Highlights on the Passerine front came in the form of a good arrival of
Robins and
Goldcrests, 53 and 41 respectively. A
Wryneck, flushed from the mountain side above Nant, briefly perched before disappearing out of sight. Whether this is a lingering bird from previous days or a new arrival we will never know but this continued a fantastic run of sightings for this sometimes incredibly elusive species. A
Whitethroat,
Garden Warbler and two
Spotted Flycatchers were new in and the first migrant
Goldfinches, seven seen, passed overhead. Small numbers of Phylloscs were present with 18
Chiffchaffs and three
Willow Warblers logged,
Stonechats amounted to 20 individuals scattered about the island whilst three
Sparrowhawks, two males and a female, a
Common Buzzard,
Water Rail, two
Little Owls, single
Skylark, three
Wheatear, eight
Blackbirds, 14
Dunnocks, two
Chaffinches and 290
Linnets were also present. Pipits and Wagtail numbers have been reasonably steady over the past couple of days but highlights today included three flyover
Grey Wagtails and an excellent count of 38
White Wagtails around the narrows.
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A Wryneck putting in an appearance near the Chapel at Nant |
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Rock Pipits gather in good numbers around the narrows, particularly on Solfach |
Corvid numbers, specifically
Carrion Crows are slowly increasing and we can expect numbers to rise further as the autumn progresses when mixed flocks of Corvids can be seen in their hundreds.
Carrion Crows gathered mostly in the North West Fields and numbered 41, with them were a few of the 14
Magpies seen today as a noisy flock of 11
Choughs soared over the mountain with a pair of
Ravens.
Wader numbers and species held steady and were similar to the previous day, although three Golden Plovers were an exciting addition for the day as the passed by the island. Solfach was resident to six Ringed Plovers, two Knot, nine Dunlins, a Bar-tailed Godwit, 24 Turnstones, 13 Oystercatchers, three Purple Sandpipers, two Whimbrels, 30 Curlews and eight Redshanks were close by.
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Juvenile Ringed Plover, note the pale fringes to crown, mantle and wing feathers, creating a scalloped appearance |
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Turnstones continue to be present in decent numbers |
Very little was spotted off the coast, most notable being three
Risso's Dolphins and a single
Wigeon. Gannets amounted to 11, seven
Cormorants headed south, and five
Kittiwakes and two
Razorbills were the only other additions.
The calmer, warmer conditions helped to enticed out a few species of Lepidoptera today although counts were still fairly low in comparison to some days prior. Two
Hummingbird Hawk Moths franticly fed around Nant, again another excellent tally of ten
Speckled Woods and 15
Green-veined Whites, five
Small Coppers, 11
Red Admirals, four
Painted Lady's, 16
Small Tortoiseshells and ten
Silver Y's put in an appearance.
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