Warmer weather encourages summer migrants

Swifts (Gary Eisenhauer)

Last week’s taste of summer enabled more migrants to reach their final destination, and it has been good to hear of Swifts screaming over rooftops across the region. After a slow start, the seabird colony at Cemlyn lagoon has become busier. North Wales Wildlife Trust wardens estimate there are 160 Black-headed Gull nests, with the first eggs due to hatch this week, and 750 Sandwich Tern nests with probably more to come. Visitors to the Anglesey site can also see 250 Arctic Terns and 150 Common Terns; tentative signs that bird flu has not caused significant further mortality over the winter. Other recent sightings include Great White Egret, Grey-headed Wagtail and three Blue-headed Wagtails.

An Avocet at Malltraeth Cob on Saturday had earlier been upstream at RSPB Cors Ddyga, where a Garganey and Cuckoo were seen recently. A Cuckoo was also at RSPB South Stack, along with several Spotted Flycatchers, Wood Warbler, Ring Ouzel, Short-eared Owl and Hooded Crows. A male Brambling at the reserve - singing like a sheep - turned out to be an escaped cagebird of Belgian origin, traced by its closed leg ring.

The Great Orme hosted Black Redstart, Woodlark and a couple of Whinchats among other passage migrants. A male Ring-necked Duck on Llyn Brenig may be one that wintered on Llyn Tegid, a Black Kite was reported over Holywell on Saturday, two Cattle Egrets were at Valley and a long-staying Long-tailed Duck remains on Llyn Maelog. A Long-tailed Skua flew inland over nearby Rhosneigr last week, a Serin paused briefly near Trearddur Bay, a Quail called at Bettisfield Moss, and a Golden Oriole and Turtle Dove were on Bardsey. Garganeys were at RSPB Burton Mere Wetlands and Llyn Llywenan, while a Black-throated Diver joined the dozen or so Great Northerns in Caernarfon Bay on Monday.