This morning, Greg finally emerged from beneath a pile of paper and notebooks with the 2009 breeding bird figures in hand. Three species jump out of the list as deserving a mention;
Wheatear - Smart birds that winter in Africa and then return to the UK in March for our summer. The breeding numbers of this species have increased steadily over the last 9 years since we rid the island of brown rats. Nesting in rabbit burrows and crevices in our stonewalls, they were vulnerable to predation by the rats. They have now increased to a massive 115 pairs, an island record and with the reserve covering just 261 hectares; we must surely be one of the densest breeding sites in Wales.
Stonechat – Another Ramsey record, with 25 pairs confirmed breeding. Despite the relatively cold winter, these heath land birds had a successful season with many family groups seen and many second broods. This increase, in some small way, mirrors the massive 287% increase in this species throughout Wales since 1994.
Linnet – 46 confirmed breeding pairs is again the highest on record. Many young families were seen and the seeding grass heads are now attracting large flocks of up to 60 birds onto the island to feed. This species is Amber listed in Wales as a bird of conservation concern and is a UK Biodiversity Action Plan species.