South Stack, Holyhead harbour,Cemlyn bay and a few good birds !

Star birds seen on this trip 19/05/2013.
Black Guillemot, Chough, Lesser Whitethroat, Mediterranean gull, Fulmar, Puffin, Common , Artic and Sandwich Terns.

Pictures in order : 1+2 Black guillemot, 3 Guillemot, 4 Whitethroat, 5 Chough, 6 Artic tern, 7 Sandwich tern. Click images for larger view. 

 

A very early start allowed me to arrive at Holyhead harbour around 8am. I had read that Black guillemot could be seen around the end of the breakwater in the harbour but not guaranteed. I also read that they drifted out to feed at sea often before mid morning. Good light and a calm sea helped immensely and after five minutes I had picked up 3 birds close to the breakwater wall, 2 minutes later I had another 5 birds, distant but viewable through the scope. As I watched and thought about taking a few record snaps a speed boat dispatched all but one bird leaving me quite annoyed but I did manage a few shots for my records.

Arriving at South stack I went on the search for Puffins. Walking the 400 steps down towards the lighthouse I saw rafts of Guillemots and Razorbills on the cliffs but no Puffins. Gulls sat upon eggs everywhere around the lighthouse and a single Rock pipit sat kindly on a metal handrail in front of me. On the way back up  I searched the cliff faces again and picked up one Puffin quite low beneath me. Back on the cliff top views of Stonechat, Raven,Goldfinch and Meadow pipit added to the list.                                                                        

Back at the car park I walked behind the café and was shown a pair of Fulmars. Also a distant Peregrine falcon looking out towards the sea from a high rock stack.
Lower down the road from the car park I was lucky to pick up Whitethroat, Lesser whitethroat, Mistle thrush, Linnet and Song thrush. Being pleased with all these birds I headed back towards the car. As I walked 2 chough flew overhead from behind me making their raspy call.

One minute later another flew and landed in a paddock just to my right hand side. Strutting around and digging at the soft ground I was able to grab a handful of shots before it flew away calling noisily. 

The next 45 minutes or so produced nothing new so I moved towards Cemlyn bay. A small lagoon separated from the sea by a shingle ridge it is well known for terns. On my way from the car towards the lagoon I spotted 3 Turnstone on the foreshore. Looking around the lagoon I made out Artic, Common and Sandwich terns  On the same water there was a handful of Mediterranean gulls mixed in with birds, also  3 Knot and several Dunlin probed the muddy banks of the lagoon.

After awhile I headed towards the Spit, a stretch of grassy land that is flanked by the sea on both sides. The sides of the Spit are  low but sharp and rocky. A good walk around produced Ring plover, Dunlin, Stonechat more Turnstones and on the way back towards the car Sedge warbler, Whitethroat and a possible Whinchat.
North Wales , Anglesey is a beautiful place and somewhere I will visit again in the near future.