My day started with a nice stroll through Millcombe and along the Upper East Path to Quarter Wall Cottages, on our weekly butterfly transect. I was excited to see a very chatty pair of Stonechats- surely evidence of breeding nearby! However, the butterflies must have been feeling shy, as I only had 1 Green-veined White during the survey. Luckily, our diligent visitors were also out recording their own wildlife encounters, and added an additional 29 Painted Ladies and 3 Red Admirals to the count for the day.
It’s been another busy day offshore, with large feeding flocks of seabirds seen around the island, including 19 Gannets, and over 200 Kittiwakes. It’s always worth keeping an eye out for cetaceans when you see a seabird feeding frenzy, as they can often be associated with bait balls that dolphins and whales also like to take advantage of. On the cliffs, Emma, our seabird volunteer, checked on the progress of the Guillemot colony at Aztec Bay today, recording several new eggs, as well as reporting that the Kittiwakes are making good progress with their nest-building.
I joined Emma for more seabird work in the afternoon, and we spotted another 500+ auks rafting on the choppy water at North Light, as well as seeing a Whimbrel hanging out near the lighthouse. Our walk back to the village featured several low-flying Swallows and House Martins feeding over the plateau, and despite the northerlies it seems to have been another busy passage day for Hirundines migrating through.
Channel Wagtail male in the Campsite by Thomas Weston Our now resident Channel Wagtail male was showing well in the Campsite, having attracted a female we hope that they find a nice spot and settle down.
Census highlights from Greg included two Reed Warblers, three Spotted Flycatchers, and two Blackcaps in Millcombe. We love hearing all your sightings, and enjoyed a busy log this evening at the tavern, with lots of visitors bringing along their day lists.