Terrific Terns - Cemlyn Bay, Anglesey

The tern colony at Cemlyn Bay on Anglesey offers some truly amazing views as the birds return to their nests with beaks laden with sand eels – often flying low down right overhead! 

A must see for anyone visiting the area, this year held Sandwich terns in huge numbers, as well as around 30 pairs of nesting Commons and 15 pairs of Arctic on the smaller of the two islands. A single pair of Med gulls have also bred again on the smaller island, and it was suspected that the eggs had just hatched a few days prior to visiting. 

With South Stack’s seabird colony not too far away holding nesting Guillemots, Razorbills, Puffins, Kittiwakes and Fulmars, along with the Choughs and Peregrines that perform their aerial acrobatics over the cliffs, a great days birding can be had by combining the two sites, even stopping off to call on the brilliant Black Guillemots that make Holyhead harbour their home on the way. 

Lapland Bunting showing well at Cemlyn Bay, Anglesey

The Lapland Bunting at Cemlyn Bay on Anglesey had been showing really well for several days last week, so me and Alex decided to take a trip across to try and catch up with this confiding individual. Having seen a group of Lapland Buntings on the Great Orme in Llandudno a few autumns prior, but with them often staying quite hidden in the grass, I was keen to drop in on this particular bird as it had been allowing views of just a few feet away.

Sure enough, after a short wait, the bird flew in from the east and began feeding on the sprinkling of seed that remained on the path, allowing truly amazing views at just a metre away and providing some fantastic photo opportunities!

This individual was particularly great to see as it was nearing breeding plumage – being far more bright and colourful than the autumn birds I’ve seen before with the bold black markings on the chest and the gorgeous rustic reds on the neck really standing out.

It was great to finally catch up with a Lapland Bunting at Cemlyn, after dipping a small flock that frequented the area nearly 4 years ago, with just some Barnacle Geese in one of the fields for consolation!

For anyone going, (it was still reported up to Tuesday) the bird is just a short walk from the car park near to the tern viewing area, a few metres up on the track that heads north and towards the sea.  It seems to favour the grassy patch and section of footpath near the old tumbling down buildings, just where the path turns left next to the wall by the fields.