Big Seabird Movement Point Lynas 29/10/17

There was a large movement of seabirds past Point Lynas yesterday morning. I arrived at dawn, and began watching the sea at 6.45am. The wind was NNW 6/7. The previous day had had a strong westerly wind which continued through the night. This had undoubtedly driven some birds into Liverpool Bay. The first bird I saw was a Manx Shearwater at very close range, so it had a good feeling. Over the next four and a half hours the numbers and variety of species were very high, particularly in the first two hours. At one point I couldn't lift my eyes from my binoculars for at least five minutes! This was one of my most memorable watches at Lynas over the past 30ish years, for the sheer numbers and closeness of the birds. The Grey Phalarope at about 600m off the rocks was, I think, my first here on a seawatch. I also think the cumulative effect of Storm Ophelia and Storm Brian in the past two weeks may have certainly moved a lot of seabirds into the Irish Sea.

Species Recorded 06.45 to 11.15 am. (all birds moving west)

Shelduck 5
Eider 1 (fem/imm)
Common Scoter 16
Red-Throated Diver 3
Fulmar 1
Manx Shearwater 5
Storm Petrel 1
Leach's Petrel 2 (petrels appeared later and further out)
Gannet 249 (25 fishing)
Shag 6
Grey Heron 1
Curlew 1
Oystercatcher 5
Grey Phalarope 1 (following a group of auks very close)
Great Skua 20
Pomarine Skua 4 (2 ads with 'spoons', two juvs)
Arctic Skua 11
Black-headed Gull 104
Common Gull 41
Mediterranean Gull 3 (2 ads, 1 Ist w.)
Herring Gull 70
Great Black-backed Gull 6
Lesser Black-backed Gull 5
Little Gull 1 (ad.)
Kittiwake 2600
Arctic Tern 1 (juv)
Black Tern 1 (surprisingly late)
'Auk sp' 4230 (about 80% Razorbills, but more Guillemots than previous watches)

Also 3 to 5 Bottle-nosed Dolphins for five minutes moving east, leaping and feeding.

Hopefully this is of interest, and will encourage more people to watch from Point Lynas. Please contact me if you want any help or advice on access or the best times to watch.

New book out on the "Scarce and Rare Birds in North Wales".  All historic records up to and including 2016. 320 pages, 100+ Images, finder's accounts of the rarest, full colour and more. Limited print run.

Contact me on robinsandham@hotmail.co.uk. to order a copy. £16:99 local pick up from Conwy RSPB. Or £19:99 p+p UK.

Thanks 

Robin

Yoav Perlman comes to Bangor Birdgroup on Thursday this Week

Yoav Perlman will be talking to us about "Birding in Israel, where migration is defined!"
It's one not to miss!
It's on Thursday, not wednesday, doors open at 7 for a 7.30 start. It's in the usual Brambell building, but in the upstairs lecture theatre. Numbers are limited to 50 seats so get there early to avoid disappointment.See you on Thursday!
Yoav says this about himself 
"I have been birding since the age of 9, and from the age of 15 I started working professionally in birding. I have been working for the Israeli Ornithological Center since 1998. I was a member of the Israeli rarities committee between 2001 - 2007. I have an MSc in Ecology from the Ben Gurion University. I did my research on the ecology of Nubian Nightjars in Israel, and spent hundreds of nights with these fascinating birds. I lead tours in Israel, and especially focus on Nubian Nightjars obviously. I traveled and birded Asia extensively, and also Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Africa and North America. I am married to my lovely wife Adva and father to two sons - Uri and Noam, and one daughter - Libby. Currently I live in Norwich, where I am starting a PhD project at UEA."

Spain comes to Bangor

I will be doing a presentation tonight along with Richard Bird and Bill Slade. I will be doing a 30 minute presentation on the Birds I saw over two trips to the region to look for the Birds of the Pyrenees and Dupont's Lark. Richard will be doing a 15 minute film on a similar subject and Bill will be showing us some of the photo's he got from the photographic hide including the Bearded Vulture!

This Weekend

This Dotterel was at the Range by South Stack over the weekend and was still there yesterday at the Southern end by some small pools by the coastal footpath on the heath. The Red necked grebe was in Beddmanarch bay as scoped from Coffee cups cafe. No Slavs are back yet. A Great White Egret was visible from the Anchorage pub ob on Sunday. Also the American Golden Plover was still at Caernarfon Airport on Sunday. I had 3 Swallows at Llanfaethllu and a Wheatear on the Range on the 10th and Ken had Redwings on the 9th.

Bangor Birdgroup re-starts next week, the first Wednesday in October.

Are you interested in Birds, Wildlife and Wildlife photography? If so , why not come along to Bangor Birdgroup this up-coming season. Bangor Bird group is based at the University of Bangor and is currently celebrating it's 70th year and is one of the oldest Bird clubs in Britain. We also share one meeting a month with the North Wales Wildlife trust, so although primarily bird orientated our talks cover all aspects of natural history. This next season as well as birds, covers Badgers, Otters, Wildcats, Dolphins and other Cetaceans, Butterflies and Moths. Also many of the Bird talks cover other aspects of wildlife as well.
Our first talk of the season is by Alan Davies and Ruth Miller of Bird-watching breaks and The Biggest Twitch 2008 World record breaking Year List, for the most species of birds seen on the planet in one year! They have lived in North Wales for many years so they will be giving us their insight into the Best birdwatching sites in North Wales.
Other talks before Christmas include The Spanish Pyrenees and the search for DuPont's Lark, Fabulous Feathers, Birding in Israel by renowned Israeli Ornithologist and Birder Yoav Perlman and a research Talk on Urban Bird ecology. Then we have a joint effort by two former students Will Smith and Molly Foulds talking about some of the things they have got up to since leaving Bangor University, including wardening on the Skerries and research in Honduras! Then there are talks on Iceland and Bird Ringing in North Wales before the Christmas Quiz and party! Talks in the new year cover Trinidad and Tobago, Sulawesi to the Seregeti (the Earth's Ultimate Wildlife), North Carolina Pelagic Birding, The Upper Conwy Project, Spurn Bird Observatory, Japan in Winter, The Arctic North West Passage, Gronant Little Terns, The Atlantic Rainforest of Brazil, Chile and The Caucasus Mountains of Georgia.
So that's 24 meeting covering topics from North Wales, Britain and the rest of the World.
We meet on Wednesday nights in the Brambell Building, Deiniol road opposite Asda just down from the Train Station. Costs are £2 per meeting, or even better join as a member. Membership costs are as follows- Waged = £15, £12 for concessions and £10 for students. Not bad for 24 talks!
Our first talk on the Best Birdwatching sites in North Wales kicks off the season on the 4th October, doors open at 7 for a 7.30 pm start. All members of the public are welcome. Hopefully see you there, all the best, Stephen Culley (Programme Organizer, Local Birdwatcher and Naturalist).

Dotterel on The Range, South Stack (The four bird theory).

On Sunday, Rhys Jones sent me a text early afternoon to say he has just had just flushed 2 Dotterel at the Range and they appeared to land at the North West End. So I picked up Tony White and off we went. Rhys only saw the birds briefly in flight, but we hoped to relocate them. It was quite wet so I donned my waterproofs and we worked the North West part of the Range, only to put up two Golden Plovers.Trudging around in the rain doubt started to set in, "were these the birds Rhys had seen?". So we headed further North in case there were any Lapland buntings in with the Mippets and Skylarks. Twenty minutes later we put up two more Plovers, with a softer call and stonking supercillium, bingo Dotterel! Sorry for ever doubting you Rhys, so we managed to turn the "Two bird theory" into the "Four bird theory"! The Dotterel were still present on Monday and there were also 2 Lapland Buntings present. Also of note on Monday, Tony White had a flock of 15 Ruff at Cemlyn, a very big count for Anglesey.