Holyhead Vireo is a one-day wonder

Red-eyed Vireo (Steve Culley)

Exploring the east coast valleys of Anglesey on Saturday, thousands of finches were arriving from the east across Liverpool Bay. Most were Chaffinches and Siskins high overhead, but small groups of Bullfinches – probably more local – were a splash of colour among the falling leaves. On the other side of the island, two hard-working patch birders found a Red-eyed Vireo at Holyhead’s Breakwater Country Park, a rare visitor from across the Atlantic.

Vireos are a family of songbirds found exclusively in the Americas, most closely related to Orioles in Europe. The name comes from a Latin word for green, and the Red-eyed Vireo is well-named, although it’s the grey cap and eye-stripe that will stop a European birder in their tracks. Only 10 have occurred previously in Wales, of which half were in the north but it is the first on Anglesey since one at South Stack in 2001. It had moved on by Sunday.

The Bardsey Bird Observatory team left the island, finishing the season with a Pallas’s Warbler and seven Yellow-browed Warblers. The weekend brought more Yellow-browed Warblers to Aberdaron, Uwchmynydd, Wylfa, Talacre, Great Orme and Breakwater Country Park, where a couple of Hawfinches were part of a widespread movement across southern Britain. The Orme also hosted Lapland and Snow Buntings, with several Bramblings among the movement of Chaffinches recorded there.

The first Whooper Swans are back for winter in the Glaslyn Valley, and while small numbers of Redwings have been seen, there have been few Fieldfares so far. Other highlights last week included several Black Redstarts on Anglesey, a late Reed Warbler and Siberian Chiffchaff in Holyhead, Cattle Egrets at RSPB Cors Ddyga and Llanfachraeth, Sandwich Terns off Moelfre, Surf Scoter off Old Colwyn and a Woodlark over RSPB Conwy.

There’s a bonus blog this week: as bird-ringers pass the milestone of a million birds ringed in Wales this century, we take a look at the latest highlights ahead of publication in the Welsh Bird Report 2023.