By Thomas Weston
Sunfish at North End by Thomas Weston
Foggy yesterday, but we found a Sunfish at North End. Yay! The only pic I can contribute to the blog today!
The fog was strong again today and lingered over the top of the island. The ringers down in Millcombe were having a quieter session before heading home, and I passed by on census. Census was a good one, migration notched up a little today and was a day of thrushes. Reports of Redwing and Song Thrush totalling less than 10 were seen by the guests, with 0 of the former and 3 of the latter noted on census today. However, 23 Robins, 24 Stonechats, and 11 Blackbirds were high counts for the census area. Being noted in and out of the misty fog that lay on the top of the island for most of the morning. In Millcombe, numbers of Swallows were okay, but low. No obvious migration of this species was seen today, so we presume the 34 birds noted were sort of stuck on the island and could not see the mainland to depart. As per the singular House Martin, we presume this bird was stuck too, as it was seen flying up and down the east coast. Not ideal. There were signs of movement, with 7 Goldcrest, and 72 Meadow Pipits noted. In the trees above the Casbah a Yellow Browed Warbler was heard calling deep in the Sycamores. In the bushes below 19 Dunnocks (high count), 7 Chaffinches (still really low), 10 Blackcaps, 8 Chiffhcaffs, and 5 Siskin made up the rest of the small but decent arrival. Residents were in good numbers with 10 Wrens, 4 Ravens, 3 Water Rails, 11 Carrion Crows, 2 Peregrines, 3 Rock Pipits, a single Great Black-Backed Gull, 3 Oystercatchers,11 Shags were all within the Millcombe area seen from various vantage points. Finches along the route really have not taken to migration, or not quite to Lundy yet. The Skiskin were nice, but seeing 6 Goldfinches and 15 Linnets was very low for the time of year. In the Village, after navigtaing through the fog, 8 Mallards, a male Kestrel, and 84 Starlings were the best of the rest.
An afternoon in the Tavern for me with not much to report from my side, but the visiting ringers has a probable Little Bunting, another Yellow Browed Warbler was seen, the Snow Bunting was still in residence, and 2 Lapland Bunting appeared as the cloud cleared. The Common Redstart from a few days ago, relocated to the Beach Road where it found a rock now aptly called Redstart Rock. In Millcombe, a Spotted Flycatcher and Firecrest were nice late migrants, and a Golden Plover and Snipe were the only waders seen today.