Weather: bright, sunny & windy. From 11am.
Before going to South Stack from the campsite a Merlin flew over being hotly pursued by a few Sand Martin. Unfortunately though, by the time I'd grabbed my binoculars all of them had gone out of view. Rob agreed that its swept-back wings, size & profile excluded kestrel.
Up to the reserve after yesterday's preview for a full walk around in lovely sunshine, lots of people & very friendly RSPB staff to let us know what to look out for.
From the carpark to the visitors' centre: Linnet, Skylark, Raven (pair), Herring Gull, Buzzard (pair) being mobbed by the ravens; Stonechat, Meadow Pipit; Chough overhead quite often, also very vocal; lots of Swallow also overhead; Wren in nearby bushes.
After the visitors' centre we spent some time looking at the seabirds on the cliffs: Guillemot & a few nesting Fulmar; Razorbill in lesser numbers than guillemots; Rock Pipit (pair) battling it out on the cliff edges; Puffin (~6) picked out on the water after being briefed in the vistors centre - fortunately a fellow birder had picked out a few in with the guillemots so we were quickly able to scope & get good views.
Further along near the lighthouse I picked out Gannet (4) crusing south on the sea; Lesser Black-backed Gull were also on the lighthouse's rocks; I also had brief views of a couple of small black cormorants flying in low from the sea into deep gulleys in the cliffs: Shag, the first in many a year but a pity the views weren't for longer.
Continuing past the lighthouse up into the heathland of Holyhead Mountain a sheltered lake harboured a Mallard & more meadow pipits but little else.
Heading back down the mountain to the visitors' centre on the cliff edge a flock of Sand Martin (8) flew swiftly past.
At the visitors' centre we picked out a couple of Kittiwake on the water as well as more puffins, though they were often disturbed on the water by fishing & sight-seeing boats.
Continuing round the headland south of the visitors' centre: Jackdaw (pair), Crow, Oystercatcher (~4) on the rocks at the bottom of the cliffs; Rock Dove (pair) flew swiftly out over the cliffs back towards the centre.
Back in the carpark: Blackbird & Pied Wagtail (2).
27 species.
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