Bird Sightings

1st migrant Willow Warbler at Stoney. ©Thomas Weston

The day started quite warm with a slight southernly breeze. Census counts from today included 5 Woodpigeon,10 Wrens, 3 Dunnocks, single Blackbird, in a very quiet Millcombe. The Landing Bay was no busier with a few of the 6 Oystercatchers, a single Kittiwake, 6 Great-Black Backed Gulls, 3 Lesser-Black Backed Gull, 32 Herring Gulls, 4 auk spp., single Gannet and 6 Shags. Once full of auks of three different species, Benjamin’s Chair is a quiet site with 2 Wheatears, single Stonechat, a small flock of 4/16 Meadow Pipits and a single Rock Pipit. The fields were a bit busier with a nice finch flock consisting of 89 Linnets and 6 Goldfinches seen. Old Light was the host to the first dispersing migrants of the ‘post breeding season’ with the first 3 Chiffchaff seen in Stoney Croft Paddock. Including the two seen in Millcombe, this is a really nice count for this species. Moving on, 5 Carrion Crows, 4 Ravens, 3 Skylark and 36 Starlings were spotted in the fields up to Quarter Wall. The Old Quarry Cottages resulted in nice views of 2 Kestrels including a juvenile and an adult. The return leg to the Village resulted in 4 Pied Wagtails with birds in the Village including a single Swallow and 16 House Sparrows.  

An afternoon of productivity surveys resulted in the Kittiwakes continuing to do pretty well and the very last Puffins heading from their burrows with a flock of a couple of hundred out on the water. Fulmar continue to do well, with 7 chicks recorded in the productivity colony. Our Herring Gull colony are seemingly doing really well with the first juveniles fledged and flying around but still quite a few small ones practicing flapping and developing well.  

Ringing

An evening of ringing in Millcombe with the hope of catching some migrants resulted in the first juvenile Willow Warbler of the ‘post breeding season’ and a nice mix of juveniles of Linnet, Robin and Goldfinch.

Blue-headed Wagtail Flava Bartons Field. Thomas Weston

Census counts from today with including 6 Mallards, a single Feral Pigeon, single Woodpigeon, 2 Collared Doves, single Oystercatchers, single Kittiwake, 26 Great-Black Backed Gulls, 15 Lesser-Black Backed Gull, 24 Herring Gulls, single Guillemot, 3 Razorbills, 2 Puffins, single Gannets, 16 Shags, single Kestel, 7 Carrion Crows, 6 Ravens, single Skylark, 3 Chiffchaff, 5 Wrens, 53 Starlings, 2 Blackbird, 3 Robins, 3 Wheatears, 2 Dunnock, 40 House Sparrows, the female Blue-headed Wagtail showing well in Barton’s Field with the Horses, 2 Pied Wagtails, 29 Meadow Pipits, single Chaffinch, 90 Linnets and 21 Goldfinches were seen.

Puffins at Jenny’s Cove continue to reduce in numbers as they finish breeding. The number within the cove was roughly ~150 on the land, however this number fluctuated throughout the morning. The Guillemots and Razorbills continue to decrease here with juveniles fledging and the adults leaving as a result. The Kittiwakes and Fulmars in the cove continue to raise their chicks.

Ringing

Our artificial box checks for Manx Shearwater continue with the first four chicks of a suitable size for ringing. This was followed by a short Village ringing session whereby a few House Sparrows and Starlings were caught and ringed. It is always great to see both species moulting from their juvenile plumages into their adult type plumage that looks almost identical to their parents.

Not many sightings from all-comers today but 5 Mallards, 2 Feral Pigeons, 2 Woodpigeons, 2 Oystercatchers, 20 Herring Gulls, 2 Great-Black Backed Gulls, 10 Lesser-Black Backed Gulls, 2 Shags, 4 Carrion Crows, 4 Ravens, single Swallow, 7 Chiffchaff, 12 Starlings, 3 Blackbirds, single Robin, single Wheatear, 13 House Sparrows, female Flava Blue-headed Wagtail with one of the fully fledged Flava x Flavissma Wagtail hybrids and 5 Pied Wagtails.

Fulmar at Jenny's Cove. ©Thomas Weston

After a busy night last night, a later start to the surveys was needed. It was great to prove successful fledging of all of our Guillemots on the productivity site, with a single adult the only bird left on the nesting ledges. Our Kittiwakes are still doing well with 102 chicks still being monitored that is pretty good. The Puffins are continuing to fledge their pufflings and it will not be long before they start to leave the colony and disperse out into the Atlantic for another year. Whilst Puffin surveys were being undertaken, it is always great to see how the other remaining seabirds are getting on. It was great to spot this Fulmar and their chick in the nest above Devils Chimney. An evening spent down by the Jetty resulted in close views of a Puffling and Fulmar in the very calm conditions we are currently experiencing on the island.