Here is Ken Croft's latest write-up:
"The month started with two Green Sandpipers, one of which remained until the 4th, three Spotted Flycatchers were present on the 1st and a juvenile Bullfinch fed with the Linnet flock. The next day new migrants were a Lesser Whitethroat and a Grasshopper Warbler and four Sandwhich Terns fed out beyond the lighthouse. On the 4th a female Marsh Harrier moved over the heathland in the early morning as the female Peregrine watched over her two youngsters sparring in the air over the mountain, the first returning Teal was also seen today. On the 6th, there are now three juvenile Bullfinch with the Linnets, we see the last Sedge Warbler of the year and the first returning Goldcrest. Out on the range the next day two young Sparrowhawks were flexing their wings for the first time with the female parent close-by, the Linnet flock here has increased to 50+ birds.
A welcome north-westerly wind on the 8th brought passing sea-birds close inshore off the Range and in a two hour watch 2127 Manx Shearwater, 52 Gannet. 23 Fulmar, 10 Common Scoter, a 1st summer Mediterranean Gull, 2 Baleric Shearwaters, an Arctic Tern and a Black Guillemot were observed. In similar conditions on the 9th in one hour, 1788 Manx Shearwater plus a Balearic Shearwater, 79 Kittiwake, 86 Gannet, 13 Common Scoter, 2 Sandwich Tern and a Black Guillemot.
2 Greylag Geese dropped in on the 12th, the only sighting of this species this month and another Lesser Whitethroat was the pick of the passerines. A flock of 21 Ravens were soaring and tusseling over the mounatin early on the 15th, two Turnstones were on rocks off the Range and the Linnet flock was now 100+. A large movement of Swallows on the 17th included a small number of House Martins, migrants this day included 6 Whitethroats and 3 Blackcaps, whilst outside the information centre Dunnocks were feeding their 2nd brood and a flock of 16 Chough were in playful mood overhead.
Unusual visitors on the 18th were 2 Little Grebes and a Great Spotted Woodpecker that visited many of the telephone poles. Two fine juvenile Kestrels were in the air, a pair of Stonechats were feeding 3 young again, a 2nd brood which is good news for the species which suffered badly in the very cold winter, 3 Curlews were on the Range. On th 21st 3 Spotted flycatchers were new in, as were 2 Teal and very late in the evening a Barn Owl was seen on the Range.
A flock of 28 Black-headed Gulls flew south past the lighthouse (25th), this species is a scarce visitor here. More movement on the 26th on the Range with at least 10 Whitethroats and a late Grasshopper Warbler plus over 30 Meadow Pipits and 120 Linnets. A new addition to the reserve year-list was a Knot which rested on rocks off the Range on the 29th and migrants this day included Lesser Whitethroat, Goldcrest and Spotted Flycatcher. A large movement of Swallows on the 31st also carried Sand Martin and House Martin and in a thermal over Holyhead Mountain soared 3 Buzzards, a Kestrel and a Peregrine. All of this was overshadowed by the sighting of 6 Orca off the range, a magical finish to the month!!"
For those of you who haven't had the pleasure of meeting him, Ken Croft is a local birding expert. The reserve is Ken's local patch and not a lot goes on here without him seeing. Ken had a fantastic day yesterday when he spotted two Buff-breasted Sandpipers out on the Range.