In these monthly reports, species indicated in capitals are subject to acceptance by the British Birds Rarities Committee and species indicated in italic capitals are subject to acceptance by the Welsh Birds Rarities committee.
The nation’s star turn in a pleasantly warm month was a WHITE-THROATED SPARROW, which was filmed and photographed in a private Porthcawl, Glamorgan, garden late on 25th. A county first, it is just the fourth for Wales and the first since another one-day example on a near-identical date in 2020 – at Cwrtnewydd, Ceredigion, on 24 June. Have a look at the video the surprised finder was able to shoot: https://vimeo.com/724430005
A BioBlitz at Llanmadoc, Glamorgan, on 28th scored what would have proved the country’s biggest find if confirmed– a distant candidate for a possible BROWN BOOBY heading south during a morning seawatch, while a SOOTY SHEARWATER was seen during another vigil that evening.
No fewer than seven Welsh ROSY STARLINGS graced the airwaves during June – at Abergwili, Carmarthen, Borth, Ceredigion, Llanfechell, Anglesey, Llandudno Junction, Conwy, and both Bridgend and Cwmbach, Glamorgan.
An exceptional ‘fall’ on Bardsey Island, Gwynedd, on 2nd saw a singing male THRUSH NIGHTINGALE unearthed alongside a GOLDEN ORIOLE, RED-SPOTTED BLUETHROAT, European Turtle Dove and Wood Warbler. Otherwise, a different GOLDEN ORIOLE was discovered on 4th – the island’s third of the year – a MARSH WARBLER sang on 6th and a Siberian Chiffchaff lingered.
On Skokholm, Pembrokeshire, the island’s tenth PECTORAL SANDPIPER in 12 years highlighted on 2nd, with a GREY-HEADED WAGTAIL Wagtail there on 6th and a Snow Bunting on 9th. Bizarrely, the adult male COMMON ROSEFINCH caught by a cat at Ballycotton, Co Cork, on 5th, which was rescued, released and then flew into a window and died, was found to have been ringed as an adult on Skokholm on 29 May 2021. What a strange sequence of events, and one wonders where it has been in the interim.
On 18th, an unidentified grey shrike species was reported at Marloes Mere, Pembrokeshire. Elsewhere, European Turtle Doves were logged at Cilcennin, Ceredigion, and Bancyfelin, Carmarthen, and Black Redstarts were at four sites. Hooded Crows were in Clwyd, Anglesey, Conwy and Gwynedd, while Cors Ddyga RSPB, Anglesey, hosted a singing Common Quail.
Kenfig NNR, Glamorgan, was treated to a popular female Kentish Plover on 1-2nd; a brief individual at Broughton Bay late on 8th was perhaps the same bird relocating. Curlew Sandpipers were at Teifi Estuary, Ceredigion, Goldcliff Pools, Gwent, and Foryd Bay, Gwynedd, with Little Stints at both Ynyslas, Ceredigion, and Goldcliff Pools, Gwent. A Wood Sandpiper was at Burton Mere Wetlands RSPB, Flintshire.
A Ruddy Shelduck was at Dolymynach Reservoir, Powys, on 25th and an unseasonal Whooper Swan resided at Porthmadog, Gwynedd. Three Long-tailed Duck off Black Rock Sands, Gwynedd, on 2nd included a single drake, presumably resplendent in its summer dress.
Two Roseate Terns proved reliable at Cemlyn Bay, Anglesey, throughout, with a Black Tern present on 15-16th. Another Roseate was reported at Marloes, Pembrokeshire, on 4th, with a reported RING-BILLED GULL at Mumbles Head, Glamorgan, on 8th.
Sam Viles
