Zak Spaull
@zspaull.bsky.social
310 followers 110 following 53 posts
Birder, naturalist & conservationist from North Wales.
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zspaull.bsky.social
First full day on Barra. Fantastic place and great to be on a new island. Common Rosefinch at Scurravel this afternoon the only find of note - hopefully more to come! #birdingscotland
zspaull.bsky.social
Nearly stepping on this Grey Phalarope was a nice bonus on the last day. A shame I left my camera in the car! #irishbirding
zspaull.bsky.social
Great birding in Western Ireland this week. Largely focused on waders but the seawatching was pretty good too. Highlights of Laughing and Sabine’s Gulls, Semipalmated and White-rumped Sandpiper, 2 American Golden Plovers, Glossy Ibis, Wilson’s Petrel, Long-tailed Skua and Great Shears. #irishbirding
zspaull.bsky.social
Trabeg estuary: 2 ad AGP, 1 Glossy Ibis W end, Laughing Gull still E end. #irishbirding
zspaull.bsky.social
Orkney has a sawfly recorder so by the sounds of it I don’t think NBN will be up to date. I assume some of the off islands will be sparsley recorded though as we had the first sawfly records for North Ronaldsay last summer.
zspaull.bsky.social
After a fantastic season at Cemlyn, it was a welcome surprise to come home and see 2 Death’s-head Hawkmoth caterpillars devouring the garden potatoes this afternoon! (VC49) #teammoth
Reposted by Zak Spaull
n-richards.bsky.social
The season is over! Had an amazing time at Cemlyn with @zspaull.bsky.social this summer. This video I made covers some of the highlights along with a blog we wrote which is more in depth.

Really excited about the future of the Roseate Terns at Cemlyn after the two pairs attempting this season 🐦
northwaleswt.bsky.social
It’s the end of another season at Cemlyn!

Thank you to Nick and Zak for their dedication and to everyone who visited and donated to the reserve this year, and to our volunteers for dedicating so much of their time to the terns this summer. 💙

www.northwaleswildlifetrust.org.uk/cemlyn-terns
zspaull.bsky.social
It’s a super early season. They started leaving early July and now they’re all gone. They were generally a week ahead for most of the season but increased gull pressure at the end of June/early July may have pushed many them of out prematurely.
zspaull.bsky.social
@n-richards.bsky.social and I had a very nice evening on The Skerries last night. #birdingwales
zspaull.bsky.social
Thanks Julian! @n-richards.bsky.social is on here, he just hasn’t posted yet :)
zspaull.bsky.social
It’s an adult - whoops!
zspaull.bsky.social
Yeah. We’ve been getting a lot of early waders through here for the last few weeks. Joel got some nice pics I can send you later.
zspaull.bsky.social
Nice day out away from Cemlyn yesterday, visiting Joel at Gronant. We did pretty well, picking up 2cy Caspian Gull, juv Little Stint, Yellow Wag plus loads of waders including 220+ Blackwit. Dune Robberflies everywhere and Little Terns of course! #birdingwales
zspaull.bsky.social
Possibly but I think if it was malnutrition then there would evidence away from the bill e.g a moult limit in the flight feathers.

This is the only bird online that looks similar. Aged as a 3cy (which ours could well be). brucemactavish1.blogspot.com/2016/08/blac...
black-billed Arctic Tern
On Sunday 31 July 2016 I was checking a group of 8 terns on the rocks on the lower coast, Trepassey when I came across a tern that stopped ...
brucemactavish1.blogspot.com
zspaull.bsky.social
Steve Culley and I had this nice black-billed Arctic Tern at Cemlyn this morning. Cool looking bird! Any comments on origin appreciated. #birdingwales #rarebirdsuk
zspaull.bsky.social
A surreal evening here at Cemlyn - at least 7 Roseate Terns. Our 2 pairs still present plus an additional 3 birds tonight. Incredible to see so many at once after no breeding records for over 30 years. #birdingwales #rarebirdsuk
zspaull.bsky.social
Exciting times at Cemlyn currently. Whilst watching our long standing pair of Roseate Terns yesterday, another 2 birds dropped in nearby and lingered for the afternoon, displaying constantly! Two pairs would be pretty amazing… #birdingwales
Pic - Nick Richards
zspaull.bsky.social
Thanks Steve. Hope Westray delivers for you this season!
zspaull.bsky.social
Good first few days settling in as @northwaleswt.bsky.social Cemlyn Warden 2025. First 2 Common Terns back today plus Tree Pipit over and 3 Groppers yesterday. Looking forward to the next 4 months! #birdingwales
zspaull.bsky.social
Spring picking up here marks the end of my near daily checks of the Scoters between Colwyn Bay and Llandulas. A great year for Surfies with one female, two 2w drakes and potentially three adult drakes. Also 20+ Velvets, 2 Long-tailed Ducks, 1w Caspian Gull and a January Sandwich Tern. #birdingwales
zspaull.bsky.social
Anglesey today: 4 Black Redstarts, 8+ Wheatear, 7 Twite, 100+ Mipit, 3 Puffin at South Stack first thing. 4 Swallows + Hooded Crow on The Range. 2 Slavs off Penrhos, 1w drk LTD + 4 Scaup at Inland Sea. Lap Bunt, LRP, 4 Ruff, 2 Bitterns at Cors Ddyga. Kumlien’s Gull on the way back too. #birdingwales
zspaull.bsky.social
Good birding in Somerset this weekend with @reuben-veal.bsky.social and Craig. Least Sandpiper, Little Stint, Kentish Plover, 2 Glossy Ibis, Cattle Egret, 10+ Bittern, 11 Scaup, 2 BNG, Dartford Warblers and Green Woodpecker. #somersetbirding #rarebirdsuk
zspaull.bsky.social
Haha absolutely
zspaull.bsky.social
Stunning couple of days in the Swiss Alps. Plenty of Nutcrackers and Alpine Choughs! #switzerland #birding