By Emma Abel
Today's census was a good showcase of what autumn is about to bring us. Greg headed out on yet another clear sunny day, and was treated to the first few Willow Warblers to stop by Lundy on their passage returning south, with 13 birds seen hopping around the foliage of Milcombe feeding themselves up. These birds are looking especially lovely at this time of year, fresh and lemon yellow.
Willow Warbler by Greg Lee
A fresh lemon yellow Willow Warbler by Greg Lee
Willow Warblers were not the only migrant on its way past. A Sedge Warbler was seen near Brambles followed by another flushed out of the bracken near Pointless Wall. Excitingly two Grasshopper Warblers also were hiding among the bracken. A third Grasshopper Warbler joined a Willow Warbler in the garden of Stoneycroft, taking cover in the only tree in the local area and sitting still for long enough for a speedy picture.
Elusive Grasshopper Warbler at Stoneycroft by Greg Lee
Higher in the sky were more migrants passing by Lundy for a service station snack on their long journeys. Two Swifts and a Sand Martin were wheeling over Tillage Field in the acrobatic display of collecting their dinner.
Our resident birds were also out and about making the most of the continuing clear weather. Three Kestrels were out hunting across the island and four Peregrine Falcons were seen, including juveniles, pestering some Ravens.
I had a Puffin filled day, starting with productivity monitoring at Jenny's Cove, where quite a few pairs seem to have stopped coming back with Sandeels. As it has been over 40 days since the first adults were seen bringing fish back to feed their chicks, we can assume that some of these earlier breeders have successfully fledged and headed out to sea with their young. Despite the quietening cliffs, with just over 1000 Guillemots and only 15 Razorbills seen, the remaining Puffins are still busy ferrying Sandeels back and forth to fatten up their chicks before their big jump down into the sea. The non-breeding adults that have been wandering around the cliffs, popping in and out of burrows and prospecting for next year, have stopped visiting the cliffs at Jenny's and are choosing to raft out on the water. As I headed to the Battery this afternoon to set up for Seabird Station, I wondered if there would be much to show people. However, I was pleasantly surprised to find 346 Puffins rafting on the water, bobbing around and showing well in the scope. The views improved as the afternoon wore on, with many birds flying up, circling close by and landing along the cliff, putting on a good show for those who braved the Battery steps hoping for a glimpse of these beloved birds despite the prospect of a sweaty ascent.
Puffins spied through a scope by Emma Abel