Sunday 2 July 2017

The HWR Summary for June

   June is generally a quiet month but June 2017 will be long remembered for the 1st summer female King Eider seen just offshore at Aberaeron. It was photographed on 26th by Lin Gander but it was Ed O'Connor, back home for a while in the Midlands who identified exactly what it was. Some of us were lucky enough to see it over the following three days until it was seen flying off in a north-easterly direction. (See below.) Harry posted 2 excellent photographs of this rarity on the blog.
   Despite it possibly leaving Ceredigion on 29th, it may be worth looking out for it now that the weather has settled down. (It would be a rather good balcony tick for me.) The previous King Eider seen on Welsh waters was back in 1989 when a female  lingered in the north east part of Cardigan Bay for 8 months from late January.
   Another Ceredigion mega rarity also appeared in June. This was a female Red-footed Falcon,  found by the Tregaron Mountain Road near Llyn Berwyn. It was seen by very few people on 12th and 13th although Arfon Williams did manage a photograph.
   Last month's six Cattle Egrets at Ynyslas were last recorded on 12th although one was seen on 25th.
  A Quail was heard calling near Tan-y-groes by Paul Mahiques on 25th.  5 Storm Petrels were ringed at Mwnt (19th). I saw two rather unseasonal Arctic Skuas passing the prom at Aberystwyth on 15th.
  Andy James noted 500 Manx Shearwaters and 53 Gannets passing Aberaeron on 25th and Harry counted 17 Mediterranean Gulls at Llansantffraed on 20th. 
  Waders at RSPB Ynys-hir included 24 Black-tailed Godwits, a Little Ringed Plover and a Ruff  on 28th.
   For more details and photographs, see the June pages of this blog.