Siberian warblers found along Welsh coasts

Yellow-browed Warbler (Steve Culley)

“Suw-eest” is the call of a tiny Yellow-browed Warbler that birders hoped to hear this week. Many dozens have been found across Britain, and perhaps thousands have passed un-noticed through the country. Smaller than a Chiffchaff, they flit constantly among the leaves and branches of coastal trees. Yellow-browed Warblers nest in the foothills of the Ural Mountains, on the eastern edge of Europe, and winter in southeast Asia. Once a rarity here, greater numbers now move southwest to winter in Iberia and North Africa. To understand more about their migration, tiny coloured leg-rings are now being attached to Yellow-browed Warblers caught by ringers in Britain and Ireland.

At least a dozen were seen in North Wales over recent days, including four around Holyhead/South Stack, two on the Great Orme and Bardsey, and singles at Aberdaron, Pwllheli and Shotwick, with another at RSPB Burton Mere Wetlands. A Richard’s Pipit was a good find on the Great Orme on Monday and a Surf Scoter has returned to winter off Old Colwyn.

Five Cattle Egrets were at Shotwick, four at RSPB Cors Ddyga and another at Cemlyn, while a county record 15 Great White Egrets were on the Glaslyn estuary, six on the Conwy and one at Cemaes Bay. Swallows streamed through Eryri at the weekend, Wheatears and Whinchats were reported on the coast, but a Cuckoo near Llyn Brân on 2 October was much less expected. It’s the latest of its kind recorded in North Wales this century, and there must be doubt about its ability to survive the winter. BTO satellite-tagged Cuckoos have been south of the Sahara for several weeks, although one from the Republic of Ireland made it to southern Greece before reversing back to eastern Germany and is currently in southeast France.

Bangor Bird Group events return this week, with a programme of talks each Wednesday evening from now until mid-March. Most are online, kicking off with a birding tour of Panama in the company of Steve Culley on 9th, with some events planned for Pontio later in the season. Tickets can be booked via the North Wales Wildlife Trust website.