Bird Sightings

Over the last five days we have had some exciting migration movements, the highlight being three very special species of warbler...

On the 22nd, around 14:50, Ezra Sherwell located a Melodious Warbler along Quarter Wall. The bird was rather elusive but remained in the area into the evening when it was relocated by visiting birder Andy Jayne. A Western Bonelli's Warbler was spotted on the 24th by visiting birder Dave Fairhurst in Quarter Wall Copse at 09:20 and relocated repeatedly by the Conservation Team throughout the day. Dave and Andy detected the call, confirming the bird to be the Western species. A second Western Bonelli's Warbler was located later in the day in Millcombe, and since then a single bird has been seen mutiple times in this area. About 20:45 on the 25th, Ezra discovered an Icterine Warbler in Millcombe Allotments.

Western Bonelli's Warbler. J.Parker, August 24

Other warbler passage continues to pulse through the Island. A small influx of 84 Willow Warbler was recorded on the 21st, including 42 birds ringed in Millcombe. A single Reed Warbler was in Millcombe on 23rd, one was ringed on 24th, and one retrapped on 25th; these are the first records since one was ringed July 17. Grasshopper Warbler was noted reeling above Quarry Beach on 21st, and another skulking about Stoneycroft on 23rd. One Garden Warbler was ringed in Millcombe on 22nd, and one seen in Millcombe on 23rd. We are having daily records of Whitethroat, and on the 22nd 11 were recorded about the Island, including one ringed in Millcombe. A Lesser Whitethroat was ringed in Millcombe on the 23rd!

Frequently joining the warblers in feeding flocks throughout Millcombe and the East Coast copses, crests have been noted repeatedly. Firecrest: two on the 21st, three on the 22nd, two on the 24th and three on the 25th. Goldcrest: one on the 23rd, two on the 24th, eight on the 25th. We also continue to have daily flycatcher sightings with the highest Spotted Flycatcher count over the last five days of 17 on the 24th, and 9 Pied Flycatcher on the 25th.

Wader movements continue to bring super records every day as birds pass by Lundy en route to their wintering grounds. On the 21st, three Snipe were seen at Pondsbury, a Common Sandpiper and a Turnstone called from the North End, and a Curlew was heard calling along the East Coast, flying north along with a Ringed Plover, the latter bird eventually seen pattering about the North End Turning Circle in the afternoon. Another two Ringed Plover, a single Curlew and a Dunlin were heard passing below Smelly Gully on the 22nd, a Snipe flew up over Millcombe Valley, and a Whimbrel headed south, calling past Halfway Wall. On the 23rd, a Lapwing called briefly over Brick Field, two Snipe were at Pondsbury and a Dunlin called below the Battlements. A single Curlew flew south past Benjamin's chair on the 24th.

On the MS Oldenburg crossing to Lundy on the 23rd, 90 Guillemot and three Razorbill were seen on the water. In other seabird news, in our monitored Storm Petrel nest boxes, the first egg has hatched! Only nine chicks remain in our monitored Manx Shearwater boxes as the oldest chick has now fledged - good luck little guy!

Four Cormorant were recorded in Jenny's Cove on the 21st. Another nice record for the 21st was a Water Rail, calling near Quarter Wall. A bird was flushed from this same location on the 23rd, these two records being the first confirmed for this species since 14th April! Frequent sightings of Wryneck continue, with a single bird in Millcombe on the 21st, one on the Terrace on the 23rd, and two in Millcombe on the 25th. The same pale morph Buzzard was seen thermalling above St Helen's Copse on the 21st, mobbed by a family of Raven, but has not been seen since. Other raptor sightings include a male Sparrowhawk, which has been noted about the Island since the 21st, and both a male and female since the 23rd.

Hirundine passage has been in dribs and drabs over the past five days. The biggest day for Sand Martin was on the 23rd, with 50 recorded, 30 Swallow on the 25th, and 13 House Martin, also on the 25th.

Other passerine passage includes a female/immature type Redstart, spotted on the Terrace on the 23rd, and singles recorded in Millcombe and on the Terrace on the 24th, two Whinchat on the 21st and 25th, and singles on the 22nd and 23rd, two Yellow Wagtail on the 22nd, and singles on the 24th and 25th, and one Grey Wagtail over Millcombe on the 22nd. Finally, we continue to have frequent flyovers of Tree Pipit: two on the 21st, seven on the 22nd, eight on the 23rd, seven on the 24th and three on the 25th.

A beautiful juvenile Wryneck was caught and ringed at the Terrace Heligoland, an all too infrequently encountered species these days, due to habitat loss. Since this, a Wryneck has been seen about the terrace daily, presumably the same bird. This seemed to be the signal for autumn migration to begin in full flow, and we have had a flurry of exciting sightings over the last few days.

Wryneck, caught in the Terrace Heligoland. F. Turner, August 19

A first for the autumn, one Firecrest was seen in Millcombe on both the 19th and 20th, and one Goldcrest in Quarter Wall Copse, also on the 20th. A male Common Redstart was found on the Terraces on the 19th and both this and a Whinchat seen on the Castle Path on the 20th were also the first for the autumn on Lundy. A final first passerine migrant since spring, three Tree Pipit passed over the Island on the 20th.

Beating the count of 22 on the 15th, 36 Spotted Flycatcher were recorded during census and along the East Coast on the 20th, along with six Pied Flycatcher. Nine Swift were seen on the 19th, and three on the 20th. Two House Martin were noted on the 19th, and a further three on the 20th along with six Sand Martin. On the 18th, two Yellow Wagtail were heard in Barton's Field; only one was seen, an unringed juvenile, so presumably these birds are migrants rather than those which bred/were hatched on Lundy this year.

A pale morph Buzzard was spotted above Millcombe before travelling north up the East Coast on the 20th. Another nice raptor sighting, a possible male Sparrowhawk was recorded on the 19th, and a confirmed sighting of a male at Rocket Pole on the 20th followed.

In terms of warblers, decent numbers were counted on census and along the East Coast on the 20th, including 63 Willow Warbler, three Grasshopper Warbler and three Whitethroat.

Five Cormorant flew past Jenny's Cove on the 20th, heading North.

A Curlew was heard over Ackland's Moor on the 18th. A single Redshank was heard and seen about Pondsbury on both the 18th and 19th, while two Greenshank flew south from Rocket Pole on the 20th. Also on the 20th, a Ringed Plover was heard passing Quarter Wall on the West Coast, two Green Sandpiper visited Pondsbury, two Turnstone were seen below Montagu's Steps, and two Snipe were also noted near Quarter Wall. Two Snipe were also present on the 19th, these at Pondsbury.

A night time mist netting session of Storm Petrel gained 6 retraps and 35 new birds on the night of the 19th, along with two Manx Shearwater. A fledgling Manx Shearwater, rather lost, was found bewildered in the Black Shed in the morning and was ringed before being returned to the slopes.

Whinchat. J. Parker, August 20

It was a big day for Willow Warbler migration on the 15th, with 102 counted on census, and 132 seen in the day as a whole. Other warbler passage to note on this day includes nine Whitethroat and three Sedge Warbler; the latter were ringed in Millcombe. The 15th was also the first bumper day of the autumn for Spotted Flycatcher, with 22 noted. One Pied Flycatcher was ringed in Millcombe and a further bird seen throughout the day.

Pied Flycatcher. J. Parker

We have had a very small push of hirundines recently, three Sand Martin passing over Hanmer's Cottage on the 14th and 15 across the Island on the 15th, and one House Martin over the Village on the 17th. 

Wader passage is beginning to increase, several species noted across the last few days. On the 14th a Whimbrel was heard faintly calling from several locations across the South End of the Island. On the 15th a Curlew called below Brick Field and a Common Sandpiper was heard in the Landing Bay in the early hours of the morning. A Ringed Plover and a Dunlin called from Tent field on the 16th, and Dunlin were recorded again on the 16th and 17th. One Snipe was found on Quarter Wall Pond on the 17th.

The highest count of August, 36 Fulmar were counted along the coastlines on the 14th. Two Cormorant flew off the East coast on this day, heading south. A juvenile Grey Heron drifted over the North End Turning Circle on the 15th.

Three Clouded Yellow butterflies were noted on the 15th, and we have had daily sightings of Hummingbird Hawk-moth in Milllcombe. A Spiny Starfish and the test of a Sea Potato were found in the Landing Bay 14th. We also have a couple new Grey Seal pups, on Lady's and White Beach. 

Sand Martin passage has suddenly burst into action, with 20 birds counted over the Village on the 10th and c.84 in several flocks along the East Coast on the 13th, in addition to two Swift heading south over Ackland's Moor. Two House Martin flew over the Tavern on the 12th. The second brood of Swallow nesting in the Government House Shed have been ringed; a total of four chicks. 

After an absence of Kestrel sightings since the 4th, a female and two juvenile males have been seen repeatedly between the 11th, 12th and 13th.

There has been a bit of wader movement over the recent days too. A juvenile Dunlin flew east over Southwest Field on the 11th and two were seen on the Main Track by Airfield on the 13th before they took off south. A probable male Curlew (based on the observation of a short bill length) was sighted flying northeast along the coast on the 12th. Finally, a Lapwing on the 13th was seen at Halfway Wall.

A check of the Kittiwake colony in Aztec Bay on the 11th had no adults or fledged juveniles returning to the cliffs, but a raft of 78 birds was seen (and heard) a little way out. Survey of the Fulmar colony on Gannets Rock showed there still to be 13 chicks present, however some are almost fully grown and it won't be long until they follow those chicks which have already fledged.

Fulmar chick on Gannet's Rock. F. Turner, August 11

Uncommon birds for Lundy over the last few days include three juvenile Black-headed Gull flying east past North Light, and a juvenile and adult Cormorant flying over Rat Island before tracking south, both on the 13th.

Although beyond the reach of the Lundy survey area, here are some notable birds were spotted from the MS Oldenburg crossing on the 13th: one Sandwich Tern, 120 Guillemot, one Razorbill, one Puffin and c.700 Manx Shearwater!

Thanks to great coverage of the East Coast on the 13th, we were able to record a total of 8 Spotted Flycatcher throughout the day, the highest count since May! Three Pied Flycatcher were also seen on this day, and one was ringed in Millcombe on the 10th. The 13th was also a bit of a crazy day for Linnet and Meadow Pipit, with 244 of the former and 159 of the latter counted. The still, warm and humid weather perhaps created a surge of insects on the wing and so these birds were out and about making the most of the abundant food source. We also had a high Willow Warbler count of 31 and Wheatear of 44 on this day, both species frequently noted flycatching. A flurry of migrating warblers were ringed in Millcombe on the 10th, including two Sedge Warbler, two Grasshopper Warbler and two Whitethroat.

Two Clouded Yellow butterflies were seen on the 10th. A Spiny Starfish was found at the end of the Jetty on the 12th. 172 Grey Seals counted along the East Coast during a seal survey, and a second pup was found at Lady's Beach, increasing our total to three!