Bird Sightings

A Hawfinch graced Millcombe on 12th, followed by a male and female Bullfinch the next day. Goldfinch passage resulted in 30 logged on 12th, supported by news of a recent North Devon ringing recovery. A Sedge Warbler ringed on 12th was quickly followed by the first Reed and Grasshopper Warbler records the following day. Blackcap continue to dominate on the passerine front, with 49 and 29 individuals logged respectively over the two days. Two Common Whitethroat were seen in Millcombe on the 12th, including a singing bird at the top of the valley. A small arrival of Ring Ouzel enjoyed up to seven birds across the east and west coasts while a Black Redstart frequented the North End on 13th and light hirundine passage trickling through day. 

The Stock Dove and Collared Dove continue there stay around St Helen's Field and the Village. A single Teal pair reside at Pondsbury while Jenny's Cove featured 148 Kittiwake on the sea and another on 65 ledges on 13th. The Ringed Plover was still present at South West Point on 12th, but no further sign since. East coast boasted a Common Sandpiper on 12th, followed by a Great Northern Diver off the Terrace and 5 Cormorant high across the Landing Bay on 13th.

Reeling Grashopper Warbler, 13 Apr. N Barnes

The second record of White Stork graced the island today, initially clocked over Pondsbury at 11.32hrs, the unringed bird was logged over the Church and North End in very quick succession (briefly seen attempted to depart north before aborting). Last seen tracking south at midday, the individual was photographed over Ilfracombe an hour later! See Devon Birds post to enjoy Martin Thorne's mainland photos. The only previous island record dates back on 20 Apr, 1992.

Other highlights include the first Green Sandpiper of the year at Rocket Pole at 17.53hrs and the Hoopoe still at Quarter Wall West and later on near the Castle. It appears that the Ringed Plover has relocated to Three Quarter Wall, after a 10-day residency at Kistvaen Pond (South West Field). A sterling ringing effort from Flo and Tony from 06.45 - 16.30hrs resulted in 42 Willow Warbler, 23 Chiffchaff, 44 Blackcap and a male Bullfinch ringed among the local residents and a few continental Robin. Other notables includes a female Bullfinch, single Redpoll, two Pied Flycatcher, three Common Redstart, a Stock Dove in Barton Field and three Ring Ouzel across Belle Vue Cottages and Quarter Wall West.

It's always a good day when there's a Hoopoe about! Singles have been recorded daily between 6-10th across Benjamin's Chair, Quarter Wall west, Airfield and the Castle. A Wryneck near Old School on 8th was an added thrill, along with a gently reeling Grasshopper Warbler in St John's Valley on 9th. The first Whitethroat featured on 7th, opening the doors to daily occurrence in small numbers ever since. Following the earliest ever Lundy Sedge Warbler back on 28th Feb, the next record did not arrive until 10th - a far more typical date. The 12th enjoyed a bumper Blackcap arrival involving 68 individuals, with similar numbers passing through the following two days. Light spring thrush passage between 2-4th involved peaks of 34 Redwing, 3 Fieldfare and 4 Ring Ouzel.

Common Redstart started to brighten up the island's fence lines from 4th, making the way for near daily sightings around Millcombe, Quarries and even North West Point on one occasion! The first Pied Flycatcher of the year put in an appearance on 7th, with four different individuals (three male and one female) passing through over the subsequent three days. The first Tree Pipit were logged on 8th, with two passage migrants picked up on call over the Airfield during census, a single was also recorded over the Church on 10th. A female Yellow Wagtail on 8th and Whinchat on 10th also made for welcome appearances.

There's been a pleasant passage of Hawfinch from 2nd, including a female ringed in Millcombe on 10th!  The finch fest continued that day with both a female Greenfinch and two Bullfinch (male and female) occurring in Millcombe, and a single Siskin logged the day prior. A male Brambling was located at Pondsbury on 2nd, lingering around the south coast until 6th. Records of a female and different male then followed on the 8th and 10th respectively.

Ringed Plover present from 1st, remained faithful to Kistvaen Pond (near Rocket Pole) throughout, with sporadic and brief expeditions to Pondsbury. Additional wader interest included a passage Curlew on 4th, a Redshank calling along the east coast on 6th, a Grey Plover over Ackland's Moor on 7th, five Common Sandpiper on 10th and Dunlin sporadically up to 7th, peaking at six on 1st. Black-headed Gull were recorded daily in the Landing Bay up to 9th, involving two adult and five first-summer birds. Puffin counts in recent days have reached 171 birds, many of which on land at Jenny's Cove and The Battery. A single Great Northern Diver was recorded off Jenny's Cove on 3rd and the ever-present offshore Gannet reached highs of 31 on 9th.

Hawfinch in the hand, 10 Apr

Our first Wheatear arrivals touched down on 7th, preceded by a stunning re-sighting of one our colour-marked wheatears at Nouadhibou, Mauritania on 2nd - that's some 4,500 km away! The earliest ever Lundy Sedge Warbler was also logged on 28th, smashing the previous record (7 Apr) set in 1940.

There was limited island coverage until the 10th due to time off island around the Bird Obs Council AGM and RSPB-led Biosecurity training. Teal numbers have dwindled as the month progressed, dropping down to one pair by 25th. A single Stock Dove on 21st became the first record of the year, along with two Collared Dove logged individuals between 11-16th in Millcombe. Water Rail recorded daily in Millcombe through the month, never exceeding two individuals. Another quiet month for wader movements, with the only two Golden Plover logged during a nocturnal survey around the Airfield.  Auks are being recorded in the low thousands more consistently along the west coast, and the first (47) Puffin were logged 11th among accompanying the 1,230 Guillemot and 1,715 Razorbill across the S and W coast from Benjamin's Chair to Janny's Cove. Light Great Northern Diver passage detected through the month saw singles off the SE coast, supplemented by a Red-throated Diver on 6th. First returning breeding Manx Shearwaters were detected on 9th March, calling over the village. Cormorant logged on 4 days between 17-30th

A brief female Sparrowhawk sighting on the evening of 26th over Millcombe was never encountered again. Hints of corvid passage came in the form of two Rook, one on 12th and a second bird overnighting 28-29th, coinciding with peak Carrion Crow counts of 47 and 38 respectively. Blackcap started trickling through from 20th while a scattering a single figure Chiffchaff counts were observed through the month, the first double-digit 'chiff' total arrived on 25th, just before the first (2) Willow Warbler were logged on 26th, opening the way for a mini-fall of 29 individuals the following day. Firecrest were ever-present in singles, with a short-lasting influx of four detected on 25th, coinciding with a modest arrival of Goldcrest, reaching 10 on 28th. Black Redstart were recorded across Benjamin's Chair, South West Point sidelands, North End, Landing Bay and the Village. The first White Wagtail on 11th and a male Bullfinch graced Millcombe between 16-18th. Linnet and Goldfinch began being recorded on a daily basis from 12th, with the only Siskin appearance on 13th and a female Reed Bunting at Quarter Wall on 28th.Ringed as 2nd calendar-year male at Pilots Quay 1 Jun 2024, this male Wheatear was photographed at Nouadhibou, Mauritania, on 2 Mar 2025!