Over the last four days we have successfully retrieved the last of the 10 GPS tags from our breeding Manx Shearwater! The data are currently being processed by the OxNav team, but we do have exciting preliminary results from some of the birds' tracks to share. This map shows the incredibly long foraging journies some of the breeding shearwaters on Lundy are taking...
Preliminary Manx Shearwater tracks, Lundy 2025.
We are continuing to monitor our Storm Petrel nest box colony, and more breeding evidence is being found with each check, including one nest which is developing nicely and several boxes with feathers and nest scrapes. Propsecting birds have definitely been about!
With the help of Lucy Pécasse, who was the Assisstant Seabird Warden Volunteer here on Lundy last season, we have now ringed 87 Shag (including four adults) on the Island, a record number for this species ringed on Lundy for over 60 years! Small numbers of Herring Gull and Great Black-backed Gull chicks have also been ringed on colonies around the Island recently, and we are beginning some colour ringing on chicks which are large enough.
A nice passage of Swift has been noticed on and off over this last week. 67 birds were seen moving north off the North End on the 25th. A Swallow nest was found by Nik Ward just before he left the Island, situated in the eaves of a shed at the end of Government House. The nest contained 5 healthy chicks, which we have now ringed! The adult pair are seen frequently foraging about Millcombe and the fields of the southern end of the Island. Other nest news: our nest monitoring of the breeding pair of Channel Wagtail in Aerogenerator field continues, and on our last check three of the four eggs had hatched! Things are looking good for this attempt so far.
A cosy nest of of Swallow chicks. F Turner, June 26
Three out of four Channel Wagtail chicks have hatched! F Turner, June 26
A butterfly survey on the 26th, encompassing the Upper Eastside Coastpath and Milcombe Valley produced a good species list: Large White, Small White, Red Admiral, Small Tortoiseshell, Peacock, Meadow Brown, Ringlet, Small Heath. 5- and 6-Spot Burnet moths were also seen about the Island on this day, as was a single Gatekeeper butterfly.