A brief flow of southerly air last week brought warm weather and an open door for summer migrant birds, although cold wind and rain over the weekend may lead some to question the wisdom of their early arrival. It’s a trade-off: get back to Europe first to claim the best territories but take the risks of Welsh April weather. Among the ‘firsts’ last week were Whitethroat at Talacre, Lesser Whitethroat at Bagillt, Sedge and Reed Warblers at RSPB Conwy, Grasshopper Warbler at RSPB Cors Ddyga, Redstart on the Great Orme, Whinchat at Eglwyseg and Tree Pipit at Carmel Head. The first Cuckoo in the region was at Llanbedr last Tuesday, but more were heard subsequently at Pensychant, Aber Falls and Aled Isaf reservoir. Several readers report Swallows returning to shed and barn nesting sites last week.

Water levels at RSPB Cors Ddyga on Friday looked perfect for dozens of Lapwings sitting tight on nests alongside a mix of ducks: the last few Wigeons and Pintails yet to depart to the north, a pair of Garganey in from Africa (perhaps the same as had been on Cefni reservoir earlier in the week), and two Green-winged Teal from North America, with a third trans-Atlantic teal at Llyn Celanedd near Bangor. A Blue-headed Wagtail fed between the legs of dozens of Golden Plovers, resplendent in black-and-gold suits, and at least 40 White Wagtails were scattered across the reserve, taking a break on their journey to Iceland.
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A Hoopoe near Tywyn was perhaps the same as in Aberdyfi earlier in the week, a Little Gull was at Porthmadog’s Llyn Bach, and three Spoonbills and a Cattle Egret in the Flintshire part of RSPB Burton Mere Wetlands. The satellite-tagged Icelandic Merlin that spent the winter commuting between Ynys Enlli and Uwchmynydd finally made the first step towards home last week, making the sea crossing to the Isle of Man.

The release of captive-bred White Storks at multiple sites in southern England is somewhat controversial, given doubtful historic evidence that the species was ever a regular breeder in Britain. One near the Dwyfor estuary, and later over Criccieth, at the weekend was released last summer on the southern edge of Exmoor. Another from the same release was recently near Cardigan, while the origin of White Storks at Aberdyfi and the Dee estuary in recent days are unknown. Earlier this year, one spent a couple of months in the Cain valley, Montgomeryshire, having apparently escaped from a collection in Cumbria.

The first Pied Flycatchers arrived in Wales at the weekend, with individuals in Chirk and on breeding territory near Betws-y-coed. Osprey pairs were reunited at nests at Glaslyn and Cors Dyfi in recent days, while a female at Llyn Brenig awaits her mate. A Ring Ouzel on the Great Orme was a passage migrant, whereas several in Cwm Anafon are already on breeding territories. Projects by RSPB Cymru and the National Trust start next week to survey Ring Ouzels across Eryri, funded by Welsh Government through the Local Nature Partnership and the Nature Networks Fund as part of Natur i Bobl Nant Ffrancon.
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A Great Grey Shrike found on the slopes above Llyn Padarn this week may be the bird reported intermittently from several locations east of Caernarfon over the winter. Four Tundra Bean Geese remained in fields near the Alaw estuary throughout last week, with a smaller Pink-footed Goose in attendance. A couple of European White-fronted Geese over Shotwick should be making their way back to Siberia for the summer while Whooper Swans over Waunfawr were heading north to Iceland. Penmaenmawr’s Surf Scoter was seen again in Saturday’s choppy seas and a Long-tailed Duck was off Fairbourne. At least 190 Eiders were off Penmon Point on Monday, several Slavonian Grebes fed off Traeth Lafan and a Water Pipit is at Morfa Aber. 

Cold, blustery weather suspended northbound migration for many birds, but small numbers of Swallows, House Martins and Willow Warblers are around North Wales, and increasing numbers of Sandwich Terns pass our coasts. Scarcer spring migrants included a pair of Garganey on RSPB Burton Mere Wetlands’ Border Pool and an Osprey over RSPB Conwy. Lingering visitors include Lesser Yellowlegs on the Clwyd estuary, Water Pipit at Morfa Aber, Slavonian Grebes on the Inland Sea and another with a Black-necked Grebe off Aber Ogwen. Satellite data shared on Movebank's Animal Tracker app shows that a Merlin on Bardsey and the tip of Pen Llŷn since late October originated in Iceland. Although long suspected, this is the first proven movement of an Icelandic-race, subaesalon, Merlin to Wales. You can view the animated movement on my BlueSky account.

Almost as rare were four Tundra Bean Geese grazing near Anglesey’s Alaw estuary, the region’s first record since 2012. They are heading towards Siberian breeding grounds, having probably wintered somewhere in western Europe as part of a continent-wide movement earlier in the year that saw reports from Ireland, Brittany and even Spain, in response to cold weather.
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Wildlife Poisoning Research UK has recently published a map of deliberately poisoned birds, which it believes to be just a fraction of the true number. During 2012-23, 88 birds were killed in Wales and along the border, mostly birds of prey and Ravens; the report highlights the Dee Valley and multiple incidents in Powys as areas of particular concern. WPRUK remarks that “the enforcement regime… is not preventing this ongoing criminal activity” and considers that licensing the release of gamebirds would deter wildlife crime, prevent habitat damage caused by over releasing and limit the risk of disease spread. Welsh Government recently commissioned Environment Platform Wales, a collaboration of Welsh universities and government, to review the evidence of impact of releasing non-native Pheasants and partridges.

Spring weather, rudely interrupted from Monday, brought Chiffchaffs and Blackcaps to almost every lowland parish in North Wales, it seems. Wheatears also arrived in number, while a handful of other early summer migrants included Ring Ouzel on territory above the Conwy Valley, the region’s first Swallow on Bardsey and Willow Warbler at Penmon Point. Elen, Glaslyn’s female Osprey, returned to the nest site early on Friday, with several others in Wales last week. Black Redstarts stopped at South Stack and Rhoscolyn on passage.

The explosive songs of seven Cetti’s Warblers greet visitors to RSPB Conwy, though one since last September has not the usual chestnut plumage but an almost white body with black wings. Unlike most warblers, these are resident in the UK and most movements are relatively short. Since first nesting in southern England in 1973, they have spread north facilitated by climate change. The first breeding in Wales – at Oxwich Marsh, Gower – was in 1985 and in North Wales in 1997, although curiously, the first Welsh record was on Bardsey over 50 years ago.

The unusually marked bird at Conwy is not albinism, but leucism, a condition where the cells responsible for the production of melanin are absent, so it lacks darker colours. This individual may be the first leucistic Cetti’s Warbler in Wales; I am unable to find records of others in the UK. Readers may recall a leucistic Blue Tit that visited an Anglesey garden for several months over winter 2023/24.
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A Surf Scoter and Red-necked Grebe swim in Conwy Bay, viewed from Penmaenmawr, and another Red-necked Grebe was in Caernarfon Bay, where two dozen Great Northern Divers gather before flying farther north. Bitterns’ booming calls carry across reedbeds at RSPB Cors Ddyga, but one calling at a mainland site was more unusual. There is no historic evidence that Bitterns have bred in mainland Northwest Wales; it is more likely that this is a winter migrant late to return to its nesting area. Anglesey’s wintering flock of Cattle Egrets increased to eight near Porth Tywyn Mawr, a Lesser Yellowlegs remains on the Clwyd estuary, Smew on Llyn Alaw and a Crane visited RSPB Burton Mere Wetlands.

A survey of breeding waders began this week across Wales, with hundreds of sites to be visited in the coming weeks, organised by Natural Resources Wales. Surveyors will be looking and listening primarily for the presence of Curlews, and recording other wader species such as Lapwing, Golden Plover, Redshank and Dunlin. Most breeding waders have declined dramatically across the country, and this will be the first attempt to assess the occupation of farmland and moor for the ground-nesting birds for almost 20 years. More information about the survey is on the NRW website.

While surveyors will look for waders in up to 1200 1-km squares in the next month, farmers, gamekeepers, walkers and birdwatchers are urged to report their own sightings of Curlews and Lapwings in potential breeding habitat, using their Local Environmental Records Centre, or BirdTrack or eBird if you already use these. Understanding where waders call home is essential to supporting their remaining populations.

The weather is set to accelerate the feeling of spring this week. Summer visitors have been scarce to date, but the weekend brought the first Sandwich Terns to Penmaenmawr, Manx Shearwaters off Rhos-on-Sea and Llanfairfechan, and Wheatear on Ynys Enlli, where Bardsey Bird Observatory staff have returned for the season.

Anglesey’s drake Smew continues its stay at Llyn Alaw but must be getting itchy feet to fly northeast. White-fronted Geese near Llyn Coron and Long-tailed Duck in Beddmanarch Bay will be heading in the same direction. Some visitors have been visibly scarce this winter: the BirdTrack reporting rates for Brambling and Fieldfare in Wales have been half their typical levels in the first 10 weeks of 2026, with Redwing sightings also below par.

A Lesser Yellowlegs remains on the Clwyd estuary, Spotted Redshank at RSPB Conwy and Hooded Crow at Newborough, while Llangefni witnessed spectacular Starling murmurations last week.

A Little Auk found swimming close inshore at Trearddur Bay for a few hours last week is an increasingly rare visitor to North Wales. It really is a small auk: at 165g (6.5oz), it is less than half the weight of a Puffin; the now-extinct Great Auk was almost 30 times heavier at 4.8kg (10.5lb). Little Auk colonies are circumpolar, the nearest in northern Iceland and the majority in Russian waters. They feed close to pack ice outside the breeding season, some venturing farther south into the Atlantic that can be pushed into the Irish Sea in stormy conditions. They used to be regular on autumn seawatches in North Wales, the largest count being 176 from Bardsey on 2 October 1981, but the few records in the last decade have been in winter when, tired and struggling to feed, several have been found dead or dying on beaches.

Storm-induced mass deaths of seabirds are known as “wrecks” and it appears that a significant event has unfolded in the Atlantic in recent weeks, victims washed up in southwest Britain, Portugal, Spain and France. It is estimated that 20,000 birds washed up in France alone, perhaps only 10% of the birds affected. Postmortems show all were in poor condition, starving to death. Many of the Puffins, Guillemots and Razorbills may be from breeding colonies in Britain & Ireland. Seabirds are particularly vulnerable to the rapidly-warming climate, of which winter storms are one symptom. RSPB Cymru has called on Welsh Government to implement and fund the recommendations in its recently published Seabird Conservation Strategy. The Little Auk in Trearddur Bay bird was blown inland after a couple of hours, its fate unknown.
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Mild weather brought February migrants to North Wales: a Wheatear on the Great Orme on 27th and Sand Martins at RSPB Cors Ddyga on 28th, where nine Ruff fed among more than 2000 Golden Plovers and 1000 Lapwings. Six Velvet Scoters and a Surf Scoter were off Old Colwyn, the long-staying Lesser Yellowlegs on the Clwyd estuary, and Black Redstarts at Kinmel Bay and briefly at Gogarth on the Great Orme.

The recent influx of European White-fronted Geese into Britain has been unprecedented in modern Welsh ornithology. Last week, 215 of these Russian-breeding waterbirds accompanied Pink-footed Geese and a small group of Barnacle Geese, on the floodplain of the River Dee near Holt. It is the largest flock in North Wales since the 1950s, and the largest anywhere in Wales since 1979. Another 30 were at Shotwick Fields and 68 in the Clwyd Valley south of Bodfari, with six making it as far west at the Glaslyn Valley, alongside six Pink-footed Geese and 51 Whooper Swans.

A dozen Twite feed on Flint Marsh, a diminishing wintering population in North Wales. Around 200 wintered at Flint little over a decade ago, and ringing shows that the Dee estuary held Twite that bred in the Hebrides, Pennines and Eryri’s Nant Ffrancon. Breeding birds are virtually extinct at English and Welsh sites, while those from farther north now tend to stay in Scotland. The unusual English name is derived from its simple “tweet” call, whereas Llinos y Mynydd is more descriptive as the “Mountain Linnet”.

The Beddmanarch Bay/Inland Sea holds up to seven Slavonian Grebes, Long-tailed Duck and Great Northern Divers, while the count of Purple Sandpipers at nearby Trearddur Bay reached 25 last week with a Cattle Egret on the edge of the village. Elsewhere on Anglesey, a couple of Scaup are at Llyn Llygeirian with others in Foryd Bay and Llyn Tegid.

Snow Buntings were at Gronant dunes and Llanddona last week, Lesser Yellowlegs and Water Pipit remain on the Clwyd estuary and a Black Redstart at Kinmel Bay. On the Menai Strait, a Little Gull and two Slavonian Grebes fed off Aber Ogwen, and a Green-winged Teal grazes saltmarsh at Glan-y-môr Elias. The first Swallows were spotted in southwest England and a couple of Sand Martins sneaked past us into northern England in Sunday’s sunshine.

There are a few places left on a free Breeding Bird Survey Introduction & Practice Session in Porthmadog on 15 March, open to anyone involved with, or wishing to adopt a square for the annual BTO/JNCC/RSPB Breeding Bird Survey. Full details on the BTO website.

The sight of a Common Sandpiper, a small wader brown above and white below, is not uncommon alongside rivers and lakes in North Wales in summer. With its bobbing gait, they nest among lakeside rocks, although will use human-made substrates: I know several that laid eggs on the ballast beside railway tracks, the incubating adult getting off briefly when it feels the vibration of an oncoming train. In February, most Common Sandpipers are bobbing alongside rivers in Africa, south of the Sahara, but birders’ sightings collated weekly by the European Bird Census Council suggest that many hundreds, perhaps thousands, are across western European waterbodies.

Around 30-40 Common Sandpipers winter in Wales according to the latest Welsh Ornithological Society bird report, almost always on estuaries. This is a good chunk of a British wintering population of 100 individuals, estimated in a recent paper in the journal British Birds. A couple are on the Clwyd estuary and Menai Strait, with others at RSPB Conwy, Flint Castle and Cemaes in recent weeks.

The first arrivals of our summer visitors are only weeks away if the weather is favourable. Sand Martin sightings have increased with warmer weather in Iberia in recent days, and a Whitethroat was in South Wales at the weekend, perhaps having overwintered closer than the Sahel.​
Winter’s grip in northern Europe is evident in the continued presence of White-fronted Geese: 30 in the Clwyd valley near Bodfari and 25 alongside the Dee at Holt on Monday. From across the Atlantic, the Lesser Yellowlegs remains on the Clwyd estuary, up to three Surf Scoters off Colwyn Bay and smart male Bufflehead on Llyn Coron, drawing admirers from far afield judging by binocular-wearing customers in an Aberffraw café at the weekend. Six Slavonian Grebes were in Beddmanarch Bay and a Long-tailed Duck on the nearby Inland Sea, Yellow-browed Warbler and Firecrest at Morfa Madryn, and a Black Redstart on Kinmel Bay beach.