Bird Sightings

A lovely sunny day with a slight cool breeze from the East that steadily moved to the North throughout the day.

Spotted Flycatcher in Millcombe. ©Richard Campey

The nicer weather allowed a few migrants to push through. New migrants included a Dunlin on Rocket Pole Pond; a single Whimbrel on Brick Field; a Jackdaw off Southwest Point; a burst of hirundines involving Swallows, House Martins and Sand Martins; a Grey Heron who flew Northeast; and an arrival of warbler, crests, and flycatchers. This included at least 12 Blackcap, a Grasshopper Warbler in Millcombe, a Lesser Whitethroat (island scarcity) just below Government House, 4 Whitethroats, at least 8 Sedge Warblers with 6 singing in Millcombe, 4 Willow Warblers, single Chiffchaff, 3 Goldcrests, 5 Spotted Flycatchers and 2 Pied Flycatchers. Finches seemed a little more settled with small flocks dotted around the island including Goldfinches, Linnet, and a new in-migrant Lesser Redpoll.

Mallard brood at Quarter Wall Pond. ©Samuel Shaw

A brood of Mallard were really nice to see on Quarter Wall Pond, the fifth brood of the year recorded.

One of the West Coast Puffins. ©Samuel Shaw

A couple of West Coast Razorbills. ©SamuelShaw

Seabird surveys resulted in some incredible numbers of auks, Kittiwakes and other seabirds recorded. This included over 3200+ Guillemots, 1350+ Razorbills, 140+ Puffins, 260+ Kittiwakes, 34+ Fulmars and small flocks of Gannets seen feeding around Common Dolphins for the second day. A big thank you to Young Birder Samuel Shaw for taking these photos of the Puffins and Razorbills along the West Coast! Moreover, for the third night in a row, Manx Shearwaters filled the air with hundreds, if not thousands, calling on both the West and East coast.

Peregrine. ©Richard Campey

Kestrel near Quarry Cottages. ©Richard Campey

Elsewhwere, observations were collected from the majority of the island with both Peregrine and our pair of Kestrel seen today. These amaxing photos by Richard show the size and differences between these two falcons.

Ringing

A small mist netting session this morning resulted in 4 birds caught in the bottom half of Millcombe, with an afternoon session resulting in 9 birds in the upper half of Millcombe. The Lesser Whitethroat Keen to top up our Manx Shearwater data, we caught a really nice range of retraps including a bird from 2007, 2009 and adults from 2011 onwards.

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Swallow in the Village. ©Thomas Weston

A very wet census today as a cold front sat above Lundy for most of the day. Unfortuanetely the harsh reality of migration was seen with a couple of deceased Swallows found today - presumably cold, wet and tired.

Millcombe was quiet with a single Sedge Warbler near Government House; a single Grasshopper Warbler at the bottom of Millcombe; 5 Woodpigeons in Smelly Gully; and 5 Wrens, 9 Dunnock, 2 Goldfinches, 5 Blackbirds, single Song Thrush and 4 Robins seen throughout the valley. A pod of Common Dolphins encouraged 12 Gannets, 14 Shag, a single Kittiwake and 2 Lesser-Black Backed Gulls in the Landing Bay whilst at Benjamin’s Chair/Rocket Pole Pond 23 Herring Gulls, 38 Razorbills, single Fulmar, 20 Carrion Crow, 2 Ravens, 2 Skylarks, 2 Linnets, single flyover ‘alba’ Wagtail and 6 Meadow Pipits were spotted. The plateau was quiet with a Mallard and 3 Wheatears on the Airfield; a single Whimbrel in Brick Field; a single Sand Martin and 36 Swallows flew North; 69 Starlings in Tillage Field; and 19 House Sparrows in the Village.

Other sightings included a Great Northern Diver and more surprisingly a Black throated Diver both in the Landing Bay. The latter is a rare species for the island.

A Short-Eared Owl near Pondsbury. ©Richard Campey

A breezy cold day again, and rain from late morning all day resulting in not many birds seen. The standout highlights were a Common Sandpiper on the Beach Road, a Short Eared Owl seen near Pondsbury, and a few passage hirundines throughout the morning. The weather was not ideal for all migrants with one a small flock of grounded Swallows and Sand Martins staying only a couple of metres above the waves near the Jetty and a Grey Heron passed away near Quarry Pond.

Census counts from today included a single Mallard, 5 Woodpigeons, 34 Herring Gulls, 4 Lesser-Black Backed Gulls, 48 Razorbills, 2 Shag, 3 Peregrine, 9 Carrion Crow, 2 Ravens, 9 Carrion Crows, 4 Skylarks, single Sand Martin, 20 Swallows, 3 Blackcap, single Sedge Warbler, single Goldcrest, 10 Wrens, 37 Starlings, 8 Blackbird, single Song Thrush, 5 Robins, 5 Wheatears (4 Greenland subspecies), 3 Dunnock, 18 House Sparrows, single Pied Wagtail, 5 Meadow Pipits, 3 Chaffinch, 27 Linnets and 17 Goldfinches.

Drake EurasianTeal at Pondsbury. ©Richard Campey

We think our Eurasian Teal brood remined hidden today but one of the drakes was particularly showy!

A soggy Skylark at Quarry Cottages.©Thomas Weston

A slight Northerly breeze after days of breezy, cool weather led to an increase in migrants and a slight fall overnight. Walking through Millcombe Pines, the appearance of a female Pied Flycatcher, and small flocks of Willow Warbler totalling 30 was a welcome surprise. The Ugly was quiet but in the Landing Bay 10 Shag, a single Great Black-backed Gull and the single winter plumaged Great Northern Diver were present. Walking through Millcombe, 8 Blackcap, 3 Whitethroats, a single Grasshopper Warbler was reeling, a single Chiffchaff, 14 Wrens, 2 Woodpigeons, 9 Blackbird, single Chaffinch, single Song Thrush, 7 Dunnock and 12 Robins were noted. On the South Coast, an Oystercatcher was calling below Benjamin’s Chair, 4 Whimbrel (2 calling off the South Coast dropping into Tent Field and 2 in the Watertanks), 104 Razorbills, a single Fulmar, 7 Gannets feeding around Common Dolphins, and a single Rock Pipit with food was seen. At Rocket Pole Scrape and Southwest Field there was a Dunlin, 2 Stonechat, 9 Wheatears, 5 Pied Wagtail, single ‘alba’ wagtail and 9 Meadow Pipits. Near Old Light, a single Kestrel, single female Merlin, 19 Carrion Crow, 2 Ravens and 9 Skylarks were noted. A nice passage of hirundines consisted of 57 Sand Martin, 277 Swallows and 8 House Martins. Around the fields, 38 Herring Gulls, 12 Lesser-Black Backed Gulls, 24 Linnets and 17 Goldfinches were present. In the Village, 40 Starlings, 18 House Sparrows and 8 Mallard including 4 ducklings were seen.

Whinchat along the Upper East Path near Quarter Wall Pool. ©Richard Campey

Quarter Wall Pool was busy with the first Whinchat of the year that showed incredibly well!

A Sand Martin around Quarter Wall Pond. ©Richard Campey

A Seabird Jenny’s check resulted in 51 Puffins, 110+ Razorbills, 1350+ Guillemots, 34 Kittiwakes and 26 Fulmars. A continued passage of hirundines resulted in 27 Swallows passing through North in 20 minutes plus small flocks of Sand Martins too. Elsewhere, a report of a Stone Curlew was super exciting but unfortunately the bird was not subsequently seen.