Bird Sightings
April 8th Sightings - Pied Flycatcher!
A slight ease in the wind and a change to South Easterlies resulted in a bit of movement first thing this morning. The standout highlight was a stunning male Pied Flycatcher who was the first of the year!
Pied Flycatcher male in Millcombe. ©Thomas Weston
Counts from this morning's census included 4 Woodpigeons, 2 Oystercatchers, single summer plumaged Black-headed Gull, 2 Lesser Black-Backed Gulls, 59 Herring Gulls, 2 Guillemot, 3 Razorbill, 5 Shag, single flyover Cormorant, 15 Carrion Crows, 5 Raven, 4 Skylarks, 6 Swallows, single House Martin, 3 Blackcap, 2 Willow Warblers 17 Chiffchaff, 5 Goldcrest, 7 Wrens, 22 Starlings, single Blackbird (there are certainly more out there), single Redwing, 3 Robins, Wheatear, single Song Thrush, 3 Dunnocks, 12 House Sparrows, single Pied Wagtail, 15 Meadow Pipits, 3 Chaffinches, 13 Linnet and 9 Goldfinches.
Other sightings from around the island included a nice passage of Siskin on the West Coast whilst watching the Puffins, Guillemots and Razorbills. A trip to Pondsbury resulted in 4 Eurasian Teal but still no sign of the American Green-winged Teal so we think that may have departed and moved North for the Spring. A flock of 6 Golden Plover were seen in Brick Field, the highest count of the year. The Landing Bay was a good location with evening with Great Northern Diver and 12 Shag on the water as well as a passage of Manx Shearwaters, Gannets and Kittiwakes heading out of the Bristol Channel and a Collared Dove was in Millcombe this evening.
Ringing
Single Blackcap whilst completing some post-storm net maintenance.
April 7th Sightings - Storm Kathleen Day 2
Another breezy day as a result of Storm Kathleen. A seabird station resulted in 107 Kittiwakes, only 9 Puffins, 2 Razorbills, passing flocks of Gannet and passing flocks of Manx Shearwaters later. Our Wheatears are now on territory, with colour ringed individuals returning from their wintering grounds so if you do see any colour ringed birds, please let us know as all resightings help towards the Lundy Wheatear RAS (Recapturing Adult for Survival).
Counts from this morning included 5 Mallard, 2 Woodpigeons, 4 Oystercatchers, a new flock of 3 Golden Plovers, a new flock of 3 summer plumaged Black-headed Gulls, 14 Great Black-Backed Gulls, 24 Lesser Black-Backed Gulls, 308 Herring Gulls, Razorbill, 3 Gannet, 7 Shag, single Kestrel, 36 Carrion Crows, 4 Raven, only one hardy Skylarks singing, 4 Swallows, single Willow Warbler, 4 Chiffchaff, single Goldcrest, 8 Wrens, 33 Starlings, 4 Blackbirds, 2 Redwing, 6 Robins, single Song Thrush, 3 Dunnocks, 21 House Sparrows, single Pied Wagtail, 11 Meadow Pipits, 4 Linnet and a single Goldfinches.
Passing Gannets through Landing Bay. ©Lucy Pécasse
Oystercatcher in the Landing Bay. ©Lucy Pécasse
A trip down to the Landing Bay resulted in a small flock of Gannets and Oystercatchers.
Ringing
A short night catching session resulted in lower than previous numbers of Snipe, Meadow Pipits, and Skylark seen with one of each caught and ringed.
April 6th Sightings - Storm Kathleen
Storm Kathleen maybe brings 50 – 65mph wind gusts to the island but we continue the census and daily tasks.
Counts from this morning included 2 Mallard, 6 Woodpigeons, 11 Great Black-Backed Gulls, 11 Lesser Black-Backed Gulls, 2 Fulmar, 3 Gannet, Shag, Peregrine, 20 Carrion Crows, 6 Raven, 4 Skylarks, 3 Swallows, 2 Willow Warblers, single Goldcrest, 13 Wrens, 33 Starlings, 2 Blackbirds, 3 Redwing, single Song Thrush, 4 Dunnocks, 28 House Sparrows, 4 Pied Wagtails, 4 Meadow Pipits, 4 Chaffinches, Linnet and 2 Goldfinches.
Ringing
One of the Manx Shearwater caught and ringed at the study colony. ©Oli Henman
We retuned to the Manx Shearwater colony for the second night in a row and caught an additional 12 new and 18 retrap individuals. Highlights from this evening included a bird originally ringed as a chick in 2009 and not seen since alongside a bird that was ringed as a chick in 2010 and subsequently encountered in April 2023. Incredible birds and great to know Lundy born birds are returning to Lundy to breed.
April 5th Sightings - Census Counts and Manxies
The winds changed to a southernly direction over night, but the strength was a little high for migrant passerines to be moving in the night. However, it seems our Golden Plovers have departed with a nice tail wind.
The wind affected census today with most passerines sticking low. However, 4 Mallards including the pair on Rocket Pole Pond; 9 Woodpigeons all above Smelly Gully; 4 Oystercatcher, 2 Gannets and 5 Shag in the Landing Bay; mixed gull flocks in Tillage and the Airfield resulted in 79 Herring Gulls, 25 Lesser Black-backed gulls and 11 Great Black-backed Gulls; a pair of Kestrel were around ¼ wall; a female Merlin was hunting the Water tanks; a Peregrine flew past near Castles; 32 Carrion Crows were in the fields around the Village; 6 Ravens were in the Village; only 3 Skylarks and 5 Meadow Pipits were spotted; 4 Goldcrest were feeding low by the Gas Store; 8 Wrens, 9 Robins and 3 Dunnocks half-heartedly sang; 34 Starlings and 2 Pied Wagtails were feeding with the sheep, 4 Blackbirds seemed very low today but if they were anything like the 4 Redwing who were at the bottom of the Blackthorn bushes then everything was a bit more hidden than normal. The singing Song Thrush continued in Millcombe whilst finches in the area included 4 Chaffinches, 4 Linnet and a Goldfinch.
Ringing
A last-minute decision resulted in a nocturnal session at one of the Manx Shearwater colonies with the team. In total 30 new and 22 retrap birds were captured including 2 chicks originally ringed in 2012, 2 chicks originally ringed in 2013, 2 adults ringed in 2014 and various records from every subsequent year.