By Thomas Weston
The day started with me getting ready for census. A thick band of nice cloud and cold NE wind braced the island which was refreshing to say the least. Pairs of Swallows flew overhead with up to 10 seen in total. Walking towards Millcombe there were a lot of calls and activity amongst the bushes. A pair of Woodpigeons were in the trees, and a mix of warblers were seen with 7 Willows, 1 Chiffchaff, and a Blackcap noted. I saw our breeding pair of Spotted Flycatchers with their juvenile, and throughout the Valley, 2 Chaffinches, 3 Blackbirds, a Dunnock, and Wrens were noted. A couple of Oystercatchers, 4 Shags, and a flyby Common Sandpiper were in the Landing Bay and on the way out of St Johns Valley, 3 Mallards were seen distantly in Bartons Field. Off Benjamin’s Chair, 4 Kittiwakes and 7 Gannets were seen in a feeding frenzy. Gulls were in mixed flocks but consisted of 4 Great Black-Backed Gulls, 11 Herring Gulls, and a Lesser Black Backed Gull was spotted. Throughout the Plateau, 5 Stonechats, 4 Wheatears, 3 Pied Wagtails, 44 Meadow Pipits, 78 Linnets, and 29 Goldfinches were noted.
I was then joined by Lucile where we were trying to catch House Sparrows and Starlings with mixed success resulting in a lot of great Starling data. After completing some admin in between trap checks, we later checked the Channel Wagtail pair’s second brood nest and found both chicks unfortunately dead in the nest. It would be highly likely the chicks were never going to make it due to genetics and the fact they invested so much in their first brood. There is always next year!
The afternoon involved more ringing related admin, helping set a net near the Chicken Coop and heading out in the night to catch Wheatears before heading to the slopes to catch Manx Shearwaters. Both species are high quality ringing on the island, the former helping towards the Wheatear colour ringing RAS and the latter helping towards our 50yrs of understanding this colony on the west. Fun, fun, fun, some brief dull aurora, the Milkey way and a few meteorites seen too.