Bird Sightings

Linnet near the Airfield. ©Thomas Weston

Census was nice and productive this morning in the sun and reasonably nice weather with a breeze from the south. Species seen included 12 Mallard, 2 juvenile Flava x Flavissma hybrid Yellow Wagtails, and 3 Herring Gulls in Barton’s Field; 4 Great Black-backed Gulls and a single Wheatear around Benjamin’s Chair; a single Lesser Black-backed Gulls in Tent Field; 22 Shag in the Landing Bay; 8 Carrion Crows, 5 Ravens, 7 Stonechats, 4 Pied Wagtails, 22 Meadow Pipits and a single Skylark in the fields; 4 Swallows over the Airfield; 2 Goldcrests in Millcombe Pines; 5 Wrens, single Blackbird, 2 Robins, 2 Dunnocks, single Chaffinch in Millcombe; 53 Starlings and 37 House Sparrows in the Village; and 53 Linnets and 10 Goldfinches along the route.

Peregrine around the Fulmar productivity site. ©ThomasWeston

The Fulmar productivity survey was successful with half of the chicks fledged and flying around the site, as well as a new chick seen who must have been hiding behind a rock for quite a while. There was also a Peregrine, 3 Rock Pipits, and a couple of Skylarks in the vicinity. However, a successful little trip and also nice to see flocks of Shag here, and at North End too including a good number of juveniles noted. North End did not have too much moving and it was only the odd Gannet and Manx Shearwater of note before the rain set in for the following few hours. From the Oldenburg, a Balearic Shearwater was seen but unfortunately this was too far out to count on the island totals.

The rain came in for a while and made everything damp until later in the afternoon when the weather dried up a little and the Manx Shearwater boxes were checked. They are doing well, and the majority are ready to leave in the coming few days.

Ringing

The high proportion of Manx Shearwaters ready to go from the boxes translated into a good ringing session whereby 43 fledging chicks were ringed on the productivity colony with about double seen. However, due to a lack of rings, these birds highly likely left that night in the rain.

Logbook sightings to be added.

Ringing

Census was completed this morning with nothing notable spotted. The team were still helping out with retrieving Storm Petrel GPS tags so a night at North End resulted in a single Storm Petrel caught and ringed and anothr ~50 birds seen within the colony. A few Manx Shearwaters were calling and flying around.

A migrant Spotted Flycatcher in Millcombe. ©Thomas Weston

Census was busy and the number of species recorded gave a very autumnal theme this morning. Millcombe was particularly busy with 6 Woodpigeons; the first Water Rail heard since the Spring; a flyover Turnstone heading North up the East coast calling – an island rarity but it may have been present for a while with the Oystercatchers in the Landing bay; 2 Shag offshore; 2 Carrion Crows; 2 Ravens; single Swallow roosting in the trees; 5 Willow Warblers demonstrating a small arrival of this species with another few noted on the plateau; single Goldcrest in Millcombe Pines heard all morning; 17 Wrens; 48 Starlings; 9 Blackbirds; single Spotted Flycatcher in the trees near the Gas Store/Battlements, with at least another 4 or 5 seen elsewhere; 6 Robins giving their autumnal ‘ticking’ call; 3 Stonechats; 6 Dunnocks; 4 House Sparrows but plenty more in the Village after a successful breeding season; single Meadow Pipit in the field by Castles; single migrating flyover Tree Pipit headed high SW over the Landing Bay heading towards Rat Island/South Light; 4 Chaffinches; 6 Linnets; and 4 Goldfinches.

A Pondsbury Sunset. ©Thomas Weston

A night of Storm Petrel surveys resulted birds seen at multiple breeding colonies. More on this to come in due course.