I Don't Know Why I Did That, I Just Did.

No need for any vitamin D supplements today, the sun has got his hat on he's coming out to play.

I’m back at Cemlyn Lagoon tern colony with a friend, Rob, on one of his regular sojourns back up north.

The main island is busy with nesting Sandwich, Common and Arctic Terns and in the middle of the mêlée, melange, or call it what you will – after all, that is your right – is a first summer Mediterranean Gull and a handful of Dunlin.

The birds appear to be bringing back plenty of fish still, so fingers crossed for a successful breeding season - Peregrines, bruising Gulls and raiding Corvids notwithstanding.

Apparently, two Roseate Terns were present yesterday (28th), so I decide to have a quick scan through the birds. Heat haze aside, this is a tricky business as the terns are constantly ‘dreading’, the seemingly pointless and periodical taking to the air of the entire colony for no reason whatsoever! Why?

After an agreeable lunch at the sun-drenched Holyhead harbour we head for South Stack. The cliffs are covered in fog drifting in from the Irish Sea – Anglesey’s capricious weather strikes again!

The ledges are not visible, but some passing Chough provide temporary entertainment. Our patience is eventually rewarded when the mist begins to lift and the densely auk-packed ledges are again viewable. If anything, there appear to be even more Guillemot than two weeks ago with the Razorbills having been pushed even further to the periphery of the colony.

Until later.

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.