By Greg Lee
The rain swept in overnight with the horizontal element to the downpour causing an early wrap-up to our LFS Manx Shearwater evening, the strong precipitation would last well into the morning putting a curtail to census in the adverse conditions.
However, with the rain subsiding late morning, members of the Conservation Team were able to join the RSPB in counting the gull colonies along the southwestern corner of the island. Despite the strong breeze, it was good work out there with the stunning scenery and landscape complemented by carpets of Thrift and the familiar scent of the emerging Bracken along with some of the Mint that grows on the slopes. We have recently acquired something to record a rare moth associated with Thrift and hopefully we can report on some success when the weather begins to calm. Some Bluebells still remain in flower, a plant I normally associate with woodlands still emerald green from freshly-emerged leaves at this time of year, but on Lundy seems quite content on growing around Ackland Moor and elsewhere on the island. On the other hand, the purple-blue of emerging Devil’s-bit Scabious battled to outshine the Bluebells in terms of who can claim the title of superior blue flower.
Thrift by G.Lee
Back on to the birds and it was a positive turn out for the gulls, with the Lesser Black-backed Gulls perhaps doing slightly better than expected, their smart yellow legs glowing as they sat amongst their colonies. A couple of Great Black-backed Gull nests were also spotted, these overlords of the cliffs often choosing isolated areas away from the other gull species, who aren’t keen on being close neighbours with their brutish cousins. Interestingly, there seemed to be a good number of Razorbills about, possibly suggesting that they are spreading around the island to new areas, with many birds whirring off the cliffs and over the waters close by. Gazing out to sea, a constant stream of Manx Shearwaters was also evident, having probably appreciated the foul conditions the previous night to return to the cliffs. A good flying demonstration by a pair of Peregrines was also appreciated. Over near Old Light, a lone Painted Lady was being thrashed about by the winds.
Later on, with the winds ramping up, a report of a possible interesting bird had us scouring the airfield, though perhaps sensibly, apart from a few Meadow Pipits, most birds were laying low. However, a consolation was a lone Ringed Plover feeding nicely on the turf near the Water Tanks, these birds being fairly scarce visitors to the island in most years.
Ringed Plover by G.Lee
By Thomas Weston
This week started at around 4:30am this morning, when some extremely heavy and persistent rain fell across the island, and it seemed to last for a good 20mins or so. Getting that extra rest we awoke and enjoyed watching the weather from the comfort of our house for a little.
Today we had a day off and some free time, so me and Eleanor were keen to join the RSPB Large Gull survey that is currently being undertaken across the island. The survey involved counting individuals within each section of the island, and making a note of any sat on something that resembles a nest. Aptly known as an Apparently Occupied Nest (AON), which is a technique we use for studying and calculating the number of breeding pairs of seabird species on the island. During the nicer weather on Saturday, the team made a conscious effort to complete as much of the South and East when they arrived, before finishing the last of the East coast yesterday. Meaning only the West coast to complete today! We met up at 09:30am and joined the team, consisting of four RSPB and three Conservation Team members. We had a breifing, protocol and risk assessment read before we split into two smaller teams consisting of Eleanor, two of the RSPB colleagues, and myself, and then Emma and the other two RSPB colleagues. After a briefing, our team headed to the Battery and began counting gulls within the first survey square, whilst Emma and her team headed to Aztec Bay. After completing our first site, we headed to Jenny’s Cove to complete our second square, before Emma and the team headed North into their second survey square too.
A Wet Wheatear at Dead Cow Point by Thomas Weston
Some our survey highlights included a nice range of gulls, including Lesser Black Backed Gull, Herring Gull, and Great Black-Backed Gulls including some on AONs which was amazing to record and see! It was not only the gulls we saw, but good numbers of 2500+ Guillemots, 100+ Puffins, and 500+ Razorbills within our sections. A flyby Gannet, some resting Fulmars on AONs and a frenzy of nest building Kittiwakes made up the seabird festival. Walking on back, the weather deteriorated, but we did see a colour ringed Wheatear near Dead Cow Point. This male had also been seen by a guest which was quite funny. The Wheatear colour ringing team are on the island currently, so please keep an eye out for some colour ringed bids – one of ‘our breeders’ is a Skokholm ringed bird first seen last year.
We spent the afternoon taking it easy and having a more relaxing day off before giving the Lundy Field Society ‘Discover Lundy’ group a Manx Shearwater talk and walk. The evening was successful with a 45-minute talk in the Church followed by a brief wander out to a colony. The weather was atrocious, gusting 40mph and horizontal rain was not the most fun, but we quickly found a bird and processed the retrap. We walked back with the team and finished at a rather respectable time of 11pm.
By Greg Lee
The westerly wind remained quite breezy this morning, but census certainly had activity. Spotted Flycatchers are a staple of May migration, so it was pleasing to see at least five birds around Millcombe, sallying from prominent perches and generally showing very nicely. On occasion, the loud bill-snapping was heard indicating that another winged insect had met its fate. A Reed Warbler was perhaps less accommodating, but the warm, brown colouration contrasted nicely to the greener Chiffchaff sharing the same Sallow bush with a Sedge Warbler snatching briefly into song. A different migration was happening at the same time as the island welcomed a large cruise ship full of visitors, who were working their way up the beach road as I walked about on census. On the upper plateau of the island, House Martins and Swallows were pulsing through with 33 and 28 counted respectively this morning, although this seemed to tail off further into the patrol, on the other hand, the Meadow Pipits and Skylarks seemed to be quite quiet today, preferring to hunker quite low in the breeze. A Siskin over the Quarry Cottages seemed a little unseasonable but was something quite different on census. The male Kestrel drifted along the coast as well; the first time I had seen him for a week.
Cuckoo by T.Weston
Heading back into the Village, their appeared to be lots of Starling and House Sparrow activity with chicks of the former heard squeaking from various cavities and the Sparrow team reporting the first hatched chicks of the year. A Cuckoo was seen by multiple observers across the island during the day, with this particular bird occasionally singing away and decimating the large caterpillars. However, top prizes go to the summer-plumaged Turnstone down near Rat Island, a good record of this surprisingly scarce species on the island and a small tidbit of that lovely May passage of arctic-bound waders that the rest of the country enjoys. In addition, a first for the year arrived in the form of a Quail, which was flushed along the East Side.
Turnstone by T.Weston
Lundy map - click to enlarge