Friday, 5 October 2001

5th October 2001 South Stack, Holyhead. 7am - 2.30pm. Wet and windy at first becoming drier by mid-morning

Buzzard c.8 roadside
Peregrine 2
GREY CATBIRD 1  heard calling in response to tape playback soon after dawn. Seen at c.1.30pm when it was flushed out of a deep gorse bush and landed c.15m in front of us on a vegetation-covered stone wall. Appeared silver grey-bodied in flight with darker wings and a long rounded black tail. When perched its strong bill, black cap were seen and its tail was obligingly raised/caught by the wind revealing its rusty ‘traingular’ vent. After c.30 seconds it dived back into thick cover and was then seen to fly to a thick area of gorse. UK474
Goldcrest c.2
Chough c.4 seen several times