Beginning with the progress from our Manx Shearwater nest box monitoring, 7 out of the 15 nests now have chicks! In addition to this, a total of 12 GLS tags have been successfully deployed. We are now working hard on nocturnal surveys in attempt to retreive the GPS tags. Although we had no luck in our first two night missions, we were treated to a beautiful chorus of the singing shearwaters in the starlight. In other nest box news, a check of the monitored Storm Petrel colony showed 10 boxes with signs of activity, 2 of which contain nest scrapes! Things are starting to look more positive.
In other seabird news, on the 15th a probable estimate of 8000-10,000 Guillemot was counted! This is all thanks to fab Island coverage from the Conservation Team, our Manx Shearwater Researchers and visiting birders, recording sitings at The Pyramid, The Battery, North End, Long Roost and Gannets Rock. Colony surveys by Assistant Seabird Warden Volunteer Kathleen show lots of Guillemot chicks have now been hatched and parents are busy brooding and feeding their young. Another high seabird count was on the 16th, with 102 Fulmar recorded breeding off Gannets Rock and off the Terraces.
North End feeding frenzies were observed on the 15th and 18th, inviting seasbirds of all sorts, including Manx Shearwater, Gannet, Shag, Kittiwake, Fulmar, Puffin, and Great and Lesser Black-backed Gull, and Herring Gull.
We have begun ringing the Shag chicks from nests found along the cliffs at Long Roost, and on the 18th managed to ring 13 chicks. Other recent ringing includes 4 Oystercatcher chicks across 4 broods, around Lammetry Bay and Landing Bay. Continued monitoring shows these wader chicks to be growing well, avoiding predation from the ever-hungry gulls and getting closer and closer to fledging.
Oystercatcher chick, June 17. F Turner
Shag chick, June 18. F Turner
3 Sandwich Tern were spotted from the Oldenburg during a crossing by Assistant Ranger Volunteer Amber. Not quite within the range of Lundy to be included in our counts, but still super to see!
We are continuing to have fly-bys of Racing Pigeon in this sunny season, and on the 15th c.300 birds risking their lives as they flooded past the West Coast in tight flocks. A pair of Peregrine Falcon dove repeatedly on the passing flocks with immense speed.
The male and female Channel Wagtail, confirmed offspring of the Blue-headed/Yellow Wagtail pair which bred on Lundy last year, have been observed multiple times prospecting a nest site in the rushes of Aerogenerator Field and foraging in Barton's Field. It's looking more and more likely they might breed. The numerous breeding Meadow Pipit have other thoughts though, scolding the wagtail couple left right and centre.
Swift have been noted fairly frequently these last few days. on the 15th, 4 were seen over the Village, and 2 on the 17th. On the 18th, 5 were counted in total across the Island!
A single Grey Heron was seen on the 16th and 17th, causing quite an upset with the Oystercatcher and gulls.
We have recently had some nice invertebrate sightings recorded in the daily Bird Log. Rose Chafer are being seen daily. The Lundy Field Society have recorded good numbers of Lepidoptera species on their tasks about the Island, including: Small Tortoiseshell, Common Blue, Small Heath, Red Admiral, Green-veined White, Painted Lady, Meadow Brown, Six-spot Burnet, Brown Silver-line and, just starting to appear, the fantastic Hummingbird Hawk Moth. Notable flowers found by the team include 15 Heath Spotted-orchid, 10 Common Spotted-orchid, 1 Bog Asphdel and Sundew around Pondsbury.
On midnight swim in Landing Bay, bioluminsescence lit up the still, dark water with a magical glow, a beautiful and surprising sight for so early in the summer.
As anticipated from recent monitoring of the Manx Shearwater colony nest boxes, the first chick has hatched! More and more eggs are starting pipping - it won't be long until several more grey fluffs appear. With the help of visiting researchers, the Conservation Team have deployed 10 GPS tags onto our breeding Manx Shearwater to investigate short-term foraging patterns, and 3 long-term GLS loggers, which will begin to build a picture of winter foraging routes on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean.
The first Manx Shearwater chick! A. Zhang, June 9th
We have also been continuing to monitor the Island's breeding Oystercatcher, closely following the development of several broods around the Landing Bay and Rat Island. Records of any other waders have been very minimal recently, with just 1 Curlew heard calling at sea level below Mousehole and Trap.
In terms of seabird news, the first Kittiwake chicks have hatched! 5 nests were noted in a productivity survey on the 13th. A nice count of Guillemot was undertaken on 13th too, with 533 adults and 60 chicks recorded on St Mark's Stone.
On the 11th, we had a high count of 29 Common Swift throughout the day, including 24 over the Church at 09.00hrs.
We have been much lower on the ground for herons and egrets this year when compared to last year, however on the 11th a single Grey Heron was seen at Quarter Wall Pond. Another curious sighting was a juvenile Rook, seen within the loose Carrion Crow feeding groups in Brick and Tillage Fields.
Typical of this month of the year, there has been an almost complete halt in passage migrants, and the Island is brimming with breeding birds. Willow Warbler, Blackcap and Chiffchaff continue to sing in low numbers in Millcombe and Quarter Wall Copse. Starling juveniles are dispersing with their family groups all over the coast, filling the Millcombe trees, the Quarries and the rocky slopes of the shearwater and gull colonies. Some of the most notable breeding birds, due to the fierce diligence of the territorial adults, Wheatear and Stonechat fledglings are cropping up all over the place. Breeding evidence for Meadow Pipit and Skylark continues, with birds carrying food and singing across the moors, nests buried in the rapidly growing bracken, gorse and grasses.
Moth trapping has been more successful as of late thanks to the more settled weather at night, catching taking place in Millcombe and at the North End over these last few days. A good count of 62 moths of 24 species was gained on the 9th. Visiting experienced moth trapper Andrew Cleave flushed a Bordered Straw at the North End on the 13th, an exciting migrant species. Increasing sitings of Large White, Red Admiral, Small Heath, Painted Lady, Small Tortoiseshell and Meadow Brown butterflies are being noted as the days continue to warm and we move into a period of low winds.
Puffins in Jenny's Cove, K Power
As Lundy’s seabirds get even busier feeding hungry offspring, and Millcombe throngs with young Passerines, especially Starlings, we notice the absence of passing non-resident birds. However, there is plenty of breeding activity to occupy us. On 7th during Manx Shearwater nest box checks, the team observed that the first egg laid this season had begun to hatch. We await sightings of the first chick of the year during the next checks! Guillemot productivity monitoring on 6th resulted in 17 chicks observed within 2 hours, and Razorbill young have been spotted around the island. St Phillips Stone buttress, which homed 4 Puffins in 2003, held 150 proud birds standing on the cliffs on 6th June.
Several Oystercatcher chicks have been spotted around the Landing Bay and pairs are active all around Lundy’s coast. Shag offspring are craning their heads out of nests now, with over 27 known nests on the East Coast.
Blue-Headed Wagtail and Peregrine sightings remain strong, and Wren, Wheatear and Goldfinch juveniles have been seen.
Wren fledgelings, E Sherwell
Absences of Teal and Water Rail on Pondsbury are notable for this time of year.
A Ringed Plover passed on the East on 2nd, and Collared Dove was recorded on 3rd and 8th. The 8th also provided sightings of a likely Jackdaw close to the village, an infrequent visitor to Lundy.
A North End sea watch on 8th produced a Mediterranean Gull passing close to the island, and at least 450 Manx Shearwater dancing above the waves.
Lundy map - click to enlarge