By Greg Lee
Census this morning on what was quite a foggy and overcast start to the day. Things started pretty dramatically though when I heard the contact/flight-call of a Common Rosefinch flying over Millcombe. Fortunately, the bird was quite vocal, and I was able to pick it up in flight and see that it was a typical juvenile/1st-winter bird, which is often the case at this time of year. This species is a near-annual scarcity on Lundy with at least one record per year, though they can occur in both late spring and autumn. The sweet “pleased to meet you” song is definitely worth learning as spring birds and even young autumn birds can be singing.
The top of Millcombe initially seemed quite quiet, with a Goldcrest squeaking in the Pines and a couple of Willow Warblers. As I rounded the Ugly, I looked down into the Lower Millcombe where the visiting Stour Ringing group from Dorset had set up some nets. In the Secret Garden, there appeared to be lots of movement, so I quickly wandered over to investigate. When I reached the garden, there were a few Phylloscs flitting around the bushes and trees, mostly Willow Warblers and Chiffchaffs but then, a pale-bellied warbler briefly caught my eye before vanishing into the recesses of the mature Sycamore tree. I had an inkling what it was but needed confirmation and a proper view. After five minutes, the bird appeared again, where I was able to make out the gleaming white belly, light brown head and mantle and rather vivid green wings and tail. It was a Bonelli’s Warbler! Amazingly, this was the 3rd on the island this year and the second I had encountered on my travels around Lundy. However, although seeing it is one thing, the next part of was pinning down which Bonelli’s Warbler species it was. Both previous birds this season have been Western and it was very likely this was too, but I wanted confirmation. Rushing around the corner, I came across Alex who was sitting on the bench waiting for the time for his next net round. He was up like a shot when I told him there was a Bonelli’s Warbler flitting above his head in the Sycamore, though the bird proved to be quite pesky and elusive. It then seemingly disappearing although a Firecrest was a minor consolation. Smelly Gully was also busy too with a Pied Flycatcher and a Spotted Flycatcher sharing the venue.
Western Bonelli's Warbler by G. Lee
Since I needed to finish census, I had to be on my way, though I had managed to get some good record shots. The rest of census was quite damp but enjoyable, with the female Teal again seeking respite on Quarter Wall Pond, two Whinchats at Rocket Pole, five Ringed Plovers and a Tree Pipit calling overhead. Afterwards, I decided to also check the Terrace as it can be a productive area for migrants, and it certainly was with a few Willow Warblers in the bracken and sallows. Once down on the Terrace, I spotted some activity down in the willows to the south which I thought was worth investigating. As I walked down the path leading past the Heligoland trap, a brown bird took off from the ground on the right-hand side of the mouth of the trap and zipped down towards the catching area. I was quite amazed to see it was a Wryneck! Despite the Perspex window to the catching box being left open (as it always is when the trap isn’t in use), the bird seemed more intent on trying to escape through the Chicken Wire. Sensing an opportunity, I immediately contacted Thomas to let him know that a Wryneck was in the trap and if I had permission to set it and try and catch the bird. Luckily, I managed to get through despite my less than reliable phone signal, and Thomas granted me permission to set the trap. Fortunately, the Wryneck didn’t escape, and I was able to process it and ring it. The bird was aged as a 1st-year due to the patterning of primary-coverts, dull brown iris colour and the condition of the secondaries. A very nice addition to an already productive morning and the first time I had seen this remarkable and cryptic drift migrant up close. Luckily, I didn’t forget about the birds in the Sallows either and I was pleased to see they were two Pied Flycatchers.
Wryneck (ringed and handled under licence) by G.Lee
Wryneck wing (handled under licence) by G.Lee
Perhaps unsurprisingly, I headed back down to Millcombe after census to try and relocate the Bonelli’s Warbler. As I was walking the path leading to the Casbah, I heard a sweet, disyllabic, upturned hou-eet, slightly more drawn out than Willow Warbler, which I recognised as the contact-call of a Western Bonelli’s Warbler. With the species confirmed, I enjoyed watching the bird flit energetically high up in the canopy feeding with a mixed flock of Willow Warblers, Chiffchaffs, Spotted Flycatcher, Firecrests and Goldcrests, the white belly sticking out like a sore thumb. Even better still, other birders including Thomas and Eleanor got to see and enjoy this sprite of southern European woodlands. They also reported our first juvenile Woodpigeon of the year using the area! Up in the north, Tara came across a Purple Sandpiper at the North End, our first record of autumn for this species of rocky coastal areas.