shelducks. Things were still a little on the quiet side inland: 15
Meadow Pipits, six Song Thrushes and a Little Owl were amongst the gorse on Pen Cristin,
whilst a Sparrowhawk and a Buzzard drifted overhead. The 3rd, the last forecast day of calm
and cool days, was slightly quieter than the previous days. Three Sanderlings, 18 Dunlins and
a Ringed Plover were once again around the Narrows along with 14 Purple Sandpipers, whilst
three Bar-tailed Godwits were in Solfach. A single Teal was also in Solfach, and seven
Common Scoters flew past the Narrows. The weather finally broke on 3rd, and went back to
the usual winter weather: strong south-easterly winds, cold temperatures and steady drizzle
throughout the day. The waders were once again around the Narrows, today’s totals coming
to three Dunlins, two Sanderlings, a Knot and three Bar-tailed Godwits. Two Woodpigeons at
Nant were the only notable species inland. Three Whimbrels were seen around the Narrows
in this period, a Little Owl was heard on Pen Cristin and a maximum of 11 Song Thrushes were
seen on the island. A first-winter Iceland Gull flew south along the east edge of the South End
in the late afternoon on 5th - this is only the ninth record for the island and the first since May
2009. A Ringed Plover, two Bar-tailed Godwits and 13 Dunlins were seen around the Narrows
and the South End, whilst a seawatching session mid-morning off the North End saw three

20 Adroddiad Gwylfa Maes ac Adar Ynys Enlli 2012

Red-throated Divers, six Gannets, five Fulmars, 20 Common Scoters and a Teal passing by 21
with a few hundred auks. The two Woodpigeons were at Nant and the Little Owl was seen on
Pen Cristin. With no wind at all on 6th, it felt very spring-like with mild temperatures, and
many passerines began their choruses. It was a little quieter on the bird front: a Red-throated
Diver was seen off the West Side, a single Ringed Plover and Sanderling were in Henllwyn,
two Snipes were in the wetlands and three Song Thrushes were seen around the houses. The
7th was a little on the cool side, with a south-easterly wind persisting throughout the day. In
the morning, two Knots, a Dunlin and 22 Purple Sandpipers were seen on Carreg yr Honwy,
whilst a Red-throated Diver was feeding off the West Side. A Snipe was seen on the Mountain
and three Meadow Pipits were on Pen Cristin.

The start of the second week of the month was a fairly wet, cold and windy period,
with few birds around. The only notable species seen during the first two days were three
Lapwings on 8th, a Teal on the Narrows on 9th, and a Dunlin on both days. Despite the very
miserable weather, many more birds arrived on 10th. A Grey Plover on Carreg yr Honwy was
new for the year, whilst 28 Lapwings, two Knots, two Dunlins in a flock of 24 Purple
Sandpipers, an adult Ringed Plover and three Bar-tailed Godwits amongst a flock of 117
Oystercatchers were also noted. A female Teal in Solfach was presumed to be the bird from
9th, whilst two Common Gulls were also seen here and three Snipes and nine Song Thrushes
were in the wetlands. At least one Little Owl was heard above Tŷ Pellaf during this period,
whilst the Shelduck flock rose to seven. The 11th was another wet day, with fewer birds seen.
Singles of Knot, Dunlin, Bar-tailed Godwit and Grey Plover were seen around the Narrows
with six Ringed Plovers, whilst eight Song Thrushes were inland. With hardly a breath of wind
on 12th, it was a much more pleasant day. A Snow Bunting on Pen Cristin was the best bird of
the day, whilst a Little Owl, 27 Meadow Pipits and 37 Song Thrushes were also seen inland.
The usual selection of waders around the Narrows amounted to three Ringed Plovers, one
Grey Plover, 15 Lapwings, 26 Purple Sandpipers, two Dunlins, two Knots, a Bar-tailed Godwit
and a Snipe. A fresh northerly wind picked up on 13th, although there were still some
noteworthy birds around. The Snow Bunting was seen midday on the Mountain, and later on
was seen on Pen Cristin; 18 Song Thrushes were seen on the Mountain, whilst a Wigeon (new
for the year) and a female Teal had arrived in Henllwyn. Waders remaining from the influx
over the last few days included two Ringed Plovers, two Dunlins and a single Grey Plover and
Bar-tailed Godwit. Four Woodpigeons were seen at Nant on each day, as were seven
Shelducks around the Narrows and a Little Owl on Pen Cristin.

The 14th was another rather quiet day; the Wigeon was seen on Pwll Cain, two Knots
and a Bar-tailed Godwit were around the Narrows and four Woodpigeons were at Nant. In
similar conditions to the previous day, 15th was much the same bird-wise. A Dunlin on the
Narrows was the only notable wader present here, although a Snipe was flushed from the
wetlands and six Song Thrushes were in the island’s gardens. The 16th was yet another quiet
day, with the majority of birds being ones remaining from previous days. A Red-throated
Diver and two Gannets flew past the Narrows early on, a Knot was on Carreg yr Honwy, the
Wigeon was seen in Solfach and five Song Thrushes were scattered around. The female
Sparrowhawk was seen on each day of this period, and a maximum of five Shelducks were
around the Narrows with two Ringed Plovers. The Snow Bunting re-located on Pen Cristin
was the best bird of 17th. The only other birds worth mentioning on this day were two Ringed
Plovers in Solfach. A good selection of birds arrived on 18th, including a few migrants. A
Goldcrest in the Plantation was surprisingly the first record of the year, another Pied Wagtail
joined the lone male that has been present all winter on Solfach, and a flock of ten Lesser
Black-backed Gulls in Henllwyn had also arrived during the day. The Snow Bunting was again
seen on the Mountain, a Fieldfare was present at Nant with a single Linnet and a Snipe was

Bardsey Bird and Field Observatory Report 2012

flushed near Tŷ Pellaf Withy. The wind settled down somewhat on 19th, although it was still a
little on the chilly side. The most notable sightings of the day included a Red-throated Diver
and two Common Scoters out to sea, three Teals in Plas Withy, a Goldcrest at Tŷ Pellaf, a
Skylark and eight Linnets in the North-West fields, and a Snipe on the South End. The four
Woodpigeons were once again seen at Nant, seven Shelducks were around the Narrows and
four Ravens over the Mountain comprised the breeding pair and two visitors. The pair of
breeding Ravens also started to show the first signs of breeding, with birds flying back and
forth from a site on the East Side with nesting material. This period started off very well on
20th: a Great Northern Diver flew south past the Narrows early in the morning, the Snow
Bunting was once again seen on Pen Cristin, and two Jack Snipes were seen in the wetlands
along with a single Snipe. The 21st dawned a slightly more overcast and breezy day than of
late, and fewer birds were seen. Two Ringed Plovers were in Solfach along with a single
Common Gull in the morning, a couple of Snipes were flushed from the wetlands and two
Teals were seen in Plas Withy.

Four Teals and the Goldcrest were the highlights of 22nd, an extremely miserable day
with heavy drizzle persistent throughout the day. The flock of Woodpigeons at Nant increased
by a single bird each day to end in six birds on 22nd, the female Sparrowhawk was seen
around the island on each day and a small flock of six Linnets was present. Two Ringed
Plovers around the Narrows, the Goldcrest at Nant and a Sparrowhawk over the Mountain
were the most notable sightings of 23rd. Feeling very spring-like indeed, 24th saw the odd
noteworthy bird dotted around the island. 16 Linnets and a Song Thrush were seen around
the wetlands, a pair of Pied Wagtails arrived in Cafn and a single Raven flew over the
Mountain with the usual breeding pair. The 25th was a beautifully calm day with mild
temperatures. Plenty of birds were seen during the day, despite nothing rare or scarce turning
up. In the morning, a movement of corvids overhead included 26 Ravens over the Narrows
and a flock of 48 Carrion Crows on the Mountain. Finches also passed overhead during the
morning, with totals amounting to one Greenfinch, two Goldfinches, two Siskins and 63
Linnets. Other birds around the island included a pair of Goldcrests in Cristin garden, four
Pied Wagtails, three Teals seen in the Green Lane and a single Buzzard over the North End.
The calm conditions in this period also coaxed a few moths out of hibernation. The first macro
moth of the year was found at Tŷ Pellaf on 23rd in the form of a Mottled Grey. Two more
were found at Tŷ Pellaf on the night of 24th, along with 18 Agonopterix species thought to be
either A.scopariella or A.capreolella (either would be a first for the island). A moth trap was
placed in Tŷ Capel garden on 24th, which attracted a Dotted Border in the night, only the
third record for the island. Once again a lovely day, with a slight southerly wind and mild
temperatures, continued to bring migrants to the island’s shores on 26th. In the morning, the
first Chiffchaff of the year (ten days later than the earliest ever record in 2002) was found in
the Lighthouse garden, along with two Goldcrests and a Snipe. Two more Goldcrests were
seen at Nant, five Pied Wagtails were scattered all over the island and a single Siskin flew
overhead with 32 Linnets. A few raptors also arrived during the day, including a male
Sparrowhawk joining the wintering female, and a Merlin on the North End. The 27th was
quite a bit quieter on the bird front, with the most noteworthy sightings being two Teals in
Plas Withy, three Ringed Plovers in Solfach and the two Goldcrests in the Plantation. Some
low cloud and drizzle overnight on 28th grounded a few birds, including seven Goldcrests,
three Redwings and two Song Thrushes. Two Dunlins and seven Ringed Plovers around the
Narrows were also new arrivals, whilst the male Sparrowhawk and the Merlin were seen
around the coast. February finished on a rather quiet note, the most noteworthy sightings on
29th being seven Goldcrests, a Sparrowhawk and Merlin, four Ringed Plovers and a Snipe.

22 Adroddiad Gwylfa Maes ac Adar Ynys Enlli 2012

Spring migration

March

March began on a pretty quiet note, with low cloud sitting over the island throughout
the day. Three Goldcrests and six Woodpigeons were seen at Nant, whilst the number of
seabirds on the East Side reached quite a high number, with totals of 41 Fulmars, 400 Herring
Gulls, 38 Lesser Black-backed Gulls, 200 Guillemots and 370 Razorbills. A very calm south-
easterly wind and clear blue skies on 2nd continued to bring migrants to the island.

Lapland Bunting © 2012 Ben Porter

The most notable bird of the day came in the form of the first Lapland Bunting of the
year seen amongst a flock of 41 Meadow Pipits on the South End late in the afternoon. In the
morning, 173 Starlings and a couple of Stonechats were in the gorse on the South End, whilst
other passerine migrants all over the island included four Skylarks, two Song Thrushes, 12
Blackbirds, two Redwings, 19 Goldcrests, a Siskin, a Greenfinch and a Reed Bunting (first for
the year). A pair of Teals and Black-headed Gulls was seen around the Narrows. A fresh
south-westerly wind and brief downpours made for a slightly less pleasant day with fewer
birds on 3rd. Noteworthy sightings from the morning included the first Blackcap of the year in
the Lighthouse garden (a female), a Jackdaw on the Narrows (another first for this year), a
Golden Plover on the South End and the Lapland Bunting in the gorse here. 11 Common
Scoters and a Red-throated Diver were seen off the coast. The night of 3rd heralded the
largest catch of the year in the moth trap near Nant Withy: singles of Satellite (4th for the
island), Red Sword-grass and Dark Sword-grass were caught, along with two Mottled Greys
and two Acleris hastiana. Singles of the latter two species were caught the following night. On
4th, a flock 300 Starlings flew over the Mountain, nine Goldcrests remained at Nant from
their arrival in previous days and a Woodcock was seen at dusk near Tŷ Pellaf. The 5th was
another cool and fairly quiet day bird-wise with nothing new to report. Raptors during this
period included the usual Little Owl on Pen Cristin, a Merlin around the coast, two
Sparrowhawks inland and a Buzzard on 5th.

The most notable sighting of an extremely changeable day weather-wise on 9th was a
lovely male Black Redstart (first for the year) seen briefly in Traeth Ffynnon in the early
afternoon. Three Goldcrests remained in the Plantation, two Skylarks were singing on the
West Side, and four Ringed Plovers were seen on Solfach. Despite what looked to be
promising conditions for migrants - low cloud cover and a gentle breeze from the south -
there were no new arrivals on 10th. The Black Redstart remained in Traeth Ffynnon, whilst a

Bardsey Bird and Field Observatory Report 2012 23

Mistle Thrush, a Woodcock and a Little Owl were seen along the Mountainside. In extremely
calm, albeit overcast conditions, 13 Goldcrests, a Chiffchaff and a Reed Bunting were the
most notable new arrivals around the coast on 11th. The first Hooded Crow and Rook of the
year flew overhead with a single Jackdaw and 13 Carrion Crows, whilst 36 Meadow Pipits, a
Great Tit, nine Chaffinches and Siskin were also seen flying high over the island. With the very
settled weather continuing into 12th, the first real arrival of migrants this year took place,
with birds trickling through all day. The highlight was the first Wheatear of the year found
near the Schoolhouse in the afternoon, whilst new passerine migrants all over the island
included a Skylark, 172 Meadow Pipits, two Song Thrushes, two Redwings, a Fieldfare, nine
Stonechats, six Chiffchaffs, 25 Goldcrests and two Reed Buntings. A Chaffinch, one
Greenfinch and five Siskins flew overhead with a single Jackdaw, whilst a flock of five Golden
Plovers and a Lapwing were seen on the South End late on in the afternoon. In terms of non-
avian sightings, a pod of five Harbour Porpoise were seen off the South End on 11th, with a
further two surfacing off the west side of the South End on 12th. The island was crawling with
migrants on 13th, as the fantastic calm spell of weather continued. The slightly more notable
sightings of the day included a male Wigeon in Solfach, a Golden Plover over the South End, a
Grey Wagtail flying over Nant (first of the year), seven Sand Martins around Pwll Cain, two
Black Redstarts, a Yellowhammer (first for the year), a Snow Bunting on the Mountain and
two Reed Buntings in the wetlands. Migrant numbers were the highest so far this year, with
totals of passerines reaching seven Skylarks, 461 Meadow Pipits, 13 Stonechats, 11
Fieldfares, two Song Thrushes, a Redwing, 20 Chiffchaffs, 53 Goldcrests, a Greenfinch, 13
Siskins and a Lesser Redpoll. The first few returning Manx Shearwaters were heard overnight.

The 14th was another migrant-filled day with a very nice selection of noteworthy birds,
although the obvious highlight of the day came in the form of the year’s second first-winter
Glaucous Gull which flew along the West Side at midday. Inland, two Snow Buntings were on
the Mountain, three Black Redstarts were seen at Plas, a male Lapland Bunting was amongst
the Meadow Pipits on the South End along with two Wheatears, and two Sand Martins flew
over Pwll Cain. A Grey Plover was another new arrival, whilst singles of Snipe and Woodcock
were flushed from the wetlands. Common passerine migrant figures were once again high: a
dizzying total of 714 Meadow Pipits carpeted the island, with 88 Pied Wagtails scattered
amongst them; three Blackbirds, seven Fieldfares, six Song Thrushes and three Redwings
were in the gardens and gorse, along with 20 Chiffchaffs, 62 Goldcrests and 11 Stonechats; 76
Chaffinches, a Greenfinch, 12 Siskins and two Goldfinches flew overhead in the morning. Low
cloud and some light drizzle in the early hours grounded good numbers of migrants on the
island. Passerine migrants seen in the island’s gardens, withies and coastal gorse early in the
morning on 15th included six Stonechats, 11 Blackbirds, 28 Fieldfares, 12 Song Thrushes, 12
Redwings, a Mistle Thrush, three Robins, four Blackcaps, 61 Chiffchaffs and 103 Goldcrests.
The male Lapland Bunting remained amongst the Meadow Pipits on the Narrows, whilst a
different bird was present at the North End. The first White Wagtail of the year, seven
Skylarks and two Reed Buntings were amongst 632 Meadow Pipits and 71 Pied Wagtails all
over the island; ten Wheatears and a male Black Redstart were seen on the coast. In the late
afternoon, a single Swallow flying over Henllwyn was an early arrival, whilst 15 Siskins were
amongst the Chaffinches at Nant. The Grey Plover was again in Solfach with a single female
Teal, three Golden Plovers, a Lapwing and four Dunlins were around the South End and
Narrows. Inland, two Snipes and three Woodcocks were flushed from the wetlands and
Mountainside. Two mist nets were erected in Cristin garden in the morning and by the late
afternoon over 50 birds had been trapped and ringed. The majority were Goldcrests, with
slightly fewer Chiffchaffs and a single female Blackcap.

24 Adroddiad Gwylfa Maes ac Adar Ynys Enlli 2012

The weather finally deteriorated on 16th, with strong southerly winds and heavy rain
coming in late in the afternoon. There were very few new arrivals due to the conditions,
although a juvenile Mediterranean Gull in Henllwyn was the first for some time, and six
Wheatears were on the South End with the male Lapland Bunting. Three Reed Buntings were
amongst the Meadow Pipits, still numbering a healthy 366 individuals, whilst 108 Chaffinches
in the cow field near Tŷ Capel was the highest total of the year. A single Blackcap, 12
Chiffchaffs and 43 Goldcrests were mostly remnants from yesterday, as were three
Fieldfares, two Song Thrushes and seven Redwings. 17 March saw lovely clear skies and light
winds which made for a very pleasant day, although the odd torrential rain storm did pass
through. The most noteworthy sightings of the day were two Black Redstarts, two Lapland
Buntings, a male Red-breasted Merganser over the Narrows (first of the year), and an adult
Mediterranean Gull off the South End. 12 Wheatears around the coast was the highest count
of the year, 20 Chiffchaffs and 44 Goldcrests remained in the gardens and gorse patches,
whilst three Reed Buntings, seven Skylarks and 222 Meadow Pipits were scattered all over.
During a night of light drizzle, a Woodcock, four Starlings and a Redwing were fatally
attracted to the Lighthouse. With strong northerly winds persisting throughout, it was a rather
quiet day on 18 March. A Collared Dove at Tŷ Pellaf (first of the year), a male Reed Bunting on
the Mountain and five Common Scoters and a Red-throated Diver off the South End were the
highlights. Up to 62 Goldcrests scattered accross the island was an increase since the day
before, whilst other migrants included eight Wheatears, seven Chiffchaffs and a Goldfinch.
Despite the calm winds and clear skies for most of the day on 20th, it was still very quiet bird-
wise. In the morning, a Siskin flew overhead with three Goldfinches, whilst a single Dunlin
and Whimbrel were around the Narrows. The Collared Dove was seen at Tŷ Pellaf again, and
18 Goldcrests and four Chiffchaffs were seen in the rest of the gardens and withies. In calm
and overcast conditions looking quite promising for birds on 21st, there were a few more new
arrivals on the island. Ten Chiffchaffs and 27 Goldcrests were logged around the island during
the day, whilst flocks of Meadow Pipits flying overhead amounted to 223 individuals. Two
male Reed Buntings were singing in the two reed-beds, whilst a Fieldfare was on the South
End and two Goldfinches and 17 Siskins flew from garden to garden.

A beautiful day with gusty easterlies and the highest temperatures of the year on 22nd
saw some quite notable birds gracing the island. The highlights of the day included a
Treecreeper at Cristin (first of the year), a female Bullfinch at Nant (the first spring record for

Treecreeper © 2012 Ben Porter

a few years) and a Knot on Solfach. Migrant numbers continued to increase, with the day’s 25
passerine counts coming to 182 Meadow Pipits, a White Wagtail, a Song Thrush, five
Wheatears, 17 Chiffchaffs, 52 Goldcrests, a Greenfinch, two Goldfinches, five Lesser
Redpolls, five Siskins and a Reed Bunting. On 23rd three Willow Warblers were in the withies
and at Nant, a lovely male Ring Ouzel above Cristin, a House Sparrow at Tŷ Pellaf and a Stock
Dove over Plas were the highlights of another superb day of clear skies and light southerlies.

Bardsey Bird and Field Observatory Report 2012

Three Blackcaps, 53 Chiffchaffs and 39 Goldcrests were scattered throughout, whilst 198
Meadow Pipits and three Wheatears were around the coast and a single male Reed Bunting
continued to sing in Tŷ Pellaf reed-bed. A slight passage of finches overhead saw a
Greenfinch, nine Siskins, two Goldfinches and four Lesser Redpolls, whilst other notable
sightings included a Red-throated Diver off the North End and four Jackdaws over the South
End. On the morning of 24th, a female Lapland Bunting was seen on the South End amongst
175 Meadow Pipits, with a further 80 of the latter seen elsewhere. A male Tufted Duck seen
in Solfach later on in the day was the most notable sighting of the day, with only 25 previous
records of this species on the island. The 25th was another day of clear skies, sweltering
temperatures and light winds, lovely for being outside but still not producing a substantial
arrival or passage of migrants. A smattering of warblers inland and around the coast saw four
Blackcaps, 23 Chiffchaffs, four Willow Warblers and 16 Goldcrests recorded, whilst 302
Meadow Pipits, six Wheatears and two White Wagtails was a slightly higher count than of
late. Three Sparrowhawks hunted all over the island during the day, and singles of Kestrel,
Buzzard and Merlin were also noted. A couple of Dunlins and Whimbrels were seen in
Solfach, and a Lapwing flew over the West Side. With the glorious weather continuing, it was
once again a little quiet on the bird front on 26th a Hooded Crow over the South End in the
early hours was just about the highlight of the day. Visible migration in the morning consisted
of two 'alba' Wagtails, a Greenfinch, two Siskins, six Goldfinches and 22 Lesser Redpolls.
Wheatear numbers were up to 13 individuals around the coast; two White Wagtails were
again in Solfach with two Whimbrels and two Ringed Plovers; four Blackcaps, 26 Chiffchaffs,
eight Willow Warblers and 20 Goldcrests were all over the island, and a continental Song
Thrush, a Fieldfare and a Redwing were in the island’s gardens. The 27th was a much better
day, both in terms of the number of migrants and variety of birds. The highlights of the day
included the year’s first Coal Tit trapped at Cristin, three Greylag Geese over the South End, a
Lapland Bunting, a male Ring Ouzel, a Stock Dove and a Black Redstart at Nant. One Sand
Martin and 238 Meadow Pipits flew overhead, whilst warbler numbers inland saw 12
Blackcaps, 46 Chiffchaffs, 12 Willow Warblers and 52 Goldcrests. Seven Wheatears were on
the coast, whilst two Song Thrushes and a Fieldfare were in the withies. Fewer birds were
around on 28th and a quiet morning on 29th was brightened up by the trapping of two
Common Redpolls in Cristin garden mid-morning. Two Sand Martins, four Swallows and a
Hooded Crow passed over the centre of the island, whilst finches over and in the gardens
included six Siskins, 13 Goldfinches and 27 Lesser Redpolls. An early Tree Pipit above Cristin
in the afternoon on 30th (just 1 day later than the earliest ever record) was amongst the more
notable arrivals. After almost two weeks of clear skies, some cloud cover seemed to have
brought a few more birds down from passage overhead - a single Swallow, 121 Meadow
Pipits, two White Wagtails, nine Wheatears, 11 Fieldfares, 30 Redwings, one Song Thrush,
three Blackcaps, 15 Chiffchaffs, six Willow Warblers, 15 Goldcrests, a Coal Tit, 15 Goldfinches
and a Lesser Redpoll were the totals of passerine migrants.

April

April started on a pretty quiet note, despite calm winds from the south and a little low
cloud during the night. A Yellowhammer over Cristin in the morning, two Stock Doves over
the Narrows and a Reed Bunting on the South End were the pick of the day. Hirundine
passage for the day consisted of a disappointing three Swallows and three Sand Martins,
whilst the odd warbler arriving towards the end of the day boosted figures up to two
Blackcaps, 20 Chiffchaffs, six Willow Warblers and 13 Goldcrests. 180 Meadow Pipits, three
White Wagtails and 12 Wheatears were around the coast, whilst two Buzzards circled above
Cristin. The 2nd, a cloudy day with very little wind, saw the first good Willow Warbler arrival
of the year, as well as decent numbers of other migrants passing through the island in the day.

26 Adroddiad Gwylfa Maes ac Adar Ynys Enlli 2012

In total 34 Blackcaps, 55 Chiffchaffs, 120 Willow Warblers and 12 Goldcrests were scattered
all over the island. Two Redwings and three Song Thrushes were seen in the gardens, two
Golden Plovers flew over the South End and seven Wheatears were scattered along the coast
with 214 Meadow Pipits and a single Swallow. During the day 90 new birds was ringed in the
Observatory garden, which included some 32 Willow Warblers, 27 Chiffchaffs, 19 Blackcaps
and six Goldfinches. The 3rd saw a return to wintry conditions, with a biting northerly wind
persisting throughout, ensuring that there were very few birds around. 106 Manx
Shearwaters, a single Puffin and four Common Scoters were seen off the South tip in the
morning, whilst four Blackcaps, eight Chiffchaffs and 28 Willow Warblers further inland
included a few birds which appeared to arrive onto the island during one of the heavy
showers. Very few birds made an appearance on the island on 4th, with stinging rain being
driven down by a gale-force north-easterly wind for most of the day. A single Black Redstart, a
Wheatear, seven Chiffchaffs and three Willow Warblers were seen along the rocky coastline
between Pen Cristin and the South End in the afternoon, where they sheltered away from the
wind. Two Blackcaps were seen in the gardens along with a couple of Goldcrests. Despite the
respite in the gale-force winds on 5th, nothing had started to move; a couple of Merlins
hunted along the coast, and three Goldfinches were feeding in the gardens. A trickle of
migrants passed through the island during the day on 6th, although it was still very quiet with
the northerly winds persisting. Passerine migrant numbers for the day amounted to a
Wheatear, one Fieldfare, three Blackcaps, 16 Chiffchaffs, 16 Willow Warblers, 11 Goldcrests,
a Coal Tit, a Greenfinch and two Goldfinches. A male Sparrowhawk was trapped in the mist
nets at Cristin in the afternoon, which was a welcome addition to the ringing year list. The
highlights of a much brighter day on 7th included the first Sandwich Tern of the year off the
North End, six House Martins (first of the year) over the Narrows, a Tree Pipit in the wetlands,
four Swallows off the North End and three Coal Tits at Cristin. Three new Wheatears on the
South End joined at least eight birds on the East Side and a further three on the North End.

A Woodlark found at the North End of the island at midday was by far the best bird of
a mostly overcast and windy day on 8th. This is the first spring record of this species for many
years, and is 16th record for the island.

Woodlark © 2012 Ben Porter

Bardsey Bird and Field Observatory Report 2012 27

Three Swallows flew past out to sea, eight Chiffchaffs, 33 Willow Wablers and six Goldcrests
were mostly new birds and a single Black Redstart in Traeth Ffynnon was another new arrival.
The 9th was yet another very miserable day weather-wise, with heavy rain and strong north-
westerlies persisting all day. A few migrants had arrived and passed through in the overcast
conditions, with totals of passerine migrants for the day amounting to seven Swallows, two
White Wagtails, two Wheatears, a Fieldfare, a Song Thrush, two Redwings, three Blackcaps,
four Chiffchaffs, 26 Willow Warblers and three Goldcrests. The 10th was once again a very
quiet day for early April, with just a scattering of migrants seen across the island. Three
Common Scoters flew past the coast along with 34 Manx Shearwaters in the morning, whilst
five Swallows and a House Martin flew overhead. Seven Wheatears were seen around the
coast, a single Redwing was seen in the withies and a small number of warblers were
scattered all over. In quite pleasant and calm conditions on 11th, a decent number of birds
(mostly warblers) arrived on the island. The first Common Sandpiper of the year was seen in
Solfach in the morning, and a first-winter Mediterranean Gull was also seen here later on in
the day. A total of 101 Willow Warblers were seen around the island, accompanied by 14
Blackcaps, ten Chiffchaffs and eight Goldcrests. 12 Wheatears were seen mainly on the
Narrows, three White Wagtails amongst the Pied Wagtails on Solfach and eight Swallows and
a single House Martin passed through. One each of Collared Dove and Rook were also noted.
The 12th saw 40 Swallows passing overhead with one House Martin and three Sand Martins -
the highest hirrundine total of the year so far, whilst a Sandwich Tern and Hooded Crow were
seen flying along the coast. There were 14 Blackcaps, 11 Chiffchaffs, 69 Willow Warblers and
three Goldcrests scattered around, with 19 Wheatears and 16 White Wagtails around the
coastline. One Greenfinch, 18 Goldfinches and two Lesser Redpolls flew overhead in the
morning. Despite what looked to be quite promising conditions for a slightly more numerous
arrival of migrants (calm north-easterly winds and overcast skies) on 13th, it was yet again a
rather quiet day, with only small numbers of migrants on the island. The day's non-passerine
highlights included the year's first Canada Goose over the centre of the island, two Greylag
Geese over the Mountain and a first-winter Mediterranean Gull off the North End. Chiffchaffs
made a bit of a comeback in terms of numbers, with 37 individuals recorded (only seven less
than the day's Willow Warbler total of 44); only four Sand Martins, 23 Swallows and two
House Martins passed overhead, although 110 Meadow Pipits was a sizeable increase
compared with recent days, as was 26 White Wagtails. The 14th was a slightly more eventful
day bird-wise, with a first-winter Glaucous Gull east off the South End. The first Grasshopper
Warbler of the year was heard reeling in Nant Withy in the early morning, followed by

Grasshopper Warbler © 2012 Ben Porter

another bird in the Green Lane later on in the day; the first Sedge Warbler of the year also
occurred. Blackcap numbers reached 41 - the highest total of the year thus far, although the

28 Adroddiad Gwylfa Maes ac Adar Ynys Enlli 2012

numbers of other warblers was still disappointingly low. Only two House Martins and 18 29
Swallows moved through. A slight increase in the number of Wheatears saw 25 scattered
around, and a single Collared Dove was present at the North End.

Despite the calm winds and several torrential rain storms that passed through during
the night, it was altogether a very quiet day to start the third week in April. A Hooded Crow
flew along the West Side in the morning, and the first-winter Glaucous Gull was seen again as
it roosted on Carreg yr Honwy with the usual gulls. Hirundine passage was once again
extremely slow, with just five Sand Martins, 16 Swallows and two House Martins recorded;
nine Blackcaps, 12 Chiffchaffs, 46 Willow Warblers and six Goldcrests were seen, whilst 34
Wheatears were around the coast with 17 White Wagtails. The 16th was uneventful, but saw
a female Reed Bunting in Cristin Withy, a Sedge Warbler in Plas Withy and the first five
migrant Whimbrels of the year on the Narrows. The 17th was not worthy of mention, but on
18th many more birds were seen on a day of gusty north-easterlies. The first large movement
of divers heading back to their breeding grounds took place in the morning, with two Great
Northern Divers, eight Red-throated Divers and five ‘diver sp' flying north-west through the
Sound. The first Great Skua of the year also flew past, along with two Sandwich Terns and five
Common Scoters. Singles of Common Sandpiper, Lapwing, Fieldfare and Grasshopper
Warbler were all new arrivals, whilst two Sedge Warbler, 15 Blackcaps and 32 Willow
Warblers were seen. Whimbrel numbers continue to increase, with nine birds recorded. Cold
and strong northerly winds, coupled with frequent heavy showers kept migrants away on
19th. A total of 22 Whimbrels were seen on land and out to sea in the morning, a Snipe was
flushed from the wetlands. A Grasshopper Warbler was heard singing in Cristin Withy in the
afternoon and 25 Swallows and two House Martins, battled north over the island during the
day. The brisk northerly wind finally abated during the night of 20th, and after one or two
heavy showers in the early hours, it became apparent that a decent fall of migrants had
occurred. Although the diversity was a little limited, the numbers of many species were the
highest yet this year, with totals numbering 46 Wheatears (largely Greenland birds), 28
Grasshopper Warblers, a Sedge Warbler, 160 Blackcaps, 33 Chiffchaffs and 183 Willow
Warblers. Two ringtail Hen Harriers over the Mountain ridge midday were the first of the
year, a Fieldfare flew over Cristin, and 41 Swallows and a Sand Martin also passed through.
The 21st was another beautiful sunny day and the island was once again teeming with
migrants. The more notable birds amongst the hundreds of warblers included the first
Whitethroat and Redstart of the year near Carreg Bach; a Tree Pipit in the Carreg wetlands,
11 Grasshopper Warblers and two Sedge Warblers. The first large movement of hirundines
this year also took place in the clear conditions, with 128 Swallows, ten Sand Martins and a
House Martin recorded. 221 Willow Warblers were all over the island along with 80
Blackcaps and 26 Chiffchaffs, whilst 57 Wheatears were scattered around the coast. 22
Whimbrels included a flock of 16 on Pen Cristin, although a single Common Sandpiper was
the only other non-passerine of note. The 22nd saw the first Cuckoo of the year in Nant
Valley; a Tree Pipit on Pen Cristin and six Grasshopper Warblers in the gardens and withies
were amongst the more notable sightings of the day. A scattering of warblers inland saw
fewer numbers than previous days, although a single Goldcrest was new in. Wheatear
numbers were again around the 40 mark, whilst two Sand Martins, 49 Swallows and nine
House Martins passed through. A Sparrowhawk and Kestrel were seen around the Mountain
raptor-wise, and three Curlews and 19 Whimbrels were seen around the coast. Although
decent numbers of migrants remained on the island on 23rd, it was a rather uneventful day
with few noteworthy sightings. The first Bar-tailed Godwit since early spring flew over the
Narrows in the afternoon, along with 35 Whimbrels that were scattered around the coast and
a Snipe in the wetlands. A Sedge Warbler and at least five Grasshopper Warblers were heard
singing in the morning; a Collared Dove was seen in Cristin Withy and then later on in Tŷ

Bardsey Bird and Field Observatory Report 2012

Whinchat © 2012 Ben PorterPellaf, and two Tree Pipits were seen on Pen Cristin and the Narrows. Counts of passerine
migrants were a little higher than yesterday, with the totals amounting to 29 Swallows, a
House Martin, 50 Wheatears, 40 Blackcaps, ten Chiffchaffs, 50 Willow Warblers and three
Goldcrests. The 24th was another largely quiet day with few new arrivals as the spell of
persistent northerly winds continued. Five Common Sandpipers around the Narrows was the
highest count of the spring, whilst 20 Whimbrels were also seen here and a probable Arctic
Skua was seen off the North End. Inland, a Tree Pipit was trapped at Cristin, four Grasshopper
Warblers were heard, 55 Wheatears around the coast were almost all Greenland birds and
seven Sand Martins, 30 Swallows and a House Martin passed through. Despite the gale-force
easterlies that buffeted the island throughout the day, coupled with a morning of torrential
rain on 25th, some quite nice birds were found. The highlights of the day were two Cuckoos at
Nant, two Redstarts (one male at Nant and a female in Solfach), a Ring Ouzel on the South
End, the first Pied Flycatcher of the year near Plas and a Grasshopper Warbler in Cristin
Withy; 29 Whimbrels, two Dunlins, a Bar-tailed Godwit, four Common Sandpipers and a
Turnstone were around the Narrows. The most notable sightings of a seawatching session at
the North End included a Red-throated Diver, eight Common Scoters, three Black-headed
Gulls, three Common Gulls and two Sandwich Terns. The 26th saw a scattering of common
migrants, together with a few scarcer birds, sheltering on the island in the windy wintery
weather. The most noteworthy sightings of the day included a singing Cuckoo, the first three
Swifts of the year, two male Redstarts at Nant, three Ring Ouzels on the Mountain, eight
Grasshopper Warblers and five Sedge Warblers in the withies and gardens, and a Snow
Bunting on the Mountain. A few seabirds off the North End in the morning included 144 Manx
Shearwaters, 22 Common Scoters, a probable Pomarine Skua and three Sandwich Terns.
Wader numbers continue to increase around the Narrows, with totals of eight Ringed Plovers,
five Purple Sandpipers, five Dunlins, a Snipe, 68 Whimbrels, two Curlews, nine Common
Sandpipers and three Turnstones. Overhead, three each of Sand and House Martin passed
through with 31 Swallows, whilst 17 White Wagtails were seen in Solfach, and Wheatear
numbers finally reached triple figures, with 148 recorded. The 27th saw fewer migrants on the
island, with most birds just left-overs from previous days. A Tree Pipit flew over the wetlands
early on, whilst three Cuckoos, a female Ring Ouzel, the Snow Bunting and four Redstarts
were seen inland; other passerine migrants included two Sand Martins, 21 Swallows, 27
White Wagtails, 106 Wheatears, a Grasshopper Warbler, two Sedge Warblers, 20 Blackcaps,
four Chiffchaffs, 34 Willow Warblers, two Greenfinches, two Siskins and 71 Goldfinches.
Seven Ringed Plovers (two of which were northern birds), four Dunlins, 41 Whimbrels and
two Common Sandpipers were mostly seen in Solfach, whilst an Arctic Skua and a Red-
throated Diver passed by at sea. The 28th saw a good number of common migrants and
scarcities on the island, with the largest movement of birds being a minimum of 403
Wheatears moving through
during the day; over 95% were
of the Greenland race. The first
Black-tailed Godwit of the year
was over the Carreg wetlands, a
Brent Goose was on Pwll Cain, a
stunning adult male Snow
Bunting was on the South End,
three Swifts, a male Whinchat,
a Whitethroat, a Tree Pipit, two
Cuckoos, two Redstarts and a
Ring Ouzel were the other
highlights of the day. A
Grasshopper Warbler, three

30 Adroddiad Gwylfa Maes ac Adar Ynys Enlli 2012

Sedge Warblers, 40 Blackcaps, seven Chiffchaffs, 84 Willow Warblers and a Goldcrest were 31
seen predominantly on the Mountainside, whilst a Sand Martin, 57 Swallows and a House
Martin passed through. The usual selection of waders around the Narrows saw five tundra-
race Ringed Plovers, four Dunlins, a Snipe, a Common Sandpiper and 45 Whimbrels.
Torrential rain and gale to storm-force winds from the north-east on 29th kept most birders
indoors, with most passerines keeping a low profile in the few sheltered places. Four Red-
throated Divers, 118 Manx Shearwaters, 18 Common Scoters, seven Sandwich Terns and five
Puffins were seen off the North End in the morning. The male Whinchat and Redstart
remained in their respective places, whilst three Tree Pipits were seen along the
Mountainside. The final day of April was another decent day on the bird front. The more
noteworthy sightings of the day included three Short-eared Owls, two Golden Plovers, two
Cuckoos, five Swifts, five Tree Pipits, two Redstarts, a Whinchat and a male Pied Flycatcher.
A minimum of 225 Wheatears were scattered around inland, a Sand Martin, 63 Swallows and
20 House Martins passed overhead, and two Grasshopper Warblers, seven Sedge Warblers,
three Whitethroats, 63 Blackcaps, seven Chiffchaffs and 183 Willow Warblers were seen.

May

May began with one of the best days of the year to date both in terms of the variety of
species and number of birds. Two Common Redpolls were found amongst some Lesser
Redpolls and Goldfinches at Tŷ Nesaf in the morning, the first Lesser Whitethroat and Yellow
Wagtail of the year were seen on the South End and Carreg wetlands respectively and two
Short-eared Owls remained in the lowlands. Totals of land migrants amounted to three
Cuckoos, four Swifts, two Sand Martins, 25 Swallows, nine House Martins, six Tree Pipits, a
Robin, seven Redstarts, three Whinchats, 279 Wheatears, seven Grasshopper Warblers, 15
Sedge Warblers, 12 Whitethroats, 57 Blackcaps, 14 Chiffchaffs, 322 Willow Warblers, three
Goldcrests and two Reed Buntings. 56 Whimbrels, a Common Sandpiper and four Dunlins
were seen on the wader front, whilst the Brent Goose remained on Pwll Cain and two
Sandwich Terns were seen off the Narrows. A Red-rumped Swallow that flew north along the
trackside midday was undoubtedly the highlight of another fantastic day of spring migration
on 2nd. Two Cuckoos, a Short-eared Owl, a Yellow Wagtail, four Lesser Whitethroats, the
first five Spotted Flycatchers of the year, two Ring Ouzels, ten Redstarts and four Whinchats
were the more notable common migrants. Some 454 Wheatears were scattered all over the
island, as were 213 Willow Warblers and 145 Blackcaps, with smaller numbers of other
warblers: 12 Grasshopper Warblers, 47 Sedge Warblers, 18 Whitethroats, 34 Chiffchaffs and
seven Goldcrests. A large movement of 757 Swallows took place largely in the afternoon, with
five Swifts, 25 Sand Martins and 39 House Martins also seen among them. Two
Sparrowhawks and three Kestrels were new on the raptor front, whilst 82 Whimbrels, a
Curlew and a Common Sandpiper were seen around the coast. The 3rd, another day with
overcast skies and hardly a breath of wind saw hundreds of migrants once again passing
through the island, although fewer than yesterday. Two Gadwalls flew South past the
Narrows in the early morning, representing either the ninth or tenth records for the island.
The first Sanderling of the spring was seen amongst 20 Dunlins, six Ringed Plovers and three
Common Sandpipers on Solfach, whilst the totals of migrants inland came to one Cuckoo, 20
Sand Martins, 359 Swallows, 19 House Martins, five Tree Pipits, a Yellow Wagtail, 17 White
Wagtails, two Redstarts, five Whinchats, 251 Wheatears, a Ring Ouzel, a Song Thrush, four
Grasshopper Warblers, 21 Sedge Warblers, four Lesser Whitethroats, 34 Whitethroats, five
Garden Warblers (first of the year), 63 Blackcaps, 38 Chiffchaffs, 90 Willow Warblers, five
Goldcrests, eight Spotted Flycatchers, a Pied Flycatcher and a Reed Bunting. The 4th was a
much quieter day bird-wise, with the most notable sightings of the day being the first Turtle
Dove of the year in Plas Withy, a Short-eared Owl on the West Side, a Cuckoo, a male Snow

Bardsey Bird and Field Observatory Report 2012

Bunting on the Narrows, a Redstart, a

Ring Ouzel, two Spotted Flycatchers and a

Pied Flycatcher. Just 231 Wheatears were

seen around the coast, a Swift, 14 Sand

Martins, 186 Swallows and seven House

Martins passed overhead and a Tree Pipit,

two Song Thrushes, a Grasshopper

Warbler, eight Sedge Warblers and eight

Whitethroats were amongst a scattering

of Blackcaps, Chiffchaffs and Willow

Warblers. Wader numbers continue to

build, with 33 Dunlins. Another largely

quiet day on 5th, with just a scattering of

common migrants, saw the cold northerly

winds persisting. At high tide, 40 Dunlins,

four Sanderlings, five Ringed Plovers and

six Turnstones gathered in Solfach, with Pied Flycatcher © 2012 Steve Stansfield
47 Whimbrels and three Common

Sandpipers seen around the Narrows. The

Snow Bunting remained on the South End,

a male Whinchat made a brief appearance in the wetlands, a female Redstart was seen in

Traeth Ffynnon, and a Grasshopper Warbler and 21 Whitethroats were the most noteable

warblers around. The most noteworthy movement of birds on 6th was a minimum of 200

Wheatears, including a single leucistic bird amongst them. At least 715 Swallows were seen

moving in both southerly (presumably heading to Ireland) and northerly directions; 11 Sand

Martins and seven House Martins were also seen with them. Two Tree Pipits, a singing male

Yellow Wagtail and the male Snow Bunting were seen inland, whilst two Grasshopper

Warblers, seven Sedge Warblers and 16 Whitethroats were the pick of the warblers. The 7th

was surprisingly eventful despite strong southerly winds and frequent heavy showers. A lovely

Wood Warbler was seen briefly in Cristin garden in the early morning, before moving on with

a few Blackcaps; the first two Reed Warblers of the year were seen in Cristin Garden and Plas

Withy, together with four Garden Warblers. Totals of the more common passerine migrants

were singles of Tree Pipit, Whinchat and Grasshopper Warbler, ten Sedge Warblers, ten

Whitethroats, 60 Blackcaps, 30 each of Chiffchaff and Willow Warbler, two Goldcrests, a

Pied Flycatcher and three Spotted Flycatchers.

The second week of the month began with a scattering of common migrants on the
island which included a total of 34 Whimbrels, a Redstart, 82 Wheatears, six Sedge Warblers,
eight Whitethroats, a Garden Warbler, 20 Blackcaps, eight Chiffchaffs, eight Willow Warblers
and two Spotted Flycatchers, whilst two Sand Martins, 231 Swallows and seven House
Martins passed overhead. The 9th saw a few landbirds grounded in the overcast and drizzly
conditions, the most noteworthy of which were a Knot in Henllwyn, a Whinchat in the north-
west fields, a smart male Pied Flycatcher at Nant, a female Redstart at the Schoolhouse and
two Garden Warblers; two Grasshopper Warblers, 25 Sedge Warblers, nine Whitethroats
and 18 Blackcaps were amongst a very small number of Chiffchaffs and Willow Warblers. The
largest movement of Lesser Redpolls so far this year also took place in the morning, with
around 70 recorded. An extremely wet day on 10th saw a very small selection of birds
grounded overnight, with two Swifts, a Reed Warbler in Plas Withy, a male Pied Flycatcher,
three Spotted Flycatchers and a Garden Warbler the pick of the lot. A brisk northerly wind on
11th whipped up a bit of movement out at sea, although there were no scarcities amongst the
hundreds of Manx Shearwaters and smaller numbers of Gannets, Fulmars, Kittiwakes and

32 Adroddiad Gwylfa Maes ac Adar Ynys Enlli 2012

auks. 244 Swallows were also noted moving southward, along with 23 Swifts. Inland, a male 33
Yellow Wagtail was at the boathouse, a Black Redstart was seen near the Abbey, and two
Pied Flycatchers, three Spotted Flycatchers and a Tree Pipit were also seen to the north. A
Black-tailed Godwit was also seen. A productive seawatching session late in the afternoon on
12th saw two Pomarine Skuas, a Great Skua and at least one Arctic Skua harassing the
Kittiwakes and Manx Shearwaters off the South End. A Short-eared Owl flew along the West
Side, a Whinchat was seen near Plas Withy, a Hooded Crow flew over Nant and 400
Swallows, eight Sand Martins, 18 House Martins and three Swifts represented a steady
trickle of birds that moved through all day. The 13th was even quieter, a Pomarine Skua was
seen off Pen Cristin in the morning, whilst a distant skua thought to be of this species was
seen off the South End in the afternoon along with 3550 Manx Shearwaters. Just 97
Wheatears remained scattered all over the island, whilst three Sedge Warblers, 19
Whitethroats, seven Blackcaps, six Chiffchaffs, six Willow Warblers and three Spotted
Flycatchers were seen in the gardens and withies. The morning of 14th started windy and
rather grey, although by mid-morning the conditions had improved, and some good birds
were found. The first Crossbill of the year spent the day in the Plantation, along with two
Turtle Doves and two Reed Warblers that were caught in the New Plantation. Early afternoon
saw the predicted arrival of the year's only Subalpine Warbler, in the form of a female above
Tŷ Pellaf. The bird spent the rest of the day feeding in large circuits on the Mountainside and
trackside. Small numbers of Whitethroats, Blackcaps and Spotted Flycatchers saw 15, 20 and
13 respectively whilst a Garden Warbler was seen at Cristin. A very strong and cold northerly
wind whipped up overnight on 15th, and things quietened down a lot on the bird front. The
most notable sightings amongst a passage of over 1500 Manx Shearwaters in the morning
were the first two Arctic Terns of the year. The 16th saw a noticeable increase in the number
of landbird migrants, including two Grasshopper Warblers, 28 Sedge Warblers, 34
Whitethroats, 21 Blackcaps, a Garden Warbler, 15 Chiffchaffs and 15 Spotted Flycatchers in
the gardens and withies. A Cuckoo spent the day calling from the withies. The 17th was
another calm day with a scattering of common migrants and a steady passage of hirundines
during the day. Two Swifts, 31 Sand Martins, 46 House Martins and 435 Swallows were seen
throughout the day, whilst three Goldcrests had arrived, and were amongst 14 Whitethroats,
15 Blackcaps, 14 Chiffchaffs and 17 Spotted Flycatchers. The 18th was a very good day of
migration with a few scarcities thrown in as the easterly winds continued. A Marsh Harrier
flew south over the Mountain midday, which is the first record of the year and 36th record for
the island; a lovely Firecrest was the second good find of the day in Cristin garden late in the
afternoon. An excellent count of 70 Spotted Flycatchers passed through during the day, whilst
a Tree Pipit, a male Ring Ouzel, 18 Sedge Warblers, 28 Whitethroats, 14 Blackcaps, a Garden
Warbler, 17 Chiffchaffs, four Willow Warblers and four Goldcrests were also recorded. The
Turtle Doves remained in the ruins field at Nant, whilst a Short-eared Owl was flushed from
the wetlands. The 19th was another relatively calm day with a scattering of common
migrants, although there were fewer notable sightings. Singles of Short-eared Owl, Cuckoo
and Yellow Wagtail were recorded in the morning, whilst the pair of Turtle Doves was once
again at the North End. A smaller number of 30 Spotted Flycatchers were scattered around,
with 16 Sedge Warblers, 23 Whitethroats, a Garden Warbler, 14 Chiffchaffs and two
Goldcrests, whilst over 120 Redpolls flew overhead with 62 Goldfinches. Despite the obvious
movement of migrants throughout the day on 20th, there were still no scarcities amongst
them. The more noteworthy sightings of the day included the pair of Turtle Doves, a Cuckoo,
a Tree Pipit, a smart male Black Redstart, a Lesser Whitethroat and a Garden Warbler. Eight
Swifts, six Sand Martins, 102 Swallows and 22 House Martins represented a steady passage
of birds throughout the day, whilst 24 Sedge Warblers, 26 Whitethroats, 19 Blackcaps, two
Goldcrests and 11 Spotted Flycatchers were amongst a small number of Willow Warblers and
Chiffchaffs.

Bardsey Bird and Field Observatory Report 2012

The 22nd to 25th were a washout bird-

wise. However, 26th started off with a bang at

6 am when a Black Kite was seen flying

northwards over the withies. The bird

continued north-east over the track and was

seen over an hour later flying over

Uwchmynydd by a lucky observer on the

mainland. This is the second record for the

island, following on from a bird seen briefly

heading east past Pen Cristin in October 2009. Black Kite © 2012 Steve Stansfield

Elsewhere a Redstart was seen at the

Schoolhouse, 11 Spotted Flycatchers were

scattered throughout and 28 Swifts flew overhead. The 27th was another superb day both in

terms of the weather and birds. A Common Rosefinch was found in the withies early in the

morning, which was later trapped and ringed at Cristin. A Firecrest was also seen in Cristin

Withy, where it spent most of the day feeding and occasionally bursting into song. Two

Cuckoos were seen in the withies and at Cristin, a summer-plumage Bar-tailed Godwit flew

over the Narrows. Hirundine counts for the day amounted to five Sand Martins, 140 Swallows

and 21 House Martins, whilst five Swifts also passed through. Warbler numbers were up from

previous days, with ten Whitethroats, two Garden Warblers, six Blackcaps, nine Chiffchaffs

and three Willow Warblers recorded. The 28th was a much quieter day, although a steady

passage of Swallows heading southward all day amounted to at least 180 birds. The Bar-tailed

Godwit remained in Solfach, whilst ten Spotted Flycatchers were inland and the flock of 17

Collared Doves was again at the North End. The largest arrival of migrants on 29th was 40

Spotted Flycatchers scattered all over the island; two Whinchats in the lowlands and a 'flava'

Wagtail flew over the Narrows. The Mediterranean theme continued on 30th with a Bee-

eater seen over the North End of the island at 0815 hrs which brightened up a rather dull

morning enormously. The bird was seen flying south along the Mountain, and then

reappeared at Nant moments later. It was then seen being attacked by a Peregrine over the

North End maritime heath. Soon afterwards the Peregrine was seen flying east carrying a bird.

The actual kill was not witnessed, and so the fate of this poor continental migrant is still

unsure. The only previous record on the island was of one in July 1984. Heavy fog throughout

the final day of May with very little wind failed to produce anything different, with the only

arrivals of any note including a single Lapwing and Starling. A male Yellow Wagtail was

singing in Solfach in the morning, whilst a couple of Blackcaps, eight Chiffchaffs and seven

Spotted Flycatchers were in the gardens and withies.

June

June started on a very quiet note, although a few new arrivals were evident amongst
the usual breeders. A Great Skua (third of the year) flew south along the West Coast in the
morning, whilst 70 Swallows, 13 House Martins and two Swifts flew overhead. On land, the
Yellow Wagtail was again in Solfach, a Reed Warbler was trapped in Cristin Withy and 16
Spotted Flycatchers were seen, along with two Whitethroats, six Chiffchaffs and a Willow
Warbler. The third Firecrest of the spring was discovered in the Plantation in the morning of
2nd, and was later trapped and ringed in Nant withy. The second scarcity of the day came in
the form of a Red Kite that circled the Mountain several times, before pitching down on Pen
Cristin, and then finally heading northwards. This is the first record since 26 July 2010, and is
17th record for the island.

34 Adroddiad Gwylfa Maes ac Adar Ynys Enlli 2012

The 3rd was a horrid wet and miserable day across much of the UK, so much so that 35
the RAF Red Arrows display team, who had been practicing over the island and Cardigan Bay
for the past month, did not get to fly along the Mall in a formation picturing a crown and the
Letters EIIR for her majesty the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee celebrations in London. However, as
Steve was just heading back from Cristin in the morning, having had coffee with the guests, he
saw movement in the Heligoland trap. Thinking that he should make sure that it was not a
Subalpine Warbler (with there being two on Lundy in the week!), he made his way through
the soaking wet grass in pouring rain. On approaching, he heard baby Blue Tits calling. He
assumed that the parents were outside the trap. When he got to the catching box end of the
trap he was correct, there were two baby Blue Tits... and a flash of black, white and chestnut!
and a fantastic male Woodchat Shrike. For the second time in the day, Steve ventured out
into the garden and wandered towards the Schoolhouse late in the afternoon. Here, without
his bins, he saw a large warbler that he thought was a Melodious Warbler, having only seen it
very briefly as he had just popped out to the loo! When other observers arrived, the bird was
re-found near the back of the Heligoland trap and showed briefly, although well enough for all
to see that it was indeed the first Melodious Warbler of the year! It then found its way into
the trap and was caught and ringed. Melodious Warbler is another one of those species
which Bardsey seems to be particularly good for, with 14 birds since 2007. Indeed, up until the
end of 2006, there had been 186 accepted records of Melodious Warblers in Wales, with
almost 100 of these coming from Bardsey! Although very wet, a Great Northern Diver flew
past the North End of the island also on 3rd, along with a 'Commic’ Tern. It was another good
day on 4th when the rain had finally abated. A Common Rosefinch was found at Plas mid-
morning, which was later seen at Nant Withy. The Melodious Warbler was found in Cristin
early morning, before it moved into the green lane where it began singing.

A Common Rosefinch found at Plas mid-morning was the best find of the day, and was
later seen at Nant Withy. The Melodious Warbler was found in Cristin early morning, before it
moved into the Green Lane where it began singing. In other news, eight Spotted Flycatchers
were scattered around the island, whilst three Sanderlings joined the flock of Dunlins in
Solfach and a Whimbrel was in Henllwyn. Another rather grim day of fine drizzle and showers
on 5th saw very few birds of note. The Melodious Warbler was present for its third day in
Cristin garden, and a female Yellow Wagtail was seen on Solfach. The 6th saw the run of good
birds continue, with a nice selection of scarcities on the island. The day started well, when a
Red-breasted Flycatcher was discovered in Nant garden. This bird remained here for the rest
of the morning, although it could not be relocated in the afternoon. This is around the 76th
record for the island, although there have only been nine previous spring records. An
unringed Common Rosefinch was seen briefly at Cristin mid-morning, although was not seen
again after flying north along the Mountainside. The third decent bird of the day was a Golden
Oriole that made a fleeting appearance in the bottom end of Cristin garden, although once
again attempts to relocate the bird failed. The 7th saw utterly miserable weather back, with
hardly a break between rainstorms, and so very few birds were around. A single Swift passed
overhead in the morning, joining a flock of 26 House Martins above Nant. On Solfach, a
summer-plumaged Sanderling was seen with six Dunlins.

The 8th began very wet and miserable again, but this did not stop Ben from venturing
out for his morning walk, rewarding him with the discovery of a rather bedraggled singing
male Greenish Warbler in his garden. It eventually made its way into the Observatory garden
where it was trapped and ringed. Two Storm Petrels off the South End of the island in the
morning of 9th were the highlights of another windy day. Two Golden Plovers also flew past
with good numbers of common birds, although passerines were extremely thin on the ground
and migration had slowed to almost nothing. However, on 10th a rather stunning wagtail was

Bardsey Bird and Field Observatory Report 2012

Pomarine Skua © 2012 Richard Brownfound on the Narrows. Rich and Giselle discovered the bird and initially radioed out the news
as a Grey-headed Wagtail M. f. thunbergii. However, when Steve arrived, he looked at it and
initially thought that it may be a Romanian Wagtail M. f. dombrowskii, a hybrid between the
nominate M. f. flava and Black-headed Wagtail M. f. feldegg. It was very striking, no matter
what it was. There is, however, Eastern Yellow Wagtail M. f. tschutschensis to consider which
appears indistinguishable from Romanian. This form calls like a Citrine Wagtail M. citreola, but
our bird called more like a normal Yellow-type wagtail, leading us to believe that our bird was
a Romanian Wagtail.

The second week of
June saw migration all but
over and our attention then
turned to the breeding birds
of the island. That said, a
fine adult Pomarine Skua
was seen on the Narrows on
the morning of 14th. The
19th saw a Greenshank and
pretty much the end of
spring migration until the
last day of June when Steve
Hinde found a singing
warbler in Plas Withy which
sounded like a Greenish
Warbler. Eventually he managed to see the bird well and the bird was trapped. This individual
caused much debate on the internet, emails and on the island as, unlike the other Greenish
earlier in spring, that was so worn it barely had a wing bar, this one was very boldly marked
and questions about its identity were being raised from all corners of the country. Had the
bird been mis-identified and was it a Green Warbler Phylloscopus nitidus from Central Asia?
Eventually expert opinion was sought and the bird’s true identity confirmed on the basis of
the colouring of the feathers around the lower part of the eye-ring. They were not
concolourous with the ear coverts, so it was just a Greenish Warbler and not a second for
Britain!

So, that was spring in a nutshell, a fantastic array of birds not to be sniffed at. Rare Bird
Alert (one of the UK's biggest pager companies) said in their review of the week that 'Bardsey
must be the best site of the spring!'.......and who could argue with that after what you have
just read.

Summer

Summary of the breeding season

Although the number of seabirds returning to the breeding colonies was generally
stable for most species in 2012, Shag, Lesser Black-backed Gull and Kittiwake numbers
continued to fall. Productivity was disappointing for most species, but Shag and Lesser Black-
backed Gull productivity were both up on recent levels. Kittiwake productivity equalled the
record low of 2011. A visit to Ynysoedd Gwylan was not possible in 2012 due to poor weather.

36 Adroddiad Gwylfa Maes ac Adar Ynys Enlli 2012

A very aggressive Shelduck pair led to record productivity and the first Mallard
fledglings since 2009 were recorded. Moorhen numbers again fell and productivity was the
worst yet recorded. The Oystercatcher population remains stable, but productivity was
excellent. Ringed Plover bred for the fourth time since 2003.

The breeding passerines had very mixed fortunes, with an obvious dichotomy between
the birds of scrub and garden and the species utilising the farmland. In the gardens, withies
and scrub there were record numbers of Wren, Dunnock, Sedge Warbler, Chiffchaff,
Chaffinch, Goldfinch and Lesser Redpoll. Robin numbers were at their highest since 1955,
Blackbirds at their highest since 1989 and Whitethroat at their highest since 1968. Blue Tits
bred for a third time and Great Tits for a fourth. Increases in available cover and an absence
of breeding Sparrowhawks seem to be having a positive effect and, for the granivorous
species, increases in available food have been substantial. Although the number of farmland
species breeding this year was generally stable, productivity was poor for Skylark, Pied
Wagtail, Stonechat, Wheatear and Linnet. Chough productivity was again poor, with the last
four years being the poorest on record. The disappointing spring weather probably affected
these species, particularly the first broods. On a positive note, good numbers of Swallows and
House Martins returned to breed and Raven bred for a second consecutive year.

Autumn migration

July

Mid-July saw the first couple of returning juvenile Willow Warblers amongst the other
families of warblers at Nant. On 18th the Willow Warbler total reached four birds around the
island and by 19th 18 Willow Warblers were scattered throughout the gardens. A slightly
more eventful day on 20th saw a few nice birds on the island. In the early morning, the first
Grey Wagtail for some time flew over Tŷ Pellaf, the third Greenshank of the year was seen
briefly in Henllwyn and a Knot was present in Solfach. A Common Sandpiper and a Purple
Sandpiper were the only other waders of any note around the Narrows. Inland, only 12
Willow Warblers were left from yesterday.

The third week of July can often prove interesting, but it began this year with just
three new Sedge Warblers amongst the gorse on the South End, and ten Willow Warblers in
the withies and at Nant. The 23rd saw a good selection of waders of over ten species present
around the Narrows at high tide. The more notable of these included five Purple Sandpipers,
five Whimbrels, 11 Turnstones, a Common Sandpiper and the same Knot. After a misty start
to the day on 25th, the sun soon burst through to warm up the island, which is when most of
the birds emerged from the withies and gardens. The most obvious arrival of migrants was a
good count of 67 Willlow Warblers, which were mainly seen on the South End; a Grasshopper
Warbler and a Sedge Warbler were also present here. Overhead, two Kestrels, a Buzzard and
nine Swifts passed through. Although there were still no scarcities amongst the early autumn
migrants on 26th, an arrival of 152 Willow Warblers was noteworthy, as were two
Grasshopper Warblers and a Song Thrush that had also arrived overnight. On the non-
passerine front, a single Common Sandpiper was present in Solfach and 35 Black-headed
Gulls were seen at the North End. The 27th saw singles of Snipe, Sanderling and Common
Sandpiper amongst the usual selection of commoner waders in the morning, whilst a
Common Gull and Sandwich Tern passed by at sea. Inland, the Willow Warbler count had
reduced to 56 birds, and a Grasshopper Warbler, Collared Dove and Greenfinch were new in.
The first juvenile Cuckoo of early autumn passage was the highlight of an otherwise very quiet

Bardsey Bird and Field Observatory Report 2012 37

day on 29th. The best bird of the day came in the form of a juvenile Marsh Harrier on 1st,
which was seen above Plas mid-morning, before it disappeared off eastwards. A Golden
Plover was pick of the wader selection in the morning, along with three Purple Sandpipers
and three Common Sandpipers. Three Sandwich Terns fed off the West Side in the afternoon,
whilst the juvenile Cuckoo remained.

August

August began very windy and when on 4th it finally abated and the rain stopped, there
was little to revive the birdlife. A Black-tailed Godwit around the Narrows, three Arctic Skuas
off the West Side and a Little Egret off the North End were the highlights of the day. The 6th
was a fine and sunny day and day kicked off well when the year's second Melodious Warbler
was discovered in Tŷ Pellaf Withy. A couple of hours later the bird finally found its way into
the mistnets, and was duly ringed. Around 167 Willow Warblers passed through during the
day, whilst a scattering of scarcer migrants comprised a Great Spotted Woodpecker, a Tree
Pipit, a Whinchat and two Spotted Flycatchers. Overhead, a couple of Sand Martins passed
through, a Buzzard circled above the Mountain and a Sparrowhawk hunted prey. On 7th most
of the migrants from the previous day had moved on, making it a rather quiet. In the morning,
a Short-eared Owl was flushed from the West Side.

Despite easterly winds and clear skies on 9th, the only arrivals of the day passerine-
wise were 45 Willow Warblers. Overhead passage comprised of two Kestrels, two
Sparrowhawks, three Swifts and four Sand Martins. An Arctic Skua , 58 Common Scoters and
two Sandwich Terns passed by at sea. On the non-avian front, four Common Dolphins were
seen amongst a feeding party of 175 Gannets off the West Side. Another glorious day on 10th
saw a few more migrants on the island. A Garden Warbler and a Spotted Flycatcher were
amongst a scattering of 104 Willow Warblers, whilst 13 Swifts and five Sand Martins flew
overhead. Two Common Terns and a Sandwich Tern flew past at sea. On 11th the first Pied
Flycatcher of the autumn was trapped at Cristin in the afternoon, and was amongst a small
arrival of other migrants, including 49 Willow Warblers, a Goldcrest and three Spotted
Flycatchers. A Snipe, a Common Sandpiper, an Arctic Skua and three Sandwich Terns were
the most notable non-passerine sightings. A generally quieter day on 12th saw fewer birds
around, although the first Reed Warbler of the autumn was seen on the South End in the
afternoon; two Spotted Flycatchers were in the gardens and withies. The only new arrival on
13th was a Grasshopper Warbler.

The 14th saw one of the best day’s of autumn passage so far and a few scarcities made
their way to the island. A Hobby was seen hawking on insects over Nant in the early
afternoon, and was soon followed by a Wood Warbler which was seen briefly in Cristin
garden, before it presumably moved on with the flocks of Willow Warblers. Last but not least,
a Wryneck was seen briefly twice near Carreg Bach, although as is typical behaviour of this
species, it did not show itself again. More common migrants were in real evidence on the
island throughout the day, with flocks of 20 or more Willow Warblers seen moving along the
Mountainside, totalling at least 180, whilst a Sedge Warbler and Spotted Flycacther were also
amongst them. Despite the very strong and gusty easterly winds and rain on 15th, there were
still some migrants scattered around. A Tree Pipit, 32 Willow Warblers, a Spotted Flycatcher
and five Pied Flycatchers were seen in the gardens and withies, whilst nine Swifts arrived
from the sea. Two Knots, three Sanderlings, a Snipe, and 15 Ringed Plovers were present in
Solfach at high tide, whilst a Great Skua and a Common Tern were seen out at sea and two
Golden Plovers flew over. Another very windy day on 16th did, however, see the continued
arrival of migrants on the island. The most notable of these were 13 Pied Flycatchers, with

38 Adroddiad Gwylfa Maes ac Adar Ynys Enlli 2012

Dotterel © 2012 Steve Stansfieldtwo Spotted Flycatchers and 30 Willow Warblers also seen. Out to sea, the first Balearic
Shearwater of the year flew past, along with many Manx Shearwaters and Gannets, whilst a
petrel sp. was seen briefly in Solfach in the afternoon, before two Great Black-backed Gulls 39
ate it! On the non-avian front, two Risso's Dolphins were seen out at sea. An utterly miserable
day on 17th saw the small invasion of Pied Flycatchers continuing, with 11 seen in the
gardens, along with 32 Willow Warblers. When the wind finally abated overnight on 18th, the
highest number of Pied Flycatchers present on the island for some years was counted; the
total reached 16 individuals, with Willow Warbler and Spotted Flycatcher numbers up to 60
and four respectively. Elsewhere, the first Ruff of the year was seen flying over the South End
in the morning, two Black-tailed Godwits were present on the Narrows and commoner
waders passing through included 20 Dunlins, six Whimbrels and six Snipe. The 19th was a
brilliant day of passage and saw an excellent array of species passing through, although the
obvious highlight of the day was two juvenile Dotterels which were found on the Mountain
top in the morning. Overhead passage in the morning included four Golden Plovers, a Snipe,
two Black-tailed Godwits, a Greenshank, two Green Sandpipers, four Common Sandpipers, a
Tree Pipit, two Grey Wagtails and 23 Sand Martins. Out to sea, 22 Little Gulls, eight Sandwich
Terns and four Common Terns passed by, whilst 63 Willow Warblers were in the island’s
gardens and withies, along with two Spotted and a Pied Flycatcher. The 20th was generally a
quieter day on the bird front, but there was still a fair scattering of migrants. A Balearic
Shearwater flew past at sea in the morning, whilst a good number of waders at high tide saw
69 Turnstones, 25 Purple Sandpipers, two Sanderlings, four Dunlins and a Knot. In terms of
land migrants, 86 Willow Warblers were seen predominantly on the South End, whilst only a
single Pied and Spotted Flycatcher were seen in the gardens.

The 21st
saw good
numbers of
migrants
grounded on
the island
overnight,
which gradually
filtered through
the island
during the day.
Two Dotterels,
initially
presumed to be
different to the
birds from two
days previously, arrived from out at sea and spent the afternoon on the South End. A
subsequent report and photograph of two birds on the nearby mainland on 20th suggested
that the birds were moving back and forth between there and the island. Passerine migrants
inland and around the coast amounted to six Sand Martins, three Grasshopper Warblers, 12
Sedge Warblers, three Reed Warblers (two of which were trapped), 26 Whitethroats, an
excellent 535 Willow Warblers, two Goldcrests, ten Spotted Flycatchers and five Pied
Flycatchers. A Water Rail was seen in the withies and a Greenshank and four Sanderlings
were present on the Narrows. Effectively all the migrants from 21st had gone by 22nd, leaving
very little on the island. Out to sea, a single Great Skua and Common Tern flew past, whilst
the only land migrants present on the island were ten Willow Warblers and a Goldcrest.
There were good numbers of waders around Solfach at high tide, including a Knot, four

Bardsey Bird and Field Observatory Report 2012

Sanderlings, 53 Turnstones, three Purple Sandpipers, nine Redshanks and a Whimbrel.
Passerine migrants were in general pretty thin on the ground on 23rd, with a single Grey
Wagtail, a Reed Warbler, 20 Willow Warblers and two Goldcrests around the island. A
Kestrel flew over the Narrows, two Sandwich Terns were in Solfach and a Knot was seen on
the Narrows during the night. A Whinchat and a Garden Warbler were pick of the passerine
migrants on 24th, whilst an Arctic Skua, a Great Skua and a Common Tern flew past at sea.
During the night, two Greenshanks were heard above the Narrows. Two Reed Warblers, two
Pied Flycatchers, a Spotted Flycatcher and ten Goldcrests were amongst a small arrival of
migrants on 26th, as well as about 25 Willow Warblers. Out to sea, a Great Skua, two Arctic
Terns, and eight Sandwich Terns flew past.

September

The most noteworthy sightings of another very quiet day on 1st were a Water Rail in
Cristin Withy, seven Common Terns out to sea and a Reed Warbler in Tŷ Pellaf Withy.
Common passerine migrants such as Swallows, Meadow Pipits and Robins were seen to
increase in numbers both overhead and on land, with 76, 69 and 11 recorded respectively
recorded. A single Grey Wagtail also flew overhead. The 2nd was another unproductive day of
birding, but it did see migrant Lepidoptera began to arrive on the island, with totals including
a Hummingbird Hawk-moth, two Silver Ys, a Rush Veneer and a Painted Lady. Clear skies for
a period in the morning of 3rd saw a good passage of 285 Swallows through the island, along
with a Sand Martin, 13 House Martins and 16 Grey Wagtails. A surprising movement of
Common Terns also took place in the calm conditions, with 110 recorded; an adult Pomarine
Skua also flew past the coast. Although once again no scarcities made it to the island on 4th, a
fantastic passage of 5250 Swallows took place in the morning, with flocks of several hundred
flying eastwards over the island. Seven Sand Martins, 23 House Martins and a Grey Wagtail
also flew overhead, whilst passerine migrants on land included four Blackcaps, four
Whitethroats, ten Chiffchaffs, nine Willow Warblers, six Goldcrests and two Spotted
Flycatchers. A single Great Skua, 45 Common Terns and nine Sandwich Terns were the only
notable sightings out to sea. The first Migrant Hawker of the year was seen feeding around
the Observatory building in the afternoon. A pod of six Bottle-nosed Dolphins and two Risso's
Dolphins were present off the West Side in the evening.

The third

Melodious Warbler of Melodious Warbler © 2012 Steve Stansfield

the year trapped in the

New Plantation on 7th

and provided a bit of

excitement on a day

that was otherwise

very quiet. After being

ringed and released at

Cristin, the Melodious

Warbler showed

reasonably well in the

damson and willow

bushes in the back

garden and remained

there for over a week. Elsewhere, seven Grey Wagtails and 12 alba Wagtails passed

overhead, a Reed Warbler was seen in Tŷ Pellaf. An arrival of migrants overnight and during

the day on 8th saw a good number and variety of species on the island. The ringed Melodious

40 Adroddiad Gwylfa Maes ac Adar Ynys Enlli 2012

Warbler remained in Cristin garden, and a second Hippolais warbler found at Nant was also 41
thought to be of this species, although only brief glimpses were had. Passerine migrant totals
for the day amounted to four Grey Wagtails, six White Wagtails, four Sedge Warblers, a Reed
Warbler, 12 Whitethroats, eight Garden Warblers, 13 Blackcaps, 114 Chiffchaffs, 90 Willow
Warblers, 21 Goldcrests, 36 Spotted Flycatchers and a Pied Flycatcher. Two Water Rails were
calling in Cristin Withy, and a Sanderling was seen in Henllwyn. The highlights of a breezier
and consequently much quieter day on 9th was a Short-eared Owl above Cristin, a Barn Owl
in Cristin back garden and a 'flava' Wagtail around the track. A very quiet day bird-wise on
10th saw little moving past at sea, despite the strong winds. Three Arctic Skuas were seen in
the morning, whilst waders included a Ringed Plover, a Purple Sandpiper, two Dunlins and a
Whimbrel. A day of strong north-westerly winds on 11th saw a good passage of birds out to
sea, with the highlights being the first Sabine's Gull and Black Terns of the year (eight of the
latter were seen) and two Black Guillemots. Other more common passage birds included a
Sanderling, 21 Dunlins, 15 Arctic Skuas, two Great Skuas, seven Sandwich Terns and 25 Arctic
Terns. A Balearic Shearwater, 14 Common Scoters, three Sanderlings, a Pomarine Skua, an
Arctic Skua, six Great Skuas, 31 Sandwich Terns and an Arctic Tern passed the coast during
the day on 12th, whilst four Grey Wagtails and 24 'alba' Wagtails flew overhead, and a
Grasshopper Warbler, 17 Chiffchaffs, five Willow Warblers and two Spotted Flycatchers
were seen in the island's gardens and withies.

The start of the third week of September was rather breezy with a little sea passage
which saw the year's first Sooty Shearwaters, with two seen. Two Teals, two Pomarine Skuas,
six Arctic Skuas, a Long-tailed Skua, 16 Great Skuas, a Common Gull, 28 Sandwich Terns and
an Arctic Tern also passed by. Inland, four Grey Wagtails, 25 'alba' Wagtails, and the
Melodious Warbler remained, along with a Spotted Flycatcher. The highlights of a much
calmer day on 15th surprisingly came from the sea, with two Black-throated Divers seen off
the West Side in the afternoon. As well as this first for the year, two Arctic, one Pomarine and
two Great Skuas also flew past. A slight overhead passage of migrants in the morning
comprised 240 Swallows, 175 Meadow Pipits and 15 Grey Wagtails, whilst 17 Chiffchaffs, five
Willow Warblers and 21 Goldcrests were present in the island's gardens. Two Bar-tailed
Godwits and three Whimbrels were the only waders of note. On 16th an excellent day of
seawatching didn't really kick off until mid-afternoon, when the first scarcities began flying
past the South End. Seven Sooty Shearwaters, six Balearic Shearwaters, two Leach's Petrels
(first of the year), five Pomarine Skuas, 14 Arctic Skuas, a Long-tailed Skua, 17 Great Skuas
and a Sabine's Gull. Passerine migrants were few and far between, although a movement of
Swallows off the North End saw 135 birds passing with 25 House Martins and three Grey
Wagtails. Another day of westerly winds on 17th saw much of the interest bird-wise out at
sea, although the first Lapland Bunting of the autumn was seen on the South End early on. Six
Sooty Shearwaters, a Balearic Shearwater, four Leach's Petrels, a Pomarine Skua, 12 Arctic
Skuas and 12 Great Skuas were the highlights of sea-passage, whilst a Short-eared Owl, also
seen the previous night on Solfach, was flushed from near Plas Withy. The 18th was another
day predominantly of sea-passage with strong, cold north-westerly winds persisting
throughout. The totals of the scarcer seabirds off the island included eight Red-throated
Divers, a Sooty Shearwater, 14 Leach's Petrels, 16 Common Scoters, seven Golden Plovers,
25 Arctic Skuas, two Long-tailed Skuas, five Great Skuas, a Mediterranean Gull, a Little Gull,
a Common Gull, 57 Sandwich Terns, four Arctic Terns and two Common Terns. On the
passerine front, four Grey Wagtails and two White Wagtails were present around the
Narrows, a Whitethroat, a Garden Warbler, a Blackcap, ten Chiffchaffs, three Willow
Warblers, eight Goldcrests and three Spotted Flycatchers were on land. A calmer day on 19th
saw a good scattering of common migrants around the island, including two Grey Wagtails, a
Ring Ouzel, a Grasshopper Warbler, six Blackcaps, 30 Chiffchaffs, four Willow Warblers, 21

Bardsey Bird and Field Observatory Report 2012

Goldcrests and six Spotted Flycatchers. Out to sea, five Leach's Petrels, a Brent Goose and an
Arctic Skua passed by, whilst a Short-eared Owl was on the South End. The 20th was another
day of fresh northerlies and saw a little more in the way of migrants on the island. A Red-
throated Diver, two Leach's Petrels (one of which was trapped overnight), four Arctic Skuas,
three Great Skuas, two Common Gulls and nine Sandwich Terns passed by at sea. Five species
of raptor were seen during the day - singles of Peregrine, Sparrowhawk, Merlin, Hobby and
Kestrel. A Skylark, 99 Meadow Pipits, four Grey Wagtails, 11 White Wagtails, three
Blackcaps, 22 Chiffchaffs, four Willow Warblers, 20 Goldcrests, five Spotted Flycatchers and
34 Chaffinches represented passerine migrants on land.

The 21st was a much calmer day that began with torrential rain which soon cleared up
to produce a good amount of visible migration. The highlights of the morning, however, came
mainly from out to sea: a Great Northern Diver was seen in Solfach, and a Black Guillemot off
the South End, along with a Pomarine Skua, five Arctic Skuas and a Leach's Petrel. Overhead
passage included a Kestrel, five Buzzards, three Skylarks, 48 Swallows, 230 Meadow Pipits, a
Grey Wagtail and 68 Chaffinches. 30 Goldcrests was the only notable increase of warblers
inland. It was a disappointingly quiet day on 22nd considering the promising conditions - clear
skies and a slight easterly breeze. A large pipit on the South End in the morning unfortunately
flew off out to sea and did not return; overhead migrant counts for the day included two
Skylarks, a Sand Martin, 152 Swallows, four House Martins, 141 Meadow Pipits, six Grey
Wagtails and 20 'alba' Wagtails. 17 Robins, a Whitethroat, four Blackcaps and 53 Goldcrests
were the only passerines notably higher in numbers inland. Out to sea, a Great Northern
Diver, 43 Common Scoters and a first-summer Mediterranean Gull flew past, whilst a Knot
joined four Bar-tailed Godwits and a Dunlin in Solfach. A day of very strong easterly winds on
23rd saw two Lapland Buntings in the morning. Two Mediterranean Gulls flew past out to sea
and two Wigeons were seen in Solfach. Two Skylarks, 33 Swallows, 220 Meadow Pipits, a
Yellow Wagtail, six Grey Wagtails and 32 'alba' Wagtails flew over. The most noteworthy
sightings of a calm and very wet day on 24th were a Water Rail, a Short-eared Owl, a Song
Thrush and a Treecreeper, as well as six Skylarks, 43 Goldcrests and three Spotted
Flycatchers. Seawatching in the afternoon was productive as the north-westerly wind picked
up, with totals amounting to one Great Northern Diver, a Sooty Shearwater, a Balearic
Shearwater, four Wigeons, two Pomarine Skuas, eight Arctic Skuas and five Common Gulls.
The 25th produced a few island scarcities on another very wet and windy day. The highlights
came in the form of a Ruff in Henllwyn, a Great Spotted Woodpecker in the Plantation and a
Tufted Duck around the Narrows (27th island record). A good passage of notable species out
to sea included a Sooty Shearwater, a Balearic Shearwater, four Pomarine Skuas, five Arctic
Skuas, three Long-tailed Skuas, a Great Skua, a Mediterranean Gull and an Arctic Tern. A
small arrival of common migrants was noted in the vegetated areas, with Blackcaps increasing
to 15, whilst a Whitethroat, 14 Chiffchaffs and 32 Goldcrests were also present. By far the
best bird of the day, if not the year to date, did not appear until late on in the afternoon on
26th when a Little Bunting was seen in the field by Tŷ Capel, before relocating to the
Plantation, and remaining quite elusive and mobile for the rest of the day. The highlights from
elsewhere on the island included the Great Spotted Woodpecker, a Black Redstart, a Garden
Warbler, six Spotted Flycatchers, and two Lapland Buntings. A Red-breasted Merganser, a
Golden Plover, seven Arctic Skuas, a Long-tailed Skua, a Great Skua, a Mediterranean Gull
and two Merlins flew past both out to sea and inland. More common passerine migrants
during the day included two Skylarks, 22 Swallows, 107 Meadow Pipits, three Grey Wagtails,
a Whitethroat, 29 Blackcaps, 18 Chiffchaffs, 66 Goldcrests, five Spotted Flycatchers and 51
Chaffinches. The 27th was another good day with a decent scattering of scarcities and a few
new arrivals on the island. A Firecrest, four Lapland Buntings, two Treecreepers, a Brambling
and two Tree Pipits were the highlights of the morning. Five Wigeons and two Teals flew

42 Adroddiad Gwylfa Maes ac Adar Ynys Enlli 2012

around Henllwyn briefly in the morning, whilst two Mediterranean Gulls and two Little Gulls
flew past the Narrows. There were good numbers of common migrants present on the island
again, with a noticeable increase in the number of Meadow Pipits around, with over 200
seen. 32 Pied, six White and four Grey Wagtails were recorded, along with two Skylarks on
Pen Cristin; a Song Thrush and the Great Spotted Woodpecker were at Nant. Warbler
numbers had decreased somewhat, with around 36 Goldcrests being the day's highest figure.
A Grasshopper Warbler was seen in the same field that produced the bunting yesterday, and
another Locustella warbler which looked smaller and darker was unfortunately not relocated.
The 28th was a windier and consequently quieter day with very little of interest around. A
single Arctic Skua, Great Skua, and 29 Black-headed Gulls flew past at sea, whilst a Water Rail
was heard in Cristin Withy. Inland, the Great Spotted Woodpecker, a Treecreeper, 12
Chiffchaffs, 26 Goldcrests and two Lapland Buntings were seen. The 29th saw a first-winter
Barred Warbler found in Ty Capel garden late afternoon and was the highlight of an otherwise
quiet day. A Lapland Bunting was seen on Pen Cristin in the morning, a Great Spotted
Woodpecker was trapped in Cristin garden, and nine Blackcaps and 27 Goldcrests were
scattered throughout.

October

A good passage of Yellow-browed Warbler © 2012 Steve Stansfield
seabirds throughout the

month’s first day included a

Red-throated Diver, two

Balearic Shearwaters, a

Velvet Scoter (first of the

year), an Arctic Skua, four

Long-tailed Skuas, three

Great Skuas, a Little Gull, six

Mediterranean Gulls and a

Sandwich Tern. Overhead, 47

Swallows, two Sand Martins

and a Grey Wagtail were

recorded, whilst two Lapland

Buntings were present on the South End. The first Jack Snipe of the autumn was flushed from

the unusual location of a bracken path near Tŷ Capel on 2nd, although there was very little

elsewhere. Out to sea, a Red-throated Diver, two Pomarine Skuas, a Mediterranean Gull, a

Little Gull, three Arctic Terns and two Common Terns were recorded, whilst two Golden

Plovers were seen on the South End; a Water Rail was seen in the wetlands. A windy day with

clear skies on 3rd was once again very quiet for early October. A Hobby seen over Tŷ Pellaf in

the afternoon was the highlight of the day, whilst a Lapland Bunting and a Grey Wagtail were

also seen inland. A Sooty Shearwater, a Balearic Shearwater, two Leach's Petrels, two Great

Skuas and two Mediterranean Gulls passed by at sea, and 19 Golden Plovers flew overhead.

Finally on 4th the winds abated and a much better day saw a small amount of visible

migration take place. The first two Yellow-browed Warblers of the year were found in the

New Plantation and Cristin respectively. A good arrival of Goldcrests saw over 189 birds

moving through the island during the day, whilst a Great Spotted Woodpecker, three Song

Thrushes, two Garden Warblers, six Blackcaps, four Chiffchaffs and a Pied Flycatcher were

seen in the island's gardens and withies. Overhead passage in the morning included 21

Skylarks, five Sand Martins, 37 House Martins, 61 Swallows, 232 Meadow Pipits, nine Grey

Wagtails, and 115 Chaffinches. Although it was a much breezier day on 5th, with overcast

skies, a few scarcities were again present. The highlights included a Barred Warbler in Tŷ

Bardsey Bird and Field Observatory Report 2012 43

Capel Withy, the first Snow Bunting of the autumn above Carreg Fawr and a Yellow-browed
Warbler at Nant. Smaller numbers of common migrants saw only 65 Goldcrests remaining,
whilst an Arctic Skua and Mediterranean Gull flew past at sea. Although there was a good
scattering of common migrants on 6th, there were no new scarcities on another much calmer
day. The ringed Yellow-browed Warbler and the Barred Warbler remained at Nant, whilst
two Great Spotted Woodpeckers, three Song Thrushes, a Whinchat, 94 Goldcrests, and 17
Robins were seen elsewhere. Overhead passage throughout the day didn't see large numbers
of birds moving, although counts were better than in recent days: 22 Skylarks, 64 Swallows,
nine House Martins, 170 Meadow Pipits, four Grey Wagtails, 54 Chaffinches, a Brambling,
four Greenfinches, six Lesser Redpolls and two Reed Buntings were recorded.

The most noteworthy sightings of another clear and calm day on 7th came in the form
of a Jack Snipe on the Mountain, a kettle of 19 Buzzards, a Great Spotted Woodpecker, a
Whinchat, a Coal Tit, a Lapland Bunting and two Snow Buntings. Common migrants were
seen in excellent numbers, with the first six Redwings of the autumn making an appearance
along with 27 Blackbirds and ten Song Thrushes in the gardens. A Grasshopper Warbler, two
Garden Warblers, five Blackcaps, a Yellow-browed Warbler, 15 Chiffchaffs, six Willow
Warblers and 102 Goldcrests represented warbler numbers from inland. Overhead passage
during the day comprised 44 Skylarks, a Swallow, 100 Meadow Pipits, five Grey Wagtails,
340 Chaffinches, two Bramblings, 46 Greenfinches, a Siskin, 109 Goldfinches, three Lesser
Redpolls and two Reed Buntings. Although light easterlies and drizzly weather promised a
good day on 8th, it was all in all very quiet bird-wise. At least three Merlins were seen hunting
around the island during the day, whilst two Water Rails, a Jack Snipe and five Snipe were
heard and seen in the wetlands. Two Great Spotted Woodpeckers on the island included a
bird that was seen arriving in off the sea, whilst a Redstart, 79 Swallows, two Garden
Warblers, 33 Blackbirds, seven Song Thrushes and a Coal Tit were present inland. The 9th
was also a rather quiet day with light easterlies and clear skies and saw a small passage of
migrants in the morning amounting to 16 Skylarks, 27 Swallows, 86 Meadow Pipits, a Rook,
81 Chaffinches, eight Siskins, three Greenfinches, 46 Goldfinches and a Lapland Bunting.
Thrush counts for the day included 21 Blackbirds, ten Song Thrushes and a Redwing, whilst
three Great Spotted Woodpeckers remained mobile around the island. Out to sea, 11 Little
Gulls and four Mediterranean Gulls were recorded, and three Merlins were recorded inland.
After several months of waiting and searching for a 'proper' rarity to turn up, one was finally
found on 10th in the form of Bardsey's first Citrine Wagtail. First seen with a couple of Pied
Wagtails near the Boathouse, the bird then showed on the Narrows, before flying all over the
island and eventually settling in Solfach to give some stunning views. Elsewhere, 23 Wigeons
and two Mediterranean Gulls that flew past at sea. Five Merlins were seen together on the
North End, two Great Spotted Woodpeckers flew around calling and 13 Redwings, six Song
Thrushes and 20 Blackbirds were in the gardens. A day of persistent rain on 11th saw little
new of interest. The Citrine Wagtail was seen on Solfach in the morning, however, by midday
the bird had disappeared and was not seen again. The most noteworthy sightings of the
morning included the first Woodcock of the autumn, 13 Wigeons and two Teals out to sea,
three Merlins along the coast, a Water Rail on Pen Cristin, and three Great Spotted
Woodpeckers. A small arrival of passerine migrants midday saw a few thrushes and warblers
joining the birds already on the island, with numbers coming to 53 Blackbirds, 23 Song
Thrushes, 17 Redwings, a Mistle Thrush, a Garden Warbler, ten Blackcaps, six Willow
Warblers, 41 Goldcrests and a Spotted Flycatcher. The 12th was a very uneventful day with a
Barn Owl seen in the evening around the Plantation. The most notable sightings of a quieter
day on 13th included a Snow Bunting above Cristin, six Crossbills over Nant and a Ring Ouzel
on the Mountain.

44 Adroddiad Gwylfa Maes ac Adar Ynys Enlli 2012