Bird Sightings

Prevailing south-westerlies carrying heavy rainfall overnight start this period. A bright, still and warm day on the 12th played host to our first large thrush passage. The winds subsequently swung north-west causing the temperature to drop on Saturday 14th before then becoming moderate easterlies on 15th-16th.

Redshank Barton Field © Richard Campey

 

Common Snipe flock over Airfield © Angus Croudace

 

Common Snipe, Millcombe Drive © Angus Croudace

 

The 13th and 14th saw a lot of seabirds loafing or feeding off of the island, with 2270 Kittiwake on the 13th and 1000+ on the 14th. A Mediterranean Gull and six Common Gull close in below the Terrace on the 15th. Singles of dark-morph Arctic Skua were seen off of the east on the 14th and the 16th. A Great Northern Diver was again in the Landing Bay on the 11th, 13th and 16th.

 

Great Northern Diver Landing Bay © Angus Croudace

 

It has become substantially busier on the raptor front, with several Merlin individuals arriving with the Redwing on the 12th, resulting in a day count of four birds and several daily since. Two Short-eared Owls have been present since the 12th also, although are very unpredictable and elusive, with sightings ranging from the bracken on the east, cliffs in the Landing Bay, gorse in South-west field as well as in the heathland in the north. A ringtail Hen Harrier has been picked up at Quarter Wall/Pondsbury since the 13th. To add to these headliners are our continuing supporting cast of three Kestrel, up to eight Peregrine Falcon and a female Sparrowhawk.

 

Merlin Quarter Wall © Richard Campey

 

Short-eared Owl Lighthouse Field © Tim Jones

 

Merlin double act at the North End © Angus Croudace

 

Redwing 'tseeped' overhead through the night of the 11th, with counts starting from 6.30am resulting in a total of 700 birds recorded during the day across the island. 47 Fieldfare were amongst them. Since, about ten Fieldfare have been recorded daily and small numbers of Redwing (72 on 13th, and about 20 daily since). Amongst the thrush arrival on the 12th were 16 Ring Ouzel, 22 Song Thrush and one Mistle Thrush.

 

First-year Male Ring Ouzel in Millcombe (note the worn tail feathers) © Angus Croudace

 

Ring Ouzel Jenny's Cove © Tim Jones

 

Some Skylark continue to move overhead with some flocks of up to 20. High day count in this period of 85 on the 12th, but typically 30-50 recorded each day. 530 Meadow Pipit around or over on the 12th with around 150 record daily since. Swallow have milled around again with over a hundred recorded each day but no real devotion to pushing forward. The House Martins observed have almost all been in small flocks that are more clearly pushing south, including a total of 52 on the 14th.

 

The first Yellow-browed Warbler of the autumn was very elusive in Millcombe on the 15th and almost completely silent. Chiffchaff day counts typically break 20, and we have enjoyed a late Reed Warbler by Millcombe House. On the fine day that was the 12th there was another arrival of Blackcap, with 45 across the island, mostly in Millcombe, around a dozen have stayed for a few days to feed on the now dwindling blackberries. A Lesser Whitethroat showed well on the gorse by Rocket Pole on the 15th, and a late Common Whitethroat was above Smelly Gully on the 14th. A Firecrest was in Millcombe along with two long-staying Spotted Flycatchers. These birds (finally) left in the clear skies of the 14th to continue their long journeys, with the possibility that the flycatchers may well be destined as far as South Africa! Goldcrest counts have typically been 20 with a peak of 37 on the 14th.

 

Lesser Whitethroat Rocket Pole © Tim Jones

 

A Black Redstart was at North Light on the 11th. Between one and six Wheatear have been recorded daily in this period. One Grey Wagtail over on the 15th as well as a White Wagtail in Barton Field on the 14th.

 

White Wagtail Barton Field © Tim Jones

 

Finally, the 16th was the first day of notable Chaffinch passage this season, with 50 emerging from roost in Millcombe and departing as the sun rose. Throughout the day a fairly constant stream of small flocks were moving south, mostly sheltering from the easterlies in the lee of the west coast. The total figure was c1500 for the day. Among were 4 Brambling (after the first of the autumn was heard on the 11th) and two Greenfinch. A group of four Lesser Redpoll feeding in Millcombe on the 12th, 11 across the island on the 15th and four on the 16th. The first Lapland Bunting of autumn was around Pondsbury on the 16th and a couple of Reed Bunting have passed through each day, with a high count of five on the 14th.

 

Lesser Redpoll Lower Garden, Millcombe © Angus Croudace

 

Reed Bunting Pondsbury © Richard Campey

 

A couple of late Clouded Yellow butterflies, notable Red Admiral passage with over a hundred on the 12th and a couple of Painted Ladies, Small Copper and Hummingbird Hawk-moths each day are the best of the Lepidoptera. 

 

Small Copper butterfly at North Quarry © Tim Jones

 

Pale Tussock Moth caterpillar meets a migrant Blackbird © Angus Croudace

 

The race is on, Merlin vs Sika Doe Pondsbury © Angus Croudace

The weather has been fairly consistent for 3-6th October, with moderate winds from the south-west limiting any passage on a large scale over Lundy. The tail end of this week featured much lighter winds and glorious sun on the 8th, with some extended periods of heavy fog on the 9th-10th.

Golden Plover records have been almost daily in this period, with an autumn high count thus far of nine over Millcombe on the 9th, with the flock interestingly led by a single Bar-tailed Godwit, and tailed by a single Snipe! A flock of 24 Oystercatchers was seen at Quarry Beach on the 4th. 

A single Great Northern Diver was in the Landing Bay on the morning of the 7th. On an island-wide seal survey on the 4th two Arctic Skuas were picked up, a pale morph from North Light and a dark morph causing havoc in a Gannet feeding flock east of the Landing Bay. A Mediterranean Gull was picked up in the Landing Bay on the 5th and another off of the east with 115 Kittiwake on the 7th. A first-winter Yellow-Legged Gull was present in the Landing Bay on the 10th. After the fog cleared on the 9th and 10th the seabirds started feeding in earnest, with a lot of Gannet activity - 120 recorded off of the east feeding on the 9th. Our second autumn flock of presumably dispersed, roving Grey Heron was picked up on the 10th, with 17 east of the Landing Bay shortly after dawn making quite the spectacle, albeit at a distance!

Golden Plover, Airfield © Angus Croudace

Read more: 3rd to 10th October 2023

The 28th was a fine, sunny day, but strong winds have continued this week. They have mostly been southerly meaning that even Millcombe Valley, typically sheltered from the prevailing winds, was blustery with limited activity much of the time. The island was cloaked in a clingy mist for the entirety of 1st October. Come the 2nd, the mist lifted, revealing an eerily still morning where finally ringing in Millcombe could resume before the mist returned late afternoon. 

60 Blackcaps, 20 Goldcrests and a rather late Pied Flycatcher were all ringed on the 2nd. The flycatcher was scored low on fat and muscle, which is perhaps telling of it's late arrival. Conditions here are still very mild with a lot of insects still very active so there should be plenty of food to allow this bird to feed up and improve it's condition for the onwards journey.

Throughout this week two Water Rail continue to call in Millcombe and a Grey Heron is seen daily moving between waterbodies. A Golden Plover was heard around the airfield on the 29th-30th. On the 29th a single Ringed Plover was on the ground at the north end, along with a Dunlin. Another Ringed Plover was heard flying over Millcombe on both the 29th and 30th. 

Three Cormorants were seen out to sea on the 28th, and another three flew south over the airfield on the 29th - could these be the same individuals? Interestingly earlier in the month 12 Cormorants were seen flying south off of Rat Island, whilst four days later another 12 were picked up. It's difficult to know if these are again repeat sightings of this fairly scarce Lundy visitor, or just coincidences! A seawatch on the still morning of the 2nd produced quality if not quantity, with two Arctic Skua heading north as well as Great Northern Diver.

Three Cormorant heading south, seen from the Airfield. © Angus Croudace 

A high count of 40 Rock Pipit was recorded on the 28th, with a few around the village but most picked up on the west coast on the plateau above Brazen Ward. This could be a mixture of migrant birds dropping onto the plateau, or perhaps a more local movement of our local breeders seeking more shelter for the winter. We had high counts of 566 Meadow Pipit and 39 Skylark on the 29th in this period. An evening dazzling on the 29th caught 11 Skylark, along with one of the 21 Wheatear recorded on the same date.

Four buntings have been added to the Lundy year list in just over a week, with an Ortolan Bunting picked up on census near the Stonecrusher on 30th. Much alike the Little and Yellow-breasted Buntings from earlier in the week, despite concerted efforts it was not refound later in the day. Reed Bunting singles were recorded both in Millcombe and at Pondsbury on the 2nd.

Reed Bunting, Pondsbury © Angus Croudace

The 29th saw another push of hirundines including 594 Swallow and 132 House Martin. Among them Chris Baillie picked up a juvenile American Cliff Swallow, a vagrant visitor that, if accepted, will be the first record of this species for Lundy. This record is part of a major influx to the Western Palaearctic this autumn after they were initially displaced by strong winds on the North American continent in late August.

We've had another two waves of Blackcaps this week after just seven being left on the 28th; 78 on the 30th and 100 on the 2nd. A second young Barred Warbler of the autumn was seen around the top of Millcombe on the 29th. Luke also managed to catch and ring our long-staying Whinchat, which never strays far from Barton's Fields. On the 2nd two Common Crossbills were observed coming into Millcombe and feeding in the pines for ten minutes before departing as quickly as they arrived.

Common Crossbill, Millcombe Pines © Angus Croudace 

First winter female Whinchat © Nicola Dunkin 

The first Lesser Whitethroat of Autumn was picked up in the willows on the Terrace on the 28th and refound at Quarter Wall on the 29th. A Sedge Warbler was present at Pondsbury on the 28th and a Reed Warbler on the 2nd. A couple of Spotted Flycatchers have been hanging on in Millcombe, with a high count of three on the 29th. Two Tree Pipit were seen on the 29th, one on the ground in SW field, and the other calling around Millcombe. On the 30th six Siskin were bombing around Millcombe first thing, with another two singles picked up later in the day. Another single Song Thrush was seen in Millcombe on the 29th and a Firecrest was in Smelly Gully on the 1st, the first since the 22nd.

Lesser Whitethroat, Quarter Wall © Joe Parker 

Wheatear, Stonecrusher © Joe Parker 

Strong winds have prohibited any ringing this week. Despite the large westerly weather systems of late, Luke managed to uncover a Yellow-breasted Bunting between the pigsty and airfield associating with Meadow Pipits. This is a bird from the far east, Siberia, and is the third record for Lundy after two in the 1980s. The large gap in records followed the species' catastrophic collapse in range and population when massive over-harvesting reduced the amount of suitable habitat in their Chinese staging/wintering grounds. As a particularly exciting record, a small twitch assembled on the 26th, but unfortunately it hasn't reappeared for anyone other than Luke, the original finder.

Mega record of a first winter Yellow-breasted Bunting with a Meadow Pipit. © Luke Marriner

At least one Red-eyed Vireo has remained in Millcombe, along with one ringed Wryneck, both seen on the 26th. The Rose-coloured Starling appears to have left us now, with no sightings in the week since the 20th.

Ringed Red-eyed Vireo in Smelly Gully. © Angus Croudace

Skylark started moving through in nice numbers at the end of last week with a peak of 56 on the 22nd. We are still recording about 20 birds south of Quarter Wall each day this week, although these are mostly birds that are sticking around the airfield and SW field - they haven't moved on yet, possibly remaining local until favourable weather presents itself again for them to move on. Meadow Pipit counts have been a couple of hundred each day with large flocks around the airfield.

 

The small hirundine trickle continues, and we are still surprised not to have had a big day of passage yet, especially seeing as not too far away on the mainland there have been some large movements recorded. The 26th saw our highest totals since the 22nd, with 120 Swallow, 7 Sand Martin and 11 House Martin.

 

Millcombe has been much quieter since the Blackcap fall last week, with 15 Blackcaps left on the 24th and just two on the 27th. One Chiffchaff has remained in the lower garden, and counts of Goldcrest south of Quarter wall have been around a dozen each day. One Ring Ouzel was picked up on the 24th and 25th. A Spotted Flycatcher has been present since the 25th, with another on the terrace on the 26th. About twelve Crossbills were reported flying low over Millcombe on the 26th. Above Millcombe a Whinchat and Yellow Wagtail remain in Barton's Field, and one Grey Wagtail also flew overhead on the 26th.

 

Spotted Flycatcher, Millcombe © Angus Croudace