Saturday 26 November 2016

Undoubtably one of the highlights of these late Autumn weeks was the appearance of eight Pink-footed Geese, frustratingly highly mobile around the West Coast until settling in the North West Fields to feed where good views were obtained and the ID confirmed. According to past reports this is just the fifth record for Bardsey, the last being on the 13th of October 2000, other prior sightings occurring in 1981, 1991 and 1992.

Flighty Pink-footed Geese before settling down in the North West Fields
The weather recently has been fantastically calm, giving an opportunity for the nets to be opened up at the Observatory for a couple of hours during the morning. Although not much was caught during those few hours, two juvenile female Bullfinches were an excellent bonus.

Juvenile outer greater coverts slightly tinged brown, also not obvious in the image is brown fringes to the primary coverts, alula and carpel coverts
Kindly perching briefly for a few pictures before flying off
A Mistle Thrush kept a watchful eye from the Schoolhouse during net rounds, emitting its rattling, machine gun like call intermittently, meanwhile overhead a Brambling, Goldfinch, eight Linnets and a Reed Bunting passed by. A male and female Sparrowhawk jousted over the Withies, 13 Blackbirds, eight Song Thrushes, Blackcap, four Goldcrests, Blue Tit and four Chaffinches were amongst other species recorded.

A few waders roosted on Carreg yr Honwy during low tide, 10 Oystercatchers and 37 Curlews, whilst a distant Redshank was heard calling. Just off shore two Gannets, 231 Black-headed Gulls, six Herring Gulls, a Greater Black-backed Gulls, one Guillemot and 12 Razorbills were seen.




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