Bird Sightings

A very breezy day with strong easterly winds bracing the island resulting in a total slowing down of migration.

Channel Wagtail in Barton's Field. ©ThomasWeston

Census was undertaken this morning and resulted in 18 Mallard in Barton’s Field; single Feral Pigeon in the Village; single Woodpigeon in Millcombe; 4 Great Black-backed Gulls, 3 Herring Gulls, single Fulmar, single Gannet and a single Shag in the Landing Bay; a Grey heron who came low across the island from the North and gained height in the easterly before heading out East towards Devon; single Peregrine around the South (a second near the North); 17 Carrion Crows, 5 Ravens and single Skylark on the Airfield; single Sand Martin and 2 Swallows south although there were a few more of both species seen this afternoon; single Blackcap, Willow Warbler, 4 Goldcrests and Spotted Flycatcher in Millcombe; 3 Wrens heard; 110 Starlings in the Village and surroundings; 3 Blackbirds and single Robin in Millcombe; 4 Wheatears, 3 Stonechats, 2 flavissma Yellow wagtail, single Flava x Flavissma Yellow Wagtail, 5 Pied Wagtails all in the Fields; a single Dunnock; 39 House Sparrows in the Village; 2 Tree Pipits over to the South; 30 Meadow Pipits with 2 Rock Pipits mixed in; 2 Chaffinches in Millcombe; as well as mixed flocks of 120 Linnets, with 16 Goldfinches mixed in.

A Redshank was seen over Castles and a very breezy afternoon visit to the Fulmar colony resulted in half of the chicks have now fledged, with another few looking like they will go at any point soon.

Ringing

In Millcombe it was too breezy to open the nets, however, a good catch of Manx Shearwaters was achieved through the night post-midnight and a nightcatching session dazzling resulted in Golden Plover (our 5^th this year), a Wheatear and Skylark. In tandem, at another site, a mist netting/manxie evening resulted in a good catch of Storm Petrel and Manx Shearwaters. And there was even a Storm Petrel chick ringed today!!  

Melodious Warbler in Millcombe. ©Angus Croudace

A drop in the wind and a slight NE wind resulted in this being the best day of the autumn for variety of species on the island. There were some standout highlights:

• A Wryneck around the Quarry/Quarry Beach area
• A Melodious Warbler in Millcombe.
• A Green Sandpiper spent a while circling the island and seen at several sites throughout the morning.
• A Redshank, Ringed Plover, Whimbrel and Curlew flew over the Village
• 13 Cormorants south
• A late Swift with the largest hirundine push of the Autumn.
• A Great-white egret flew distantly south past the East Coast.
• A fall of Wheatears on the Plateau including some of the ‘greenland’ subspecies.

Census was undertaken this morning and resulted in 14 Mallard, 4 Woodpigeons, single Oystercatcher, the Ringed Plover, Green Sandpiper and Redshank, 2 Great Black-backed Gulls, 2 Shag, single Kestrel, 5 Carrion Crows, 6 Ravens, 6 Skylark, 79 Sand Martins, 94 Swallows,  5 Blackcaps, 5 Whitethroats, single Reed Warbler, 39 Willow Warblers, 2 Chiffchaffs, 6 Goldcrests, 12 Wrens, 78 Starlings, 4 Blackbirds, 4 Spotted Flycatchers, 7 Robins, 12 Wheatears, 2 Whinchat, 12 Stonechats, 3 Dunnock, 31 House Sparrows, single flavissma Yellow wagtail, single Flava x Flavissma Yellow Wagtail, single Grey Wagtail,  6 Pied Wagtails, 3 Tree Pipits, 36 Meadow Pipits, 3 Chaffinches, 89 Linnets, and 47 Goldfinches.  

Pied Flycatcher in Millcombe. ©Thomas Weston

A quiet walk around Pondsbury resulted in a single Blackcap, 3 Mallards, and 4 Willow Warblers. Quarries to Millcombe along the East Path resulted in 11 Spotted Flycatchers, 2 Pied Flycatchers, 6 Blackcaps, a few Willow Warblers and the odd Wheatear and Stonechat.

Pied Wagtail in Millcombe. ©Thomas Weston

After yesterday’s fall of scarcities from the south, it was very much back to Lundy reality today as the wins swung SW – the worst kind of wind in the autumn for autumn migration to really get going. However, census was productive this morning and productive with 13 Mallard, single Feral Pigeon, 5 Woodpigeons, 2 Oystercatchers, 4 Great Black-backed Gulls, 4 Herring Gulls, 6 Shag, 2 Peregrines, 9 Carrion Crows, 7 Ravens, single Skylark, 4 Swallows,  5 Blackcaps, single Sedge Warbler, 4 Willow Warblers, 3 Chiffchaffs, 7 Goldcrests, 9 Wrens, 94 Starlings, 4 Blackbirds, 7 Robins, 4 Wheatears, 6 Stonechats, 4 Dunnock, 27 House Sparrows, single Flava x Flavissma Yellow Wagtail, 7 Pied Wagtails, 25 Meadow Pipits, 4 Chaffinches, 88 Linnets, and 26 Goldfinches.  

Other highlights from today included 2 Pied Flycatchers, single Spotted Flycatcher and a Whimbrel on the Terraces. There was a sign of things to come with a passage of 91 Sand Martins, 9 Swallows, a Tree Pipit, single Grey Wagtail in off the sea and North up Millcombe, and a low mix of warbler species.

Ringing

53 new and several retrap Manx Shearwater chicks were processed on the productivity colony this evening. There was much less activity then recent days with few adults flying around the colony this evening before and after midnight.

Melodious Warbler just south of Gannets Coombe.© Angus Croudace

Ringing

 Small catch in Millcombe, included a juv Pied Flycatcher. Nocturnal ringing resulted in 3 Storm Petrels and 30 Manx Shearwater chicks fledging from their burrows for the first time.