Tuesday 22 July 2014

There was a respectable arrival of migrants on the island overnight on the 21st, amounting to the first significant day of autumn passage so far this year. The most apparent southward-bound migrants around were bright juvenile Willow Warblers, with a total of 50 recorded in the island's vegetated areas. A good record concerned three Yellow Wagtails seen on The Narrows and the North End- this is a scarce migrant in the summer months on Bardsey. Other migrants recorded on the island included one Ringed Plover, three Whimbrels, 17 Common Sandpipers, two Collared Doves, 16 Swifts, 17 Sand Martins, two Grey Wagtails, three Sedge Warblers, a Spotted Flycatchers and six Lesser Redpolls.

The 22nd was a somewhat less eventful day, although it was still apparent that migrants were moving through the island. There was a light scattering of 18 Willow Warblers in the vegetated areas of the island, whilst less than eight Swifts and 12 Sand Martins flew overhead during the day. Two Sandwich Terns were seen around The Narrows, along a Greenshank, with a Snipe, three Whimbrels and 12 Common Sandpipers.

This bright male Yellow Wagtail was one of three seen on the 21st- a good record in the summer months on Bardsey. These are the first July records of Yellow Wagtail (flavissima) on Bardsey for at least eight years
Willow Warbler numbers on the island have abruptly increased in the last few days, from just one or two to yesterday's total of 50 birds, and about 20 today 
There are about 150 Linnets recorded on the island every day at the moment- many of them are making use of the seeds in the thistle heads, such as this male

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