Bird Sightings

A busy morning with cloud and a slight NE wind enticing migrants to arrive and then fall onto the island throughout the early morning/dawn. There was a lot to see.

Census was undertaken, but if there weren’t the time constraints of housekeeping, a lot more could have been found out there. Totals included 9 Mallard, 4 Woodpigeons, single Oystercatchers, the single Golden Plover, single Ringed Plover, 8 Lesser Black-backed Gulls, 2 Great Black-backed Gulls, 6 Herring Gull, 18 Shag, single Peregrine, 3 Carrion Crows, 2 Ravens, 4 Swallows, 6 Blackcap, 2 Whitethroats, 42 Willow Warbler, 9 Chiffchaff, 2 Goldcrests, 6 Wrens, 62 Starlings, 8 Blackbird, 6 Spotted flycatchers, single Pied Flycatcher, 4 Robin, 7 Wheatears, single Stonechat, 2 Dunnock, 36 House Sparrows, 2 Yellow Wagtail, 6 Pied Wagtails, 16 White Wagtails, 5 alba Wagtails, 3 Tree Pipits, 3 Meadow Pipits, 3 Rock Pipits, 4 Chaffinches, 49 Linnets, and 13 Goldfinches.

Other sightings:

• Firecrest and Redstart in Millcombe pines
• A flock of 4 Yellow Wagtails and 4 Tree Pipits
• A juvenile Moorhen in Smelly Gully
• A Merlin hunting the east coast.

Ringing

A big fall in Millcombe resulted in the best catch this autumn. A nice mix of warblers, a few flycatchers, and a few of the locals were caught resulting in 118 birds today. Also, a nice catch of Manx Shearwater last night and a few in the Village after being disorientated last night plus a dazzling session resulted in a few dispersing Skylark.

A foggy, wet day turned beautiful.

Spotted Flycatcher Millcombe. ©ThomasWeston

Census was undertaken today with 19 Mallard, single Feral Pigeon, 5 Woodpigeons, 2 Oystercatchers, single Golden Plover, single Ringed Plover,  single Lesser Black-backed Gulls, 3 Great Black-backed Gulls, single Herring Gull, single Shag, single Kestrel, 7 Carrion Crows, 4 Ravens, 3 Skylark, 10 Swallows, 7 Blackcap, 4 Willow Warbler, 2 Chiffchaff, 9 Goldcrests, 19 Wrens, 93 Starlings, 9 Blackbird, 3 Spotted flycatchers, 2 Pied Flycatchers, 8 Robin, 4 Wheatears, 8 Stonechats, 4 Dunnock, 36 House Sparrows, single Yellow Wagtail, single Tree Pipits, 23 Meadow Pipits, 3 Chaffinches, 36 House Sparrows, 46 Linnets, and 5 Goldfinches.

Ringing

Another good catch of Manx Shearwaters on the colony and a little ringing in Millcombe resulted in a few birds caught this afternoon.

Census was undertaken today with 19 Mallard; 4 Woodpigeon in Millcombe; a Golden Plover on SW Field; single Ringed Plover over the Airfield; 2 Snipe over the Airfield; 12 Lesser Black-backed Gulls and 4 Herring Gulls; 3 Kestrels over Millcombe; 12 Carrion Crows and 7 Ravens around the Village; 2 Skylark on the Airfield; 3 Swallows south; 2 Blackcap, 4 Willow Warbler, single Chiffchaff and 3 Goldcrests were notable migrants in Millcombe; 15 Wrens heard; 75 Starlings in the Village and surroundings; single Blackbird and 6 Robin in Millcombe; 4 Wheatears and 6 Stonechats in SW Field primarily; 3 Pied Wagtails; 2 Dunnock; 4 Tree Pipits over to the South; 13 Meadow Pipits with 5 Rock Pipits mixed in; a very poor count of 6 House Sparrows in the Village; 10 Chaffinches in Millcombe; as well as mixed flocks of 45 Linnets, with 15 Goldfinches mixed in.

Other sightings from today included a few more Snipe, a Dunlin, a Pied Flycatcher, an afternoon arrival of hirundines and 4 Swifts. The latter are probably the last of the year unless we get a few stragglers in the coming week.

Ringing

A good catch of Manx Shearwaters was achieved through the night post-midnight and pre-midnight tonight.

A very breezy day with strong easterly winds bracing the island resulting in a total slowing down of migration.

Channel Wagtail in Barton's Field. ©ThomasWeston

Census was undertaken this morning and resulted in 18 Mallard in Barton’s Field; single Feral Pigeon in the Village; single Woodpigeon in Millcombe; 4 Great Black-backed Gulls, 3 Herring Gulls, single Fulmar, single Gannet and a single Shag in the Landing Bay; a Grey heron who came low across the island from the North and gained height in the easterly before heading out East towards Devon; single Peregrine around the South (a second near the North); 17 Carrion Crows, 5 Ravens and single Skylark on the Airfield; single Sand Martin and 2 Swallows south although there were a few more of both species seen this afternoon; single Blackcap, Willow Warbler, 4 Goldcrests and Spotted Flycatcher in Millcombe; 3 Wrens heard; 110 Starlings in the Village and surroundings; 3 Blackbirds and single Robin in Millcombe; 4 Wheatears, 3 Stonechats, 2 flavissma Yellow wagtail, single Flava x Flavissma Yellow Wagtail, 5 Pied Wagtails all in the Fields; a single Dunnock; 39 House Sparrows in the Village; 2 Tree Pipits over to the South; 30 Meadow Pipits with 2 Rock Pipits mixed in; 2 Chaffinches in Millcombe; as well as mixed flocks of 120 Linnets, with 16 Goldfinches mixed in.

A Redshank was seen over Castles and a very breezy afternoon visit to the Fulmar colony resulted in half of the chicks have now fledged, with another few looking like they will go at any point soon.

Ringing

In Millcombe it was too breezy to open the nets, however, a good catch of Manx Shearwaters was achieved through the night post-midnight and a nightcatching session dazzling resulted in Golden Plover (our 5^th this year), a Wheatear and Skylark. In tandem, at another site, a mist netting/manxie evening resulted in a good catch of Storm Petrel and Manx Shearwaters. And there was even a Storm Petrel chick ringed today!!