It was an extremely quiet day bird-wise, with lighter winds from the North-west. A single Crossbill flew over the Plantation mid-morning; a Kestrel flew South over the South end; 26 Bar-tailed Godwits flew past out to sea and seven Ringed Plovers were present in Solfach.

 Only a handful of Willow Warblers were seen in the vegetated areas

 Turnstones (top) and Ringed Plovers (bottom) fed amongst some 30 Pied Wagtails (including 6 White Wagtails) in Solfach at high tide

 Meadow Pipit-numbers are beginning to increase

 A single Swift fed with the Swallows over the north end in the morning

Five Silver Ys (top) and a Scrobipalpa costella (bottom) were in the traps

A day of chilly and very strong North-westerly winds saw most interest bird-wise presiding off the island's coast. Figures of the day's seawatch reached 14 Common Scoters, 20 Curlews, a probable Ruff, 35 Knots, the year's first Grey Phalarope, four Pomarine Skuas, 30 Arctic Skuas, five Great Skuas, a Mediterranean Gull, a Common Gull, a Little Gull, 300 Sandwich Terns, five Common Terns and two Arctic Terns.

Three Crossbills at Nant and a Spotted Flycatcher in the withies were the only passerines of any note seen.

Three Greenshanks were seen around the Narrows in the morning, whilst 24 Knots and 12 Dunlins flew past at sea in small flocks, along with a Great Skua and two Mediterranean Gulls. Inland, passerine-migrants were seen only in small numbers, with two Sedge Warblers, a Reed Warbler, four Chiffchaffs, 11 Willow Warblers and 14 Goldcrests recorded in the vegetated areas.

Another very quiet day saw the only interest bird-wise passing by at sea. Even here it was relatively quiet, with singles of Arctic Skua, Great Skua and Common Tern seen, along with a possible Long-tailed Skua.

With torrential rain persisting throughout the day, it was largely uneventful on the bird-front. Two Greenshanks were seen in Solfach in the morning, along with a Snipe and a Common Sandpiper amongst the more common waders. Out to sea, two Arctic Skuas passed by with the usual seabirds.

Common Sandpiper (top), Oystercatcher (middle) and Curlews (bottom)

Two Reed Warblers, two Pied Flycatchers, a Spotted Flycatcher and ten Goldcrests were amongst a small arrival of migrants, including around 25 Willow Warblers. Out to sea, a Great Skua, two Arctic Terns, eight Sandwich Terns and a few Common Scoters flew past. A Sparrowhawk and Kestrel were the only raptors present around the island.

 Its been an excellent autumn for Pied Flycatchers

 Reed Warbler

 Wheatear

The first Sallow (middle)  of the year was trapped in Cristin Withy, along with a Drinker (top). A smart Rhomboid Tortrix (bottom) was seen in Cristin garden, whilst other day-flying species included two Rush Veneers and a Silver Y.

It was another fairly quiet day, with a similar scattering of migrants inland to yesterday, and few birds passing by at sea in the strong Northerly winds. A Whinchat and a Garden Warbler were pick of the passerine-migrants, whilst an Arctic Skua, a Great Skua and a Common Tern flew past at sea.

During the night, two Greenshanks were heard above the Narrows, whilst a Redshank was trapped in Henllwyn.

Non-avian activity during recent days has been limited, although several Harbour Porpoise have been seen off the coast, along with Risso's Dolphins yesterday. During the nights, Common Pipistrelle bats have been seen around Cristin and the Lighthouse.

 The Garden Warbler was skulking in the elderberry bushes at Nant

 50 Turnstones (top), six Purple Sandpipers (bottom) and a Sanderling were in Solfach at high tided

 Great Black-backed Gull

Red Admiral

A day of gusty South-easterlies and drizzly rain saw few migrants on the island, and little passing by at sea. 10 Common Scoters, a juvenile Mediterranean Gull, eight Black-headed Gulls, a Common Gull, four Sandwich Terns and 27 Dunlins were the most notable birds flying past out to sea, whilst two Snipe were flushed from the wetlands. A Reed Warbler remained in Ty-Pellaf Withy, six Sedge Warblers, a Grasshopper Warbler, three Goldcrests and a Spotted Flycatcher were seen in the island's gardens and withies.

This stunning female Sparrowhawk was trapped in one of the Heligoland traps at Cristin yesterday

This colour-ringed Sanderling was found on Solfach, although its origins will not be known for a while. The last colour-ringed bird on the island was one which had been ringed in Arctic Canada

A grey sylvia warbler in Ty Capel garden in the morning could have proved to be interesting, although disappeared  before its identification was clinched. Passerine-migrants were in general pretty thin on the ground, with a single Grey Wagtail, a Reed Warbler, 20 Willow Warblers and two Goldcrests around the island. A Kestrel flew over the Narrows, two Sandwich Terns were in Solfach and a Knot was seen on the Narrows during the night.

Oystercatcher- a Turnstone was trapped on Solfach during the Night, which is another new species for the year's ringing list

Ravens

The moth traps have not been catching much of late, although there are a few Orange Swifts (top) and Small Wainscots (bottom) being caught

Effectively all the migrants from yesterday had cleared out, leaving very little on the island today. Out to sea, a single Great Skua and Common Tern flew past, whilst the only land migrants present on the island were 10 Willow Warblers and a Goldcrest. There were good numbers of waders around Solfach at high tide, including a Knot, four Sanderlings, 53 Turnstones, three Purple Sandpipers, nine Redshanks and a Whimbrel.

 Whimbrel

 Four Sanderlings were feeding on Solfach at high tide, running up and down the beach dodging the waves

 Ringed Plover (upper) and Turnstone (bottom)

Willow Warbler-numbers decreased by over 500!

Good numbers of migrants were grounded on the island overnight, and gradually filtered through the island during the day. Two Dotterels, presumed to be different to the birds from two days ago, arrived from out at sea and spent the afternoon on the South end. Passerine-migrants inland and around the coast amounted to: six Sand Martins, three Grasshopper Warblers, 12 Sedge Warblers, three Reed Warblers (two of which were trapped), 26 Whitethroats, 535 Willow Warblers, two Goldcrests, 10 Spotted Flycatchers and five Pied Flycatchers. A Water Rail was seen in the withies and a Greenshank and four Sanderlings were present on the Narrows.

 Dotterels

Wheatears are beginning to appear around the coast in slightly larger numbers

 Spotted Flycatcher

Grasshopper Warbler

Over 100 Willow Warblers were trapped and ringed during the day, as well as two Reed Warblers (top) and a Pied Flycatcher (bottom). Many of the Willow Warblers were young birds (left most birds in the middle two images), although some were adults (right birds in middle two pictures)- comparisons of both in the hand at the same time were helpful. A strange-looking Willow Warbler (2nd from bottom) was also trapped. During the previous night, a Knot and a Ringed Plover were caught on Solfach.

Although generally a quieter day on the bird front, there was still a fair scattering of migrants. A Balearic Shearwater flew past at sea in the morning, whilst a good number of waders at high tide saw 69 Turnstones, 25 Purple Sandpipers, two Sanderlings, four Dunlins and a Knot. In terms of land migrants, 86 Willow Warblers were seen predominantly on the South end, whilst only a single Pied and Spotted Flycatcher were seen in the gardens. 

Sanderlings (top 2), Purple Sandpipers (middle 2) and Turnstones (bottom 4)

Over 40 Willow Warblers were on the South end alone