Bird Sightings

Fulmar on an egg at Jennys Cove. ©Thomas Weston

Totals from across the island included 17 Mallard, 7 Feral Pigeons, 2 Woodpigeon, 3 Collared Dove, a single Cuckoo in Millcombe, 3 Oystercatcher, 182 Herring Gulls, 7 Great-Black Backed Gulls, 18 Lesser-Black Backed Gull, 213 Puffins, 2587 Guillemots, 668 Razorbills, 74 Kittiwakes, 38 Fulmar, Manx Shearwaters, 21 Gannets, 34 Shag, Kestrel, 5 Peregrines, 9 Carrion Crows, 5 Raven, 29 Skylark, 4 Swallow, 3 Whitethroats, 2 Willow Warbler, 2 Chiffchaffs, 11 Wrens, 68 Starlings, 6 Blackbirds, single Song Thrush, 3 Robin, 17 Wheatears, 2 Stonechats, 2 Dunnock, 31 House Sparrows, 4 Pied Wagtails, 11 Meadow Pipits, 3 Rock Pipits, 2 Chaffinch, 11 Linnets and 16 Goldfinches were seen.

A breezy but cool day. Cool for multiple reasons because census was good and productive, but also cool because we gained permissions, gathered a team together and managed to pilot a Herring Gull project. More on this below…

But first. Census results included 6 Mallard, 2 Woodpigeon, 3 Collared Dove, 2 Oystercatcher, 71 Herring Gulls, 5 Great-Black Backed Gulls, 11 Lesser-Black Backed Gull, 42 Guillemots, 21 Razorbills, 5 Manx Shearwaters, 6 Shag, 5 Carrion Crows, 2 Raven, 4 Skylark, 2 Swallow, 3 Whitethroats, 2 Willow Warbler, 2 Chiffchaffs, 18 Wrens, 24 Starlings, 6 Blackbirds, single Song Thrush, 3 Robin, 9 Wheatears, 3 Stonechats, 4 Dunnock, 28 House Sparrows, 2 Pied Wagtails, 13 Meadow Pipits, single Chaffinch, 33 Linnets and 6 Goldfinches were seen.

A female Eurasian Teal with a single big duckling was on Quarter Wall Pond.

Ringing

Herring Gull chicks from our productivity site. ©Thomas Weston

Our productivity site for Herring Gull was accessed today with a total of 23 chicks ringed. Broods of 1 and 2 were most frequently encountered, with a single brood of 3 being the most noteworthy. The birds were only metal ringed this year, but it is hoped that we can colour ring this colony in the future years to understand the lives of our breeding gulls better. In recent years, the numbers have crashed on the island for large gulls, possibly due to low breeding success and potentially poor adult survival with Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) not helping the numbers.

A very warm, humid census that resulted in 5 Mallard, 12 Swifts, 5 Feral Pigeons, 4 Woodpigeon, 6 Collared Dove, 4 Oystercatcher, 4 Great-Black Backed Gulls, 204 Herring Gulls, 5 Lesser-Black Backed Gull, 29 Guillemots, 42 Razorbills, single Shag, 8 Carrion Crows, 3 Ravens, 6 Skylark, 7 Swallow, 3 Whitethroats, 3 Willow Warblers (2 singing males, one of which was chasing a female), 18 Wrens, 62 Starlings, 7 Blackbirds, single Song Thrush, 4 Robin, 6 Wheatears, 3 Stonechats, 6 Dunnock, 28 House Sparrows, 5 Pied Wagtails, 15 Meadow Pipits, single Chaffinch, 15 Linnets and 6 Goldfinches were seen.

Seabird surveys were productive with all but 6 of the Kittiwakes nest outcomes being recorded; the first PUFFLING of the year was seen with the scope looking at the Puffin productivity site; there were signs that the first Guillemot may have fledged the rocks and taken the leap; our Herring Gulls are still doing well with at least 23 chicks seen in our productivity colony; and we had another couple of Manx Shearwaters hatch from the boxes! A successful and rewarding seabird day for the team.

Ringing

Our seabird assistant Lucy and our bird observatory assistant Thomas at the Manx Shearwater Colony. ©Thomas Weston

Some more Starlings, a few House Sparrows and retrap Manxies in the artificial boxes.

Compared to recent census counts, Millcombe was on the quiet side with 3 singing Whitethroats, 7 Blackbirds, 2 Dunnock, 3 Woodpigeon, single Song Thrush, 4 Robin, a few of the 15 Wrens, a single Chaffinch, 5 Goldfinches and a flyover Swallow. Walking along the south coast resulted in 3 Swifts that came inoff; 14 Guillemots, 41 Razorbills, 3 Puffin and 3 Rock Pipit from Benjamin’s Chair; 4 Skylarks heard singing; 14 Wheatears and 4 Stonechats hopping along the walls; 15 Meadow Pipits in the fields; a Grey heron flew inoff the sea before spiralling high and flying North. There was a second that did the same near Quarter Wall and was seen to be a different individual based on plumage features. The flocks of non-breeding/failed breeding gulls resulted in a single Great-Black Backed Gull, 174 Herring Gulls and 14 Lesser-Black Backed Gull. Feeding with the sheep included 16 Carrion Crows, 4 Ravens, 2 Pied Wagtails, 15 Linnets and 62 Starlings. In the Village, 4 Feral Pigeons, 7 Collared Dove and 16 House Sparrows were seen.