June started with the Siberian Chiffchaff still singing at Nant along with two Blackcaps, three Willow Warblers and a Sand Martin. Overnight south-easterlies produced a large arrival on the 2^nd which would turn out to become possibly the best birding day of the year! The day started with a Black Guillemot off the South End followed shortly by a singing male RED-SPOTTED BLUETHROAT in the Withies with a GOLDEN ORIOLE, which later toured the Island before ending up in one of the nets at Cristin. The afternoon saw a THRUSH NIGHTINGALE being found singing periodically at Nant; this became the first live record for Bardsey and Wales! Also at Nant was a Turtle Dove and a Wood Warbler. The next day saw all of yesterday’s rarities leave overnight however, a Black Redstart was caught in the Heligoland. Other migrants included two Spotted Flycatchers, a Garden Warbler, a Siskin, a Chaffinch, a Swift and six Dunlins. The 4^th started with a GOLDEN ORIOLE singing in Cristin garden, the ringed Black Redstart at Ty Pellaf and a Common Sandpiper on Solfach. Other birds of note were a Whimbrel, two Buzzards and four Collared Doves. Much the same on the 5^th with the Golden Oriole, Black Redstart and Siberian Chiffchaff still in situ; the only ‘new’ bird was a Cuckoo at Nant. The week started with the GOLDEN ORIOLE still around the Withies and Cristin and possibly a different bird at Nant. A Yellow Wagtail was on the South End with a small movement of 18 House Martins. The bird of the day, however, was found in the afternoon when a MARSH WARBLER was found singing at Nant; the bird stayed all afternoon showing well at times. The 7^th produced a fly-over Hooded Crow and the first juvenile Starling of the year.  Only the second Lapwing of the year was in the Northwest Fields was the highlight of the 8^th. The next 4 days were quiet apart from the Siberian Chiffchaff still singing its heart off at Nant. The 13^th produced a Dunlin, a Collared Dove and a Sand Martin. A warm sunny 14^th saw a bit of movement with a Lapwing, six Swifts, 51 Common Scoters, three Dunlins, two Turnstones and three Curlews. The 15^th was quiet with the 16^th producing three Black-headed Gulls, two Swifts and the Siberian Chiffchaff still for its twentieth day. Eight Swifts went over on the 17^th with the first Redshank and Chiffchaff of the autumn on the 18^th. The next few days were very quiet with little of note, but birding picked up again on the 22^nd with a Black Guillemot off the South End, a Red Kite over the Mountain and 14 Swifts. The following day produced a further 13 Swifts. A small arrival of waders on the 24^th produced 10 Curlews and a Redshank, with Curlews further increasing to 14 the following day. The 26^th produced a Golden Plover, three Redshanks and a Black-headed Gull. The month ended with a quiet few days with eight Starlings and three Swifts on the 30^th.

July is normally one of the quietest months for migrants on Bardsey. The month started with some movement including a Collared Dove, 22 Starlings and two Siskins. The 2^nd remained quiet however, the 3^rd produced 11 Curlew, four Redshank, a Common Sandpiper and two Starlings. The 4^th added four Black-headed Gulls with the 5^th producing 27 Common Scoters, a Swift, a Song Thrush and a Collared Dove. Glorious weather of the 6^th resulted in few birds with the 7^th producing some passage with five Lapwings, two Common Sandpiper, a Chiffchaff and a Willow Warbler. Light winds on the 8^th saw the first Grasshopper Warbler of the year at Nant alongside six Swifts and a Kestrel. The 9^th delivered a Grey Heron and four Swifts; with the 10^th only producing a single Swift. The 11^th however, was surprisingly busy with a juvenile Marsh Harrier (which stayed until the end of the month), ten Redshanks, a Common Sandpiper, 14 Curlews, a Lapwing, five Swifts, an adult Mediterranean Gull, six Black-headed Gulls, a Kestrel and the first Little Egret of the year! A Reed Warbler and a Siskin were both seen on 12^th however, the birding highlight was the first Little Owl of the year flushed from the Mountain top in the early hours! The 13^th produced four Common Gulls with a Buzzard and the first Sand Martin of the autumn on the 14^th. The first two Whimbrels of the autumn were on the 15^th with three Curlews, 12 Redshanks and five Black-headed Gulls. The 16^th saw Common Sandpipers and Curlews increase to three and four respectively. The sea on the 17^th held 11 Atlantic White-sided Dolphins and an Arctic Skua. A Dunlin, four Ringed Plover and 20 Curlews were also logged. Birding was quiet on the 19^th however, picked up a bit on the 20^th with a Buzzard, two Whimbrels, a Common Gull, four Common Scoters, two Willow Warblers and a Blackcap. The following day added three Sandwich Terns, six Whimbrels and two Blackcaps. A Lapwing, six Sandwich Terns and six Black-headed Gulls were seen on the 22^nd. The 23^rd saw the first juvenile Mediterranean Gull of the year in Solfach as well as a Lapwing and three Willow Warblers. Strong winds on the 24^th saw the second Knot of the year in Solfach alongside 12 Whimbrels, a Lapwing, four Willow Warblers and two Whitethroats. Strong westerlies the following day resulted in a distant pale-morph Long-tailed Skua along the West Coast with 10 Sandwich Terns, three ‘Commic’ Terns, five Mediterranean Gulls and a Common Gull. On the land there was a Sanderling, 16 Turnstones, 13 Whimbrels, a Cuckoo and 11 Willow Warblers. Little was added on the 26^th bar a good count of 16 Sandwich Terns and another Mediterranean Gull. The 27^th saw Curlews increase to 43 along with 11 Willow Warblers. A very walm 28^th saw a Buzzard over the Island. The 29^th started well with a ‘nocmig’ Greenshank over the North End in the early hours whilst Storm Petrel ringing. Two Swifts and four Willow Warblers were the best on offer on the 30^th. The month ended with an influx of 18 Mediterranean Gulls along with a Common Gull, three Black-headed Gulls and three Sandwich Terns. Waders increased to 22 Turnstones, five Dunlins and 11 Redshanks. The only other birds of note were 10 Common Scoters, a Kestrel, two Swifts and a Grey Heron.

Photos by Ed Betteridge, Ollie King and Fiona Bithell.

Sandwich Terns (Ed Betteridge)

Squabbling Choughs (Ollie King)

Marsh Harrier (Ed Betteridge)

Marsh Warbler (Ed Betteridge)

Crystal Jellyfish (Fiona Bithell)