Lleyn Peninsula

Aber Geirch to Porth Towyn

5 Arctic Skuas late afternoon including a team of 4 on the sea at SH242397 whence they frequently ambushed Kittiwakes and Sandwich Terns

73 Kittiwakes on rocks at Aber Geirch and many more passing along with large numbers of Manx Shearwaters and small flocks of Common Scoters

10+ Common Sandpipers 6+ around the innominate cove at SH259399, 3 at the Natural Arch and one at Aber Geirch

11 Turnstones Aber Geirch

1 Whimbrel Aber Geirch

36 Curlews

5 Redshanks Aber Geirch

1 Dunlin flew north-east

2 Red-breasted Mergansers 2 redheads off Penrhyn Cwmistir

2 Kingfishers one at Aber Geirch fishing the bay from the pipeline and one at the Waterfalls

1 Grasshopper Warbler showed very well as it posed inquisitively in a small willow on the boggy plateau on the south side of Aber Geirch

5 Wheatears 4 juvs

1 Treecreeper on rocks at Aber Geirch

1 Keeled Skimmer [m] on the boggy plateau above Aber Geirch

Beautiful Demoiselles and Banded Demoiselles both abundant along the river at Aber Geirch especially in the narrow gorge

Ringlets were the commonest butterflies, occurring all along my coast walk but most abundantly at Aber Geirch. According to Butterflies of Gwynedd [1996]: There are colonies on un-wooded cliffs in Gwynedd, not a typical habitat. It occors in small and fairly isolated colonies throughout Gwynedd. . . At Nefyn, in the Lleyn peninsula, at least one colony lives on the wind-swept and virtually tree-less cliff slopes; this is not a typical habitat for Ringlets.

4 Small Skippers on the boggy plateau above Aber Geirch. Again quoting Butterflies of Gwynedd: Present in a few small and widely separated colonies in Gwynedd. . . There are very few records of this species in Caernarfonshire.

2 Foxes Aber Geirch

Pen-y-sarn

1 Green Woodpecker juv at SH311382