Travelling Shearwaters never cease to impress

Manx Shearwater (Steve Stansfield)

While we shiver in shorter days, Manx Shearwaters that left their nest burrows on Ynys Enlli/Bardsey just 10 weeks ago are rafting off the South American coast. The Bird Observatory reports one breeding bird made its final voyage this autumn, found dead on the shoreline at Punta del Este, Uruguay, an upmarket holiday resort nicknamed the ‘Monaco of the South’. The shearwater’s uniquely-numbered leg ring enabled the finder to trace it to the North Wales island, where it had been ringed as an adult in May 1990. It easily racked up half a million miles on its 71 migrations, probably double that since Manxies make the spring journey in a loop via the east coast of North America. Add feeding trips from Bardsey and in the South Atlantic and I wouldn’t be surprised if FC48044 (as its ring was inscribed) had flown 1.5 million miles – all by a bird that weighs the same as three large bananas. Several Manx Shearwaters ringed on Bardsey have lived more than 40 years after ringing, with the oldest still alive after almost 51 years!

Last week’s brief blast of wintry weather pushed winter ducks to North Wales in search of ice-free waters. Wetlands on Anglesey held good numbers of Goldeneye for November, with Scaup and Pochard at several sites too. The counts would have barely been worth a remark 30 years ago, but all three species have declined in Wales as the warming climate has reduced their migratory journeys from the frozen east. The latest Wetland Bird Survey results, gathered by hundreds of volunteers every month, show that Goldeneye and Pochard counts in Wales are at their lowest since monitoring began in the late 1960s.

Five Slavonian Grebes and three Great Northern Divers are in Beddmanarch Bay with a Red-necked Grebe nearby in Holyhead harbour. A Hooded Crow probes for food at Llandudno’s West Shore and Water Pipits are at RSPB Cors Ddyga and Conwy reserves. A Shorelark remains on the Great Orme, a Black Redstart was at Kinmel Bay and five Snow Buntings at Gronant last week may well be the same seen at RSPB Point of Ayr on Monday.