Globally-threatened seabirds patter past North Wales

Leach's Petrel (Steve Culley)

Last week’s gales pushed North Atlantic seabirds into Liverpool Bay, some of which made their way into the teeth of the northwest winds along the North Wales coast. By Wednesday afternoon it was clear that scarce visitors were close to shore, mainly between Point of Ayr and Anglesey’s Wylfa Head, with smaller numbers off the north coast of Pen Llŷn and Bardsey.
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Leach’s Petrels were seen from 15 watchpoints, with at least 117 reported, the most significant movement since 2017. It is one of the most threatened seabirds that occurs in Welsh waters, listed as Vulnerable globally and added to the UK Red List. The British breeding population, entirely in Scotland and primarily on the remote island of St Kilda, has declined by a catastrophic 79% in just two decades. Watching Leach’s Petrels at close quarters was a treat. The fluttering flight reminds me of a Noctule Bat, changing speed and direction erratically. They paddle on the water, picking tiny plankton from the surface. Yet this tiny bird, only marginally bigger than a Skylark, spends much of its life in such stormy conditions far from land. Sadly, not all survive the storms: one met its end outside Lidl in Llandudno Junction, either hit by a vehicle or dropped by a large gull.​

Among other seawatching highlights were more than 60 Arctic Skuas, 16 Sooty Shearwaters and eight Sabine’s Gulls, including one off Tywyn on Sunday. More than 1500 Sandwich Terns battled west off Rhos Point in just a few hours last Wednesday. However, only 17 Great Skuas were recorded, reflecting the impacts of ‘bird flu’ on their northern colonies.
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When the winds calmed, autumn migrants on Anglesey included a Wryneck, Turtle Dove and Little Stint at Cemlyn on Monday, two Spoonbills on the Alaw estuary, and Hooded Crows at RSPB South Stack and Ynys Llanddwyn. On the mainland, Pink-footed Geese flew over RSPB Conwy on Monday, Deeside’s Hudsonian Godwit was again off Flint last week and several readers noticed gatherings of House Martins flocking ahead of departure to Africa.