Born Naturalist

Born Naturalist

Day 1

We arrived at Cwrt Farm at around 9:00am, and immediately started loading our bags onto the truck. After we had finished, we made our way down to Porth Meudwy and along the way, we noted many Green-veined Whites, as well as a few Orange-tips.

We heard a few Willow Warblers and were treated to a very showy Chiffchaff. There were also some Ravens flying close overhead.

While waiting for the boat, I spotted a small bird land on a rock in front of me. It was a Grey Wagtail. I enjoyed watching the bird feeding in a small stream right next to me, accompanied by a Pied Wagtail. 

I then started scanning the sea where I spotted two Fulmars flying close in. I watched them land on what I presumed was a nest on the side of the cliff. We also spotted a Shag flying close in. 

While on the boat, we got great views of a few Puffins, Guillemots, Razorbills, Shags, Kittiwakes and Fulmars, along with one or two Manx Shearwaters. As soon as we arrived on the island, the first bird we saw was a pair of Shelducks and the usual Grey Seals.

Once off the boat, we wasted no time and began walking around the west coast of the island. We were treated to great views of breeding plumage Turnstones, feeding along the rocky shores. We also spotted another Shag along with many Oystercatchers. 

We were also greeted by the usual Wheatears, along with many Meadow Pipits and Rock Pipits. We also spotted a brief Whimbrel. We then trudged through the wetlands and up to Nant, where we heard many singing Willow Warblers and Chiffchaffs. We finally made our way to the obs, spotting a few Wrens. 

Once we arrived at the obs, we started unpacking our things and then did a bit of birding around Cristin, spotting lots of Lackey Moth caterpillars, along with a few Dunnocks and Robins. We were also treated with good views of a Sparrowhawk flying past the front garden. 

I then heard a Song Thrush singing. I tracked its call and managed to spot it on top of the conifers. I also found two Choughs making a racket halfway up the mountain as they flew past. 

I then lifted up the corrugated sheets in the front garden and managed to catch a tiny Slow Worm, which I handled carefully, photographed and then released under the same sheet. I also lifted up a few rocks and found many Ant Woodlice underneath.

We then payed a quick visit to Ty Pellaf where we said hello to our fiend Christine and Moss the sheepdog. We also spotted a few Barn Swallows and heard a Carrion Crow chick begging for food. 

Once back at the Obs, Ed told us that a Minke Whale had been seen briefly. After a bit of seawatching, the Minke Whale was seen a few more times but, frustratingly, I was unable to connect with it. However, I did manage to see 2 Bottlenose Dolphins (a lifer for me), 12 Harbour Porpoise and a continuous stream of Manx Shearwater. As it was turning dark, we decided to do some pond-dipping to try and catch some newts. After a few dips, we managed to catch three Palmate Newts. Last year I only managed to catch baby newts, so it was great to find some adults. We then went to bed ready for a full day's birding tomorrow. 

Day 2

We woke up early the next morning and made our way to Pen Cristin. Just as we were about to set off, we saw Ed ringing a Spotted Flycatcher. This was my first time seeing one in the hand and the close and detailed views I got was phenomenal. 

After getting a few photos of the Spotted Flycatcher in the hand, Ed released the bird and it decided to land in a nearby tree, allowing for a more natural record shot of it. 

On the way to Pen Cristin, I spotted a Buzzard perched briefly, before it took off and got mobbed to death by crows. 

Once we arrived at Pen Cristin, we scanned the sea and spotted many Guillemots & Razorbills sat on the sea, as well as a few Puffins. We also spotted many Gannets, Shags and Kittiwakes flying past, along with the odd Fulmar or Manx Shearwater. While watching the seabirds, we were accompanied by many Stonechats making their iconic call. 

We then continued up the mountain, spotting many more Stonechats, along with a few Meadow Pipits and Dunnocks. We also saw a Peregrine hunting seabirds.

As we continued along the mountain, we got great views of Ravens and Carrion Crows, along with a couple of Wheatears. 

Many noisy Choughs, made their presence known, as they flew overhead, with a few landing distantly in the heat haze. 

As we descended the mountain, we arrived at Nant, where we met Reggie. After talking to Reggie for a bit, he informed us that there were c35 Spotted Flycatchers all over Nant. We then spotted a grey, streaky bird fly-catching from a branch. It was indeed one of many Spotted Flycatchers on the island. 

Every bush you looked in and every small passerine you saw was a Spotted Flycatcher! It was incredible and I had never experienced something like it was such a scarce woodland bird.

As well as being in the bushes, a few of the Spotted Flycatchers were perched on the fences like a shrike. We then made a quick trip to the obs for some lunch.

After we ate our lunch, we did a quick loop around Cristin and managed to find around 5 Spotted Flycatchers, including one which kept returning to the same post. We also spotted a Feral Pigeon on the roof of the obs, which was an uncommon bird for Bardsey Island.

We then made our way to Ty Pellaf, spotting a beautiful male Linnet along the way. As soon as we arrived at Ty Pellaf, we said hello to Christine and again found two Spotted Flycatchers. 

We then checked the fields around the back of the Ty Pellaf, spotting yet another Spotted Flycatcher. I then spotted an iconic wetland wildflower, the beautiful Yellow Flag Iris. 

On our way back to the obs, I spotted a tiny micro moth. Not knowing what it was, I snapped a photo of it and later found out it was a Thistle Bell Moth (Epiblema Scutulana) and that it was the 5th record for Bardsey Island! We then went to bed excited for tomorrow.

Day 3

We woke up early the next morning and headed straight for Nant, hoping for a mega. Once we arrived, we heard many Chiffchaffs and Willow Warblers. We counted c25 Spotted Flycatchers

We then decided to head over to the lighthouse, spotting a few Cormorants along the way. Halfway to the lighthouse, we met Johnathan who was staying in the LSA Hut. 

While chatting to Johnathan, I noticed a small colony of nomad bees along a ledge. Intrigued, I took a photo of them and they were later identified by an expert as Gooden's Nomad Bees. 

Once we arrived at the lighthouse, we were deafened by the Oystercatchers, making a sound similar to a squeaky dog toy. We also saw a few Shags, Guillemots, Razorbills and Gannets flying past, along with a few Manx Shearwater. 

We continued along the south end, spotting a few Grey Seals along the shoreline. We did a short seawatch from the hide, spotting a few Fulmars and Kittiwakes amongst the usual seabirds. I also discovered my first Common Blue of the year in amongst the patches of Thrift near the hide. 

We soon reached the tip of the south end, which was filled with the sound of Oystercatchers. There were numerous Herring Gulls and Grey Seals along the shore, with close in Gannets, Puffins, Guillemots, Razorbills, Shags and Kittiwakes constantly flying past, along with many Manx Shearwaters. 

We then made our way to Solfach in hopes of seeing two breeding plumage Dunlin which Reggie had informed us about. Along the way, we spotted a brief Whimbrel. Suddenly, a Ringed Plover flew in front of us and almost as quickly as it appeared, it disappeared.

As soon as we arrived at Solfach, the first waders I saw were two Dunlin, which were feeding in amongst the seaweed with the Rock Pipits, Meadow Pipits and Pied Wagtails. 

One individual was showing amazingly well, coming as close to me as a couple of feet. Many Oystercatchers, a Shelduck and a few Grey Seals were also present on the beach. 

We then walked to Carrag where we were directed by Johnathan to see the Early Marsh Orchids. After trudging through the wetlands, we arrived at a wildflower meadow full of Meadow Buttercups, Ragged Robins and Cuckooflowers.  After a bit of searching in amongst them, we finally managed to find an Early Marsh Orchid. We went on to count around 10-15 of these beautiful orchids concentrated in one small area. 

We then made our way back to the obs, spotting many Blue-tailed Damselflies, including a beautiful ruefescens form one. 

We then decided to end the day at Pen Cristin to look for some rare lichens. After getting some direction from Johnathan on where to look, we made our way there, accompanied by many Meadow Pipits and Stonechats along the way. 

As soon as we arrived at Pen Cristin, it only took a bit of searching to find our first target lichen, the rare Golden-hair Lichen. We spotted lots of it scattered throughout the grazed grass. 

After a while searching in amongst the Golden-hair Lichen, we finally managed to find our second target lichen, the rare Ciliate Strap Lichen, named after the thin black strands growing out the top. This lichen was noticeably paler and less common than the Golden-hair Lichen. We also viewed a few Puffins, Guillemots and Razorbills sat on the sea, with a few close in Gannets, Shags and Great Black-backed Gulls. We finally returned to the obs and went to bed, still hopeful for a mega the next day.

Day 4

We woke later than usual the next morning and heard that Reggie had seen a Cuckoo on a post near the Wetlands. Determined to find it, we set off with high hopes. Our first stop was Ty Pellaf to scan the fields. We didn't manage to see the Cuckoo at Ty Pellaf. We then headed to Nant, but to no avail. With no luck at either sites, we marched through the Wetlands. We searched the posts around Plas Withy, finding the somewhat annoying Spotted Flycatchers, yet no Cuckoo. 

As were were searching through the Wetlands, we noticed a considerable amount of Woodpigeons perched on the fence posts. I assumed all these birds were migrating, however it made searching for the Cuckoo a lot more frustrating. 

While searching through the Wetlands, we found many Meadow Pipits, perching on the posts and flushing from underneath our feet. 

As we were walking round the west side of the island, I spotted an injured Manx Shearwater in the long grass with an orange substance on its throat. Unfortunately, this bird looked as if it was about to die. We then went back to the obs to have some dinner when we heard that Kate had seen the Cuckoo again at Nant! We then asked Kate whereabouts she saw the Cuckoo, and made our way there. Once we had arrived at Nant, we heard many warblers and spotted a few Spotted Flycatcher, yet still no Cuckoo. We then did a loop around the plantation, when suddenly I spotted a hawk-like bird fly overhead, getting mobbed by a Meadow Pipit. It was the Cuckoo! I  was thrilled. After seeing it in flight a few more times, we decided to call it a day and head back to the obs, excited for tomorrow.

Day 5

We woke up later than usual the next morning and made our way to the south end, hoping for Thrift Clearwing. Once at the south end, we realised it was too windy for the clearwings, so instead we decided to do a quick seawatch, spotting a close in Puffin, along with many Manx Shearwaters, Guillemots and Razorbills. We also discovered a couple of Common Blues and a few displaying Meadow Pipits. 

We then made our way to Solfach, spotting a dead Gannet along the shore which was, sadly, likely to be a victim of Avian Flu. 

We then continued along the west side towards Solfach, when a familiar call caught me off guard. It was a Whimbrel. After only seeing them twice on the island so far, with both views being brief, this was the most confiding Whimbrel I had seen so far.

We managed to get closer to the bird, gaining better views of this beautiful wader. We also spotted a Ringed Plover briefly before it flew off.     

As we were approaching Solfach, I spotted a large group of Oystercatchers. So far during our stay we had seen numerous Oystercatchers, but never a large group of them like this. 

As soon as we arrived at Solfach, the first bird I noticed were the two Sanderlings which Reggie had told us about, at the obs. 

This wader was my 200th bird, when I saw a distant flock of them back in 2022 at Spurn. I also don't often see them in summer plumage, so I enjoyed this bird.

While we were watching the Sanderlings, they came up the beach, getting closer and closer and giving amazing views. We then went back to the obs to have dinner and did a quick loop around Cristin, spotting one Spotted Flycatcher, a few Ravens and a Sedge Warbler singing in the front garden.

We spent the remaining of the evening at Nant, only spotting two Spotted Flycatchers as well as a brief Sparrowhawk. On our way back to the obs, we were pleased to see a small group of Chough halfway up the mountain.

We got up at around 10:40pm ready for the nocturnal Manx Shearwater walk. Firstly, we attended a talk about the Manx Shearwaters of Bardsey Island, before setting off to Pen Cristin with Johnathan, Steve and a few other people from the island. On our way down, we heard many Manx Shearwaters calling, along with a few flying overhead. Steve then showed us a few Manx Shearwaters in the hand. While watching Steve ring the Manxies, we noticed quite a few of them landing right besides our feet.

Steve then guided me through ringing my first Manx Shearwater! I love ringing birds and actively trying to find a ringing trainer. After I released the bird, it posed right next to me allowing for me to get some record shots of it. We then went back to the obs, ready for the next day.

Day 6

We woke up early the next morning and did a quick loop around Nant, spotting a single Spotted Flycatcher and hearing many Chiffchaffs. 

We then made our way to the south end. Once by the lighthouse, we met Johnathan again, he was in a rush, but mentioned that the resident Harbour Seal was in amongst the Grey Seals. He also mentioned that it was the pale one to the left of the main group of Grey Seals. In a hurry, we rushed over to the seals and straight away got great views of the Harbour Seal.

It was sat on an isolated bit of rock, very close to the shore. It was also accompanied by a Grey Seal which gave a nice side-by-side comparison. I had wanted to see the resident Harbour Seal on our visit last year, but was unsuccessful, so it was great to see it this year.

While watching the Harbour Seal, we noticed more Grey Seals than usual. We estimated that there were around 100 in the water and on the shore. We also saw a couple of  Oystercatchers, a few Rock Pipits and a Wheatear. 

We then continued towards the south end. Along the way, we decided to check the rocks next to the lighthouse for waders, with the first waders being three Turnstones which were moulting into summer plumage. 

I then spotted four waders outlined against the sea. After getting a few record shots of them, I zoomed in on the photo to see that they were Purple Sandpipers! Although these waders winter on the island every year, it is quite unusual to get them this late in the spring. 

We then walked right to the tip of the south end and spent the rest of the afternoon determined to find Thrift Clearwings. We were sadly unsuccessful. We did see a few Shags and Gannets, along with a close in Razorbill. We also spotted a very showy Wren in the gorse around the lighthouse. 

On our way back to the obs, I had a scan to see if the Harbour Seal was still about. It wasn't, but I did find a Grey Seal very close to me. 

While watching the seals, I spotted a Wheatear land right next to me carrying some food, presumably to feed his chicks. 

Along the shoreline, I spotted a patch of sheltered Thrift. As a last ditch effort, I decided to search through it in hopes of spotting a Thrift Clearwing, but I failed. 

I did accidentally discover this Oystercatcher nest, which was hidden away amongst the short grass. It appeared to be abandoned, since there was no Oystercatchers nearby. We also spotted a pair of Shelducks. 

Day 7

We woke up early the next morning and checked the moth trap, finding a Foxglove Pug on the first egg carton I checked. 

I then checked the rest of the egg cartons, spotting my first Large Yellow Underwing of the year, along with Small Square-spots and Common Marbled Carpets. 

I also got my first Heart and Dart of the year, which is one of my favourite moths and a classic summer species. 

We then did a loop around the north end of the island, searching for Thrift Clearwing, yet again to no avail. We did spot two Whimbrel though, along with another sheltered patch of Thrift which was covered with Spiny Mason Wasps. 

We made our way back to the obs for lunch. As we were going up Green Lane, I spotted a mining bee which I was unsure of. After asking an expert, it was identified as a Gwynne's Mining Bee, another target which I wanted to see last year but was unsuccessful.

As we were watching the Gwynne's Mining Bees, an Azure Damselfly came into view and landed right next to me. At the time, I didn't think much of it, but I later found out from Steve that they were an uncommon sight for the island. 

I then did a quick loop around Cristin, spotting a beautiful Yellow-tail caterpillar, as well as many Lackey Moth caterpillars and another showy, yet brief, Wren.

Steve then gave me directions to see a nationally scarce plant on the island. He mentioned to look out for a white rock, which marked the field in which the plants were located. As soon as we arrived in the field, I spotted the white rock and right next to it was our target, the Small Adder's-tongue Fern (Ophioglossum Azoricum). As we got our eye in, we noticed loads of them all around us.

As the light was fading, we quickly went over to Nant, where we flipped over a few rocks behind the abbey, finding four Painted Woodlouse! This was another one of my targets which I had last year but was unsuccessful. We went to bed, ready to wake up very early for our final day.

Day 8

We managed to wake up for first light, and headed straight to Nant. Surprisingly, the first bird we saw wasn't a Spotted Flycatcher, it was a Willow Warbler. In fact, after doing a loop around the plantation, I didn't spot a single Spotted Flycatcher. I then scanned the sea, spotting a huge flock of Guillemots. 

I then started scanning through the guillemots, spotting around 5 Razorbills and a brief Puffin. I then noticed a guillemot with a with a white line around and behind the eye. It was a Bridled Guillemot, a rare form of the guillemot.

 

We then made our way to the lighthouse, saying goodbye to Christine at Ty Pellaf along the way. Once by the lighthouse, we tried one more time for the Thrift Clearwing, yet to no avail. We did manage to spot a Whimbrel though foraging along the shore in amongst the seaweed.

We then checked up on the Oystercatcher nest, however we only saw two eggs instead of three. I then felt the eggs to find that they were cold, which meant that this nest was likely abandoned. 

We made our way to the slipway, spotting a confiding Wheatear along the way. Once at the slipway, we talked to Reggie who gave us a site we could go to, along the way home, for Variable Damselflies and Hairy Dragonflies. 

We then got on the boat and left the island, spotting a few seabirds and five Chough from the boat. Once at Porth Meudwy, we made our way to the car park. Along the way, I spotted this Swollen-thighed Beetle, which is one of my favourite beetles. 

Reggie then pointed out this Greater Butterfly Orchid, which was an interesting orchid and a new one for me. 

Reggie also pointed out a Lesser Whitethroat song. After a bit of tracking, we managed to spot it singing at the top of some scrub. This was the last warbler I needed to finally see all three of my target warblers this year. We then made our way to RSPB Cors Ddyga to see some dragonflies.

As soon as we arrived at RSPB Cors Ddyga, we took the trail which Reggie recommended and almost immediately spotted a Variable Damselfly, along with a few Blue-tailed Damselfly.

As we continued along the trail, we spotted hundreds of Variable Damselflies, and a few Four-spotted Chasers. We also heard a few Reed Warblers and Cetti's Warblers.

As we were walking along the trail, a pair of mating Hairy Dragonflies suddenly flew out in front of us and landed right next to us on a reed, giving some excellent views. They were so close that you could see the small hairs on their body. We then reluctantly made our way home, as we had a flat tyre!.

Overall, an amazing week with two new mammals, two new dragonflies and many new invertebrates and cool birds.