BIRD WATCHING 
DIARY 2005
  
The following are random
sightings reported by our boat crews, guides and RSPB wardens



March sightings - Simon Avery, Warden
Breeding species   -   fulmar, shag, cormorant, Canada goose mallard, buzzard, kestrel, peregrine, oystercatcher, lapwing  lesser black-backed gull, herring gull, great black-backed gull,  kittiwake, guillemot, razorbill, feral pigeon, little owl, skylark, meadow pipit, rock pipit, pied wagtail, wren, dunnock, robin, stonechat, wheatear (from the 18th March), blackbird,  magpie, chough, jackdaw, carrion crow, raven, linnet, Migrants/vagrants  -  Mediterranean gull (7th), black redstart (1-4 from 16th), merlin (female on the 18th /19th) chiffchaff (from the 19th) , red kite (two on the 19th) great egret (19th) , red-throated diver (21st), shelduck (23rd) black-tailed godwit (23rd), purple sandpiper, fieldfare, curlew    starling, goldcrest , snipe, woodcock, song thrush, chaffinch      great tit
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26th March - Cruise around Ramsey - Lyndon Lomax, Birder
Chough 10+, Raven on nest, 3 displaying Buzzards, on ledges Guillimots, Razorbills and Fulmars, first spring passage of swallows, wheatears, porpoise 10+, Seals 15+
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30th April - Lyndon Lomax, Birder after an afternoon on the island and 4.30pm cruise around the island:  Good views of porpoise, about 25 to 30 in Ramsey Sound, about 50 seals seen from boat, Red Deer on the North end of Ramsey.  Guillimots, Razorbills and Fulmars, lots of birds on nesting ledges.  Kittiwakes, close views from boat of birds present at nesting colonies.   Chough, close views of adults feeding and exchanging food, good views of nesting pair at harbour.  Buzzards, 2 to 3 birds seen.  Peregrine Falcon, fantastic aerial displays by mate and female at Aber Mawr for more than an hour.  Wheatear, birds in flight song display.  Present also singing Skylarks, Pipits. 

29th May - Day on the island - Lyndon Lomax, Birder
Chough, excellent sightings in various locations around the island, many pairs now have chicks.  Peregrine Falcon, both male and female seen hunting around Aber Mawr beach.  Wheatwears along stone walls collecting food for young.  Skylarks and Pipits present in large numbers.  Cliff nesting birds, colonies of Razorbill, Guillimot and Kittiwake.  Seals approx 25 seen.  Island covered in flowers, bluebells, frith etc.


April - Simon Avery, Warden.  The month started off with 10 Golden Plover on the 1st.  Three Sandwich Terns on the 4th.  Red-Legged Partridge and Collard Dove took up residence from the 5th.  Odd Willow Warbler and Chiffchaffs throughout the month, but a distinct lack of other migrants (no flycatchers until May).  During the month birds such as Wheatear and Peregrine Falcon were displaying.  The main excitement of the month was a Honey Buzzard on the 20th.  A single Whimbrel around the harbour on the 25th.

May - Simon Avery, Warden
Whimbrel, 1 to 3 throughout the month up until 29th.  Sandwich Tern, 8 on the 2nd.  Redpoll flying over on the 2nd and 10th.  Yellow Wagtail on the 8th.  Lesser Whitethroat on the 9th.  Spotted Flycatcher first through on the 1st, max 11 on 17th.  Last single on 30th.  Willow Warbler, last on 9th.  Redstart on 10th.  Ring Ouzel on 1st.  Pied Flycatcher, 3 on 17th.  Shelduck, 8 South through the sound on 22nd.  Common Sandpiper, 2 on 17th.  Goosander through the Sound on 15th.  White Wagtail, 2 on 10th.  Yellow-legged Gull in with HGs in Sound on 18th and 20th.

 2nd July - Around Ramsey by boat
Kittiwakes, many with chicks.  Fulmars, Guillimots, Razorbills, lots on ledges.  Herring and Lesser Black Backed Gulls with chicks. Puffins seen both around the South end and west side of Ramsey.  Seals, a noticeable increase in numbers to approx 50 animals.

27th July - Lyndon Lomax
Approx 50 storm petrels and a GREAT SKUA chasing and feeding from gulls.

1st September - Lyndon Lomax
Half day guided walk.  Two juvenile manx shearwater in toilet block, red deer approx 12, seals many mums and pups, some female to bull seal interaction, approx 20 porpoise in ramsey sound. Some of the birds seen during the walk, red billed chough, raven, buzzard, kestrel, fulmar, pipits, larks, curlew, oyster catcher and lapwing.

6th September - Lyndon Lomax
One Grey Phalarope seen 2 miles off Grassholm.

June - Simon Avery, Warden
House Martins and Swallows still moving through up to the 6th.  A Goshawk low over the fields at dawn on the 22nd.  A Whimbrel on the 3rd.  Curlew from the 24th (max 35).  Green Woodpecker and hobby on the 29th.  The first 3 young chough fledged on the 3rd.  A further 19 fledged from another 6 nests over that week.  Total: 7 pairs fledged 22 young.  A Manx Shearwater tape-playback survey on the Bishops and Clerks turned up a blank.  The trip did, however, reveal the extent to which the rocks are increasingly being used by Canada Geese.  Their droppings were extensive on North Bishops and Carreg Rhoson, however, there was no evidence that they had bred out there.  One pair reared one gosling on Ynys Bery.  Initial evidence appears to indicate that Kittiwakes are faring significantly better than last year.  Numbers of AONs are almost double that of 2004, when there was a severe crash in numbers, as well as virtually zero productivity.  This year, 75% of AONs in the study plot are incubating or have chicks.  A dead harbour porpoise calf was washed up onto Porth Lleuog on the 1st.  Our first seal pup of the year was probably born on the same day (Ogof Colomennod).  A second 1-2 day old pup was discovered on the 15th.