A Force Of Nature

Praise the Lord, for the A55. As a child trips to Anglesey used to involve an interminable crawl along the North Wales coastal road, broken by occasional forays into second gear. How times have changed. Nowadays, in a little over an hour you are on Mon tarmac.

I've come to Anglesey on my annual pilgrimage to see the breeding terns at Cemlyn Bay lagoon and the seabird colony at South Stack.

I begin at Cemlyn. I am welcomed at the car park by a laggard in the shape of a female Greenland Wheatear. Also bringing up the rear are 3 Whimbrel flying noisily overhead. My first glimpse of the islands behind the shingle beach is encouraging - there is plenty of activity both on the islands and out to sea. There are some waders on the beach too; a small flock of Dunlin, a single Turnstone and at least twenty Ringed Plover, although given their near invisibility against a background of small stones it is impossible to tell how many for certain.

I set up my scope near the islands and begin to scan through the birds. Sandwich Terns are most numerous and making the most noise too. There are also good numbers of both Common and Arctic Terns - about equal numbers of each. I still struggle to separate these two species in flight, but when roosting, the darker, shorter and more down curved bill of the Arctic Tern is very distinctive, not to mention their stumpy legs.

Fighting the prevailing wind, many birds are bouncing back from fishing trips. Virtually all are returning with prey; sand eels mostly, with one Sandwich Tern managing to carry four fish in the fashion of a Puffin! Skating the shore is another ocean wanderer - the Fulmar. As I go to leave, the warden turns up complete with butterfly net! He confirms that there are good numbers of Terns this year: up to 800 Sandwich Terns and circa 400 Commic Terns. Fantastic, but no blushing Roseates yet!

In high spirits I set off to South Stack. The car park is jam-packed, pray the cliffs are too! I am not disappointed. Thousands of Guillemots are thronging the ledges; the rock face is dripping with birds. Razorbill too, although much fewer in number. Kittiwakes and Fulmars also, all demonstrating their absolute mastery of the art of flight - the Fulmars in particular: one minute hanging as if suspended by wires, the next minutes changing altitude and direction with minimum effort and maximum control - I could watch these birds for hours. No slouches as aviators either, a pair of Chough whizz by with a Raven in hot pursuit.

To try and find the star attraction at South Stack requires a little more effort. Halfway down the steep steps to the lighthouse is a good area to find this bird: the Puffin. One of Allah's most endearing creations and fortunately five birds are present today.

A cracking day. No rareties, just nature in all its abundance and vigour.

Until later.