by Greg Lee
Census was the port of call this morning and with a strong south-westerly wind blowing in from the island, it was going to be a wild one! As I looked off towards the mainland coast, I saw multiple showers passing through the Bristol Channel over the sea. I have to admit it is a spectacle I always enjoy seeing, being raised as a landlubber in inland Gloucestershire. Millcombe was no place for refuge either with the wind barrelling up area and shaking the various trees and bushes. Despite this though, a flock of Goldfinches seemed to be having a great time, noisily chattering to each other and flitting from tree to tree. Down in Smelly Gully, a few Chiffchaffs were loitering and roleplaying as Dippers and Grey Wagtails by feeding in the stream, so clearly some birds had made the journey overnight. Two days ago, I had the great surprise and pleasure of stumbling across a Hawfinch in Millcombe, though the bird proved to be frustratingly (and typically) elusive, only briefly showing itself and calling before vanishing into the trees. Both times I had seen it, it was near the Casbah, so as I approached the general area, my pace slowed and I looked into the tops of the trees. Lots of Goldfinches, a Chaffinch and even a few Linnets but nothing else. Approaching Benjamin’s Chair, the wind was buffeting my face, but I was able to first see the male Kestrel hovering near the Rocket Pole but also Razorbills collecting on the cliffs and beginning to assemble, clearly the foaming and choppy seas weren’t very appealing to these hardy birds. Up near Old Light, the Herring Gulls and a few Lesser Black-backed Gulls were gathering in large flocks in the sheep fields, not something they had been doing too much as of late, but they too were obviously looking for some respite.
Rain squalls offshore
Though I admitted I liked appreciating showers from a distance, I’m not such a fan of getting closer to them and the last part of my walk was facing the incoming rain whilst trying to see if anything was around. It was here that I also discovered my key had slipped out of my pocket somewhere on the route. Luckily, I kept to the paths so hopefully it will be found at some point. Although this weather is not so great for watching birds, it proved to be very helpful last night when a team of us visited the Manx Shearwater colonies. In the dark and mist, a good number were attracted to island, and we processed 39 birds in total, the highlight being a bird wearing a ring from the Channel Islands! Details of this bird will hopefully be obtained soon but this was a very exciting discovery for Lundy.
Night working!
Data-entry and looking through some sound recordings I took of the Manx Shearwaters last night were additional duties during the day as well as sorting out my laundry, a very important job!
Other notable sightings during the day included the lingering Greenfinch in Millcombe and two reeling Grasshopper Warblers early dawn.