Bird Sightings

Our team were very busy today with it being a boat day. However the highlights included a Manx Shearwater night catching session, our Jenny’s Cove Seabird Station and the RSPB arriving to undertake Storm Petrel surveys.

Another day of Northernly winds leading to a real reduction in the activity of the birds.

YellowWagtail Flavissima male in Bartons Field. ©ThomasWeston

On census, 6 Mallard were in Barton’s Field with the Yellow Wagtail male and Blue-headed Wagtail female. In the Village vicinity, 41 House Sparrows and 5 Pied Wagtails. Millcombe was sheltered quite a bit from the breeze and held 3 Swallows, 2 Willow Warbler, 2 Chiffchaff, single Blackcap, 8 Wrens, 2 Blackbirds, single Song Thrush, 2 Blackbirds, 2 Robins, 2 Dunnocks, 2 Whitethroats, 9 Chaffinches, 20 Linnets, 6 Goldfinches. From the Ugly, a single Oystercatcher was seen. Moving around to Benjamin’s Chair saw a single Kittiwake, 94 Guillemots, 38 Razorbills, 39 Puffins, a single Fulmar, a single Rock Pipit and 22 Manx Shearwaters. In the Fields, 3 Great-Black Backed Gulls, 97 Herring Gulls and 10 Lesser-Black Backed Gulls were spotted, as well as 6 Wheatear, 2 Stonechat, 9 Meadow Pipits, 6 Carrion Crows, 3 Ravens, 8 Skylarks.

Yellow Wagtails Flava (female) and Flavissima (male) in Bartons Field. ©ThomasWeston

The female Blue-headed Wagtail and the male Yellow Wagtail were seen again in Barton’s Field and showing very well.

On census, 3 Mallard were in Barton’s Field, a Feral Pigeon, 23 House Sparrows and 70 Starlings was in the Village, and a single Swift flew North. Millcombe was sheltered quite a bit from the breeze and held a single Woodpigeon, a flyover Sand Martin, 7 Swallows, 2 House Martins, single Willow Warbler, single Chiffchaff, 8 Wrens, 5 Blackbirds, single Song Thrush, 5 Robins, 3 Dunnocks, single Blackcap, 2 Whitethroats, 6 Chaffinches, 21 Linnets, 11 Goldfinches. From the Ugly, 4 Oystercatchers were seen. Moving around to Benjamin’s Chair saw 134 Guillemots, 41 Razorbills, a single Shag, a single Fulmar, and a single Rock Pipit. In the fields, 7 Wheatear, single Stonechat, 6 Great-Black Backed Gulls, 97 Herring Gulls and 6 Lesser-Black Backed Gulls were spotted, as well as 3 Carrion Crows, 3 Ravens, 7 Skylarks. In the Village, 4 Collared Doves, 70 Starlings, 23 House Sparrows, single Pied Wagtail, 8 Meadow Pipits.

A breezy Northernly wind braced the island again today.

A male Stonechat from the Ugly. ©ThomasWeston

On census, 5 Mallard were in Barton’s Field and a single Feral Pigeon remained in the vicinity of the Lambing Shed. Walking through Millcombe, this was by far the busiest place on the route with a single Woodpigeon, 6 Collared Doves, 4 Swallows, 4 House Martins, 2 Chiffchaff, a single Blackcap, 4 Whitethroat, 13 Wrens, 9 Blackbirds, single Song Thrush, 2 Robins, 5 Dunnocks, single Chaffinch, 35 Linnets and 6 Goldfinches.From the Ugly, a single Oystercatcher was in the Landing Bay, as were 2 Manx Shearwater, 2 Gannets, and a single Shag. Benjamin’s Chair saw a single Kittiwake, a single Rock Pipit, 54 Guillemots, 21 Razorbills, 29 Puffins. Gulls were seen at the latter two sites but were spread across the census with 15 Great-Black Backed Gulls, 165 Herring Gulls and 7 Lesser-Black Backed Gulls spotted, with the majority in the fields. Other counts from the fields included a single Peregrine, 6 Carrion Crows, 6 Ravens, 5 Pied Wagtails, 7 Skylarks, a Wheatear, 4 Stonechats (2 from the Ugly), 34 Starlings, and 16 Meadow Pipits. A Grey Heron was the best on Ackland’s Moor Pond, an unusual site for this species to be found. A flock of 20 House Sparrows were noteworthy in the Village.